Carbo Loading & Nutrition Before the Big Event
I can’t believe that this coming Saturday will be our last training ride with the Fall 2008 Palm Beach Team in Training cycle team. Our century ride, the 20th Intracoastal Century Ride, takes place on Sunday, October 26th in Cocoa Beach, Florida. We have been training since the middle of May for this event. For the majority of our team members, the 102.4 mile ride will be the longest they have ever ridden their bike in a single day.
I am extremely proud of all our cycle team members. Many of them had never been on a road bike before deciding to sign up with Team in Training to help raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My husband and I are amazed at how far they have come since our first training ride.
Two weeks ago we started to taper down our training. We want to make sure everyone is well rested and injury free when they arrive in Cocoa Beach. Last week we did a medium distance ride of 40 miles. This week we will be doing a short 25 miles. We will be going out for a team breakfast at the conclusion of this weeks training ride – YEAH!!!
I am NOT a trained nutritionist, but I have participated in quite a few endurance cycling events over the years. Based on my own personal experiences I can make recommendations on what foods to avoid, and which foods to indulge in during the week leading up to your next endurance athletic event.
Carbo loading and healthy eating is extremely important before doing an endurance athletic event. Whether you are getting ready to do a triathlon, marathon or century ride, the food and beverages you ingest during the week leading up to the event is of great concern. I strongly suggest to everyone that they cut back on the amount of dairy products they consume. Dairy products are generally high in fat, and a bit hard on the digestive system. I am lactose intolerant, but I still have a hard time saying no to an occasional slice of pizza.
Eating pasta the week before your event is a good way to carbo load, but eating Fettucini Alfredo, which is loaded with butter, heavy cream and tons of cheese, is a definite invitation to digestive upset. I also suggest switching to whole wheat or brown rice pasta. Regular pasta, made from white flour, is almost as bad as eating white bread. I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my daughter. I have to be especially careful to watch my weight, and what I eat, as I could end up with adult onset diabetes. Foods made from whole grains, such as brown rice, whole wheat bread and whole wheat pastas are a better choice for maintaining a steady blood sugar level throughout the day.
Hydration is also extremely important before participating in an endurance sporting event. I make sure to drink plenty of water during the week leading up to the event. I try to get everyone to stay away from caffeine based sodas and cutback on their coffee intake. Caffeine is a diuretic, which can contribute to dehydration if consumed in excessive amounts. I am a coffee fiend, so I have a hard time cutting back on coffee, but I know it’s in my best interest.
I try to keep a bottle of water on my bedside table and another one on my desk. And I carry water with me in my van. Water, water everywhere. I prefer water to just about any other type of drink, but you can also try green tea, lemonade and other drinks. Just be sure not to load them up with too much sugar. I can drink most flavors of tea with little to no sugar, or perhaps with just a teaspoon of honey.
And yes, drinking beer is a way to carbo load, but I wouldn’t suggest it. I guess if anyone parties too hard the night before the century ride, and they wake up with a hangover, they could always opt for the metric century ride instead of the full century ride. But that would be a bit of a disappointment after all those months of training for the full century.
I’m not going to mention any names, but the daughter of a friend of mine, that used to train for marathons, mentioned that the marathon team would sometimes do beer shots at the rest stops as a way to carbo load. She’s in her 20’s, maybe young runners can get away with that kind of thing. But I think I would pass-out in the middle of the marathon, or become REALLY obnoxious, if I tried to do beer shots during an endurance event. But it certainly makes for an interesting story!
Here is a typical, healthy dinner that I might enjoy during the week leading up to my event: broiled chicken, with the skin removed, with lots of fresh herbs and freshly ground black pepper, steamed broccoli and brown rice. It’s the herbs and pepper which make this meal appealing rather than bland. I grow many of my own herbs, so I can just pop outside to harvest a variety of fresh herbs to add to my meals. I also like to sprinkle a bit of fresh lemon juice on my broccoli.
For dessert I eat a lot of fresh fruit. I also like mandarin oranges, but drain off the syrup they are packed in. I also try to stay away from the salt shaker. Salt is another diuretic, and ingesting excessive amounts can lead to dehydration. I actually prefer the taste of food without adding salt to it. I am always arguing with my son as he drowns his food in garlic salt – UGH!
The night before our century ride, Team in Training hosts a pasta party at our hotel. It’s a great way to celebrate with the other Team in Training cycle teams, whom we’ve never met, and to carbo load on pasta before going out to do our epic bike ride. Team in Training hosts a victory party the next night, as a way to celebrate everyone completing the ride. The victory party is where everyone can cut loose, eat just about anything they want, and even enjoy a beer or two.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
Hey Lynn,
You’re so right about good nutrition and hydration before a ride. One time we were doing an event through the vineyards of western Colorado. It was a short ride, only 25 miles, and I didn’t really take it seriously. I drank a little too much wine the night before and skipped breakfast. I did fine until I came to the one big climb, and then I completely bonked. I ended up walking up the hill, much to the derision of many of the out-of-shape folks on their clunky mountain bikes who cruised by me. I found food at the top of the hill and made it through, but I felt crummy the rest of the day. A BIG lesson learned.
Good luck to you and the rest of your TNT folks. I’m sure you’ll have a blast!
Hi Marilyn,
I struggled towards the end of my first century ride 2 years ago. I didn’t eat breakfast that morning, and I wasn’t eating too much at the rest stops. I started getting leg cramps around 60 miles into the ride. My husband practically had to force feed me bananas the rest of the day – high in potassium to help prevent cramping. I also carry gel packs with me to eat during the ride and prevent bonking. 2 years ago I refused to eat gel packs – couldn’t stand the way they tasted. But now gel packs are the only way I can get through a long ride. Our ride is this Sunday – we leave Friday for Cocoa Beach – going to the Kennedy Space Center to play tourist – FUN!