Originally Posted by
Morimorimori
"Less" most definitely doesn't suite my case
I tried to eat less before, and it created issues (bonk-kind of issues) on regular basis. That's of course is attributed to my riding stile, as I prefer to ride more dynamically, and such tempo requires carbs to sustain. Moreover, I'm aiming to achieve at least 27kph of average speed on distances of 300 to 600 km - so slowing down won't do for me
As I mentioned in my previous post, if I eat a massive breakfast (up to 1000kcal), and drink from a bottle of sweet isotonic from time to time, I can cover about 100km before I'll feel bonked and will have to eat something - when I'm riding at this tempo.
Milk is out of question, my stomach can't stand it unfortunately...
Noted, though I don't see why I should do that. My plan is to carry them in powder form, and prepare the mixture right before I'll consume it.
I already have a stockpile of gainer for my gym sessions, so I'll just use it for the coming season, I bought more than enough. If it works, I may invest more time into researching what other options are available.
Thanks for all the tips, really appreciated!
I think my post to which you responded was not written well. Let me try being less obtuse.
1. Nobody can ride Tempo for a 600k. Such an output is not sustainable (76-90% of FTP)
2. Nobody could eat enough food to supply the glycogen to ride at Tempo over the course of a long brevet
Rather than "slow" carbohydrates that you mention in your first post, you want the opposite. You want to swallow and to have whatever you are eating to exit your stomach and then quickly get into your bloodstream.
To expand on point 1. Of course output over a long event drops but if you start off in the Tempo pace, you will burn thru your glycogen stores AND develop fatigue much quicker than if you start in low zone 2 and only getting into zone 3 aka Tempo if climbing or sharing pace with a larger group where you can sit and draft most of the time. Tempo is a pretty hard pace and a fast speed. Ultimately, you will recover faster and be quicker over the 1218 Km if you think like a turtle and not a hare. The best way to ride fast is to stop very little and just ride steady. Time your control stops. On the rare brevets that I ride for time, I try to keep a control to 3 minutes total.
To expand on point 2. Studies have shown that endurance athletes can absorb 4500-6000 calories at the most over a 24 hour period. If you eat more than what you can absorb, what happens to the excess? Beyond the distance of 300k, in my opinion, learning what to eat, when to eat, how much, etc. is one of the most important if not THE most important skill/attribute of a successful super randonneur. The only way to know if your powder works is to try it on a long brevet. Personally, I can't go more than 24 hours on powders. I do not know what is normal. In your situation trying to get as much sleep as possible, I would slam a big meal at a control before sleeping and digest it and possibly do powder while riding.