I really had a problem with "crashing" doing 50s
early this year. I actually did an article for our region's endurance newsletter
and asked many people for input and did a ton of research. I then changed what I
ate/drank and made a complete turnaround about how I feel during and after a
ride. Here is what I do:
I drink TONS of water the day before a ride and
before I go to bed. (You want your horse to do the same, right?) I then get up
and drink a BIG glass of water with breakfast.
During the ride I eat grapes (great frozen on hot
days), cantalope, watermelon and foods that are easily digestable energy = plain
bagels, peanut butter, bananas, chicken breast, apples, you get the picture.
Nothing processed like energy bars or processed food. If the food isn't
simple and ingredients something I know of, I don't eat it. No electrolyte
drinks during the ride until near the end after I have drank TONS of water all
day (1-2 bottles per loop minimum). If you drink a lot of electrolyte drinks all
day instead of water, you may end up more dehydrated and
sick.
If your pee is dark, you know you are not
hydrated. If you are not hydrated, even on cool weather rides, you will feel
bad. Dry mouth, headache, barely peeing, dizziness are all signs of dehydration.
If you are not hydrated, you won't feel good about anything you are eating. And
if you are eating well, you NEED to be hydrated to digest it all. If you find it
hard to drink a lot, try foods that are high in water content like grapes,
oranges, etc.
Some people do just fine on Gatoraide and power
bars but they just make me puke and get sick. So if you have a problem like
mine, you may want to try this kind of eating/drinking. It saved me this year.
