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What to eat on a century.

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What to eat on a century.

Old 02-21-17, 11:21 AM
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Rich from MD
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What to eat on a century.

I've always gone with a good meal the night before, a modest breakfast with plenty of protein, and then eating something every 30-45 minutes during the ride, extra when at pit stops.

What do you eat on a century?
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Old 02-21-17, 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Rich from MD
What do you eat on a century?
That's for a metric century, for a full century I eat quite a bit at breakfast.
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Old 02-21-17, 11:30 AM
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I've done 100 mile rides but never an organized century with pit stops, but that sounds like a lot of food.

Night before: good, well balanced dinner.
Morning of: big bowl of oatmeal, fruit, coffee.
Ride: take some bananas/cookies/bars/whatever will fit in a jersey pocket
Mid-ride stop at gas station/convenience store: soda, candy bar.

I mostly go by feel, and the main thing for me is to make sure I'm taking in enough fluids.

For 100km, I'm probably not stopping in the middle, so a Clif bar or banana or a ziploc bag of cookies is fine.
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Old 02-21-17, 02:29 PM
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The deeper into the ride, the more starch and sugar helps me, even if it's junk food. I try not to eat much junk food, but on a long ride, it seems to help. Err on the side of eating too much on a long ride. Occasionally, I'll feel beat and out of fuel, and I'll have a sugary drink, and I'll perk right up. I don't even like sugary drinks.
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Old 02-21-17, 04:50 PM
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Metric - normal dinner night before, coffee, bowl of oatmeal with a banana in the am. A Clif bar somewhere between 30-40 miles. Occasionally another bar at 50-55 miles but not usually needed.

Full - the centuries I've done are supported so I will usually snack at the rest stops. Not a lot. Usually 3 or 4 stops. I carry a couple bars in case I need something between stops.
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Old 02-21-17, 05:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Rich from MD
I've always gone with a good meal the night before, a modest breakfast with plenty of protein, and then eating something every 30-45 minutes during the ride, extra when at pit stops.

What do you eat on a century?
On all rides over five hours I eat half a Clif or Clif Mojo bar every hour (95 - 120 Calories, mostly carbs).

On five hour rides I usually have a Clif bar after four hours because I'm starting to get hungry.

After 10-12 hours I crave real food and have something small like one chicken drumstick or one sushi roll because more food isn't worth the belly ache.

You can't digest more than 200-300 Calories of mostly carbs in an hour, and pouring more down your gullet will make you uncomfortable. A little fat helps with satiety. You need a little protein to prevent muscle catabolism and keep you alert.

With most of your energy coming from body fat, you don't need even that much, and you'll feel better eating less.

Last edited by Drew Eckhardt; 02-23-17 at 04:07 PM.
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Old 02-21-17, 05:58 PM
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Just a few days ago, I completed my 100th century (100 mile ride) and also my 175th ride of 100 miles or longer.

What do I eat on all those rides?

I have a decent dinner the night before ... probably a bit more than I usually eat, but not overboard. And I choose foods that sit well. Not too much dairy. Not too spicy.

I have a modest breakfast, aiming for about 500 calories. If the ride starts really early, it will just be Ensure or something easy to get down. If the ride starts later, it'll be toast with cheese and toast with nutella and honey.

And then I aim to eat at least 100 cal/hour while I'm riding. On the longer rides, I try to aim for 200 cal/hour ... or sometimes even more for as long as I can. What I eat is usually granola bars, cookies, salted almonds and things like that.

I will also aim to eat a meal about every 6 or 7 hours on really long rides, but on a century, it depends. If the century is just a casual relaxed thing, we'll stop for lunch mid-ride. If it's more of an event, we'll keep going and just snack along the way.

Later on the really long rides I reach a point where I struggle to eat so it is important to eat solid food regularly early on ... and then later I might have to resort to gels and liquid nutrition. But centuries aren't usually long enough for that.


