What do you eat before you go on epic rides?

What do you think of energy bars?

 

I've been using the GU stuff lately and think they work pretty well.

 

Before - A nice big breakfast.

During - Usually GU, sometimes Clif Bars.

 

Black coffee and maybe some extra water.

Then I'll munch an energy bar after 1.5 hours.

 

2 sausage mcmuffins w/egg or a giant breakfast burrito, and at least a 24oz cup of coffee.

 

i think that they're good to have during a ride, but before hand, nor so much. Just too dense; they'll sit there in your stomach. Energy bars for the most part are designed to be eaten once your metabolism is already dialed up due to exertion; gels/blocks/other energy foods are the same way.

Pre-ride I'd be inclined to have something like yogurt and granola, or cereal of some sort. Nothing heavy. That, and I'd be sure to have it at least an hour prior to riding.

 

Before : Bagel with PB + Banana, Lots of water
During : Perpeteum and Pro Bars

 

I eat the same but switch out coke for coffee

 

1 hour before I eat a couple pieces of toast with peanut butter and lots of water.
15 mins before 1 hammer gel.
about ever hour after i scarf down another gel.

Cant eat anything too light or it ends up coming right back out the same same way it went in.

I never touch eggs, milk, or meat before a hard ride.

 

1 hour before, you did say "epic" 3 hours plus?
1 1/2 cups raw oatmeal in a blender with 2 cups cold water, 1 bannana, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt, 1 tbsp bee pollen and then
15 min before.................6 scoops of N.O. Xplode!...............................epic

 

About 2 hours before; 1 egg scrambled and a lightly toasted plain bagel smothered in honey. Gel packet with caffeine 15 minutes before; and then nothing solid until I'm done. Alternating Hammer Perpetuem and GoPowder's Indurance with occasional Endurolytes and E-Gel to supplement. Worked good for Shenandoah 100 and VQ, except I got a little behind on water in VQ.

Finding your own calories/hour and electrolyte strategy is key to anything over 4 hours long. Almost better to under do the calories rather than get bloated with too much stuff. That's why I had to completely drop solid food. Very steady intake (lots of small bites etc) is best, and another reason to do liquid diet. Read the Hammer book, lots of good stuff there.

 

peanut butter and honey on wheat before and after and GU roctane during and maybe a shotblock or two......

 

I don't know if anything I do is epic, except to me, but I ride best when I eat cream of buckwheat (oatmeal as a runner up). I just discovered it recently and cream of buckwheat really gives me sustained energy and then during the ride hammer gel, cytomax, and lara bars (store bought or homemade).

 

sausage biscuit + small coffee, about an hour before the riding starts.

 

1 cup of joe, no food at all. Then I drink about 200-260 calories per hour of Heed or Perpetum.

 

I dont really eat anything before a ride because it upsets my stomach....sometimes a powerbar but very rarely

 

X2 on the peanut butter and honey......also works well on pancakes...GU chomps and water during the ride.

 

i eat 2 hours before, cereal, one egg, yogurt, coffee and orange juice. then during i drink perpetuem; eat honey stinger waffles or cliff blocks as needed.

 

I typically have a banana and a bottle of Ensure.

 

I try to have a good, mellow dinner the night before and avoid alcohol or keep it to a minimum; nothing too heavy and not an extreme amount of food. Morning of (at least an hour before starting to pedal), I drink 16oz Orange Juice, 16oz Water and 20 oz of Coffee, cold cereal or peanut butter on english muffin or wheat bread, maybe some greek yogurt and/or a piece of fruit (banana, apple). The more I eat, the more time I try to allow between the start of anything strenuous and my last bite.

During, I prefer Cliff Bloks and Honey Stinger Waffles (although those are expensive); GU makes me nautious; Cliff Bars are ok but a little too heavy for me. I've taken trail mix before and a peanut butter sandwich as a lunch; those have worked well for me.