Spartan420

I have been biking for about 4 weeks now.

Sat, I did my longest ride of 43 miles in 2.5 hours. (I ride solo). My typical ride is 21-25 miles x2 a week. ( I also swim and run)

I am shooting for 100km weekend after next at a biking event.

Towards the end of that long ride, when I stopped pedaling my legs hurt really bad. Almost like a cramp, but just pain. After the ride was really bad. I havd to keep walking cause the pain was so bad.

Prior to the ride I ate a serving of oatmeal. During the ride I had one gel and water throughout. Should I have had more nutrition?

After I drank a poweraid, the pain went away. My legs were not sore after the ride, either.

Hopefully, I am on the right path to my first 100 mile ride in July. I just need to get nutrition in order. I ride the bike to burn calories, so taking in calories while riding is counter intuitive to me.

Thanks

SA_Brak

You went from 0 to 43 miles in 4 weeks? No wonder your legs hurt. Your muscles have not adapted to the effort. It doesn't sound like a nutrition problem at all. You don't need much extra nutrition for a 40 mile ride.

I would suggest at least 2 more days of riding a week, perhaps in the 15-20 mile range. Take one day to extend your long ride by 2-5 miles per week. On the long ride, take your time, take a few breaks and make sure you are hydrating.

superdex

don't worry about taking in calories throwing off the weight-loss plans; you may burn 500-750cals/hr while only taking in about 200. Might be electrolytes, might be food. These long rides are how you find out what your body needs and wants. As an anecdote, I did a 45mi ride yesterday and went through 1 bottle of heed, ~1 bottle of water and like 4 endurolytes (it was warm). That's what my body likes. Between now and your event you'll have a few more long rides, use those to experiment with more food (a gel/hr?) and maybe electrolytes.

Mentally, put aside the 'calorie burn' thing until after the event.

Good luck--

Spartan420

Before getting the bike, I was a runner. I ran 8-10 miles a day, but got injured... hence the bike.

I do two rides per week of 21-25 with hill repeats, then one long ride each weekend. Last weekend was 43. This weekend will be 50 and weekend after will be 62 miles. I maintain an overall pace of 16.1 miles. Moving time, I am usually in the 18mph range but stop signs, I have learned, really kill the overall pace.

Before the 21-25 mile rides I do not eat, nor do I eat or drink on the bike... even though the temps are in the 80+ range w/ 100% humidity. I do not have an issue with those rides.

Maybe next week at the 50 mile ride, I will just do 2 gels. One at an hour and a half, the next an hour later.

Thanks

mcours2006

If riding before breakfast, bring along something--granola bar, banana, etc. If riding after breakfast, probably don't need anything, but could bring along a banana. Lots of water, though.

M_att

If your worried about eating on the bike you could possibly look into a carbohydrate sports drink mix. I use science in sports as it helps you maintain and not fall apart when your stored energy in your muscles depletes. I know you don't want to take in calories but some people like yourself will experience the muscle craps from heat and lack of incoming energy from a lack of calorie intake.

I just did my first century ride 3 weeks ago and I myself couldn't have gone without any calorie intake. At mile 65 is when I started to hit the wall. Luckily I had help from my fiance that kept me going.

Doge

Think more in terms of time and effort rather than miles.
Lower effort and more time should be fewer carbs.
Higher effort, less time should be more carbs.

In both cases it is better to finish on the more simple sugars and even stimulants like caffeine than to start with them. A very common mistake for riders that are new to a time/distance is they go out too fast and hard.

So sounds like a four hour event - moderate effort. I think your oatmeal is fine. Also starting with peanut butter, almond butter (those Justin's packets) or something more dense, but not a gut bomb, that would help you ease into it. Gel for sure last hour, but I'm not a fan the 1st hour. Hour 2 or so some solid food in small bits is fine too.

Chandne

Good topic here. I'm trying to ride at high altitude (8,500-12,000 ft) on weekends and last two weekends, I did ~65 mies with ~4,750 feet of climbing....lots of longer climbs here at 3%-8%...a few 10%s. I'm getting pretty worn out by mile 45 and I think part of it is not employing proper nutrition. I hear that we should eat a gel of something carby every 20 mins or so, especially after the first hour. My legs are worn but not sore by the end but I'm definitely gassing out and not able to push much by mile 45 or so. I can but in shorter bursts and my HR shots up. I need to figure out my nutrition fast. I have a 80 mile 6,500 ft ride coming up in two months. I like the idea of instant oatmeal with raisins and maybe a couple of eggs 2+ hours before the ride.

superdex

I'm a fan of Hammer products, fwiw. @Doge I agree the first hour is light on food; the liver has what, 2hrs of glycogen stored? At least that's the guideline I remember. So after 2hrs, gotta feed the chicken...

Also, @Spartan420 -- you said metric century and 100mi -- which distance is the event? a metric is 100Km (62mi). Not that it makes a giant difference, but want to be sure we're talking apples-to-apples. What you'll settle on for nutrition and water for a metric is pretty much the same for 100mi, just keep on the routine.

Powerade during or after the effort makes my gut twist just thinking about it. But there are folks who do it. My stomach can't ...(I did down a 200cal ginger beer after my ride yesterday. yum)
@Chandne -- maybe not as much as 3 gels/hour (at least that's too much for me), but does sound to me you're glycogen-depleted by mile 45. I'll do a gel/hr on big climbing rides.

