Race Across Québec is an ultra-cycling event on the road put together by the French organization of the Race Across Series. Two distances were proposed for this first edition on Quebec soil: 300 and 500 km, in duo or solo.
I signed up for the 500 km solo without hesitation! Once the course was downloaded, it was more like 542 km. 42 km, that counts!
For me, it was an exciting distance. It's very long compared to a one-day outing but very short compared to other challenges I have done, like the Tour Divide (about 20 days). 500 km on the road is like an endurance sprint!
A sprint where nutrition must be precisely managed to maximize every hour of the race and avoid running out of fuel.
My ultra-endurance nutrition strategy: intuitive eating.
I kept as many different foods on hand as possible (mainly carbohydrate-based) to provide variety and avoid stopping at gas stations. I followed my intuition to manage quantities (listened to my digestive system).
From experience, planning how many calories you should eat at what time creates a gap from listening to yourself.
So, I had no plan. I just had my pockets full of food and tried to eat as much as possible every hour.
And since I love preparing food for my long rides, and because the race was only a 2-hour drive from home, I spoiled myself and prepared a long list of delicious snacks!
Here's what I had on the menu for my Race Across Québec:
(Note that I didn't calculate calories or keep any inventory of quantities eaten - I'm just telling you everything I had in my pockets and on my bike!)
120 ml reusable flask of maple syrup to which I added a 200 mg caffeine capsule and a pinch of salt. This was my primary source of caffeine and fast-absorbing sugar. (4 doses of 30 ml)
Apple juice & fresh ginger jelly, with a pinch of salt (homemade with pork gelatin), in a snack-sized Ziploc bag. I tore a hole in one of the corners to eat it while pedalling. (Recipe from one of my favourite books: Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow)
Homemade energy gels made with sweet potato, dates, and cacao powder in a Ziploc bag. (Recipe from one of my favourite books: Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow)
Homemade Larabar Style Bars with Cashews, Dates and Cocoa (Recipe from one of my favourite books: Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow)
Sweet Potato Pancakes (Recipe from one of my favorite books: Feedzone Cookbook)
Egg, Bacon and Parmesan Rice Cakes. Wrapped in wax paper + aluminum foil (I recommend wax paper with rice. Otherwise, it sticks) (Recipe from one of my favourite books: Feedzone Cookbook)
Homemade banana muffins
2x half sandwich ham and cheese
2x half sandwich peanut butter and honey
A large Ziploc bag of assorted candies, as well as some commercial products (gels and waffles)
For electrolytes, I alternated between individual sachets of Biosteel (which I like for its high content of amino acids, vitamin B12 and very low sugar), Skratch Labs and Liquid IV.
I wore a hydration vest with a 1.5L bag and two tall bottles, which allowed me to space out the stops as much as possible.
Since we were returning to base in the middle of the course (the route consisted of 2 loops with a return to base in between), the organization allowed us access to our car in the parking lot. I had a cooler in my car with a Coke, pasta salad, and an inventory of all my snacks to restock.
Now, how did the execution go?
Pretty good! I felt like throwing up most of the way through, 🙈 but I think that's normal.
The reality is that it's super hard to execute. Your body isn't used to taking in that many calories. Or at least, I'm not experienced enough to be used to it yet.
I often hear comments like "I ran out of energy, I couldn't eat anymore!"
My advice: Find the speed at which you can match the number of calories you can ingest.
Slow down or take a break if the food doesn't go in.
The mistake is to keep going and dig your hole.
That's what I had to do. I had to stop to eat my sandwich. I knew I had to eat something. In the race's second half, I stopped a little more than I thought I would. But I was constantly in-tune with my body, and I ate continually.
When the electrolytes were too much, I switched to water. For the last 300km, I always had a bottle of water to help me wash down the food. I adjusted the ratio.
In the end, I didn't experience any bonk or muscle cramps during the 542km. I was the first woman to reach the finish line shortly after the 23-hour mark. Not too bad!
And you, what are your favourite homemade snacks for your long rides? Write in the comments what you would bring in your pockets!
Comments