PEDAL POWER: Eating right paves the way to success

Gazette photographer Liz Marting and I attended Julie Gallagher's "Food for Pedalling … Eat Right to Ride Stronger and Longer on RAGBRAI" earlier this month, so I can personally vouch for all the recipes listed with this story, especially the power bars. They are sticky, so Gallagher recommends freezing them before backing them on your pack for RAGBRAI.

My full story is below:

CEDAR RAPIDS - No one goes hungry on RAGBRAI.

Anyone who has ever participated in the bike ride across Iowa can tell you the road is so crowded with food, it makes an all-you-can-eat buffet look like an appetizer.

“I bike every year thinking I'll come back a few pounds lighter, but it hasn't happened yet,” says Frank Reynolds of Iowa City.

Smoothies. Breakfast burritos. Pizza. Turkey legs. Pie.

You can't forget about the pie.

“I have to have a piece of rhubarb pie every day,” says Gina Kaufman of Marion. “That's my reward.”

And that's OK, just as long as bikers are aware that the foods they eat on the road will affect their performance.

“A treat is fine, as long as you are eating healthy foods, too,” says Julie Gallagher, a Hy-Vee registered dietitian.

Recently, Gallagher hosted “Food for Pedalling … Eat Right to Ride Stronger and Longer on RAGBRAI” at the 5050 Edgewood Rd NE Hy-Vee, in which she focused on practical eating for bikers.

“I've personally been on RAGBRAI, so I know what the bikers are feeling,” Gallagher says.

Calories are being burned as bikers pedal their way across the state, but they're also burning the nutrients and energy their body needs to keep their body moving.

“Eating properly while riding ensures that you don't run out of energy and hit the wall,” Gallagher says.

It's also important, she says, to eat nutritional food before and after a ride so that your body recovers and is ready for the next leg of the trip.

PRE-WORKOUT ENERGY

Some people choose to forgo a meal before a workout because they don't want to feel bloated. However, calories are needed to fuel workouts, especially those, like RAGBRAI, that last for several hours.

Gallagher suggests riders eat two hours before hopping on their bike so that their stomach has time to digest. Energy bars, oatmeal, fruit and cereal are smart pre-workout meals, but Gallagher cautions against eating too much fiber.

“A little fiber is OK, but too much can slow you down and make you sick, so aim for two to three grams in a serving,” she says.

EATING WHILE RIDING

At about the two-hour mark of any bike ride, the body begins craving “real food.” Sports drinks can replace some of the lost nutrients, but solid foods give the extra boost needed to get up that next hill.

Some healthy snack options that can be consumed on the go include energy bars, trail mix, a peanut butter and honey sandwich, or bananas.

Commercial nutrition bars work, too, but be sure to read the label. Too much fiber, protein or carbohydrates at one time could do the body more harm than good.

Ideally, food that has fewer than three grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein and between 25 to 35 grams of carbohydrates will refuel the body without weighing it down.

“And whatever you eat, remember to drink plenty of water,” Gallagher says.

Water replenishes fluids and helps your body absorb the nutrients in energy foods.

EATING TO RECOVER

Most people on RAGBRAI don't want to eat after they finish biking for the day. They want to take a shower, rest a little and then think about dinner. However, there is a one-hour window post-workout when the muscles absorb the more nutrients. A healthy snack after a long ride can do wonders in preparing your body for the next day.

“You don't have to eat a large meal, but the muscles are receptive to replenishing, so it's important to try and get some carbohydrates and protein in your body,” Gallagher says.

Aim for a snack that has a 4:1 ration of carbohydrates to protein, such as a vegetarian burrito.

FOOD TO GO

So now you know what to eat and why, but how do you consume these foods on the road?

Gallagher carries a jersey pack when she rides RAGBRAI. The packs are designed to carry energy bars, fruit and energy gels, and can be reached while riding.

Drinks are easily stored in water bottles or a hydration pack, which carries more liquid and includes a delivery hose. Energy drinks and gels are popular for high-intensity events. Some bikers, Gallagher says, choose to tape them on their bike with duct tape so they can be easily reached when the need arrives.

“The important thing is to taste-test all of your snacks before you bring them on RAGBRAI,” Gallagher says. “What works for one person might not work for you.”

A long bike ride in the middle of nowhere is not the idea time to realize your stash of energy bars upset your stomach.

FOOD FOR THE LONG RIDE

If there's ever a time to eat real food with crabs, fat and protein instead of processed bars and high calorie drinks, it's on long endurance rides. Here are some quick and easy foods that can be consumed on the go:

• Peanut butter and/or honey sandwiches
• Peanut butter on graham crackers
• Bagel
• Bananas
• Fig Newtons
• Homemade peanut butter cookies
• Zucchini or banana bread
• Gummy bears
• Quinoa seasoned with some vegetables
• Dried fruit (mix with granola to reduce calories)
• Oat-based bars (recipe below)
• Trail mix (recipe below)

Source: “Food for Pedalling … Eat Right to Ride Stronger and Longer on RAGBRAI”

RECIPES

Energy bars are a quick and convenient way to replenish your body while biking, but they can be costly. Try a homemade recipe to trim your budget.

POWER BARS

• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup ground flax seeds
• 1 cup vanilla Hy-Vee whey protein powder

Mix all ingredients together and stir until blended. Spread mixture into a 13-by-10-inch pan and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bars can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two week, or frozen for later use.

Makes 32 bars

Source: Wellmark.com/Blue

Trail mixes are quick, easy and the perfect mix of salty and sweet.

ISLAND CRUISER MIX

• Animal crackers
• Mini wheat crackers
• Almonds (raw or unsalted, roasted)
• Dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
• Mini pretzels

Mix equal parts of all ingredients.

Source: cycleandstyle.com

ALMOND, TOASTED OAT AND CHERRY TRAIL MIX

• 1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon stick light butter, or similar product, melted
• 1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sided sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together rolled oats, cherries, almonds and salt. Drizzle with butter and honey and toss thoroughly. Spread mixture evenly on sheet pan. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and let cool.

Serves 6

Source:

www.cdkitchen.com