24Hr racing advice

[Freediver]

Read this

Carbohydrate loading - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[John U]

Where is the race?

 

[Ackland]

I would also say that anything you can take on mentally so that your wife doesn't have to think... do it!
Unless she asks for something specific, you tell HER what to take out.
The less you have to think about as a rider the better.

Be organised for light changes and know what the event rules are
Know when batteries are due BEFORE they run out and make sure that you set the burn level.
I have accidentally clicked my lights onto a higher power a number of times and luckily only once did my helmet light die mid lap but I've been close.
That's a stress she doesn't need (but if it happens, it happens)

A consideration for the rider is what do you have on your computer screen.
For a 24HR I only have Time of Day, Heart Rate and Lap time on screen 1
Screen 2 I have more like my day to day - Current speed, distance, ride time, HR, Vert, calories burnt.

Make sure to bring plenty of neck grease for yourself too

 

[DMan]

Where is the race?

Hiddenvale. QLD

 

[John U]

Ack, tell us about drink water, drink water, etc, and eat heaps in the lead up to thre race.
My understanding is that you’re body will only hold so much, anything over that threshold goes straight through. And if you haven’t prepared your body for the extra beforehand, a lot of it will go straight through.

 

[DMan]

I would also say that anything you can take on mentally so that your wife doesn't have to think... do it!
Unless she asks for something specific, you tell HER what to take out.
The less you have to think about as a rider the better.

Be organised for light changes and know what the event rules are
Know when batteries are due BEFORE they run out and make sure that you set the burn level.
I have accidentally clicked my lights onto a higher power a number of times and luckily only once did my helmet light die mid lap but I've been close.
That's a stress she doesn't need (but if it happens, it happens)

A consideration for the rider is what do you have on your computer screen.
For a 24HR I only have Time of Day, Heart Rate and Lap time on screen 1
Screen 2 I have more like my day to day - Current speed, distance, ride time, HR, Vert, calories burnt.

Make sure to bring plenty of neck grease for yourself too

Yep, lights are sorted and I have the capacity to charge while she's riding. Same with helmet lights. I have a 2000 lumen dual LED style bar mounts as she likes LOTS of light at night. 750 on her head. I'll change the bar light out every 2 laps which should be about 1.5hrs and the helmet every lap.
The computer is the tough one. Her watch will only last about 5hrs and her bike computer is a GPS so will probably need charging too. So I'm still working out how to keep all the information. I'm thinking if she uses my watch too as they're both Tomtom spark 3s then I could swap out the watches every 4 hours or so....
Do you recommend anything to rub into muscles or anything like that for when muscle fatigue really sets in?

 

[Ackland]

Ack, tell us about drink water, drink water, etc, and eat heaps in the lead up to thre race.
My understanding is that you’re body will only hold so much, anything over that threshold goes straight through. And if you haven’t prepared your body for the extra beforehand, a lot of it will go straight through.

I find that if I oversaturate in the week leading up to the point where I'm one in one out for a couple of days then I retain more.

This may be a personal physiology thing or also that I drink "dehydrating fluids" in my day to day... Why ride if you can't have beers.

Yep, lights are sorted and I have the capacity to charge while she's riding. Same with helmet lights. I have a 2000 lumen dual LED style bar mounts as she likes LOTS of light at night. 750 on her head. I'll change the bar light out every 2 laps which should be about 1.5hrs and the helmet every lap.
The computer is the tough one. Her watch will only last about 5hrs and her bike computer is a GPS so will probably need charging too. So I'm still working out how to keep all the information. I'm thinking if she uses my watch too as they're both Tomtom spark 3s then I could swap out the watches every 4 hours or so....
Do you recommend anything to rub into muscles or anything like that for when muscle fatigue really sets in?

My current GPS unit lasts well over 24 hrs but I used to chuck my Garmin 510 in my back pocket attached to a battery bank for a lap or two around 2am when knowing my own data isn't that critical.

I still like to geek out over all of my data afterwards so leaving the GPS to charge in the pits isn't ok with me.

 

[DMan]

I find that if I oversaturate in the week leading up to the point where I'm one in one out for a couple of days then I retain more.

This may be a personal physiology thing or also that I drink "dehydrating fluids" in my day to day... Why ride if you can't have beers.



My current GPS unit lasts well over 24 hrs but I used to chuck my Garmin 510 in my back pocket attached to a battery bank for a lap or two around 2am when knowing my own data isn't that critical.

I still like to geek out over all of my data afterwards so leaving the GPS to charge in the pits isn't ok with me.

