Carb loading & what to eat on tour!

[wintonbina]

Hi, what is the common consensus regarding Carb loading before embarking on LeJoG and what food/fuel is the best to eat & drink whilst doing the ride? I'm still going to have a couple of beers most nights though sorry!!! Tony

 

[Christkd]

Hi Tony,

I'm no nutritionist but I survived on an oat based cereal i.e porridge or muesli followed by a full english/scottish for breakfast, sandwiches and flapjacks for lunch and a 3 course meal in the evening normally high protein such as steak! I also had cereal bars, flapjacks, mars bars and energy gels for roadside stops.
I carried a camelbak with just water (2 litres) which worked really well and 2 x 800ml bottles filled with isotonic drink (one anti cramp as I had suffered in the past) I also had a protein shake at the end of each day!
None of our group touched alcohol enroute but did have a celebratory skinful in Wick on our last day!!!

Good luck, hope the weather changes as Scotland looks horrendous at the moment!!!

Chris

 

[Gingerbloke]

Much the same as above, muesli or porridge at breakfast, flapjack, cereal bars, nuts and gels during the ride, didn't use isotonics, just electrolyte drinks - Nuun and Zero, plus a recovery drink within the first 15 minutes of getting off the bike. Then dinner in the evening, chicken and pasta, spag bol, also a couple of real ales.
Your body will have enough to run for about an hour to an hour and a half, I was advised to take onboard around 70g of carbs per hour along with 750 - 1000ml of fluid per hour. Kept to this and managed the trip alone in 10 days, averaging 90 miles per day, at an average speed of 16.1mph over the 900 miles, without one cramping episode (which I was normally prone to). Only hit the wall after about 90 miles, with about 15 miles to go on the last day, when I turned into a severe headwind from Wick out to JOG.

Enjoy the couple of pints in the eve, but make sure to have the recovery drink as soon as you get off the bike.

Have fun.

 

[JohnHenry]

Souns good, especially the real ale part, I really want to lose some weight, though - any advice?

 

[Gingerbloke]

Do as I did, lost just over 10lb over the 10 days. It shows as 13 activities, because 3 of the days, I rode as a.m. and p.m. rides.

Count:13 Activities
Distance:884.04 mi
Time:53:27:41 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:41,838 ft
Avg Speed:16.1 mph
Avg HR:116 bpm
Avg Bike Cadence:77 rpm
Calories:27,086 C
Avg Distance:68.00 mi
Median Distance:76.88 mi
Max Distance:107.00 mi
Avg Time:04:06:44 h:m:s
Median Time:03:20:27 h:m:s
Max Time:07:50:00 h:m:s
Avg Elevation Gain:3,218 ft
Median Elevation Gain:2,569 ft
Max Elevation Gain:9,906 ft
Elevation Loss:42,369 ft
Avg Elevation Loss:3,259 ft
Median Elevation Loss:2,618 ft
Max Elevation Loss:9,452 ft
Max Avg Speed:18.7 mph
Max Speed:40.9 mph
Max Avg HR:134 bpm
Max HR:166 bpm
Max Avg Bike Cadence:79 rpm
Max Bike Cadence:136 rpm

 

[snorri]

Hi, what is the common consensus regarding Carb loading before embarking on LeJoG and what food/fuel is the best to eat & drink whilst doing the ride? I'm still going to have a couple of beers most nights though sorry!!! Tony

It depends how long you intend to take for the trip, I just ate normally with the usual summer breakfast (no fry up) a light lunch and a good meal at night followed by a beer or two in the evening. I stopped at quite a lot of cake shops too.

 

[Rebel Ian]

I'm extremely concerned at the post that said no alcohol. By the time we start LEJoG I'll have had a drink twice in 9 weeks - I fully intended to make up for it on the ride

 

[wintonbina]

Thanks guys, we're doing the ride in 9 days then the 3 Peaks challenge on the way back, so lots of carbs, lots of protein, lots of isotonic & electrolyte drinks and lots of real ale . I hope I read that right!!!!!Seriously though I'm getting very nervous as one should I know but I keep on thinking 'have I done enough training? what can go wrong? Is the route ok? Hope I haven't cocked up the accommodation bookings! Roll on next month I just want to ride now Tony

 

[Rebel Ian]

Tony - 3 Peaks on the way back. That's a great effort!!! A mate of mine did 3 Peaks about a year ago except him and his pal cycled between each climbs!!!

Re the training bear in mind that part of the training for day 2 will be the ride on day 1 and so on. After the first 3 or 4 days you'll be in a rhythm, or at least that's what I'm hoping.

Good luck.

 

[andygates]

I'm just back from lejog: I just ate lots and lots of food (tweeting my second breakfast became a tradition). I was riding slow and loaded, and making up the calories with nuts and biccies and oatcakes and cheese and pub lunches... basically massive epic bifter fodder, though never to heavy fullness because riding bloated isn't fun.

Carb loading before will only apply if you're going fast, really, otherwise you'll be working in a lots-in-lots-out steady state. If it's an athletic challenge, then yes; if it's a touring holiday, then no.

I lost precisely one pound over three weeks, but I didn't hunger bonk once.

 

[hambones]

We generally used the trip as an excuse to eat huge amounts and I certainly had a full English every morning (and sometimes finished off other peoples!!). Depending on the amount of effort you are putting in though you don't have to go mad. We just snacked en route with one long stop for lunch.

As for drinking, we tended to have 2-3 beers every night, except in Tavistock where we had 5 and Dumfries where I stopped after 5 but the other 3 carried on... They eventually got to bed at 5am after 10-12 shots, more pints and an interesting experience with some local girls at a nightclub!!

Needless to say the next day to Loch Lomond was a long hard hungover struggle (for some!)

 

[wintonbina]

Well I learned one thing Today!! Don't have a large breakfast after riding 50 miles into an 87 mile training ride!!! Boy did we suffer