derath

Hey all,

Sorry no search.

I have my first Organized Metric Century of the season this saturday. In order to get there by the start time I have to leave fairly early, about 4:30-5:00am.

I am a little more nervous about this ride than usual, since I have been mostly off the bike for the last 8 weeks. So I want to make sure at least I fill my body up the best I can. Planning on eating a good spaghetti dinner friday night. BUt I want to get something to eat before I ride.

I will probably have a 2 hour drive, and will get up and go. It will be hard enough to get up in time to leave, much less cook up a nice breakfast.

So what do you all do? I was thinking maybe protein shake and clif bar or something, but dunno if that will be enough.

-D

Goldnblazer

I usually just have a bowl of cereal and a banana before the ride. The organized rides will have items such as bananas, cookies and some have trail mix at the rest stops and they will usually have gatorade along with water. I make sure that I have something at each stop and have had no problems making it through the rides.

derath

Yea I know they will have food there as well. But I like to have some digested a bit before I get there.

You are right though. I am thinking about when I ride solo. On these rides I just need enough food to get started. The stops will have plenty to keep me going.

-D

caligurl

i like to stop at denny's when i have to drive to centuries.... we stop with about 1 hour left before ride time... and i ALWAYS get their fruit pancake breakfast: a pancake filled with sugary pie filling... i always get cherry.... bacon... scrambled eggs.. and hashbrowns... it gives me carbs.... fat... protein.. oh.. and sugar! lol!

we usually have to leave around 3 or 3:30 (or earlier) to get to our rides....

you could get away with doing a bowl of oatmeal at home with a 2 hour drive.. as long as you eat right before you leave.. and take a clif bar or something to eat once you get there... before you leave.. otherwise you might be hungry before the first rest stop!

if you don't stop... i really suggest the oatmeal... it's fairly quick and sticks with you!

big john

Take a bannana and something like a bar or muffin in the car with you.

derath

Yea oatmeal would be my first choice. But it takes too long for my needs and is too noisy. I want to get up and leave. My wife is being nice enough as it is to let me go with a 3 yr old and 7 week old to deal with. Last thing I need is to make noise and wake her up making breakfast.

Dennys sounds good though

astrodaimler

I like Carl's breakfast burger if they are open early enough.

bluecd

couple egg mcmuffins and a medium coke from macdonalds works for me.

botto 

100 km isn't that big of a deal, unless you're talking about a very hilly 100km.

either scarf down a bowl of cereal, or grab a bagel & an egg-n-cheese sandwhich for the drive at dunkin' donuts, or something similar

Boudicca

Cold oatmeal. Take rolled oats and mix with milk. Add some raisins, chopped fruit (prepared the night before) and yoghurt for instant muesli. Glorious. I live on it all summer round, and then I switch to cooked oatmeal for the winter. If you use the slow-cook oatmeal you can even mix it the night before, but don't try that with the quick-cook stuff because it goes all squidgy.

Or instant oatmeal. Put two packets in a bowl with water and put in the microwave for the right amount of seconds, being careful to take it out before the wake-up "ping". Rinse bowl quietly when you are done and place in dishwasher.

And take a muffin for the road. I always get hungry two hours after I eat regardless of how big my breakfast is.

merlinextraligh

Whatever you eat, make sure it's something you've eaten before a long ride before.

botto 

That's what I used to eat before a race, but with some honey mixed in. My theory was that if it was good for a horse, it was good for me Also some other lame theory that it would digest slower. I never bonked in a race at least

caligurl

for a metric.... i agree about the oatmeal... but NOT instant... pooy! that stuff's loaded with sugar! gotta have the non-instant that you cook! what you can do is cook it the night before... have it in the fridge.. then just nuke it in the morning... that should be fairly quiet!

but ya... for metrics... (even hilly ones) i forego the denny's thing and do oatmeal at home! )

derath

Ya metrics aren't that big of a deal...Unless your newborn son has been keeping you and your wife so busy you haven't been able to stay riding for awhile.

Just a little nervous since I have only done about 50miles in the last 2 months.

I can't do cold oatmeal though. Dunno why, but it has to be cooked AND still not mushy.

-D

Shifty

I usually take a bagel and banana to eat in the car when I start that early. I also have orange juice and coffee.

Good luck, have a fun time!!

caligurl

not saying they aren't a big deal! for me doing oatmeal vice denny's is a calorie thing! i wouldn't burn off what i ate! lol!

mcD's (or similar).... also good choices then! (i just need something more than cereal or a bagel.. if i have something like that... i'm hungry again in an hour! oatmeal "sticks" with me... as does denny's!!)

have fun!!!!!!!

FormerBMX'er

I usually do a Bagel w/Teddy all Natural Peanut Butter, Banana (maybe a second one right before the ride) and *gulp* a package of instant oatmeal . This was for a 100mile century!

Cromulent

And there are the fruit blend smoothie drinks in the grocery stores - Bolthouse Farms and Naked Juice. Not the yogurt/gogurt things that have high fructose corn syrup, the all fruit juice things in the refrigerated cases. Banana/Strawberry is my favorite. Easy to digest, lots of carbs and vitamins, and potassium too. One will more than get you to the first rest stop.

caligurl

not me! i'd be starving by rest stop one if all i had was some drink! i need substance! lol!

Cromulent

Heh. Okay, a smoothie and a bagel. That's a pretty quiet breakfast. Unless your toaster is really loud.

cc_rider

Organized metric on Saturday. hmmmmmmm.....
Would that be the PATUXENT RIVER RURAL LEGACY RIDE?

If so, the OHBTC is good at supplying food. Last year at the first rest stop (about 12 miles in) they had a good spread of bagles, fruit, muffins, and other snacks.

Pedal Wench

I always do a bagel and coffee on my way to morning rides. Einstein's power bagels. Sometimes with peanut butter, if it's a while before the ride starts. (And, eat it while driving - don't need to waste time!)

slacker_express

I usually have a peanut butter (crunchy) and jelly (well, blueberry jam) on whole grain bread. That is enough to get me going and well fueled for awhile. Then I tend to have fig newtons during the ride (a little messy but I don't care).

oboeguy

I like either oatmeal or "cream of wheat" with maybe a piece of toast or two on the side depending on what I think I can keep down. A bagel with a light schmear of PB and honey (the spreadable kind if you can find it is best) works too, though I usually will quarter one or two of those and wrap each q in foil as ride food.

derath

HEHE Yep. That is the one. You going? Any other BF members?

If so I will be getting there as close to 7am as possible. I will be on my Giant OCR C3 in my Seagull Century jersey.

And actually my breakfast got easier. Little Bennett decided not to sleep last night so the misses didn't get any sleep. So I am going to my parents with him tonight so my mom can watch her. My dad and I are riding so we will leave together in the morning, and they are at least 45 min closer. Plus my dad gets up super early so I am sure there will be a whole spread ready when I get up. BONUS.

-D