On a metric century (100 km) ... normal dinner, normal breakfast, and maybe 2 or 3 granola bars.
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Old 02-21-17, 09:27 PM
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Main thing is not to eat much at any one time. I'll tear a Clif bar into quarters and eat a quarter maybe every 15 minutes. Now I eat mostly liquid food on centuries. As the rides get longer, I eat more solid food. I eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes before and sometimes I'll wait for the hunger. Depends on the situation. I eat at the top of the climb, not the bottom. I usually don't eat much of the stuff at rest stops on organized rides. I might put a little in a jersey pocket and get up the road. I'd rather depend on stuff that I'm used to, that I know won't upset my stomach and just supplement with rest stop food.
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Old 02-21-17, 10:53 PM
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Whatever I feel like on that particular day, during that particular ride. I've done 100 miles on a Clif bar and a pack of mini donuts, but I've also eaten 3 full meals during a double metric. I've done 100km on nothing but water, and done 100km while eating a full meal in the middle. Don't get hung up on it. If you feel hungry, eat.

Obviously, YMMV. I average 45kJ/mi, so a century for me is going to be good for no less than 4,500 calories burned. I'm not worried about my figure when doing 100 miles.
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Old 02-21-17, 11:17 PM
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My last long ride was a 300k. Pre-ride breakfast was oatmeal with banana, bagel, and a glass of milk. On the ride I ate one large Rice Crispie Treat, one fruit-n-nut bar, four tamales, two small burritos, a short can of Pringles, a small bag of Doritos, a half-dozen potato wedges, and a Hostess cherry fruit pie. Possibly more.

Drinks were coffee at the start, chocolate milk, apple juice, Gatorade, water, and five bottles mixed with maltodextrin powder.

For 100 miles, I suppose just over half that much.
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Old 02-22-17, 07:32 PM
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Depends on the intensity. I do ~60 mile Z2 rides quite often, and for those I don't eat anything. Not breakfast beforehand and nothing during the ride. I've done hammerfest of about that length on an empty stomach too and never ran into any issue, but I rather have some food with me just in case. If the distance increases and there is going to be some intensity then I'll bring some food, but even then we're talking a banana, some nuts, and maybe an energy bar. Different people have different requirements though, so just do what is best for you. Eating every 30 minutes sounds insane to me, but if that is what you need then that is what you need.
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Old 02-23-17, 09:19 AM
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I used to do 200 mile races -- and, for those, I paid a lot of attention to my food/hydration strategy. Food strategy, at that distance, is the difference between success and failure. Everything I ate and drank was very easily digestable and based on the principles found in Alan Lim's Skratch "Feed Zone Portables" book.

I ride centuries non-stop and "at speed," so this has an influence on my food strategy. The night before is a pasta dinner (not extreme -- just enough to make sure my glycogen is topped up) with rice pudding for dessert. The morning of, I have the same breakfast I have every day -- a bowl of cereal. Then, in the hour leading to the start, I drink a bottle of full strength EFS drink mix. The EFS contains enough electrolytes to cause me to retain a LOT of water -- so my body, in effect, holds the contents of an extra water bottle at the start. I also down a Snickers bar in the last 30 minutes before the start.

During the century, I carry a few rice cakes (Feed Zone Portables recipe) and/or some Colombian Bocadillo Guayaba in my jersey pocket. In both cases, they contain a lot of moisture, a lot of calories per bite, and go down (and digest) easily. (Gels don't agree with me and Clif bars don't digest fast enough.) A person can only absorb so many calories per hour, so I base my consumption on time rather than distance. The faster I plan to ride, the less I have to carry.
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Old 02-23-17, 09:25 AM
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sounds like you're experienced. the only thing I'll offer, which you probably already know

don't experiment with food/drink. it's no time to experience gastrointestinal curiosities ... :/ aka stick with food/drink you have experience with
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Old 02-25-17, 09:35 PM
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Oatmeal cookies, granola bars, trail mix of nuts and dried berries, whatever is easy to carry and has a mix of simple and complex carbs with a bit of fat. I don't worry about protein during the ride outside of the amount I get from the nuts and oats. I'll sometimes have a sandwich or other light lunch around the mid-point but I don't go for anything heavy. I dilute Powerade 50:50 with water or carry green tea with a bit of citrus and a pinch of lite salt (half sodium chloride/half potassium chloride) on hot days. On more recreational rides in cooler weather, I drink water and get plenty of electrolytes from my pre-ride meal and my on-bike snacks.

