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Some friends and I are embarking on a 385 mile charity ride from Glasgow to John o'Groats next weekend, over 5 days. We're using the Sustrans routes to keep it as 'off-road' and enjoyable as possible.
We're all experienced cyclists, but none of us have ever challenged ourselves to this type of ride. We're all fit, healthy and have a good idea of what to expect, but mainly ride <50 mile days on and off road, in the hills and at trail centres. Recently we've been ramping the rides up to 70/80 miles in preparation. Apart from 2l of Isostar I've never really looked at nutrition as a science!
I think we'll burn 10k calories per day, and have some 'long energy' drinks, and various bars, gels and beans (as well as Pepparami, bananas and Jelly Babies). The breakfasts will be porridge and honey with coffee, 2 lunches and a carb dinner.
What else should we be eating/drinking and at what times? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
I think we'll burn 10k calories per day,
will you each be dragging a washing machine ?
No?
10,000 calories a day that's not a washing machine that's a launderette!
1250 calories an hour for 8 hours... we'll be climbing an average of 1500m each day. How much would one burn on average?
don't they reckon around 450 calories an hour for an average male MTB cyclist?
Ok, I read somewhere 1000 calories... Does anyone have advice based on 4k calories/day?
If you're only going at 10mph-ish on sustrans routes, I would expect you could pretty much eat normal stuff - it's only an easy cycle touring type pace, not racing. A few more cakes and chocolate bars, but I wouldn't worry much about nutrition, just eat some stuff when you're hungry, and make sure you have enough snack with you so that you've always got something handy to eat.
Have two lunches maybe, or decent pub type meals if you have the chance, and take plenty of snack, but I wouldn't bother with the fancy energy drinks or stuff like that unless you're finding it hard. It is worth having a few absolutely minging energy gels around (the zipvit ones are pretty grim), as if anyone is tired enough to eat them, they almost certainly need them.
Joe
Oh yeah, I do have one vital piece of cycle touring advice, when you want hot food, eat a hot meal the first place you have a chance. Don't think that you'll find somewhere nicer in the next town, or it's half an hour before when you hoped to stop for lunch. Inevitably you end up skipping a dodgy looking place, and getting to the place you hope will have nice lunch at 14:05 to find they just stopped serving food.
Joe
10000Cal is somewhere near what polar explorers need.
Just eat properfood but slightly more of it. Don't each too much sugary energy food otherwise it'll play havoc with your digestion.
Try Big healthy breakfast something like porridge or muesli. A decent lunch, sandwiches and some fruit then a nice big supper, something with plenty of protein (lean meat) and carbs (rice/pasta/potatoes).
I'd personally carry bananas, standard cereal bars and malt loaf to snakc on each day and maybe some jelly beans/jelly babies/ haribo for "emergencies".
Remember to drink plenty.
Cool, so my energy calculations were a bit out! I know it's not Le Tour, but was interested in any advice anyone had to give. Cheers guys.
Just eat loads whenever you can. Dont listen to the muppets on here who, although the pretend to ride bikes, dont actually know heehaw about anything. Aim for the 10000kcal and you'll be fine.
[i]heehaw[/i] I just lol-ed, haven't heard that in ages ;o)
Couple of top tips
Dont plan on using food for the first time on the ride. Everything you are planning to eat should be stuff you are used to eating on long rides. With the longer rides your doing experiment with your eating and find what works for you.
Little and often is the key. Food is the bodies fuel and if the tank runs dry your stuffed. If you have a big meal/stop you may suffer sunday lunch syndrome. This happens after a big meal when your stomach needs a lot of blood to digest the big meal and takes it as a resource from other bits of the body. Typically leaves you feeling lazy and sleepy. Be wary of long cafe stops with the big full all day breakfast. Better to stop a few times and have a smaller meal like beans on toast.
Take food with you that you know you like and will eat no matter how tired and un-hungry you feel. I never get why some people have energy gels and bars with them but go on about how much they dislike them. I find them fine and they certainly do the job really well.
A decent breakfast and a decent evening meal are key. Be worth checking round the team of you and making sure everyone is used to eating breakfast. I've come across several instances of people not getting food down their neck in the morning because they aren't used to it. Consider ensuring your eating habits as a team are right as part of your preparation/training.
Have food accessible. The triathlon top tube food holders would be worth considering so its easy to get at. If its in your backpack out of reach its so much more difficult to keep you topped up.
If you want to learn more about the various aspects of nutrition then the SIS stuff is excellent http://www.scienceinsport.com/information.htm
I'd quite happily use the SIS range of products including energy drinks, gels, bars and recovery drinks supplementing decent breakfasts and evening meals along with a couple of snacks at cafes along with a brew.
Well thats my 2p's worth 😉
My top tip is Holland & Barratt Flap Jacks - 500kcal for 69p Cant go wrong at that.
what you burn does not equal what you can absorb.
you can absorb 350-450Kcal per hour (any more and it will sit in your stomach not helping) but you can burn more. so aim to eat that per hour, good meal in the evening will help. try to eat as soon (20 mins) after you finish - to top up reserves.
eat things you like and have eaten before. the bulk of the calories should be from carbs, but also some from protein as this will help you absorb carbs. avoid high fat foods particually cheese. (and pepparami 50% fat) that said all calories are fuel.
remember to take water as well as energy drinks - you will know when you've had too much food not enough water as you strt to feel sick. at this point drink water for a bit.
good luck, take it easy and enjoy it.