Watch your nutrition!

[Nebulous]

I did 70 miles today. I'd planned 30 or so hilly miles, then swing down onto the main road and a flatter 35 or so home. I had a bottle of water, bottle of high 5, 4:1 and a small banana. I waited until the sun came up as it was really frosty. The first 30 miles were a real battle. The temperature was hovering around 3 degrees, and as well as the hills I had a nasty headwind, which was worse because the hilltops were quite exposed.

I rarely stop on a ride, but I stopped at 30 miles and ate my banana. By this point my high 5 was about two thirds gone. I got down onto the main road, and blow me if I didn't still have a headwind! By 50 miles I realised I was in trouble, 50 miles? In the summer time I was doing 50 miles with just a bottle of water. By 65 I was thinking, I'm sure I've got an old gel in the bottom of my box of bike stuff. I wonder if I can phone my wife to come and rescue me with it? I stopped and finished the last of my water and limped home, dreading every hill or even bump.

I'm not sure how I made it over 70 miles, I may have calculated my route wrong, or I may have taken a wrong turning, adding on a bit more. However a combination of the hills, wind and low temperature meant I burned far more energy than I had available, and it wasn't pleasant! Its usually ridiculously out, but my Garmin claims 4690 Calories for the ride.You wouldn't believe how much I've eaten since I got home.

Lesson learned though. I wont be doing any more long rides this time of year without emergency stocks of food. Keeping warm in the cold takes a lot of effort on its own.

 

[Drago]

Glad you got through it. Nutrition is my weak point and I really should pay more attention to it than I do.

 

[HovR]

I normally carry a couple of small bars of something (chocolate/granola/biscuit) and maybe a banana with me which rarely get touched, along with a small zip-lock bag of jelly babies which I'll normally have a few of. That combined with a slice of cake or bacon/egg sandwich at the coffee stop will normally see me through a ride.

I've only been carrying one bottle of home made sports drink with me recently, and that's been enough as long as I fill it up with water at the coffee stop.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Nutrition is my weak point too....

But not too little.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

For goodness sake @Nebulous either you invent a liquid food drip one can fit on a bike, or stop and eat

 

[Nebulous]

For goodness sake @Nebulous either you invent a liquid food drip one can fit on a bike, or stop and eat

Pat when I started cycling I ate and drank a lot, and as I got fitter I gradually cut back. It appears I may have gone too far the other way though. I can eat and drink quite well on the bike, but you actually need to have it with you to be able to eat it. I stopped briefly twice today, but I didn't have any nutrition to take so that didn't help.

Like I said, lesson learned!

 

[VamP]

I always take some money on long rides, just in case the bonk comes.

 

[jowwy]

I did 34 hilly miles tday in south wales it was only about 5* all way round. Only has two small rocky bars and 800ml of squash. Struggled for the last 5 miles as i was out 3hrs.

Lesson learnt here too

 

[MattHB]

I'm not sure how I made it over 70 miles, I may have calculated my route wrong, or I may have taken a wrong turning, adding on a bit more. However a combination of the hills, wind and low temperature meant I burned far more energy than I had available, and it wasn't pleasant! Its usually ridiculously out, but my Garmin claims 4690 Calories for the ride.You wouldn't believe how much I've eaten since I got home.
.

garmins over estimate a lot. No way a 70 mile 4 hour ride would net that much. did you upload to strava? its much much closer and can give you a better guide.

If you ran really low on the ride, it would make you stuff your face when you get in I know people dont like them, and I also know that there are alternatives, but if you can find a good gel (I love powerbar gels for instance) they can really top you off. Also, Ive found high5 to be woefully lacking in nutrition if youre relying purely on that for a long long ride like that.

 

[philinmerthyr]

I've only been riding on the road for a couple of months and struggle to drink from bottles on the move. I've recently gone back to using my Camelbak which makes drinking easy.

I also do a cafe stop on anything over 25 miles. A toasted tea cake usually sees me through to the end.

 

[boydj]

Cake stops should be mandatory for winter rides over two hours. Long solo rides in cold weather are always going to be difficult. Better safe than sorry and planning a stop to warm-up and refuel, then if you are feeling good, you can always skip the stop or keep it short.

 

[Nebulous]

garmins over estimate a lot. No way a 70 mile 4 hour ride would net that much. did you upload to strava? its much much closer and can give you a better guide.

If you ran really low on the ride, it would make you stuff your face when you get in I know people dont like them, and I also know that there are alternatives, but if you can find a good gel (I love powerbar gels for instance) they can really top you off. Also, Ive found high5 to be woefully lacking in nutrition if youre relying purely on that for a long long ride like that.

Matt, Strava says 2443 Calories. I was aware my Garmin would have overestimated. I like High 5, but on sportives I usually take 2 bottles of it. I'll also take 2 bananas and a cereal bar.

I'm intending working on distance over the winter, as I'm planning some very long rides next year, so I'm going to build it up.

 

[boydj]

Best thing I did this year was to join a club, specifically to join in on the club runs on a Sunday. We've had some great runs this year. The miles go by a lot easier when you are in company, especially when the weather is bad. If you have a mechanical problem or an unplanned deflation, then there is plenty of help to get you sorted out more quickly. And if you do start to run out of fuel, there's always somebody with a spare gel or energy bar. Already this year I've done more miles than in any of the previous four years and the club runs have been a big part of that.

 

[Hip Priest]

I normally have a small bite of something every 10 miles (or every half an hour if it's really hilly). I've only bonked once, and that was when I'd done a hilly 50 miler on a small banana and a single bite of an energy bar.

If I was doing a 70, I'd pack two energy bars, a banana, a handful of sweets and probably an emergency gel.

 

[cyberknight]

Cake stops should be mandatory for winter rides over two hours. Long solo rides in cold weather are always going to be difficult. Better safe than sorry and planning a stop to warm-up and refuel, then if you are feeling good, you can always skip the stop or keep it short.

Did 60 miles today up to cannock chase , stopped at the Biches valley foresty centre for coffe and a slice of cake, porridge with dried fruit for brekkie .Only drank about 300 ml of zero cal as well .

as I got fitter I gradually cut back. It appears I may have gone too far the other way though.

I agree with that , seems i need less intake , for such rides last year i would have been nibbling on bars/gels on top of a cake stop, i always carry a gel + cereal bar though ...just in case.