Back To Basics

If I were a philosophy student trained in logic, I would have titled this post "Occam's Razor." But since I only have a BS in journalism, I didn't (and there are those who would argue that an education in journalism is BS, but I digress). The issue is this: Starting five years ago, I began having trouble with nausea and vomiting in long-distance events. I've tried different products, ranging from Spiz to Extran to Perpetuem to Sustained Energy. I've tested all kinds of theories: First I thought it was caloric density that was the problem, then routine hyponaetremia. But (and here's where Occam's Razor comes into play--that notion that when you're given two equally predictive theories, you should choose the simplest) I have to pursue the theory that it's the engineered food products that are causing me the problem. There was a time, a two or three year period, when I rode my bike 100 miles almost every weekend, consuming along the way nothing but normal foods. I learned then that certain foods, such as doughnuts, did not agree with me when I rode, but in general, if I chose simple, light foods, I thrived on solid foods.

In the process of trying to figure out why I was getting sick, I learned a lot about my body. I learned I could ride for hours consuming just 190 calories an hour, well below the 240-280 calories that the experts recommend. I also learned that even though I don't think of myself as a heavy sweater, I can lose 40 ounces of water an hour in hot conditions. So I have a knowledge base to work from, which gives me some help.

As examples of simple "real foods" I'm planning on using in the near future:

-- Last autumn, I rode a couple of centuries relying on a recipe (which I read about in Ed Pavelka's very informative newsletter from the RoadBikeRider web site) for a panini popular even today in the professional cycling peloton. It consists of toasted white bread, dipped in a saucer of wine (to aid digestion, they say) with a spread of jam and soft cheese. Ham can be added if it's not too warm. The panini is sliced in four squares. Made with brie and sans ham, that sandwich comes out to about 350 calories, or not quite 90 calories a square. Two squares in an hour roughly meet my caloric needs.

-- The vegan ultrarunner Scott Jurek uses as part of his training/racing nutrition dates rolled in chopped almonds, a treat that would pack about 60 calories, or slightly less than a single serve packet of a typical gel.

Given that I've had more success using real foods instead of engineered foods, I am cautiously optimistic about my upcoming performances.