Ask the Expert..(MP3 to the courtesy phone please!)

[ThinkFast]

This is a great thread.

Mario, what about nutrition/fuel when you do a long race? Are you consuming most of what you need in a liquid form? Is so, what are your personal preferences? If you are consuming some solids, how much and how often? Again, what are your personal preferences?

Thanks.

[mp3]

Originally Posted by Wrecker

Air 9 is my drool bike....

Did I mention this one has a special paint job and glows in the dark?

Originally Posted by ThinkFast

This is a great thread.

Mario, what about nutrition/fuel when you do a long race? Are you consuming most of what you need in a liquid form? Is so, what are your personal preferences? If you are consuming some solids, how much and how often? Again, what are your personal preferences?

Thanks.

I'll get to nutrition but that's a biggie so I need a little more time for the write up.

[Pain Freak]

Originally Posted by mp3

I didn't want to waste a good training event like the VQ and not learn anything about potentially racing an Air9. Maybe one of my up coming races.

LMAO, How many people use the VQ for a training ride???

[Pain Freak]

Originally Posted by RidetheRAAM4

200 calories seems low. You really want to get the max that your body can absorb and I don't think you are 70 or 80 so your metabolism can't be that slow.

Chris is right here, that is way to low. Your body can only process so much at any given time, but you need to give it as much as you can, that will be consumed and used. One of my biggest problems was and still is getting enough inside me when I do endurance events. Think of it this way....

Your body is going to burn about 700 to 900 calories per hour at race pace and the most your going to be able to process is around 400, but in a liquid form you'll be able to process more and at a faster rate.So if you can, get some gels that are carbohydate loaded along with some enrgy drink. I'm a very big fan of Hammer Gel and I mix Perpetuem to as much as 2500 calories per water bottle. When I'm doing it right I can usually get three or more of these down in a ride and I still feel strong by the end of the ride, well not strong, but I ain't dying like I used to.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Chris is right here, that is way to low

OK, I got the numbers (drum roll please...)
Breakfast was 270 calories two hours before the start (Peanut Butter Puffins and Milk, yes, you can make fun of me) , and another 200 calories from a poly of HEED 10 minutes before.

During the race I averaged 237 calories per hour.

Two bottles of mix, 1 gel bottle, 1/2 PB & Jam sandwich, two fig newtons. Doesn't sound like much but it adds up!

When I searched for nutritional information on fig newtons (wow am I psycho) I found this interesting website; http://www.bicyclesource.com/commercial_energy_snacks
and also this interesting tidbit;

"Especially for a well-trained cyclist with a higher anaerobic threshold, you will eventually crave foods with more substance -- that is with more fat, to make up for what you've been consuming".

Not sure if I fit that exactly, but I do feel better getting some fat in.

Computer says I burned 5324 calories during the race, ~ 729 calories an hour.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by allison

To train best for lots of long fire road climbs, you’ve got to find the longer fire roads (or roads in general) to train on. Mathis and Meadows just aren’t long enough to really simulate Blackstar, Maple Springs, and Main Divide.......

The one thing I wish I would have done more in training would’ve been to train without stopping. Race pace is almost impossible for me to simulate, but you can train to not stop at all (to remove clothes, to eat, to chat, to wait up for people, etc.).

yep, I totally agree, but it is hard for me time wise to make it out there frequently, plus there is a boredom factor for me if I do too much fireroad and not enough ST.

I did find No Name Ridge in El Moro is good for a 1/2 hour climb, and Canyon Acres while not as long, is a pretty solid 15 minute climb on my 45 pound freeride rig.

I am wondering if it's just as good to train on a series of hills though as long as you keep a fast pace and don't stop. My thinking is you get a little bit of recovery so you can attack the next hill a little harder than if you didn't get a break, resulting in better fitness in the long run (more like intervals).

It's hard to find people that like to train without stopping though, so I am solo on some of these!

[Zippy]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

LMAO, How many people use the VQ for a training ride???

Um....me! Actually it was more of a fitness test to see how my training's been going. So far AWESOME. Someone mentioned fig newtons. While they ARE nutrient dense (Ironman athletes used to use them back in the day) they are also high in FIBER, which has to be *ahem* excreted; likely at inopportune times. Just my 2 cents.

[RidetheRAAM4]

For Mr MP3...

Improving my HR.

What do you think....

Long steady low efforts keeping the heart rate in zone 1/2? Or intervals? Or just go out for an hour but make the hour as hard as you can? What is the best way to try and improve your fitness?

I used to try it with running. I would go out and keep my HR in a certain range. As I tracked my progress, I was getting slower? Was I just not patient enough? Do I need to mix the different types of workouts?

I want to be able to keep a 10mph average at the same HR that I now keep like a 6mph average

[Laggdawg]

Originally Posted by Man blong Gaua

"BIKE SETUP; hardtail or dual supension? Should my bike weigh under a certain amount to be competitive? (mine is 28 pounds) What tires and pressure do you use? I tend to be a bit of a pedal masher, gear down and spin more, or just keep it real?"

I agree on choosing the type of bike for the type of race your doing. I would ideally have choosen a 24Lbs, dual suspension (100mm front/rear), xc racer bike with a comfortable seat for the VQ. Alas, I had only the Yeti 575, a beautiful bike (esp. for the downhills) but weighing in at 29Lbs. I was very happy with my results but know that the extra weight means extra time, likely 10-20 mins on that long a distance.
I ran 35psi on my tubeless setup and would do the same again. It provided enough rigidity for low rolling resistance while also keeping me in close contact w/the ground on all those switchback descents. With a tube type setup I would run 45psi and back off a little on the speed through the corners and rocks.
I too am a gear masher but one of the things I learned en route to riding the VQ was to spin the steep stuff in order to have energy for the final climbs.
Great thread...

Man Blong: What do you weigh?