The last two weeks before a 100K ride- training advice needed

[MotownBikeBoy]

What can I do in the last 12 days to prep for this ride? Training - going to try to get in as many long rides and regular workouts as practical. Ran yesterday and today, made progress, a mile each day nonstop at around 4.8 mph. Rode 25 yesterday morning which was nice. I figure I should do only very light training the two days before. Nutrition - doing a high protein, low carb diet now, should I try to eat more carbs the last few days, or is that an old theory now reputed? Also, going to try to get extra sleep and keep a good hydration balance. Thanks in advance, this means a lot to me and I want to be a able to complete the full 100 K.

 

[maydog]

If I were you, I would avoid/limit running and do light intensity rides the days before the ride. Start ride day out feeling like you want to do a big ride.

Seven, Six, or Five days out do a long ride ~ 50% to 70% of your target distance, then shorten them up. You are not going to be able to make big improvements in your fitness just a few days before your ride so it is better to focus on getting your body fresh and working out logistical issues such as ride comfort, nutrition, hydration and equipment.

If you are getting adequate nutrition from your current diet, there is no reason for radical changes before the ride. On ride day, however, do not skimp on carbohydrates - start out with a good, but not heavy, breakfast. Refuel and rehydrate often.

On the ride, don't blast out of the gates, allow yourself a long warm up; get the heart rate up but don't ride at a usual hard pace. Also resist the temptation to "race" other cyclists that come along or catch ones in the distance - that can blow your pacing plan out of the water.

 

[jpr95]

Good info in maydog's post. Ride with the gear you're going to use to help shake out any issues. If you can ride 25 miles, you can ride 62 miles, just back off the pace a bit. Eat well. Not just protein, but good, balanced meals with plenty of fruits and veggies. As for how many days ahead of time to lay off, that depends on how sore you get from hard rides. If you don't get sore or stay sore long, an easy ride the day before or a little harder two days before shouldn't be a problem. During the ride, a SAG stop here and there to refill your water/Gatorade (I don't drink water--I prefer to get the calories Gatorade provides) bottles and have a snack are good, but don't stop for too long--it's hard to get going again. The exception may be to stop for lunch. On a longer ride, I don't like to skip meals like that, but you want to take a bit for the meal to settle before you get going again (and you'd have to warm up again, too).

 

[alienator]

The above two posts pretty sum-up what you want to do. One thing I would reconsider in general, is your low carb/high protein diet. While not eating too many carbs is important, you do to insure that you eat enough carbs each day to not only get through the day but also get through rides and recover appropriately after rides. It's possible that your low carb diet could be at least partially to blame for your recent issues with fatigue on the bike. Note I said possible, not definite. Also, don't psych yourself out about the distance. You don't have to rush through the ride. Your goal should just be to finish.

 

[danfoz]

All good advice from everyone above, but I really recommend the not stopping too long part. Anything more than 15-20 minutes on a ride of that distance may leave your legs feeling a bit like wood especially if there's a big meal involved. You want your available physical resources working on getting you to the goal, not on digestion. If you do stop for a meal keep it light. I would recommend snacks like fruit, energy bars/gels, or similar instead. It's ok to eat a little something which sticks to your ribs. I personally enjoy a small turkey or chicken sandwich, some fig bars and a banana on a long ride. Save the feast for after the ride.

And my 2 cents, think about skipping the high protein diet in lieu of a calorie managed balanced diet. And if it's Atkins related it's downright toxic and It's not doing your internals any favors, especially your colon and your kidneys. Some carbohydrates are important for helping replenishing glycogen stores efficiently, which are essentially the aerobic athletes gas tank.

 

[alienator]

All good advice from everyone above, but I really recommend the not stopping too long part. Anything more than 15-20 minutes on a ride of that distance may leave your legs feeling a bit like wood especially if there's a big meal involved. You want your available physical resources working on getting you to the goal, not on digestion. If you do stop for a meal keep it light. I would recommend snacks like fruit, energy bars/gels, or similar instead. It's ok to eat a little something which sticks to your ribs. I personally enjoy a small turkey or chicken sandwich, some fig bars and a banana on a long ride. Save the feast for after the ride.

