Live The Active Life

John over at Johnisfit has just posted a contest in which he is giving away a free bike, courtesy of Lipton.  it looks like a nice bike, especially for anyone who is just getting started.  Check out John’s site, it is worth reading. 

Last Saturday I did my first century ride in almost three years. I did a detailed recap of the ride here and I also talked about preparing for the ride here. What I’d like to do now is discuss the post workout aspect and how important I believe proper nutrition is. While I am talking about a cycling workout the principles can be just as effective for any type of extended activity such as running or triathlons.

Your Body Is Hungry

After a long workout or race your body is most likely depleted of calories to a certain extent. Even if you took in calories during the event you probably didn’t replace every calorie that your body burned during the event. By my estimate, I burned somewhere around 5,000 calories during the century ride. I took in about 2,400 calories during the ride by eating and drinking on a regular basis. That means I was in a 2,600 calorie deficit the minute I stopped pedaling. In order to speed recovery I needed to get those “missing” calories replaced. But, you just can’t eat a bunch of junk food and expect to optimize recovery. You need to at least pay some attention to what you consume.

The Right Mix

At the end of a long workout your muscles need a quality mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Many people assume that all they need is carbs but recent research has shown that protein, when consumed with carbs can speed recovery. Ideally, if you can consume 1-2 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight within 30 minutes of the end of the workout and then another 1 gram or so within the next hour, your body’s recovery will be greatly increased. For me that means I need about 75-150 grams of carbs each time. Adding protein to the mix at a ratio of 1 gram protein for every 4 grams of carbs can help your body absorb the carbs more effectively.

What To Eat

What should you eat to get that mix of nutrients immediately after your workout? There are lots of options. Many people use some of the commercial “recovery” drinks while others don’t. I have found that chocolate, low fat soy milk works great for me and has the right mix of nutrients, plus it’s cheap. When I finished the ride I immediately drank 32oz of soy milk which gave me about 80 grams carbs and 20 grams protein along with a few grams of fat. That seems like a lot (almost 500 calories) but it went down with no problems . I then wandered over to the finish line area and had a couple of pieces of the sausage pizza they were handing out along with a light beer. That was probably another 600 calories or so and had some more carbs, lots of protein and some fat. Then on the drive back home I got some pretzels, a Clif Bar and a regular Coke. In total I ate about 1700 calories within the first hour and a half of finishing the ride. That was enough to get me back to almost even. I made up the rest the next day. The important thing is that I got a lot of quality carbs along with some protein and fat into my body quickly.

Post Workout Cravings

Many people, me included, report severe cravings for certain kinds of foods after a tough, long workout. For me it has always involved fat of some kind along with protein. This time I couldn’t get enough rice with lots of butter and barbecue ribs, they just sounded soooo good. Some people may say that I just blew my healthy eating program completely out of the water by giving in to the cravings but I disagree. My body was obviously in need of something and if I “give in” it only lasts for a day or so and then I’m done. By Sunday night I was back to normal and eating my usual healthy diet.

On To The Next Workout

By paying at least some attention to what you eat immediately after a long workout you can help your body recover faster allowing you to get back into training sooner. I was “calorically satisfied” by lunch on Sunday, ready to get back into the workout routine and get ready for my next century!

How Do You Refuel?

How do you take care of your post workout nutrition needs and what kinds of cravings do you get after a tough workout? Do you have any tips to help the rest of us recover faster?  Let us know by posting a comment!

Well, I’m still alive after Saturday’s century ride. If you have twitter you can see some of my “updates from the road” made using Jott. Here is a more detailed review of all of the fun:

The Night Before

We drove to Chattanooga Friday evening after work. We got into town about 8:30PM and stopped by the packet pickup to get the updated ride info as well as my T-shirt and nifty custom race-fit jersey. We got to the hotel about 9 and I ate a small meal before going to bed at 10:30. My fingers were crossed that the severe weather predicted would at least hold off.

The 5AM Wake-up Call

The alarm went off at 5AM. I hit snooze 1 time then rolled out of bed and immediately turned on the Weather Channel to see what the status was on the rain. Well, they were saying that the thunderstorm/rain would hit Chattanooga around 8AM, right at the start of the ride! My wife looked at me and sort of smiled when she said “looks like you might get a little wet”. I ate a small breakfast and did some light stretching after getting dressed. We headed over to the ride start and got there about 7AM.

