Rant On Energy Gels

All energy gels taste like crap!! Well, that's my opinion anyway, and I'm sticking to it. I hate them with a passion.

The first time I opened and swallowed an energy gel I thought "this can't be right - I can't even swallow it properly". Never mind the taste, that unfortunately kept repeating on me for at least an hour. I thought to myself, "maybe it's just this brand - I'll try another one".

Unfortunately, the next gel (different brand) was even worse, leaving such a foul taste in my mouth, that every second gulp of water I took from my CamelBak, I spat out.

I read recently about some guy who was trying to make his own gels out of rice syrup, fruit juice and salt, but the amount of salt that he was suggesting made me think twice about trying the recipe. I'm certain the quantity of salt he was suggesting was either wrong, or if it wasn't, then you would be doing your body a serious dis-service.

I'm certain that there are better ways for the "average" rider to fuel their escapades. Personally, I've found that breakfast drinks and baby food are great. Yes, I know, I said baby food!! But hear me out - there are now "squeezy packs" of blended fruit on the supermarket shelves, some with ~ 1000kj per serve. They claim to be 100% fruit, and they taste INFINITELY better than an energy gel.

The breakfast drinks are pretty good too, some claiming to be equivalent to a decent bowl of cereal. Plus, if they are chilled, the taste like a shop-bought milkshake, which is really nice out on the track.

The best thing about both these options is they are liquid, and you body will digest them easily. This means you don't have to eat the equivalent of half a loaf of bread to get the energy to keep riding. By the way, I've tried eating lots of solid food before riding, but if you are pushing yourself, the urge to spew can be a bit off-putting. Liquids don't make you feel so crook.

Of course, transportation of breakfast drinks and baby food while you are riding is always going to be a problem, and I have found that these "fuels" work best when you are carrying a backpack (the CamelBak is great because of the multi-purpose role it serves). These are also great if you are doing a multi-loop ride where you have the opportunity to stop and grab one from the esky when you feel like it (eg, shuttles or multi-lap endurance racing).

Don't get me wrong, energy gels have their purpose, and I appreciate the racing fraternity love them for being so light, convenient and energy-laden. I still carry at least one energy gel with me on long rides, just in case (like I carry a snake bite bandage, just in case). But my preference is to leave the energy gel slowly go out-of-date in my backpack, and consume something a little more natural and palatable.

4 Hour Enduro - Kalamunda

The flyer for this race promised a relatively flat course for this years 4 hour enduro. I have learnt (from bitter experience) that unless you are riding around a basketball court, nothing in mountain biking is flat (otherwise the roadies would be there in droves - "sarc").

The name of the "4hr enduro" game is simple - ride as many laps of a 6km loop as possible, in 4 hours. I really like the 4 hour format, because it is short enough to do it solo, which is a great test of my mental and physical fitness (all of which were lacking on race day, seeing as I did next to no training for this event, and I was beginning to seccumb to a lurgy that my young son kindly brought home from the viral incubator, AKA school).

The start was manic as usual, with 100+ riders taking to the pedals at once, and all having to ride across a narrow bridge within 500 metres of the start. The field quickly spanned out from this point, and I was off for my "recce" lap of the course. Having never ridden this track before, my race plan was pretty simple. Lap number 1 would be my reconnaissance lap, showing me where the fastest parts of the course are, so I could gain time in these areas. Anything that involves an up-hill is always my slowest point (I am not ashamed to engage super-granny gear to get to the top). My plan was to then come into the transition area, get a heap of carbohydrates into me, then hit the track for 2 fast laps. This would mean that, barring a mechanical or biological failure, I would be set to reach my target of 7 laps in 4 hours (I was counting on 30 minutes laps, with about 30 minutes of rest stops throughout the race).

The first lap went off without a hitch, and there were plenty of nice downhill sections where I could lay off the brakes and pick up some serious speed (~50 km/h) while catching my breath for the next uphill bit. My second lap I went out pretty hard (in hindsight a bit too hard) and knocked out a 23 minute lap. The third lap was significantly slower at 27 minutes. I then stopped at transition for about 10 minutes and took in some more fuel, then went back out for laps 4 and 5, both around the 28 minute mark.

A few quick calculation in my head, and I was thinking "if I pull my finger out on lap 6 and 7, I might have enough time left for an 8th lap". While the mind was willing, the body was not, and laps 6 and 7 were my slowest, at around 29 minutes each (I would have had to do 25 minute laps to have the time up my sleeve to complete lap 8). I was feeling pretty rooted after I finished lap 7, and I was stoked that I had reached my goal - and was really only about 10 minutes away from exceeding my target.

On the mental side of things, the thing that I am most proud of myself for is not walking ANY sections of the track. There were at least 3 sections that were difficult uphill "pinch climbs" (1 was especially tough), but every time I came to them I made a decision to "ride not walk" - my lowest gear had a pretty good workout on these sections, but I'm personally stoked that I didn't get off the bike.

Single Track Thoughts

How good is it when you find a track that you’ve never ridden before, AND you find it is well maintained and well thought out.

I really like trails that are about 15 minutes in length, and that demonstrate purposeful use of the area’s geography. For example, I love it when contours are used to the advantage of the rider, with long slow downhill sections, followed by a slightly steeper climbs, followed again by a downhill section (obviously designed to keep the rider pointed downhill for a maximum amount of ride-time).

Then there is ample opportunity to add trail obstacles on these downhill sections (eg, log overs, rock gardens, jumps, berms, etc), leaving the uphill sections clear of these features. This obviously translates to a track that is better ridden in a single direction, but then again, the track will be designed to be ridden “one way”.

Side note: My personal favourite is riding through pine forest, especially on a hot day. The smell of the fallen pine needles really pushes me on, and no matter how hot or tired I feel, that smell really gives me a lift. Plus the added bonus of a naturally “lumpy” landscape, and the surface is usually great to ride on (hard packed or slightly sandy, just perfect for sliding around corners).

My hat comes off to the trail makers who continue to make me happy, and keep my life sane.