I’ve had some pretty cool jobs in my time, but nothing can compare to the position of Mountain Bike Tour Guide that I once held….oh, and I should also mention that this job was located on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Okay, so having a job that puts you on the seat of...
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It’s my Anniversary today. Yep, seven great years with “the cyclist’s wife” and still going strong. It all started with our first date on Friday the 13th of July, 2001 and we continued with the theme of the 13th by tying the knot on Sand Bank Beach in St. Kitts on Saturday December 13,...
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Fruit Juice Remember juice glasses? The ones your Grandma had in her cupboard and held ~4-6 ounces? In most kitchens, these are long gone. When you pour yourself a glass of juice, you’re getting the same calories and grams of carbohydrates (without any of the fiber) you’d find in a piece of fruit, FOR...
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It might be a tiny little island, but the Caribbean island of St. Kitts is home to some of the West Indies best cycling. Actually, it’s sister island Nevis is pretty dang good for cycling as well. The area of the twin-islands is 261 square kilometers (101 square miles), with St. Kitts occupying 168 square kilometers...
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By posting this, I realize that I’ve lost all hope of ever having my site sponsored by Gatorade (or Pepsico for that matter)…but I thought it made for an interesting story so I’m sharing it here today. On one of the routes that I’ve been riding over here in Florida, I roll past the...
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My teammate, Myron, is back once again with a great new series that will run each Wednesday in December. In September, Myron posted up some awesome articles in a series he called “Mac Mondays” and I’m very stoked to have him back once again for this one. As you know, I’m not a winter...
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I really can’t figure this one out, and I need your help with something. As you know, I’m cycling Florida for a few weeks. Now, I’ve cycled in very hot and humid conditions and all sort of weather that is similar to that of Florida….but each ride I’ve taken here, something very strange has...
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There is no shortage of blog posts, Twitter threads, and Linkedin comments talking about cycling with your iPod….but I wanted to join in on this one for a minute. I’ve been listening to music while biking ever since I got my first mp4 player six months after becoming a road cyclist. The first day...
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We’re spending today at the Magic Kingdom in celebration of my Son Indie’s 5th Birthday. Yeah, how cool is that? There can’t be any better place to celebrate your birthday than Disney World when you’re a kid. We’ll also be taking our Daughter there next week when we celebrate her 12th birthday. Their birthday’s...
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Ahhh, what a great ride! But ouch, my hips are so tight. What can I do to stretch my hips? Believe it or not, cycling and yoga go very nicely hand in hand. I’m excited to have Grace Wathen guest posting today with some great information for cyclists. Being a cyclist herself, Grace knows...
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As you know, at the top of each month we like to feature the amazing stories and memories of people who are loving the bike. Please take a look at what our December lovers have to say. We’d love to hear from you as well….feel free to submit your “Look Who’s Loving the Bike” story...
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Question: Out of habit, I’ve always eaten cereal (granola) before my morning ride. For the last several weeks, I’ve been riding at 6am to avoid the heat, and eating at 5:30 am. I haven’t had any stomach issues, but I am not sure that this is the best pre-ride meal strategy. My legs have felt heavy since starting to ride earlier. My rides are 1.5-2 hours. Should I eat less, something different, or nothing at all? What do you think?
Kelli’s Answer: I think your pre-ride fuel strategy can be improved. The issue with eating a moderately high fiber breakfast within 30 minutes of beginning a ride is that it will likely take too long to digest, absorb, and metabolize to provide any energy to your muscles at all. And, what’s more, if the meal is setting in your stomach, you are increasing your risk of stomach cramps (but it sounds like you’ve been okay here) and a reduced bloodflow to your legs since your body is working at digesting.
Although many athletes feel like they need a full breakfast before a morning ride, I think you’ll have better result with less food, and ones that you can eat quickly and metabolize faster.
My first choice would be 2 Tablespoons organic honey + 0.5 – 1 Tbsp organic coconut oil (all straight off the spoon). Why? These are fast-acting, quick-metabolizing energy foods. The honey provides moderately fast carbs that act similarly to maltodextrin (moderately fast and longer lasting than glucose), natural enzymes to improve digestion, and antioxidants. The organic coconut oil provides fast-acting medium chain triglycerides which are used directly by the mitochondria of cells (energy producers) without the need for bile or slow digestion.
Another option would be a sports food with a moderate amount of protein – something like a Clif bar. Or, a smoothie with 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 banana, 1 Tbsp honey, and water. These foods will also digest quickly and provide energy during your ride.
And, don’t forget about 8 oz. of fluid.
During your ride, especially if high intensity and over 60 minutes, or moderate intensity and over 90 minutes, you’ll still need during-ride fuel as well. With all rides in heat, you’ll want fluids and lytes!