One of the realizations I had late last season was that I wasn't eating enough on rides >2hrs. Same symptoms: high hr and no gas. Ya gotta take on calories.

Jakedatc

Did 100k yesterday with 7600' on dirt. 1 bottle Skratch, 1.5 bottle Nuun, 1.5 Gel, 1 Clif Bloks.. I would have liked one food earlier on but the people i was with were cruising along and dirt makes things a bit trickier since an unseen pothole would be bad news.

Bring 1 gel more than you think in case and see how things go.. next time you will know more

Spartan420

Sorry for the confusion.

Metric Century in 2 weeks
100 miles in July

As a runner, I could do the gels with no problem. Those saved my life a few times in marathons. I CANNOT drink gatorade, but powerade seems to be ok. I actually drank one when I got off my bike. 1st I have had in years and it seemed to help. I also ate a few mustard packs because I am convinced those make the pain go away, too. And I like the taste.

redlude97

You don't want to empty the tank before trying to fill it, preserving muscle and liver glycogen stores with food early on and constantly throughout will save those stores because generally at a hard effort you cannot absorb enough calories to offset what you use.

superdex

Agreed, didn't mean for it to come out that way -- if I'm out for >2hrs, I'll eat in the 2nd hour. Couple hundred calories an hour keeps the engine going....

redlude97

I would say you should start eating right away, and right before for longer harder efforts, but ymmv.

PepeM

I'm still baffled at how much people eat during rides. I guess I'm doing it wrong.

Chandne

It also depends on your fitness level. Really fit riders used to doing 50-80 mile rides will not need as much fuel. Guys like me who do 20-35 normally and are building up to 60-80 mile rides, will prob need more fuel at first, right? I can handle 3 gels per hour and may try that, along with a protein bar at mile 25 and 45 . Once I think my muscles and cardio system gets used to 60-80 miles, I can prob taper that down.

ddub

You just have to experiment and see what works best. My guideline is 60gr carbs/hr starting in the first hour. Gels, bagel/honey, mixed drink, fig newtons etc. You'll need to find what you can tolerate. Some things you liked early on in the ride become unpalatable later. YMMV

GuitarBob

You'll be fine with a few gels for the 100 k ride.

Not a fan of either. If you haven't tried Skratch Labs, you might give it a try during training. I like all the flavors, though I mix a little lighter than they recommend.

Spartan420

Fig Newtons! Love those and havent had one in years. This makes me happy.

Im eating fig newtons this weekend.

RushFan2112

This is not to suggest that any of us on this forum are professional cyclists, but if you watch those guys they are constantly eating on the bike. Again, I doubt anyone in this forum is putting in the kind of effort those guys do, but I think it underscores the need to eat often when you're pushing yourself hard on the bike.

I developed my nutrition strategy over many years as a marathoner, but I think it's trial and error for most people. I think you just have to play with it and see what works best for you. Personally, I need to eat every 45 minutes if I'm on a fast club ride or just generally pushing close to my limits. I use GU products only because my cycling club gets a pretty good discount from them. For me, the GU Roctane products tend to work a little better than the "regular" GU.

Anything under 90 minutes and I usually don't bother to bring anything with me, but if it's going to be over 90 min I'll take a gel every 45 minutes. I'll also try to get a bar or something solid in my system every two hours or so. On a long ride I'll use the GU Roctane powder in my bottles, but on a short ride I'll just pop a GU tablet in the bottle.

And again, i only use GU because I can get it so cheap. My suggestion it to try as many brands as you can and see what works best. I'm fortunate that I have yet to find anything by any company that gives me stomach problems.

Good luck!!

Sy Reene

Since this is kinda a thread on nutrition.. am I doing anything wrong? For my on bike beverages, I usually have a water bottle with a Nuun tablet dropped in. In the other bottle I have gatorade (slightly weaker than recommended) but I also put in a tablespoon of whey protein. Thought I heard a 4:1 carb/protein mix is sensible. Then again, I notice none of the sports drinks available usually have protein in them (why?), though of course the energy bars do.

I usually swap bottles from drink to drink for whatever I feel like.. Looking back, I drink about twice the Nuun water as I do the Gatorade/protein stuff. Anyway, it's seemed to work for me fine -- no ill effects I can determine. Just curious why more beverage recommendations don't have any protein in them?

redlude97

protein isn't needed during a ride for an energy source and it is harder to absorb and breakdown. To me it is a waste in a bottle, which doesn't provide satiety. I prefer it in solid foods that quell hunger. If it were me I'd add the nuun to the gatorade and have plain water, but I prefer water for the most part and it also is more useful for other purposes. Then alternate drinking between the bottles.

superdex

From the Hammer site (take it for what you will):

Getting Started - 2. Caloric Intake | Hammer Nutrition

and

https://www.hammernutrition.com/knowl...-much-protein/

Carbonfiberboy 

All of the above, plus your legs are supposed to hurt when you really work yourself. That's how you know you're making progress! The pain/gain thing is real.

DrIsotope

Not just the eating so much, but the frantic concerns over eating/drinking the right things at the right times, in just the right quantities.

Did 50 miles this morning, mostly Z2, just two bottles of water. Had a burrito when I got home. At no point during the 3 hour ride did I think, "Man, I hope I can make it home without eating a fistful of gels, and I wonder if my breakfast carb-to-protein ratio was correct!"

I stand by assertion that most people really overthink cycling. Even a wholly inexperienced rider can do 20 miles on nothing, not even water. Provided of course that they are a human person in relatively average physical condition.