Big ride energy food?

ej2320

Right, I'm doing a big 50km charity ride (The distance isn't huge but there are some very steep climbs and its tough work on grass) and I have been putting in some miles for training.. But what should I be doing on the day?

Breakfast; I was just thinking porridge with banana on it
30 mins pre ride; another banana
Mid ride; what would you recommend taking? Energy gels or just high glucose snacks?

Would it be worth doing a warm up before leaving the house? Small jog down the road or something?
And I do get lower back pain on long rides so would stretching help this?

Any advice would be appreciated, this is the first time I've done an XC style endurance ride

Thanks

rockmonkeysc

Planty of wholemeal pasta the night before. Porridge for breakfast with banana.
I just warm up with a steady pedal around before the ride starts. Stay hydrated and have regular high energy. Headaches can be a sign of low blood sugar or dehydration. Don't ignore them, have a gel and a drink.
50km isn't too tough, just pace yourself. Getting a good start and getting ahead of the bulk of riders can save getting bogged down in the first climb carnage.

Ferrals

If your going to go down the gels route I was impressed with the high 5 caffine plus gels, not sure if it was psychosomatic but I felt a real lift over and above normal gels.

ej2320

Thanks for the replies

Yeah a good amount of carbs the night before would seem logical and I normally have porridge pre ride anyway
My hydration pack should help with the dehydration issue
It's a mass start with 350 riders so I get the feeling the start and first climb will be an issue

I'll take a look at the high 5 gel, maybe get some isotonic gel to mix with my water in the backpack
There are a few 'fuel' station with jelly babies, water, bananas ect on the way round
But I was thinking a bag of sweets or some jelly blocks wouldn't be a bad thing

2x10

Chocolate covered peanuts, I conquered Hadrians wall with their help!!
8)

stevel76

I recantly purchased a high 5 race pack came with leaflets for how to us everything to get best out of it before during and after the ride, we also have jelly babies and mixed fruit and nuts with us too. Did a 30 mile ride last weekend and felt I could have done more after using them.

rockmonkeysc

Aldi sour worms are the sh1t.

njee20

Take the High 5 leaflets with a pinch of salt - they're trying to sell you their products after all, and they recommend an impractical level of consumption IMO.

I'd have pasta the night before, porridge in the morning, warm up on the bike, stretch. How long are you thinking it'll take? I use High 5 Energy Source, 0.5-1 litre per hour, with Elete water if I'm racing to stave off cramp. Supplement with gels if you feel you need them. High 5 aren't bad, Torq are better IMO.

Whatever you do, try it all before the day, a lot of people will struggle with certain products, personally I avoid SIS products, I think they're vile, a lot of people like them!

Personally I'm not really a fan of sweets and stuff like that unless I'm planning to stop, depends if you're trying for a time, or just riding round.

Maro

Tests have shown that water alone hydrates as well as anything else, you can add or mix it with stuff but with no benefits regards to that. I like jelly blocks on long rides, they take up little space, don't weigh much, packed with sugar and they're inexpensive.

cooldad

It's a charity ride. I suggest a beer and a pint half way through.

The Northern Monkey

Soreen loaf

felix.london

50km?..have breakkie when you get there..

Graham K

Try gels on rides before the event, I find some gels sickly, dont want that feeling mid ride.

Personally,
Breakfast is porridge with dried fruits, banana, blueberry's, strawberry's and raspberry's thrown in, its a right car crash of a bowl, but I like a decent breakfast as I have a very active job during the week so I dont want to be feeling hungry on my day off.
I take cereal bars and supermarkets own flapjacks (go Ahead) etc, i like the taste and they come in cheap enough to get crushed in a backpack. Keep hydrated, water will do, personally i drop a Nuun in a bottle too just to get a differant taste and mentally think it is doing a job

Just take something you like to eat on, there is nothing worse than being up some moorland blowing out of your ass eating something that resembles the taste of a dried Rhino turd, no fun in that.

ednino

Shouldn't need any more than a normal healthy diet for a 50k ride. Take a couple of bananas & a rice krispie square in jersey pocket

njee20

Maro wrote:

Tests have shown that water alone hydrates as well as anything else, you can add or mix it with stuff but with no benefits regards to that. I like jelly blocks on long rides, they take up little space, don't weigh much, packed with sugar and they're inexpensive.

Water hydrates yes, but doesn't provide any energy.

felix.london

these Raw Bite bars are great. 100% fruit and nuts - nothing else;

http://rawbite.eu/

My latest one is Almond Paste - never seen it in the UK but you can get it here in most organic shops, comes in a block and is just organic almonds and organic un-refined sugar. Nuts are packed with protein which feeds the muscles and keeps you going and the sugar gives you an instant hit. Pretty much perfect. I've also found one with salt which is even better for marathon rides up mountains. Really good stuff

"Almonds – Considered a superfood by some, almonds have lots of nutritional value. A serving contains as much protein as many meats. Almonds also provide potassium and iron, which are essential in maintaining energy levels."

cooldad

And sugar - is sugar is sugar is sugar.

felix.london

cooldad wrote:

And sugar - is sugar is sugar is sugar.

true but I prefer my food to have no or as little processing/refining/bleaching etc as possible so will always go for the least processed options if I'm not buying raw food.

tootsie323

cooldad wrote:

It's a charity ride. I suggest a beer and a pint half way through.

