breakfast, then a training ride

Breakfast.

Hydrate.

Wait.

Ride!


If you do any reading or talking about bicycling, you've probably heard people say over and over again how important a good pre-ride meal and hydration routine is. Yet, with IBD or an ileostomy, it is all too easy to cut one's self short.

Eating leads to an active gut, and that's the last thing anyone with IBD or an ostomy wants on a bicycle. I like to not have to think about my guts when I'm trying to get my daily miles in, or set a new personal best up that climb that haunts my dreams/nightmares.

I used to be afraid of eating much before going out to ride. And, that meant that (especially if I was starting early, 7 am anyone?) I'd be running on just a piece of toast and peanut butter plus some gatorade as I headed out the door. And yes, I've done centuries more than a few times on this routine. But, midride I start feeling like I just can't keep up, and later that afternoon I end up feeling like somebody beat me with a baseball bat - regardless of how much post-ride feuling I did. Worst is the next day, if I'm riding again, when I felt like my legs just didn't want to work no matter how hard I willed them to.

But, I've reformed my ways.

These days I know that if I'm heading into 3 consecutive days of interval training, and preparing for the next race weekend, I have to always be thinking about the future - not just the ride today. I know that if I run myself down to empty on the first day of training, because I didn't eat appropriately, I will blow any chance of being productive on the next two days.

I started eating oatmeal and some juice before rides later this past summer, and carrying a few GU shots with me, and thought I was doing pretty well.

And then came the equation....

To prepare for a race effort (or long, high intensity training), (according to my coach) an athlete should be eating ~2 grams of carbohydrates/kg, 3-4 hours prior!!! Or, ~1.5g/kg 2 hours prior.

Plus enough protien to keep you running efficiently. And, don't forget the water!

The closer to the effort you get, the less carbs and calories you should be loading. You also need to give yourself time to hydrate (and pee) prior to hitting the bike, so you don't head out with a sloshy stomach and the desire to hurl on the first hill.

I found that when I did the math, I was still selling myself short. Oatmeal with honey and PB was still only ~50g of carbs.

I weight 58.5 kg (divide lbs by 2.2). This means that I need to be loading 87.75 grams of carbs 2 hours prior to racing or high intesity training.

This is equal to: 1 bagel (the real kind, not the ones that are just circular bread!) with peanut butter and honey, 8 oz of OJ, 8 oz yogurt, 1 bannana.

Or, today's breakfast: a stack of sweet potato pancakes with maple syrup, a large bowl of nonfat yogurt with a sprinkling of cocoa crispies cereal, and a coffee.

For a hilly 3 hour ride, I will be bringing 4 GU shots, each equal to 100 calories.