Saturday, May 11, 8:10am meet, 8:30am start from Boulder Cycle Sport South

This "celebrity" ride includes bike paths, dirt roads, and even some singletrack. We’ll ride south from Boulder thru Marshall and Superior on trails and dirt roads. Then up and over the “Wall” (the only climb!) and continue south toward Standley Lake in Westminster. From there it is all flat.

$20 includes all organization, a professionally guided ride, and transport back to Boulder. Team ten20 will subsidize the bulk of cost for the trip.

To/from:
- Distance: 40 miles, 3.5 hrs from Boulder Cycle Sport South to downtown Denver
- A pickup truck will haul bikes while riders take the RTD bus back to Boulder

Info:
This web page from a recent trip gives you a really excellent sense of the ride: http://petewebber.com/ride-to-denver-nahmbs/


Fitness:
In order to ensure everyone stays together, this is for Blue and Black (intermediate and advanced) riders who have been riding regularly. In the weeks leading up to the ride, you should complete at least three rides of 2+ hours that ideally include some dirt roads and bike paths. If you have not done some 2-3 hour rides, you will not be "ready" for the adventure. If you have "trained," you'll have a blast!

Bring:
Enough fuel & water to last 3.5 hours. Road or cyclocross bike. Tubes and repair kits for flats. There's no sag wagon, so be prepared.

Lunch:
Picnic lunch at Confluence Park in Denver, right by the river and downtown and the end of the ride. Send your lunch and rider bag to be transported down to Denver to meet us at the park.

Sign Up:
Pre-registration is required. Space is limited so register early to save your spot by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can give $20 on morning of ride to Laura Wisner.

*The following blog is written by our own Lauren Larson, who is currently studying nutrition. If you have any questions on general nutrition advice or about the article, check out her blog.

Knowing what to eat before, during, or after exercise is often confusing. Not only do recommendations vary depending on the type, duration, and timing of exercise, but they are often given in grams of carbohydrate per kilogram, which is hard to translate when you are heading out the door for a two hour bike ride.

By following a few simple rules, proper nutrition around exercise can be simple and accessible.

In general, carbohydrates are going to be your primary source of energy for exercise, they should take center stage in anything you choose to eat. And, in order to promote easy digestion and fast absorption, fiber and fat should be minimized.

With those general rules in mind, the recommendation for eating before exercise is to consume about 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight for each hour you have to digest before your workout.

Let’s break it down with an example. Consider someone who weighs 150 pounds who is going out for a bike ride, but they are waiting to hear from their friends about what time they are going. If they call and say “let’s go now,” this person is going to want to grab something with around 30 grams of simple and easily digestible carbohydrates, like a large banana. If they call an hour before they want to meet up, this person is going to want to eat about half their body weight in grams of carbohydrates for maximum energy on their ride. Combining that large banana with ½ cup of dry oatmeal cooked in 1 cup of low-fat milk yields about 70 grams of easily digested and sustainable carbohydrates. Suppose their friends call and want to head out in two hours. With more time to digest, a more substantial meal with 1x their body weight in grams of carbohydrates will provide lasting energy. Adding an additional ¼ cup of dry oatmeal, ½ cup of milk, and a 16 ounce glass of orange juice to the previously suggested meal totals up to about 135 grams of hill climbing fuel that can be used to impress all of your friends.

Consuming carbohydrates during exercise lasting over 1.5 hours is additive to pre-exercise carbohydrate consumption, improves endurance, performance, and prevents “bonking,” which is what happens after your body runs out of energy stores. As a general rule, you want to aim for 30 - 60 grams of carbohydrates that are easily digested and absorbed per hour of exercise. More carbohydrates are necessary if you weigh more and/or are engaging in higher intensity exercise. Some examples in this range include 24 ounces of sports drink, a large banana, 2 Medjool dates, a Larabar, a Cliff bar, 2 Gu’s, or 6 Cliff blocks. Liquid beverages will promote hydration and are more accessible, while solid foods are easier to carry for supplemental fuel and provide variety for longer periods of exercise. Other ideas include dried fruit or homemade zucchini or banana bread.

Within 60 minutes after exercise, proper nutrition is more important than ever. At this point, your body is in a heightened state of sensitivity, which makes it a prime opportunity to maximize the replenishment of energy stores burned during your workout. If you got the general rule for eating before exercise down, the recommendations for eating after exercise simply exchange the amount of time to digest with the duration of exercise. This means that you want to aim for 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight for each hour you exercised. Again, the focus should be on simple carbohydrates with the addition of a little protein to rebuild muscle. Excellent choices within 60 minutes of finishing your workout include low-fat chocolate milk, a handful of trail mix with dried fruit and nuts, or whole-grain crackers with either string cheese or hummus. To further promote recovery, a sandwich or wrap with hummus, turkey, lettuce, and tomato served with carrots would be an excellent choice for your next meal.

Proper nutrition is a key component in maximum performance. By focusing on carbohydrates and these simple rules, eating around exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember to experiment with what works for you. You may find that you need to add a little protein before and/or during exercise in order to prevent a low blood sugar crash. Or you may find that certain foods are more easily digested than others. Now eat a banana and get out there!


References

Dunford, M. (2006). Sports nutrition: A practice manual for professionals, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Thomas, B. and A. Lim (2011). The Feed Zone Cookbook. Boulder, CO, VeloPress.