FUELING THE TUNE UP

“How and when should I eat, and what for this 65 mile Tune Up?” That question prompted this post.

Before I address the question, let me say this. Folks, if you have a question, please post a comment. It’s almost certain that if you feel the need to ask, then someone else is in need of the same information. And simply put, I can’t answer your questions if you don’t ask them.

Now, on to the business at hand. On August 29, I posted an item about eating and fueling for the 200K, the same general principles apply to the 65 mile ride this coming Sunday.

First off, food you eat is not available as fuel for your muscles for at least two hours. So you must “fuel up” before you ride, and you must continue to fuel as you ride. This is more important on longer rides. It’s possible to do a short ride of an hour or two on calories stored in your body as blood glycogens. For longer athletic efforts, you must continue the process of fueling. If you do not, you will deplete your supply of glycogens. In extreme cases this leads to the dreaded “bonk.”

A bonk is simply this. Various systems in the body have multiple means of fueling themselves, but the brain’s only fuel supply is blood glycogen. When the glycogen levels begin to drop, the brain begins to starve. The brain has powerful self protective mechanisms. If you start to starve it, you will pay an awful price. Bonk symptoms include chills, weakness, nausea, vomiting, cramps, extreme mood swings. Not pretty.

This brings me back to the “3 B 4s of cycling.”

• Eat before you are hungry.
• Drink before you are thirsty.
• Shift before you need to.

If you wait to eat until you feel hunger, you will already be depleting glycogen levels, and it takes that two hours to digest and absorb food calories. Ouch!

Strategy for the 65 miler:

• Eat a good breakfast about two hours before ride time. This is your fuel when you come to the start line.
• Have another snack of about 200 to 300 calories at the first rest stop.
• Try to eat on the bike, and get another 200 calories during the second leg of the ride.
• Expect a longer stop at the second rest stop. Have a small sandwich or a couple of food bars, and maybe a banana. At any rate plan to take in about 300 calories of readily digestible food here.
• Eat another 200 calories on the bike during leg 3, or request a short stop 54 mile optional, and get a snack there.
• Be sure to drink lots of water as you ride. You'll need it to hydrolyze all the carbs you're eaitng.

This plan won’t replace all the calories you burn during the ride, but it will keep the bonk away. Do expect to be hungry after the ride, and do eat a good, protein rich dinner that night.

Ride happy and stay in touch!