What is your "current" GPS device may I ask?

 

[Freediver]

Any extra fluid will just give you more urine, Don't get dehydrated but drinking extra is just plain dumb. There is some bad advice given in this thread on sports nutrition. Read the link I posted on carb loading.
I'll admit it was over 25 years ago I studied this and a lot has changed in that time but a couple of things said are just plain wrong.

 

[Fruitbat]

The best pit crews I had were the ones that shut up and didnt say anything as I rolled into the pits so that I could tell them what I wanted or needed before I forgot... it is soo annoying to start a new lap at 2am and remember that you were going to ask for fresh gloves or some salty food or whatever but got distracted by all the questions and details and action in the pit lane.

 

[hifiandmtb]

Where's the event & who's driving home? @DMan, you too will be exhausted...

 

[slider_phil]

Any extra fluid will just give you more urine, Don't get dehydrated but drinking extra is just plain dumb. There is some bad advice given in this thread on sports nutrition. Read the link I posted on carb loading.
I'll admit it was over 25 years ago I studied this and a lot has changed in that time but a couple of things said are just plain wrong.

Carb loading increases the amount of water your body stores as the extra glycogen in the muscles stores water to utilise from what I understand. I've also heard that drinking some electrolyte mix the day before can help. But yeah I wouldn't go crazy, just common sense approach.

 

[Cardy George]

Where's the event & who's driving home? @DMan, you too will be exhausted...

That's what I'm thinking. I've been pit crew for a few HPV 24 hour races. 24 hours IS a challenge for the pit crew too. Do you have somebody to help you?

 

[Freediver]

Carb loading increases the amount of water your body stores as the extra glycogen in the muscles stores water to utilise from what I understand. I've also heard that drinking some electrolyte mix the day before can help. But yeah I wouldn't go crazy, just common sense approach.

as I said it was a while ago and you're right, you can hold up to an extra litre when loading. As to the electrolyte thing that's a whole other ball park with hypo, iso and hypertonic solutions.

 

[DMan]

That's what I'm thinking. I've been pit crew for a few HPV 24 hour races. 24 hours IS a challenge for the pit crew too. Do you have somebody to help you?

Just me. I'm doing a 4hr race first, which now reading these posts, I probably shouldn't be. So I can focus on her nutrition. But we can stay the Sunday night if need be. My wife has been reading all this with me and would like to thanks you all too. Lots of good advice here!
Just curious, what are people's thoughts on how many 24hr races could you do in a year and how far apart should they be spaced?

 

[Flow-Rider]

Yep, lights are sorted and I have the capacity to charge while she's riding. Same with helmet lights. I have a 2000 lumen dual LED style bar mounts as she likes LOTS of light at night. 750 on her head. I'll change the bar light out every 2 laps which should be about 1.5hrs and the helmet every lap.
The computer is the tough one. Her watch will only last about 5hrs and her bike computer is a GPS so will probably need charging too. So I'm still working out how to keep all the information. I'm thinking if she uses my watch too as they're both Tomtom spark 3s then I could swap out the watches every 4 hours or so....
Do you recommend anything to rub into muscles or anything like that for when muscle fatigue really sets in?

You can get those mobile phone back up battery packs and tape them to the bars and run a USB cable. I used to do long distance solo rides and wrap one in an old tube and use those velcro computer cable ties to attach it to the bars. I also think that a lot of people don't realise how hot it gets racing in QLD heat and I'd rather need to stop to pee than to lag way behind in hydration in a long distance event.

 

[creaky]

Better to go over the top with water (without getting silly) as the consequence is doing a piss. The consequences of under hydrating are worse than that.

Don’t you just piss in your shorts and keep going in a 24hr race?

 

[Ackland]

What is your "current" GPS device may I ask?

Bryton 530
Doesn't have some of the bling of full colour Garmin but I prefer the basic screen and tactile buttons...
Oh and 36hr battery life

 

[DMan]

Bryton 530
Doesn't have some of the bling of full colour Garmin but I prefer the basic screen and tactile buttons...
Oh and 36hr battery life

We have a Neostrack we're going to try. It's got a 30hr life so hopefully that will be ok. I'm not sure what the HR strap drain is and as the route spends most of the time under trees it could also put extra drain on the computer..

 

[DMan]

Better to go over the top with water (without getting silly) as the consequence is doing a piss. The consequences of under hydrating are worse than that.

Don’t you just piss in your shorts and keep going in a 24hr race?

I thought that was part of 24hr racing?