At The Start Line

There were already quite a few people milling around (this ride usually has about 2500 participants). The skies were threatening. There were a few others from my usual weekend group who were doing this ride as well and we were planning on meeting prior to the start. Well, after getting my bike ready to go it started to lightning/thunder and rain really hard at about 7:45. We heard that they were going to delay the start until 8:30 so we retreated back into the car and sat for a while. At 8:15 I rode over to a covered area near the start and waited with several hundred other riders. I hooked up with the others and we headed over to the start. The rain had stopped for the most part. At 8:45 we were off!

Off And Riding

Right after the start it began raining really hard and I was immediately soaked everywhere except for my upper body because of my water proof, breathable cycling jacket. The temperature was about 65 so it wasn’t too bad. We all stuck together for the first 6 miles or so and then two of us pulled ahead and rode the rest of the 100 miles together. We decided to regroup at the rest stops if we got separated.

The First Climb

At about mile twelve we hit the first climb of the ride, Suck Creek Mountain (a great name). The rain had pretty much stopped by then. The climb was just over 5 miles long and was fairly steady so I was able to get into a good rhythm. I generally enjoy climbing and am pretty good at it. I’d guess the average grade was maybe 5-6%. I averaged about 12mph on this climb, making it to the top in a little under 30 minutes. Right after we crossed the top we had a descent of around 5 miles which was fun (reached about 38mph) but also a little cold on the legs and required some attention as the roads were still very wet. My buddy, Dan, caught up to me at the first rest stop, which was at about 25 miles.

On To The Second Mountain

After we refueled on fig newtons and bananas at the rest stop we started the ride to Sand Mountain and the 2nd major climb. We rode through some very pretty valleys and along the Tennessee river, crossed over a reservoir and over a few steep “rollers”. Dan and I rode with a small group and we all worked together for a while, averaging 22-24mph. There was a rest stop at about mile 42 which we stopped at briefly and used the bathroom then it was off to to climb Sand Mtn. The climb started at about mile 53 and was about 3 miles long. It was steeper than the first climb, maybe 7%, and has a few switchbacks in it. Once again I felt good and was able to maintain a nice even pace. I passed quite a few people along the way. After the top we rode along a ridge to the next rest stop near Bryant, Alabama. I waited a short time for Dan then we continued along the ridge for another 15 miles or so, then down the hill into Georgia and on towards the big hill!

Burkhalter Gap

Once we got into the valley from Sand Mountain., at about 73 miles, we rode for about 8 miles until we reached the next rest stop, at the bottom of the final climb of the day. My butt had been a little sore since the top of Sand Mtn. but it had loosened up and was no longer a problem. Good thing because I definitely needed all of my strength for the climb! The climb is only a little over 3 miles but it is a tough 3 miles. It is just one long steep hill with no switchbacks. The average grade was probably 8-10%. I was in my lowest gear and climbing at around 5-6mph. My cadence was low, around 40-60rpm, and that is a lot tougher on the muscles. I did pass a few people but got passed by a lot as well. It was a hard climb, especially after 80 miles in the saddle. At about 2.5 miles into the climb the road kicked up severely, to about a 15% grade. My calf cramped right at that point and I had to get off the bike and walk for a little to stretch it out. I tried to clip back in and start pedaling but almost fell over because the road was so steep. I had to actually go down hill a bit before going back uphill in order to get into the pedals! I managed to get up the last couple of hundred yards and to the rest stop at the top. While I waited for Dan I watched other exhausted riders inch their way up the final pitch, most in great agony. Dan made it up after a few minutes and we took some time to get our legs back before the final 15 miles.

The Home Stretch

Most of the the final 15 miles was along the ridge of Lookout Mountain with lots of rollers. Dan was fighting sporadic leg cramps so I hung back a little and rode with him into town. The ride was topped off with a great 2 mile descent into Chattanooga where I reached my top speed for the day of 42mph. We crossed the finish at a total elapsed time of 6 hours and 38 minutes. Total time pedaling was 6 hours and 3 minutes. I got off my bike, changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and got a couple of pieces of pizza and a beer. We waited around another hour or so and watched other riders come across the finish line then we left and headed back home, arriving there about 6:30PM.

Final Stats And Thoughts

When I got home I downloaded the files from my Garmin Forerunner and Powertap. Total distance was 100.8 miles. Total time was just over 6 hours and 3 minutes for an average speed of 16.7mph. My Garmin indicated just over 8,330 feet of climbing. My heart rate was an average of 138 with a max of 170. I averaged 185 watts (power) over the entire ride.

