BVC-CHAT Another Winderful Ride

[Matthew Hattaway]

Almost anyone should be able to do well over two hours on stored fuel. You really dont need as much food as a lot think they do.
A few weeks a go there were some tri-guys and at DK's gas in Caldwell first they were trying to buy power gels or GU's or something because they were worried they didnt have enough to make it back to CS. Yes, it is very good to to stay fueled, but you on rec rides, even if it is "race paced" at times you dont have to keep your tanks toped off, you only have to not run on empty and a Snickers and a Gatorade is more than enough to tide you over. I've done the Caldwell ride with NOTHING (I was running late and had to skip breakfast) in the way of calories, just water in the bottles and go baby. I dont suggest doing it on purpose but its not that big  of a deal. I got a milk at Dk's and was good to go. J. Vaughters ( of Slipstream) suggests doing a work out then NOT eating enough kcals to replace those lost then the next day do the work out again so you bonk. then you eat only enough to recover to train your body  (and your head) to do with out external food
 and to use its fats and save its glycogen. He is careful to say this is not a weight loss work out.

I think my point is three fold.
1: Dont get hung up on the details of  "X Kcals every y Km at Z HR"
2: Dont get hung up on "bike food", A Snickers is better tasting and a lot cheaper  ( and I'll argue a more complete food) than a Gel.
3: Listen to your body, stress it but you have to listen so you dont break it. If you are racing you need to know "yeah, my legs feel like they could fall off about now, but I know they'll keep going" 

You say "It's all about the power to weight ratio."
I say only if your climbing it it all about watts/Kg. When on the flats it watts/frontal area and when sprinting it all about the kilowatts.
A few years back I got my weight to about 75Kg, I was kinda fast but I began to creep up and now weigh about 80Kg and I am SO much faster it silly.
I can fly on a sprint, cant do real climbs but can TT so so. Weight is about what kind of riding you want to do and what your body wants to do. I would love to be 75Kg again if I could keep my watts, but I cant and my body doesnt like being so light, so I'm 80Kg and hang on to my watts.

I'm going to sleep now,

Matt the "ready for track season" Hatt

 





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