Yep!! I'm bringing it back from the dead (Gu, PowerBars, Clif, etc.)

I usually pull from my quiver of Hammer products on every ride.

 

Just to offer a different perspective ..

I've posted my story in another thread, but for those of you that didn't see it, I'm coming from an entirely different place.

I used to weigh 677 lbs. Through a couple of surgeries, (Including gastric bypass) I'm down a little over 400 lbs, now, and getting back into riding bikes.

From our perspective (My wife and I - she's had the gastric bypass and lost over 100lbs as well, and is type 2 diabetic), we have to watch sugar content like a hawk. Anything more than 5 or 7 grams of sugar will make us sick. Plus, add the diabetes in for my wife - it can get pretty ugly.

We tend to get our nutrition from what we eat. There are some protien / energy bars that are better than others, but most of them - as someone said - are really not much more than candy bars.

We experiment with our own energy bar recipies, as well as try out low sugar ones we find. Gu is the first one (I just now looked it up because it was mentioned here) I've seen that doesn't have a sugar content high enough to set me in the fetal position, wretching and crying like a little girl. I may give that a try. Oherwise, I just have water - at times mixed with Crystal Light Energy forumula (It contains Vitamin B).

Otherwise, my energy shots come from my coffee habit. That stuff is like crack, I tell ya. Crack!!

Check out the articles in the OC register about my weight loss:

First: http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/atoz/article_1107071.php
Second: http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/article_1125036.php
Third: http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/article_1264900.php
Last: http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1639427.php


Anyhow - hope the different perspective can help. My personal advice - whatever works FOR YOU, as long as it's not damaging to you.

 

how does she feel about tequila shots?? :-k

 

theres a beekeeper/honey guy at the alhambra farmers market that sells these honey sticks in all types of natural flavors. they are the size of pixie sticks, and kick ass when you start to bonk. when i take a rest though, apple, orange, or banana. granola too.

 

Hammer Nutrition FTW

 

You and SB really are ghey (but fast). Fockers!!!

 

Yes, my kinda guy. However, I've graduated to pbj on WHOLE WHEAT to keep it healthy.

GU...? I believe the NFL teams wore that on their uniforms as a memorial tribute to NFL players union president Gene Upshaw this year. Strange... as a child I recall having his football card and his name was Eugene Upshaw, he obviously went by Gene.

Long live black coffee&donuts.

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

G B F F T W

 

That is a good amount to bring on a 4-5hr ride. I think there is some variation between different people. For me, I try to go on water alone, and I might eat one gel on a ride exceeding 4 hours. I carry extra gels in my pack for emergencies, if my ride unexpectedly needs to be lengthened, or if I feel like I am going to bonk, or if I cramp up. I think of during ride food more as backup than actual fuel. I got back into riding just last year from a long hiatus, and in the beginning I was eating a lot of this stuff when I found myself getting tired from lack of fitness. Only after my fitness got bck up to reasonable levels was I able to differentiate trail suffering between me just needing to rest and my body actually running out of something. I also don't see what your GF's beef is with GU not being natural. From what I know its just flavored rice syrup with sugar.

 

pretty much how I roll, but not smart enough for the extra gels, going shoppin' this weekend. I think fitness has alot do do with it. If you get off the couch after a "few" years and ride try and ride SJC(like my dumb ass),bring as much gels as you want, good luck. When someone like Draheim18 brings gels, it's to replenish what your body is working out. It does the job, but don't expect magic, do your research! :-k

BTW- Great post! alot of great info/input

 

dont forget cigarettes. i dont care what they say, those things are great!8-[

 

These are good:

http://www.sharkiesinc.com/index.cfm

My brother got a few packs for his running and he didn't like them, but I think they are pretty good.

Never tried shot bloks, I'll have to pick some up next time I'm at the store.

 

Hey Guys! Thanks for the insight!!! I have a better idea about what to pack and the nutrition behind it all. I should try to start with those PBnJ sandwiches. As one of the riders raved a while back, I love uncrustables also!! I'll just have to try the products out there and see what I like. :beer:

 

peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich on whole wheat. cut in half. wrap separately in tinfoil. good blend of fat, protein and quick/slow burn carbs. if it's gonna be a real long ride, toss a can of V8 in the camel back = major sodium / potassium. when bonking, you can literally feel it hit your bloodstream. it's the life force...

 

I'm all cramps after 20 mi...

... Call me "Gramps with the Cramps" but then my diet sucks. I'm here at 1:30am after a gig drinkin' the red wine, so I ain't no athelete... But these TDF guys eat real well...

"We all eat the same kinds of things in this kind of stage -- paninis with ham and cheese or Nutella and bananas, energy and/or protein bars at the beginning of the stage until the descent of the Tourmalet. After that, your body won't be able to break down solid foods. You then switch to gels or, my favorite, Sport Beans (made by the same folks who make Jelly Bellys). They taste good, give you the sensation that you're chewing something, and add electrolytes and vitamins to your system. It's a break from those boring energy gels."

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf2008/news/story?id=3485319&source=bobbyjulich.com

Friggin' paninis? Bring it!

 

Hammer uses maltodextrin tin their products -- a complex sugar, so it enters the system slower. This is good for everyone, but will be especially good for someone like Harley and his wife, because of the diabetes and their likelihood to crash due to severe blood sugar swings. I'm a Type 1 diabetic, and their stuff works out great for me. Don't care much for the taste or consistency of Perpetuem (ick...), but I take a bottle of it on my long rides, no matter what.

I also carry an array of foods (already mentioned here) and ShotBlox, just in case (my body can handle the hit of the straight simple sugars in the blox when I am in the hills, though I would not normally use them, like when I was just hungry or something -- for biking only!).

Our Racing and Training forum has had lots of good threads on this very sort of subject. Check out some of these past threads:

http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/racing-training/14884-what-you-going-eat-during-vq-cc.html
http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/general-discussion/20775-post-ride-protein-supplements-what-you-drinking.html
http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/racing-training/10301-nutrition-hydration.html
http://www.socaltrailriders.org/forum/general-discussion/6837-energy-gel-info.html

And congrats to you Harley! Keep it rolling, my man!!

- shud

 

Snickers bars, Hammer gel, and Heed/Perpetuem. I used to do the Clif Bar thing but on long rides I found that, personally, I need something that tastes really good or I won't eat. I also like bagels with salami and cream cheese or bananas and peanut butter.

 

I usually don't use gels unless I'm running a half marathon or triathlon. That way I can take something fast about half way and I'll finish strong. But, they can really mess with my stomach.

When I go on a long MTB ride I just take water and a sleeve or two of fig newtons. The fig newtons give my all the nutrients and energy I need and they come in nice size packages. I always drink water but never enough of it. It's very common for me to do a 15 mile ride and realize at the end that I never touched my water bottle.

 

Have you guys tried the frozen Uncrustables (the little sandwiches sold in the frozen section) - I'm not a strong mtb- YET... But my hubby and I do long dirt bike rides, he does epic dirt bike rides with my uncle. Perfect mix of protein - sugar - carbs...taste good too.

Stuff em in your pack frozen, ready to eat at a stop. They come in several different varieties, I like the PB, honey whole wheat and he likes the strawberry PB regular white bread.

Other than that the standard blocks and bars - sport beans are good too - gels and gu are messy.

And I don't know about the rest of you, I don't think I've ever been on a ride, where I haven't seen an empty gel pack to pick up?

And it's not just where people stop, got a flat on the way down the luge and sure enough - an empty gel pack. Keep tissues just to wrap around and pack those dang things out - maybe they should consider bio-packaging (like the shampoo packs I get at Lake Powell)...