Fueling on the road

[PaloAltoCougar]

I know this topic has been addressed in other threads, but after an exhaustive thirty-second search I couldn't find a thread dedicated to the topic so I thought I'd start one. Post your do's and don'ts here based on what you've learned out on the road. On rides of, say, 40 miles or more, I used to eat a fairly big breakfast consisting of a bowl of berries and a large bowl of oatmeal (steel cut!). But that tended to make me feel rather sluggish so now I eat only a small bowl of oats and try to do so at least an hour before we take off. En route, I'll pop a Gu gel (vanilla or chocolate only for me) about an hour in, and then a Power Bar when we take a break around 25-30 miles, then if we're going 50+ I'll do another Gu around mile 40. I should probably eat a little more, but that seems to be enough. The evening following long rides, I require a very large bowl of ice cream to complete my refueling and recovery.

I take two bottles, and add Zipfizz to one of them. I bear strong witness to the awesomeness of Zipfizz, but that may be the caffeine talking (about the same as a cup of coffee). It provides a nice boost, or so I believe.

We usually ride when the temps don't go much above 70, and two bottles can usually last me through a 2-3 hour ride. But longer rides, esp. if it's hot, require re-stocking somewhere along the way. When I did a century where the temp topped 100 near the end, I went through 14-15 bottles, although 1-2 were used to douse my head and bod.

Anyway, I'm curious what other riders prefer, and the rate at which you consume and imbibe.

[Pelado]

I haven't done many rides that exceed your parameters. The last ride I did of over 40, I hadn't planned on going that far, so I don't remember making any special nutrition or hydration decisions before the ride. I started the ride with temps in upper 70's and it climbed up to 100 by the time I finished.

I probably had a smoothie beforehand - banana, strawberries, oats, carrots, Protein powder, and milk. After about 20 miles, I stopped and bought a small sno cone and trail mix. I went through several refills of the water bottle - probably at least 10.

[Moliere]

I think the previous discussion starts here: http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...=1#post1196190

This is definitely a good topic as I've really found nutrition to be a totally different thing with long rides compared to shorter rides. For me the magical split between the two is 40 miles. Anything less than 40 miles I can hammer out with water and a gel packet or two. Anything over 40 miles requires better planning. Here's what I've found to work for me:

Pre-ride
My preference is to eat a light breakfast 1 to 2 hours before I ride, but that is rarely ever possible since I almost always ride in the morning. Since I've been starting my rides as early as 4am, I usually eat a banana and half a bagel before heading out the door. If I do get in a breakfast, I keep it carb-related, so maybe oatmeal, a bagel, OJ and some fruit.

Ride
This has been the toughest part to figure out. My stomach doesn't do well with solids while I'm exercising. I've tried almost all the gels and gummies, but the only thing that has worked for me is Carbo-Pro. The taste isn't too bad and I will drop a Nuun tablet into it to make it taste better. I'll fill up one bottle with 6-7 scoops of Carbo-Pro and that will last me 3-4 hours. I'll usually have Nuun tablets and water in the other bottle. Often times at the last rest stop of the day I'll just keep water in one bottle to drink and to douse on myself. I'll also take a energy gel once an hour, but I start that around hour 3 or 4. I've started to shun Gatorade since I just can't handle the sweetness and taste over a long ride. It's good for shorter rides, but after a couple hours of sipping Gatorade my mouth is just tired of it. That's why I like the Nuun tablets. They are a bit fizzy and add enough taste to the water to make it palatable over a long ride. They are also easy to care on the bike so when I fill up at a gas station I only have to buy water. On yesterday's ride I also took another 6 scoops of Carbo-Pro in a ziplock bag and filled up the bottle again at the half way point.

I've tried Perpeteum and it works, but I hate the taste. I've also tried eating solids, but they never agree with me on a long ride. I can't even eat a banana at a rest stop without feeling a nauseous.

Post ride
If I've really exerted myself, then it usually takes an hour or two before I'm ready to eat any solids. I'll always drink a tall glass of chocolate milk (usually drink it slowly so I don't throw up) and then, when my stomach is ready, I actually prefer tuna fish sandwiches. It's odd since I don't really like tuna fish, but I crave it after a ride. I like the protein but also the fact it's cold. I usually also crave potato chips so I eat that if it's in the pantry. Lastly, like PAC I always eat ice cream either that afternoon and sometimes again in the evening.