I was very impressed with this ride. It was well organized, very scenic, and was definitely a challenge. I think I will be doing this ride again next year. The weather ended up being OK all things considered and was not a detriment at all to the ride. If you are able to visit Chattanooga the 1st weekend in May and ride a bike, check out this event. If you don’t want to do the full 100 miles they have 25 and 62 mile options.

If you are finding it difficult to get started living a more active life, maybe you just need a simple, no cost method.  Over on Get Fit Slowly there was a post yesterday about the Lifetime Fitness Ladder.  I found it very interesting for a couple of reasons.

1. It is simple and straight forward- There are no “magic” pills to take, no secrets to learn.  Just start out and follow a simple plan.  Progress is almost guaranteed.
2. It promotes a sensible approach to fitness and activity-  Because it is so straight forward with no special equipment needed, almost anyone, at any level of fitness, can start the program.

For me personally, this is a great way for me to get back into doing some “core” strength building.  I have been so focused on aerobic conditioning, cycling in particular, that I tend to ignore exercises that work other parts of the body.  Once I get my shoulder back in shape I will start doing the ladder program to build some strength outside of cycling strength.  I can do this 1st thing in the morning when I get up.  It is easy to do and won’t take a lot of time.

So, if you are looking for an easy way to jumpstart your activity, try the Lifetime Fitness Ladder program. 

This coming Saturday I will do my first century ride in almost three years. Since it has been a while since I’ve ridden 100 miles in one day I want to make sure that I am as prepared as possible. Based on my experience, about 15 centuries, I know that there are a few key areas I need to address properly in order to have the best chance of getting a good result from the ride.

Nutrition

This is the most important area as far as I am concerned. If I don’t eat enough of the right foods my day will be more more difficult than it needs to be. I will be riding for somewhere between 5-7 hours, depending on the terrain, how I feel, weather, etc. When the ride is that long getting a constant stream of calories is important in order to keep the energy level up and avoid “bonking” (running out of energy and being unable to do anything until you replenish the energy reserves, NOT fun). For me that means I need to consume between 300-500 calories an hour while riding. Here is how I will do that:

1. Eat a diet of 60-70% carbohydrates, 10-20% protein, and 20-30% fat this week. I will track my food intake just to make sure I am in the right ranges.
2. Eat a light breakfast when I get up on Saturday morning, about two hours before the ride. This will probably be some orange juice and a Clif Bar or two since we will be in a hotel and getting up at 6AM.
3. Begin eating about 30 minutes into the ride and maintain the 300-500 calorie intake each hour until finished. I will do this by alternating between Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem mixed in one of my water bottles and Clif Bars. I will carry a ziploc bag with the Perpetuem mix in it and add it to my water bottle as needed. Each bottle of Perpetuem has about 260 calories. I also will carry a flask of Hammer Gel to give me a quick boost if I need it, especially while climbing. In all I will be carrying about 4 cliff bars and 4 servings of Perpetuem, along with the Hammer gel flask. If I need more I can get some peanuts, bananas, or cookies at the rest stops along the ride.

Hydration

Drinking enough liquids is key to doing well on a long ride. Not getting enough liquids during a prolonged effort like this can be dangerous. I will carry two water bottles on my bike, one filled with water mixed with Perpetuem, and the other with plain water or water mixed with Hammer Heed, an electrolyte drink. I will drink at least 1 bottle per hour on this ride and refill at the rest stops along the way. The weather won’t be too hot this weekend, but if it was, say over 80 degrees and humid, I would probably drink 2 bottles per hour and I would add some additional electrolytes to the water.

Pacing

I will need to make sure that I properly pace myself on this ride. I can’t start out too hard because by mile 70 or so I will find myself struggling to finish strong. I figure I should be able to average about 17mph for the entire ride. The route has a lot of climbing in it with three significant hills, the hardest one at the end of the ride. Here is the profile of the ride. I will try to maintain an average of 19-20 on the flats, 12-13 on the hills, and as fast as I can go on the downhills :-). To make sure I’m not going too hard at any one time I will watch my heart rate and power output (with this) to make sure I’m not in the red zone.

I have four days to go until the ride, and if I prepare properly, along with pacing myself during the ride, I should have a good time. Stay tuned to my Twitter profile for up to the minute ride updates via Jott and my cell phone (as long as there is cell service). I’ll post a full recap on Sunday or Monday.