Hi all! I’m 2 months into TR, and this is my first time properly training, so sorry ahead of time for all of the questions
I have been doing well with the training, as well as watching my food a little better. I’m a huge sugar addict, and the last month I have cut out added sugars from my diet almost completely (under 20g a day, most days under 15). This has helped me with my sleep, training, and just overall feeling better, so I am very happy! Also lost 9 pounds
My question is - what should I be doing as far as daily eating and protein, carbs, etc? I want to treat my body right and ensure that I am properly recovering and building muscle. I’ve increased protein, as that helps me feel more full as well (less snacking!).
Second question - Plan is to do the Mid South in March, in Oklahoma (anyone else?!)…100 miles. On a fat bike! They have minimal aid stations on the course, with only one halfway that is a buffet style. I cannot stomach GUs to save my life, and want to stick with mostly real food. What should I be trying out/what’s worked best for everyone? I understand that I will consume a bunch of sugar that day, which is fine with me.
Thanks !!!
Hi! It sounds like you’re doing well with your nutrition! But you can get help from a sports nutritionist for the specifics. I did this once and it really helped me figure out what worked best for me in particular, rather than receiving generic advice.
One thing I would recommend, from training for many 100 milers, muti-day ultras, etc. is to plan to do a couple long event-mimicking training rides (they don’t have to be as long as your event), where you test and “debug” your food choices. A food plan might work great for a 3-hour ride, but make you feel sick after 5 hours, for example.
As far as whole foods go, I prefer them as well, but it’s logistically hard to chew and eat that many calories while doing a 100 mile dirt ride. What works for me is to supplement real food with carb-mix and/or Clif Bloks or something similar. So, I always have separate plain water, some water with carb mix (Skratch hydration, 160 cals/bottle or Superfuel, 400 cals/bottle), and then food like salted medjool dates, cookies, bars, etc.
But you’ll need to figure out what works best for you, these are just ideas to try!
This guide is from Sufferfest a few years back. It is clever and describes what and when you need to eat on the bike, how much protein and carbs you need and how you can structure a whole week of eating. They references specific Sufferfest workouts so you will need to read between the lines to understand how to apply the ideas to your own diet and training. You can compare the intensity of the specific training workouts to whatever your workouts are, and eat from there. Or you can just abstract the ideas and adjust intake for your training plan.
At the back of the guide are suggested eating plans and there is a fantastic list showing carb and protein content of different foods so you can better understand what to eat.
I added a few more web links below to useful guides. The more you read, the better choices you can make. Hope this helps.
