Trip Planning – Food

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Nutrition

If you are at all like me, you need to watch what you eat. This is quite different than when I was in High School and College. But on a ride you can over do this. Let's look at the numbers. If you ride 80 miles at 12 miles an hour on a fully loaded bike (110 lbs) and you (for grins let's say 150 lbs) that means you are pushing around 260 pound for about seven hours. So at a minimum, you are burning 7000 calories in a day (going 12-13.9 mph).

This does not mean you can eat what you want, but you sure can eat! Protein, fats, carbohydrates and salt. Yes, you need salt, you are pumping it out your body in sweat all day. You need a very balanced diet. So here is an example of a day:

• While riding snacking on jerky, candy, trail mix (watch out for crumbs when you are breathing hard they really hurt in your lungs), candied pineapple or other dried fruit.
• Water, water, water.
• Breakfast: Hot cakes (large stack with syrup), eggs, ham, fruit juice, tea/coffee.
• Lunch: Meat and cheese sandwich, orange, apple, trail mix
• Dinner: Soup/Beans/meat (some cooked hot dinner), orange, apple, some real nasty dessert

If you start feeling grumpy, odd, weak or tired, stop and eat something, take a little nap. For crying out loud you don't NEED to get their, this is fun. If you read my logs you will see all the reference to food. It is real important. Count up the number of time I mention "ate something felt better". It's not comfort food, it's calories to keep you going.

copyright ©2007 Todd C. Williams.