A beer and a pint? That is out there...

cooldad

tootsie323 wrote:

cooldad wrote:

It's a charity ride. I suggest a beer and a pint half way through.

A beer and a pint? That is out there...

Wishful thinking I guess, I meant a pie.

ej2320

Thanks for the replies!

I know 50km isn't a huge amount but I'm guessing it will take 4 hours 30 mins.. this is mainly due to the nature of the terrain and looking at last years results with the winner doing a 2 hour 50 ride, he was an XC champion mind

Obviously cooldad's suggestion is the best but I would like to finish with a decent time so I'm taking as much help as I can get..

Pasta night before
Porridge with fruit for breakfast
pre ride banana
Some sort of cereal bar for the way round

probably mix some hydration or energy tablets with my hydration pack

I'll take note of the suggestions for gels and bars too

Xommul

Just eat normally the day before, don't overfill on carbs as you will feel stodgy and will probably need a dump half way through especially if you hit the caffeine gels.

I would have a balanced diet the night before with carbs no more than 60% of your plate and a usual portion size.

Don't go crazy on the food as it isn't a 100 mile sportive but keep fuelled.

This means a good breakky of porridge, scrambled eggs, muesli, yogurt. i.e carbs and proteins.

Then drink an energy drink throughout the morning like torq or high 5. Just put powders in a biddon or something similar.

During the ride don't stuff yourself with gels, they are best left for the end when blood sugars are hard to replace and you are flagging. Eat foods you need to chew along the way, doreen malt loaf, flap jacks, bananas which also stop you cramping if you are prone, i like a few haribo or skittles every now and again.

I sometimes make a trail mix containing Mixed nuts, dried fruits, chocolate covered raisins, m&m's, corn flakes, and munch a handful.

Try to eat little and often but i always find fuelling on a mtb harder to regulate than on my road bike as mtg riding is more involved and you can get carried away easily.

nyways, good luck on your ride and share your results with us when you have done it.

Xom

ej2320

Thanks for the suggestions

My diet is generally decent, so I'll keep it the same the night before but just make sure pasta is on the menu

I've got some electrolyte caffeine tablets which I'll dissolve in my hydration pack, while this won't give me energy it should avoid the cramp issue

The Rookie

njee20 wrote:

Maro wrote:

Tests have shown that water alone hydrates as well as anything else, you can add or mix it with stuff but with no benefits regards to that. I like jelly blocks on long rides, they take up little space, don't weigh much, packed with sugar and they're inexpensive.

Water hydrates yes, but doesn't provide any energy.

Or replace lost minerals if you are sweating profusely.....from doing longish rides in 35-40c heat I assure you in that situation water doesn't cut it.

50k though shouldn't require too much in the way of energy top up on the way round.

njee20

Which is why time is the more relevant metric. 2 hours won't require much, 3 hours will need more, 5+ hours will need quite a bit of sustenance!

The Rookie

That's true enough, I was assuming about 2 1/2 hours for 50k at a relatively easy pace given the nature of the event.

drlodge

njee20 wrote:

Which is why time is the more relevant metric. 2 hours won't require much, 3 hours will need more, 5+ hours will need quite a bit of sustenance!

Sounds about right. I like to eat at least every 90 minutes or 25 miles, so on a typical club run a coffe stop at the half way point is fine plus a a few jelly babies on the way round. On a centry ride I will aim to have 5 or 6 "snacks" but normally end up having only 3 or 4.

Better to eat little and often.

ej2320

The Rookie wrote:

That's true enough, I was assuming about 2 1/2 hours for 50k at a relatively easy pace given the nature of the event.

I'm suspecting it will take 4 hours 30 mins
The distance isn't huge but the nature of the terrain is hard
I did a trial run for some of the course and a 3km climb took 30 mins due to the physical and technical aspects of the climb.. I know very few people who can ride it and I only managed 3/4 of it

So while it's a charity ride.. It's not easy
The fastest time last year was 2 hours 50 mins set by a sponsored national XC champion
It's the Long Mynd Batch Burner for those interested

njee20

The fastest time last year was 2 hours 50 mins set by a sponsored national XC champion

Looks like Andrew Bone was the quickest? 2:42. Never heard of him, certainly no national champion, if that encourages you at all!

ej2320

Sorry the fastest was 2 hours 37 minutes

Some guy called Ajay
According to his strava profile he's Nepals XC champion of something

Either way, I ain't the fastest rider by far

ej2320

njee20 wrote:

The fastest time last year was 2 hours 50 mins set by a sponsored national XC champion

Looks like Andrew Bone was the quickest? 2:42. Never heard of him, certainly no national champion, if that encourages you at all!

The main thing encouraging me is the guy that finished last did 6 hours +
I should be faster than that!