Wednesday, 1/3/07 at 4:59 PM
by Tara Llanes
by Tara Llanes
Eating for a ride...
I get quite a few people at the races and on the trails that ask me about my diet, and what I eat throughout the day. And I tell them that it depends on what type of ride or race I’m doing.
Now everyone is different. I’ve got friends that don’t even eat breakfast before we head out for a 3-hour mtb ride. Just a cup ‘a Joe and it’s out the doh! But there is absolutely no way that I could do that and I wouldn’t recommend it. I know I would be cranky within the first 10 minutes! Here are a few tips for your day in the saddle.
45 minutes to 1-hour moderate ride:
On a ride like this you might not stress your system quite as much. For instance, when I go on a ride with a friend of mine she’s just a notch below me when it comes to fitness. If she wears her heart-rate monitor and on an hour-long ride burns 800 calories that means I burned about 300-400 calories. So she may need more for breakfast that morning. In this case I could have just a couple pieces of wheat toast and it would more than likely do the trick. But for her she might need a good bowl of shredded wheat cereal that is a bit more filling. And always drink either water or an energy drink throughout the ride. Just don’t forget to drink it!! I’ve seen people bring a water bottle and not even drink a quarter of it.
2-4 hour ride:
There is always a basic staple for me when it comes to breakfast: oatmeal. Oatmeal is the perfect slow-burning carbohydrate that sticks to my insides. For me it was important to find oatmeal that was multi-grain. I used to eat the regular Quaker Oats stuff, but found that I was hungry 20 minutes after I ate it. Now I eat 10-grain oatmeal and that works for me. I usually put some blueberries and honey in it to spice it up a bit. I also have some orange juice and of course, my coffee.
For a ride this length it is important to bring food to snack on so that you don’t bonk. Energy bars are a good choice, but sometimes I like to just eat real food. I’ll bring a banana, a bagel, or a PB&J depending on how hard we’re going to go. Gels are also a good way to replenish your systems and keep your glycogen stores up. If you’re in a pinch jelly beans work good also.
Post-ride you should try to eat within 10-15 minutes and have some sort of carbohydrate/protein mixture. I’d say 80% carb and 20% protein. You need carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen and cut down on muscle soreness.
Race:
Sometimes the morning of a race it can be difficult to eat. You’re nervous and the anticipation is driving you nuts. But you HAVE to eat a good breakfast or else you are already hurting yourself and you might as well stay in bed.
Multi-grain pancakes are always a good choice. Just try not to drown them in Mrs. Butterworth’s! Yup, pancakes, juice, and a large glass of water. If you wanted to throw in an egg or two that would be okay as well. I tend to just go with straight carbs before a race. They usually sit well with your stomach whereas a more protein-filled breakfast such as eggs takes more energy to break down. You want to go as easy on your stomach as possible.
During race day I would normally have a ham or turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread. And I would usually have some fruit as well. However we always seemed to have some kind of chocolate cookie in the truck and if there were any left they were all mine. Fat chance though with 2 cross-country riders on the team and 2 mechanics!
Make sure you get enough, but do not stuff yourself. You don’t want to be in a food coma when you get to the starting line. I would normally eat lunch about an hour before I raced. That way it had time to settle and I didn’t feel like I was going to run for the nearest bush. And then about 15-20 minutes before my start I would use some sort of gel for that last minute boost.
After my race I would immediately have a recovery drink. You may have to try a few different brands to find one that works best for you. I would have a full bottle as I spun down on a stationary trainer to help my legs recover.
Then I’d try to eat dinner a bit early like around 6pm or so and again have a mixture of carbohydrates and protein for dinner. Either pasta with chicken in it or maybe a chicken burrito. Nothing too greasy or filled with cheese. And of course I might treat myself to a little dessert, but that usually depended on how I did that day.
So these are just some basics in case you are just starting out or if you just needed a refresher course. I’m not a nutritionist or a coach, but I’ve raced long enough to know what you should put into your body to get the best results.
Don't bonk!
Tara
Now everyone is different. I’ve got friends that don’t even eat breakfast before we head out for a 3-hour mtb ride. Just a cup ‘a Joe and it’s out the doh! But there is absolutely no way that I could do that and I wouldn’t recommend it. I know I would be cranky within the first 10 minutes! Here are a few tips for your day in the saddle.
45 minutes to 1-hour moderate ride:
On a ride like this you might not stress your system quite as much. For instance, when I go on a ride with a friend of mine she’s just a notch below me when it comes to fitness. If she wears her heart-rate monitor and on an hour-long ride burns 800 calories that means I burned about 300-400 calories. So she may need more for breakfast that morning. In this case I could have just a couple pieces of wheat toast and it would more than likely do the trick. But for her she might need a good bowl of shredded wheat cereal that is a bit more filling. And always drink either water or an energy drink throughout the ride. Just don’t forget to drink it!! I’ve seen people bring a water bottle and not even drink a quarter of it.
2-4 hour ride:
There is always a basic staple for me when it comes to breakfast: oatmeal. Oatmeal is the perfect slow-burning carbohydrate that sticks to my insides. For me it was important to find oatmeal that was multi-grain. I used to eat the regular Quaker Oats stuff, but found that I was hungry 20 minutes after I ate it. Now I eat 10-grain oatmeal and that works for me. I usually put some blueberries and honey in it to spice it up a bit. I also have some orange juice and of course, my coffee.
For a ride this length it is important to bring food to snack on so that you don’t bonk. Energy bars are a good choice, but sometimes I like to just eat real food. I’ll bring a banana, a bagel, or a PB&J depending on how hard we’re going to go. Gels are also a good way to replenish your systems and keep your glycogen stores up. If you’re in a pinch jelly beans work good also.
Post-ride you should try to eat within 10-15 minutes and have some sort of carbohydrate/protein mixture. I’d say 80% carb and 20% protein. You need carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen and cut down on muscle soreness.
Race:
Sometimes the morning of a race it can be difficult to eat. You’re nervous and the anticipation is driving you nuts. But you HAVE to eat a good breakfast or else you are already hurting yourself and you might as well stay in bed.
Multi-grain pancakes are always a good choice. Just try not to drown them in Mrs. Butterworth’s! Yup, pancakes, juice, and a large glass of water. If you wanted to throw in an egg or two that would be okay as well. I tend to just go with straight carbs before a race. They usually sit well with your stomach whereas a more protein-filled breakfast such as eggs takes more energy to break down. You want to go as easy on your stomach as possible.
During race day I would normally have a ham or turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread. And I would usually have some fruit as well. However we always seemed to have some kind of chocolate cookie in the truck and if there were any left they were all mine. Fat chance though with 2 cross-country riders on the team and 2 mechanics!
Make sure you get enough, but do not stuff yourself. You don’t want to be in a food coma when you get to the starting line. I would normally eat lunch about an hour before I raced. That way it had time to settle and I didn’t feel like I was going to run for the nearest bush. And then about 15-20 minutes before my start I would use some sort of gel for that last minute boost.
After my race I would immediately have a recovery drink. You may have to try a few different brands to find one that works best for you. I would have a full bottle as I spun down on a stationary trainer to help my legs recover.
Then I’d try to eat dinner a bit early like around 6pm or so and again have a mixture of carbohydrates and protein for dinner. Either pasta with chicken in it or maybe a chicken burrito. Nothing too greasy or filled with cheese. And of course I might treat myself to a little dessert, but that usually depended on how I did that day.
So these are just some basics in case you are just starting out or if you just needed a refresher course. I’m not a nutritionist or a coach, but I’ve raced long enough to know what you should put into your body to get the best results.
Don't bonk!
Tara
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