It will depend quite a bit on your riding goals. I ride primarily charity and recreational organized centuries, as well as a lot of solo rides in the 50-100+ range. My pace is moderate at an average of around 16 mph and I usually have stops planned every 20-30 miles or so for water refills and to reload snacks if needed. If you are going to hammer it the whole distance or are in a competitive event, your needs might be quite different than mine.
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Old 02-25-17, 09:42 PM
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Whatever works for you is fine. I don't eat anything special, and am usually too sleepy to eat breakfast other than coffee and a donut. My long ride policy has always been to ride the first half as a single non-stop leg, stop for fuel, then stop once or twice during the 2nd half.

This has always worked for me on rides of up to about 150 miles, but on longer rides (up to 300+miles), I'd go as far as I could on the first leg (usually about 75-100 miles) then stop every 40-50 miles for a light snack.

But as I said at the beginning, we're all different, so you have do do what works for you.
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Old 02-26-17, 12:19 PM
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Famous in the runner's world is Dr. George Sheehan with a quote...."We are each an experiment of one." It makes no difference what others eat, e.g.-some nothing for 50 miles and then only a bit of bird seed......... experiment for yourself by eating what you normally would for the effort you will be expending and adapt for the distances. I have a friend who stops for BBQ during 100 milers and if I did that I would puke.

First non stop 53 miles of yesterday's 114 miles began with breakfast of espresso, cinnamon Pop Tart, tortilla with almond butter and strawberries, Cliff Shot chocolate-cherry 100mg of caffeine. On bike bottles had Mtn. Dew Throwback and Crank Sports e-fuel and in pockets a banana, Crank Sports e-gel, another tortilla.

Back home for bike/kit change another espresso, blueberry Pop Tart, some dates then off with bottles replenished, almond butter tortilla, e-gels and some M&M Dark Chocolate Peanut candy

Two weeks ago for 307.8 miles of my 2017 Bike Sebring 12/24 Hour I also included Coke, McDonald's Egg McMuffins, Big Mac, regular M&M candy, Kosher Dill pickle wedges, Larabar-cashew/dates.

In my 2013 Ironman Florida I rode the 112 miles non stop with only water, e-fuel, e-gels, grabbed some bananas and orange wedges while riding through the fuel stops. Much greater effort so easily/quickly digest stuff.
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Old 02-27-17, 06:50 PM
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I like dates, bananas or homemade rice cakes during the first 50-55 miles. I don't need much--small portions are fine. After that, I lose my appetite for solid food and can only tolerate liquid calories. I use a supplement called Mercury, which has worked well for me.
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Old 03-27-17, 12:51 PM
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Hello everyone.

I am about to do my first 60 miles this week.

I have done 51 miles before (only once) and I only do 26 miles per ride around my house every week.

The last time doing 60 miles and burning 2100 calories, I had no energy for 3 days n had to keep on eating. I feel like burn out.

What can I do to make it better this time?
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Old 03-27-17, 12:58 PM
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Originally Posted by chong67
Hello everyone.

I am about to do my first 60 miles this week.

I have done 51 miles before (only once) and I only do 26 miles per ride around my house every week.

The last time doing 60 miles and burning 2100 calories, I had no energy for 3 days n had to keep on eating. I feel like burn out.

What can I do to make it better this time?
Without knowing what you ate before and during your last 60 mile ride, it's hard to say. As general advice, I'd say eat a good balanced dinner the night before, your regular breakfast (oatmeal for me), and take some food to eat on the bike that you tolerate well. Eat when you get hungry.
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Old 03-27-17, 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by chong67
Hello everyone.

I am about to do my first 60 miles this week.

I have done 51 miles before (only once) and I only do 26 miles per ride around my house every week.

The last time doing 60 miles and burning 2100 calories, I had no energy for 3 days n had to keep on eating. I feel like burn out.

What can I do to make it better this time?
Ride more, in general.

On the day of your big ride, eat more than 2,100 calories. Eat enough that you think it's excessive.
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Old 03-27-17, 07:57 PM
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The ride I did 51 miles before, I started out on avg 12 mph. On the way back, I fall down to 8 mph. The last 20 miles was really hard. I have no energy left and really struggle. I didnt eat anything except during lunch and drink water.