FYI, the best after ride meal is a feast on authentic Mexican food chased with generous quantities of either beer or mojitos. As an aside, it's a documented medical fact that medicines do not adversely interact with alcohol at a post ride feast.

And my 2 cents, think about skipping the high protein diet in lieu of a calorie managed balanced diet. And if it's Atkins related it's downright toxic and It's not doing your internals any favors, especially your colon and your kidneys. Some carbohydrates are important for helping replenishing glycogen stores efficiently, which are essentially the aerobic athletes gas tank.

Yes, again.

 

[MotownBikeBoy]

Thanks, guys. Yup, I have my own concerns over this diet. It's not quite as extreme as Atkins, not out there eating sausage and bacon by any means. I have been seeing a registered dietician every few months, she came up with this. Apparently, the "no refined carbs" "no starchy carbs" must be the trend right now - she keeps telling me how the latest research in her field shows that carbs contribute to metabolic syndrome if you are prone to that. I do have to be careful, when I was 19 I was diagnosed with type II diabetes even though I only weighed about 155 then, 10 lbs less than now. I used to take oral meds for that. I don't have a current issue with it, my A1C is around 4.5, diet and exercise control that. Nevertheless, I think I need some carbs, and I will probably discuss this with her the next time I see her. I ran this by the integrative medicine specialist who disagreed and thought carbs in moderation are fine. Honestly, I haven't had a potato since probably January. I would kill for pasta. This isn't working for me on that level.

 

[MotownBikeBoy]

Thanks, guys. Yup, I have my own concerns over this diet. It's not quite as extreme as Atkins, not out there eating sausage and bacon by any means. I have been seeing a registered dietician every few months, she came up with this. Apparently, the "no refined carbs" "no starchy carbs" must be the trend right now - she keeps telling me how the latest research in her field shows that carbs contribute to metabolic syndrome if you are prone to that. I do have to be careful, when I was 19 I was diagnosed with type II diabetes even though I only weighed about 155 then, 10 lbs less than now. I used to take oral meds for that. I don't have a current issue with it, my A1C is around 4.5, diet and exercise control that. Nevertheless, I think I need some carbs, and I will probably discuss this with her the next time I see her. I ran this by the integrative medicine specialist who disagreed and thought carbs in moderation are fine. Honestly, I haven't had a potato since probably January. I would kill for pasta. This isn't working for me on that level.

 

[danfoz]

Originally Posted by alienator .


FYI, the best after ride meal is a feast on authentic Mexican food chased with generous quantities of either beer or mojitos. As an aside, it's a documented medical fact that medicines do not adversely interact with alcohol at a post ride feast.

Yes to to the Mex. The incident that came to mind in my previous reply was a burrito loaded with cheese, sour cream and qwac, unfortunately consumed mid not post ride. Aside from the time I bonked far from home, that was one of the more miserable 30 miles I've had to do on a bike. What the heck was I thinking.

 

[jpr95]

The first full week of May, I did a week-long tour of 50-70 miles every day (4 of the days were 65+). I stopped for a good lunch every day, including some beer on a couple of the days. Like I said, you have to let it settle a bit, so lunch was 60-90 minutes, and I definitely took it easy for the first 20 minutes or so when I started riding again. As for the SAG stops, I tried to keep those to 5 minutes or less, unlike previous years where I'd take up to 15 minutes, and I definitely felt better leaving the SAG. To me, the food is part of the fun of the tour, as we go through a number of small towns, and I like to partake of the local fare. The cheese steak sandwich, fries and a couple pints of Komodo Dragon Black IPA at Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington, IN was probably the highlight. Heck, I usually gain about 3 pounds during this tour because we eat so well, but this year I only managed 1.5. I'm sure it's mostly muscle weight, though, as we have some pretty good climbs and hilly areas in south-central Indiana.