pre ride update

While my bike was in the shop getting prepped for the ride, new brakes, gear stack, tires, tubes, etc. I have been doing yoga and some focused heavy weight lifting with the trainer for cross training. I have discovered how woefully unlimber I am, but am also pleased that I have gone from being able to bench press and hack squat 1/2 my body weight to 2/3 my body weight.

Of course when the trainer optomistically predicted that I would eventually be able to do a one time press or squat of 260 pounds I nearly herniated myself laughing.


In between I have been doing shorter, lighter training rides to break in the new components and to keep the legs movinng. Master Trainer Taylor (NASM) gave me some interesting information on carbohydrate loading/ Glycogen loading in the period of leading up to and during an event.

For those of you who don't know/care what your VO2 Max is, he suggests using your heart rate calculation instead, Since I tend to protein load rather than carbo load generally, this has been useful for me to use as a guidline in all sorts of exercise situations.

Heart rate calculation 220 - your age, then take 70, 75, and 80 % of that number and keep those in mind as your theoretical vo2 number.

days before the event, exercise intensity and duration, carbohydrate intake
6 days out, 70-75% vo2 max for 90 minutes, 4g/kg of body weight
4-5 days out , 70-75% vo2 max for 40 minutes, 4g/kg body weight
2-3 days out, 70-75% vo2 max for 20 minutes, 10 g/kg body weight
1 day out, rest , 10g/kg body weight

During Exercise

For exercise lasting more than 1 hour, carbohydrate feedings during exercise can help suppply glucose to working muscles whose glycogen stores are dwindling. This technique also maintains blood glucose levels, increasing time to exhaustion by 20-60 minutes. It is recommended that endurance athletes consume between 30 and 60 g of carbohydrate every hour to accomplish this. Popular sports beverages are perfect for this goal and have the added benefit of replacing fluid losses, also benefiting performance. The replacement of carbohydrate and water has individual benefits that together are additive.

After Exercise

Repeated days of strenuous exercise take a toll on an individual's glycogen stores. A high carbohydrate intake helps to replenish glycogen stores: however, the timing of carbohydrate ingestion can also be important to maximizing recovery. Consuming 1.5 g/kg of carbohydrate within 30 minutes of completing exercise is recommended to maximize glycogen replenishment.

My "Biking for Women" book comments that the best carbohhydrates are low on the glycemic index, meaning that they contain more fat and carbohydrate and take longer to digest. The lowest index levels include: cherries, grapefruit, peanuts, plums. soy beans, apple, black eyed peas, yogurt, peaches, rybread, dates, kidney beans, pears, sweet potatoes, apple sauce, apple juice, figs, lentils, peas, tomato soup, barley, grapes, lima beans and milk which all come in at an index of 30-50%. Oranges, potato chips, and power bars at 50-80% are at a moderate level while granola, soda pop, raisins,crackers, corn chips at 80% + are on the high end. The lower the level, the less highs and lows and a more even release of insulin.

Since we will be riding more than an hour a day, this means that I can justify my favorite post ride snack of half a cup each of peanuts and raisins , an apple and a coffee latte, or a bag of Nestle goobers. This also falls in line with the 15/45 rule of eating and drinking on the road.