Conference noted::bicycle

    You'll find it important to really eat a lot, and drink a lot of
    liquid.

    What happens on a ride of that duration is that you run on carbohydrates
    rather than stored muscle glycogen.  If you try to ride pretty hard
    (or even just cover that distance) you can get low on blood sugar,
    yet not feel hungry.

    The solution is to eat anyway - food that you're comfortable
    with, with an emphasis on carbos, lots of fruit juice, stay away from
    fats as you can't use them till it's too late.  It's also important
    to not change your eating patterns just for the event.  I had bad
    diahrrea on the 400k in the morning because I tried using a lot of
    that Ultra Energy drink for the first time.  It's better not to find
    that out on the long ride.

    Other than that - if you've gotten the miles in this season, some
    singles, preferably some back to back days of substantial rides,
    you should be all set.

    Finally, it'll be normal to start feeling discomfort from being on the
    bike for that long.  I find that to be motivation to ride faster :-)

    Good luck - I felt a sense of accomplishment the first time I rode that
    far...

    - Jim

< Note 750.1 by CTCADM::ROTH "If you plant ice you'll harvest wind" >
                              -< vast quantities >-

>    You'll find it important to really eat a lot, and drink a lot of
>    liquid.

>    The solution is to eat anyway - food that you're comfortable
>    with, with an emphasis on carbos, lots of fruit juice, stay away from
>    fats as you can't use them till it's too late.  It's also important
>    to not change your eating patterns just for the event.  I had bad
>    diahrrea on the 400k in the morning because I tried using a lot of
>    that Ultra Energy drink for the first time.  It's better not to find
>    that out on the long ride.

I'll second Jim's advice, with another comment about food.  I can't tolerate 
fruit juice because of the acid, so I've had to find other alternatives.  I 
too tried an all liquid diet; Ultra-Energy once, a Joe Weider product several 
other times.  The U-E worked fine but is far too expensive ($4-5 per bike 
bottle).  The Joe Weider seemed to work well, but failed when I used it for 
breakfast instead of my usual pancakes (we're talked incredible diahrrea!).  
I've since found that the Joe Weider product works ok if I supplement it with 
solid food, i.e., pancakes for breakfast, and continual munching on bagels 
during the ride.  I haven't had any problems since I've adopted this approach. 
(BTW, the Joe Weider product is not made anymore; it had a carbo/protein ratio
of 10/1.  I'll have to try something else, whatever I can find at the health
food stores with the highest carbo/protein ratio I can find).

The point to all of this is that high carbo intake is crucial, but there's 
probably many (a few?) different ways to accomplish it.  As Jim implied, don't 
experiment the day of the double.  Try whatever you come up with on a long 
training ride.

BTW, which double are you doing, the CRW or the Prouty in Lebanon, NH?  I'm 
planning on doing the Prouty.

Kevin (another veteran of the BMB wars...well, at least 3 out of 4...)

I have never done a double, but on the various singles that I have 
done I found out that teh most crucial thing is to keep ahead of your
energy needs. Don't wait until you are hungry to eat. Force yourself to 
stop when you feel good and eat then. There will be a LOT less pain this 
way. My experience has been that metabolic pain is much more difficult 
to overcome than muscular pain.

Keep track of your pace. Choose a good pace to follow and stick to it. 
Don't ride 17 for the first 75 miles and then 8 for the rest. Pick the 
best pace for you. Save all the energy you can for the end.

Good Luck!

JC

        Perhaps you need to get someone with an ice cream truck to
        serve as a support vehicle...
        
        Tom

Water, food, sunscreen.  Hold the IC till after the ride, then have
a double.

ed

Wow, thanks all for the great advice.
Feel free to keep it coming -- still have another week till DC day.

Kevin, am doing the CRW Double Century (of course).  What is Prouty, 
who runs it???

Tom and Ed: I find that I cannot control the Sequoia when
an IceCream stand is within view of the bike.

	~Mike

< Note 750.6 by JETSAM::HANAUER "Mike... Bicycle~to~Ice~Cream" >
                            -< 7 days and counting >-

> Kevin, am doing the CRW Double Century (of course).  What is Prouty, 
> who runs it???

See note 753...my plea for sponsorship, that's apparently fallen upon deaf 
ears...how sad.

Kevin

    I just got into notes so be tolerant of my mistakes. I'd like to
    offer advice to the person who started this note. On the night before
    your double eat pasta it's the best food to eat for carbo loading,
    as far as drinks go the best thing for your body is water. As said
    before watch your pace carefully( i.e. don't go too fast but don't
    slow down for other riders). I give this Info. from the experience
    of riding from Pittsburge N.H. to tyngsborough MA. ( approx. 219
    miles ) in 19 HRS. I was 16 just like to say that it was brutal
    in fact when I got to Nashua( I've lived here all my life) I didn't
    know where I was. ( hope this helps you through your double )

RE: .8  Were you one of the NHE2E crowd in '83?

(NH End-to-End = 232 miles).

The Support guy in the red van,
ed

    	RE: 750.8
    
    	Mr./Ms. Cross (?)
    
    	Many people have been to Nashua and not know where they were.
    	8-)>
    
    	Scott (Yup, I live in Nashua)

On Saturday, July 9 I did it, 200 miles; Boston to Orleans and back.

Well, many thanks for all the advice.  It was helpful: drank lots 
for a few days and had much extra pasta last week.  Did NOT use any 
of those energy drinks some of you mentioned, especially in the 
MS/heat ride note.

There were about 25 of us (including Ed Fisher).  Most made it in 
spite of the heat and some tough headwinds on route 6A approaching 
the Cape Cod Canal on the return (about 150 miles into the day).

The stiffness in the knees is now starting to go away.

	~Mike