300 km Ride Report, November 5, 2006
by Dan Trued

I think I finally figured out the food thing, for me anyway. I ate very lightly, and used that HEED Perpetuem, with my water for the first 130 miles, and I didn't have those stomach upheavels like I've had in the past. I didn't start on the junk food and gatorade until after that. I mistakenly thought you needed calories, so I would eat a lot of sugar etc, which would give me mood swings. And you don't need those, until at least half of the ride is over with. I did use some mocha flavored gu in the last 50 miles, and my speed would bump up 3 mph for about 5 miles, before the sugar high wore off. So if you need to get out of a slump, going into the wind, that seems to work. But then I have to lay off, because that gu is a horror if you use it a lot. I went through a ton of water, maybe twice what I normally do, with electrolytes, and had no cramping or dehydration, so that was another plus. Also on the last 60 miles I just went with pure water.

Liked that Picacho Blvd diversion. Much better than going through that town. And I liked that Shannon / McGee diversion. Haven't been on those roads, a little tight, on Shannon, but it's short. But that diversion gets you away from that awful Ina road. Ina is bike safe, but it's loud and hot.

Maybe for some of the other brevet riders, a 300k is a short ride for them, but it's a long one for me. So even though I've done a couple before, I feel lucky when I make it. Throw in a mechanical, a physical, or a clothes problem and that 300 could get very long.

So thanks again, for a good brevet

Dan Trued