For these century rides, I always try to do what's worked in the past nutrition/hydration-wise. I hate to bring too much and bringing not enough is obviously also not a good thing. For the most part, I think I have this fairly dialed in, but as in the case with life, not everything can go as planned. This ride was such a day.
My nutrition plan was based on how things went the week before at the TDP century. I expected a ride that would be less than 5.5 hours long elapsed time. However, we had a couple incidents that pushed everything out to where the total elapsed time was almost 7 hours. For the most part, the food/drink plan still worked (3 gels, 1 waffle, and 2 shot blok packages), but I was looking for more one more gel in the end. I thought I didn't have one, but I just didn't find it in my pocket until after the ride. That had a nominal effect though. What did have an effect was how I was just a little shy in fluids and just barely made it with the 4 bottles of Ultima. Getting a cramp at mile 98 was what I'm alluding to here as barely making it. I'd like to do a ride without cramping, and I just didn't make it. Fortunately for me, I had 2 more shot bloks here where this helped me push through and finish the ride. Had the ride finished sooner, I don't think this would have been an issue.
The push during the TT section did account for some early twinging I felt in my calves, but they never presented a problem anymore after the SAG in Live Oak. Overall, I think I'm still fairly close to where I need to be as far as what I should carry for these long rides, but I'll keep learning from each and every one of them.
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