This time I will bring sweet potatoes, dry dates and some nuts. Potassium will help with muscle cramp and carb for quick energy and drink water.

I will also eat more cereals, a banana, 2 eggs and milk before I cycle.

Whats a good lunch to eat while doing 60 miles? Hamburger?
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Old 03-30-17, 12:45 PM
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Originally Posted by chong67
The ride I did 51 miles before, I started out on avg 12 mph. On the way back, I fall down to 8 mph. The last 20 miles was really hard. I have no energy left and really struggle. I didnt eat anything except during lunch and drink water.

This time I will bring sweet potatoes, dry dates and some nuts. Potassium will help with muscle cramp and carb for quick energy and drink water.

I will also eat more cereals, a banana, 2 eggs and milk before I cycle.

Whats a good lunch to eat while doing 60 miles? Hamburger?
Try bringing a banana or two along with you and munch on those from time to time. I would also recommend a liquid source of carbs to get some variety in there. 50 miles and beyond was tricky until I nailed down some on-bike nutrition. There are so many threads on here addressing this, so, you should be able to find some sage advice. I'm not sure about total number of calories to consume/hour on bike, but, your body won't be able to absorb more than about 50g of carbs/hour. Start there and do some experimenting.

I don't eat meat during a ride. Lots of bananas, nuts, fig bars, and sugary drinks; I'm basically snacking all day until I finish and can get a recovery meal.

What are you eating after your rides? The general rule here is a 4:1 ratio of carbs to proteins. Start with something smaller and easier to digest like a parfait or chocolate milk. The key here is to replace some of what you've lost throughout the day. I'll shower after that and get my toys cleaned up and put away, and then onto the more substantial meal. Lately I've been doing a lot of biryani with a samosa. Chicken fajitas are nice for me, too. This is where your hamburger would fit in, just try to get some good carbs on the side.

Again, it's something you'll have to play with to find something that suits your needs.
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Old 03-30-17, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by chong67
The ride I did 51 miles before, I started out on avg 12 mph. On the way back, I fall down to 8 mph. The last 20 miles was really hard. I have no energy left and really struggle. I didnt eat anything except during lunch and drink water.

This time I will bring sweet potatoes, dry dates and some nuts. Potassium will help with muscle cramp and carb for quick energy and drink water.

I will also eat more cereals, a banana, 2 eggs and milk before I cycle.

Whats a good lunch to eat while doing 60 miles? Hamburger?
Nothing. I just drink coffee at lunch stops. Eat on the bike, small amounts at frequent intervals. Hamburger is probably the worst thing because stuff like that is so hard to digest. Good chance of sitting on the curb and wondering what happened to you.

You had trouble because once you'd burned through your small amount of glycogen your BS went in the tank. Fat burning wasn't enough to keep you moving. Frequent small amounts of carbs, eaten from the very start of the ride, will keep you moving. No carb boluses. Maybe 10g at a time.
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Old 03-31-17, 09:24 AM
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I have done 51 miles once and I avg 28 miles once a week.

I am getting ready to do 60 miles tomorrow. I will bring banana, nuts, granola bars and sweet potatoes for my ride. I drink water.

So you say just eat the above and no lunch.

I avg 10 mph on flat land, so that is at least 6 hrs of pure fun.

Any more advice?

Thanks!
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Old 03-31-17, 11:05 AM
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Originally Posted by chong67
I have done 51 miles once and I avg 28 miles once a week.

I am getting ready to do 60 miles tomorrow. I will bring banana, nuts, granola bars and sweet potatoes for my ride. I drink water.

So you say just eat the above and no lunch.

I avg 10 mph on flat land, so that is at least 6 hrs of pure fun.

Any more advice?

Thanks!
What's been your weekly average miles? A simple rule is that a long weekend ride shouldn't be more than your weekly average has been. So if you've been averaging over 60 miles/week, the week of your 60 mile ride will have a mileage bump but you'll probably take a an easier week the week after, so it'll balance out.

If you average 10 mph on the flat, try eating about 100 calories/hour. You'll probably burn about 1100 on this ride and I try to eat about 1/2 my projected burn during the ride, or 500-600 total in this case. See, no burger.
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