Endurance Cycling Nutrition

They say, "Its just like riding a bike...you never forget." What is it "They" are pertaining to? The Line...the crossing of the endurance finishline; albeit an Ironman or the like. The oh so important line where you experience, for an instance, the forever lasting engrained memory of the culmination of all your hard work and sacrifice.

So, what does it take to cross that IM or other endurance event line? Discipline, persistance, sacrifice, want, need , desire or...it can be said all of these are required, but without one important tool you will never see that line or hear the "famed words." What is it you ask...Nutrition. Without nutrition an endurance feat of greater than 90 minutes is usually hampered or tagged with a big fat DNF; Did Not Finish.

Why am I focusing on food? Well, two reasons its National Nutrition Month and I just finished a coaching session with a mixed bag of endurance athletes(2 IM Athletes, A Century Rider, a partidge in a pear tree and me;IM athlete). So, lets paint today's scenario and teach you a thing or two about endurance sports nutrition.

The plan was to do a four hour Computrainer Ride on the Ironman Lake Placid Bike Course. Hell, for a couple of my riders they would deem this accomplishment a miracle if it went perfect. Hence, the choice in ride in the land of where "Miracles" happen, Lake Placid. So, now you have the picture...4 riders, a challenging hilly course and one goal...Finish...with blood sugar levels in check! Well, to put the cart in front of the horse... we all survived. But, how did the novice first timers do it. Coaching of course! I passed along my knowledge and experience of finishing multiple IM races through exhausted nutrition protocols and a lil college "edumacation" in Nutrition and Dietetics to my followers.

A few keys to my athletes success would be highlighted by:

1. Sticking to a regimen. Most worked the 15min and 45min points; alternating between solids and liquids at these time intervals. Terrain would someimes alter this experience. "Take in" on the downhills and flats and "pass" during the uphills especially the 18% grades(right Bill B).

2. Planning Ahead. All the atletes had their arsenol of nourishment including gels, bars, bananas, Gatorade, Powerade and any other simple sugars they could stash into their jersey(Bill K. remember that extra gel next time).

3. Listening to the gut. If it was churning, they backed off and popped in a lil water. As the gut settled, nutrition regimen back on. Intensity can reap havic on your digestion and absorption...practice! Don't FORCE it down if bloated.

4. Prescribed calorie amounts. Have your nutritional professional setup what your hourly needs are. Then just pick your poison. If you don't have a nutrition professional; an RD. Check out my partners at Trismarter.com they can meet all your endurance nutrition needs and they are running a special this month. Just mention "PCKTRI."

Well, its about that time to take advantage of the 4th event of triathon....Recovery. See you all at the "line". And yes the partridge did make the 4 hours solely on "pear power."

Carb Up!