Clif bars are excellent, and Gu is a good gel. Also Accelerade makes a gel that you can find at Vitamin Shoppe. Most importantly, drink a sports drink not just water. And drink about 24 ounces per hour/15 miles. A good sports drink is Accelerade. You can bring a baggie along with your on the ride to mix more. All of this stuff is at Vitamin Shoppe.

Cytomax is another drink mix, but it lacks protein like Accelerade. And Gatorade is basically corn syrup with a little salt. If you are sweating a lot, drink a V8 at a rest stop. Nutrition is key in a long ride.

As for training, join B15 rides of 50-70-80 miles to get ready, ramping up 10 miles per week. The last 20-30 miles of a first century will probably feel hard, as in mental fuzziness and tired legs but just push through it. They get easier once the body knows what to expect.

Have fun!

Karol

"I do a century every weekend in the spring/summer/and fall ranging from 110 to 160 miles. Through experience I've learned a couple of things.

(1)Eat - about 250-300 calories every 60 to 90 minutes. That will help you maintain your ""power"" and feeling of energy. I've tried less and more. With less, I lose some power and feel less energized around mile 70. With more, I've found that the food just stays in my stomach. My guess is that my body can only digest about 300 calories/hour. Mix up the food. The following works well for me - powerbars, 1/2 a bagel-with anything on it, 1/4 pound of ham(at a deli stop around mile 80 for the protien).
(2) Drink - about every 20 minutes. I've learned that sports drinks work well balanced with the same amount of water. For example, one bottle with sports drink and one bottle with water. From experience, using a sports drink gives me more energy after the ride - say if I want to ride the next day. I've tried many sports drinks including cytomax, clif, powerbar, extran, and GU-20. I prefer GU-20 rasberry when it's over 70 degrees F cause it tastes best warm. When it's colder I prefer Powerbar lemonade.

Hope this helps."

You didn't say what you are eating for breakfast. I eat a big bowl of cold cereal (a whole-grain variety like Kashi Go Lean, with a little granola on top for sweetness) and banana, with lowfat milk. (Most commercial brands taste too refined to me nowadays, and I feel empty quickly, whereas the whole grain ones have more staying power.)

Whole grain toast with PB and jam or honey is also a good choice. Coffee is also a must-have.

Everyone has different preferences for on-bike food. I use Carboom orange/vanilla gels (with caffeine). I don't like chocolate flavors (too rich tasting, like eating pudding), which probably sets me apart from most folks. Avoid brands that are too liquidy, or you'll wind up with sticky stuff all over your hands and handlebars. Or you could just use a plastic flask.

I carry one bottle of Accelerade, and one bottle plain water with an electrolyte additive (Nuun). Gatorade (esp. the endurance formula) is fine if you're making a deli stop, and nothing else is available. I water it down a little, so it's not full strength.

In terms of training, it's hard to make a recommendation, as you don't say what your strengths and weaknesses are. Which is your biggest deficiency? Hills? Flats? Overall endurance?

Whatever you choose to eat/drink, by about mile 75 you'll be sick of it. I'm thinking of the time I did the Montauk Century - 125 miles of the exact same food and drink at every stop - oranges, bananas, PBJs and lemon-lime Gatorade. I would have killed for a turkey sandwich, or some Newtons, or anything different.

Mix it up. Your taste buds (and your mental outlook) will thank you.

"I like a nice bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. It gives a nice slow energy release over a few hours.

For an energy drink, I really like accelerade. I usually bring one bottle mixed in concentrated form and fill my other bottle with just water. For an idea of how much you migth need, you can check out this Replacement Calorie Formula.
"

Toasted spelt bread (more proteins)with almond butter and honey... (If I remember correctly, I heard this recipe from Jeff Wilson).

Great before a long ride, great before a short race.

just picked up a case; these things absolutely rule at 50¢ per piece.

I vote for the organic Clif Bars, and Cytomax energy drink and gels. They are all easy on the stomach. A bowl of cereal or oatmeal, and an English muffin with Nutella works for me for breakfast.

You are close. The study compared commercially available recovery drinks (post ride) and low-fat chocolate milk came out on top.

What no one mentioned is no matter what strategy/drinks/bars you decide try it out on your training rides. You need to try different things to find out what works for you. For example, I pretty much have an iron stomach, but drinking Accelerade on a ride gives me stomach cramps. What works for one person may not work for you.

In addition, if you eat a bar or a gel dont wash it down with a sports drink - carbo overload. Make sure you wash it down with water. And always drink water after consuming a bar or gel. They work in tandem.