First Imperial Century

[IanT]

Well done ,lots of people would have bailed out with the chainring problem.

Really, Banjo - I thought about it!!!

But, at the end of the day, I knew I'd be robbing myself of an opportunity - so I pressed on.

If I'm honest, that actually made the achievement feel all the better.

 

[Cyclist33]

Nice work!

My problem on Saturday was the opposite - I couldn't get the granny gear at all. Could've done with it at some points but all in all, I guess it made me stronger!

Stu

 

[Jefferson Meriwether]

Congrats Especially as you did the final 60 miles on the big ring

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

Well done on the milestone , I'm just curious, what sort of calories did you take in to cover the century?

 

[Trickedem]

Well done.

 

[IanT]

Well done on the milestone , I'm just curious, what sort of calories did you take in to cover the century?

Breakfast was a bowl of porridge, made with water (not milk - personal preference) and with a light drizzle of honey. Also had a couple of scrambled eggs. This is my standard training brekkey - my belief is that it's a fair balance of carb and protein.

During the ride, I took two decent sized slices of malt loaf and one Jordans cereal bar. All washed down (over the 100 miles) with two litres of water with electrolyte.

As soon as I got in, I got a CNP Pro Recover recovery drink down my neck.

Oddly - despite a decent meal last night - I'm still very hungry today!!!

 

[Banjo]

Breakfast was a bowl of porridge, made with water (not milk - personal preference) and with a light drizzle of honey. Also had a couple of scrambled eggs. This is my standard training brekkey - my belief is that it's a fair balance of carb and protein.

During the ride, I took two decent sized slices of malt loaf and one Jordans cereal bar. All washed down (over the 100 miles) with two litres of water with electrolyte.

As soon as I got in, I got a CNP Pro Recover recovery drink down my neck.

Oddly - despite a decent meal last night - I'm still very hungry today!!!

Nothing unusual there. I find that aftewr a longer/harder than usual bike ride my weight goes up as I take on lots of extra calories on the ride yet still feel hungry next day. I think the body has a mind of its own which says "best load on more calories in case the dopey bu££er does it again".

2 Bits of malt loaf and an energy bar is not much for a century. I would eat more than double that at least.

 

[IanT]

Nothing unusual there. I find that aftewr a longer/harder than usual bike ride my weight goes up as I take on lots of extra calories on the ride yet still feel hungry next day. I think the body has a mind of its own which says "best load on more calories in case the dopey bu££er does it again".

2 Bits of malt loaf and an energy bar is not much for a century. I would eat more than double that at least.

That's fair comment. I think that because I went out at a steady pace (with a view that this was more about miles than speed) and had fuelled up well the night before with a decent helping of pasta, I was probably just about OK.

Having said that, I'll probably take more with me the next time I do the century.

 

[Cyclist33]

I agree - I had pasta the night before and a big bowl of porage with honey in the morning, but still got through 7 nutri-grains, a chip barm, a battered sausage, an energy gel and a pro-plus on the ride!

And I'm still hungry, despite going pretty sedately.

Stu

 

[IanT]

I agree - I had pasta the night before and a big bowl of porage with honey in the morning, but still got through 7 nutri-grains, a chip barm, a battered sausage, an energy gel and a pro-plus on the ride!

And I'm still hungry, despite going pretty sedately.

Stu

With nutrition, there are a lot of variables so, in my opinion, you need to be comparing like for like. That takes into account not just given factors - such as rider weight, bike weight, elevation climbed, exercise taken in the preceeding period etc. But also more complex factors - such as meterological factors - headwind etc. It's probably not possible to compare my ride with yours - given that the bulk of my ride may have been in better conditions and across flatter terrain (or vice-versa).

Personally, I try to steer away from fast-energy foods (such as chips, battered sausages and energy gels) and try to steer myself toward lower fat foods that provide more sustained energy release. Equally, whilst I may take a coffee before a ride, I don't think I would want to use pro-plus as it is, in my opinion, a very short-term benefit with a much longer-term payback.

I guess that, at the end of the day, no two rides are the same and no two riders are the same. Against that backdrop, it's hard to find a benchmark. Having said that, I think it is possible to understand the basic elements that you are looking for from the food that you take on board, plan to take on foods that provide longer-term benefit and listen to your body.

A triathlete that I know swears by the rule - eat whe you are hungry; drink when you are thirsty. Given his level of fitness and performance (compared to mine) he's doing something right so that can't be a bad rule of thumb.

 

[Cyclist33]

True, but then a lot of people say eat before you're hungry and drink before you're thirsty!

In my defence, your Honour, I took the pro-plus with ten miles to go because I was totally beat and had just had to conk out on a grass verge with a chocolate bar.

As for the greays chip butty etc - I was thinking not of nutrition but I just wanted sommat good and tasty!

Stu

 

[IanT]

True, but then a lot of people say eat before you're hungry and drink before you're thirsty!

In my defence, your Honour, I took the pro-plus with ten miles to go because I was totally beat and had just had to conk out on a grass verge with a chocolate bar.

As for the greays chip butty etc - I was thinking not of nutrition but I just wanted sommat good and tasty!

Stu

Fair play. Sometimes you've just got to do whatever gets you through it.

 

[SoloCyclist]

Well done IanT, it is something that needs to be done and once it's done noone can take it away from you. It has such a good ring to it and it's not something just anyone can do.

The last ton I did last year was also a spur of the moment thing. I had intended on doing one of my regular routes of about 60mile, but when I got to my turn point I phoned my wife and told her I was going to be late and kept on going. Trouble was I had no food with me, so I stopped at a small rural shop and bought some fruit and cereal bars and extra water as I only had one bottle as well.

Well done, a century seems like a dream to me at the minute, last four Saturday's I've done 50+ but the thought of doubling that seems impossible

I think you would be able to do it no bother. Just keep heading away from home 50mile. You will have no option but to cycle home . It's more of a mental barrier.

 

[Cyclist33]

Well done IanT, it is something that needs to be done and once it's done noone can take it away from you. It has such a good ring to it and it's not something just anyone can do.

The last ton I did last year was also a spur of the moment thing. I had intended on doing one of my regular routes of about 60mile, but when I got to my turn point I phoned my wife and told her I was going to be late and kept on going. Trouble was I had no food with me, so I stopped at a small rural shop and bought some fruit and cereal bars and extra water as I only had one bottle as well.



I think you would be able to do it no bother. Just keep heading away from home 50mile. You will have no option but to cycle home . It's more of a mental barrier.

+1

 

[martint235]

Well done! Isn't it great to get home with the clock reading more than 100 miles!!!

As to food, I can't be bothered with scientific. Big bowl of pasta before/night before and then either a full english or fish and chips half way through. Packet of fig rolls, some water and I'm good for 100. For longer distances, repeat as required.