I rode in a century ride Saturday, August 18, 2007. I paid close attention to my intake of calories because in the past on long rides I have shut down mentally and physically after 50 or so miles. I used Hammer Heed and Hammer Perpetuem mixed with water. I tried to drink one or more bottles per hour. I also had a Hammer gel each hour. I had planned to have 2 gels each hour but it didn’t happen. When you have to eat a gluten free diet you can’t eat much of what is at the aid stations. I had to pack my own food. The strategy worked, though. I finished the ride feeling great. It helps me out quite a bit to know that I can have the gluten free Hammer products with no worry. All of my training was worth it! I would recommend experimenting with the nutrition in training so that you will not have problems during an event. For instance, the first time I used Hammer Sustained Energy I think I had too much and got bloated. You may need to experiment with the amounts – based on your weight and exercise.
After the ride: Too bad, I couldn’t have a beer with the other riders. I guess I should have brought my own Redbridge beer. Have you heard about it? It’s a gluten free sorghum based beer. There are a few companies making gluten free beer but they aren’t available all over the country and Redbridge is available widely.
