Fueling on Long Rides for Great Results by Joan Kent, PhD

“Sugar’s bad stuff, but what should I eat on a long ride?”

 

Many cyclists have asked me that question, so I came up with Dr. Joan’s Potato Goo. No, that’s not a brand name, just my private, silly joke about ordinary taters.

 

I’ve use Potato Goo successfully on many long rides, including both outdoor and indoor centuries (100-mile rides). My late, very great coach made it the staple of his diet on long rides. (He also ate other foods on ultra-long rides.)

 

I often made extra Potato Goo for group rides, and it developed quite a following.

 

Never one for complicated, I make it the easy way. You’ll need:

• raw potatoes of any type (organic red potatoes have a terrific, smooth texture).
• sea salt (ideal because it contains minerals).
• water.
• snack-size zipper bags.
• a food processor.

 

Select 3 or 4 potatoes and cook them, with skins, any way you like – bake, boil, microwave, choose your favorite – till they’re soft.

 

Let the potatoes cool. Slice them into a food processor, add sea salt. How much salt depends on the number and the size of the potatoes, but you’ll need to taste the mixture as you go. It should taste salty, but not overly salty.

 

Add a little water to make a paste. You’ll be squeezing the Goo out of the corner of the zipper bag, so adjust the consistency. Too thick won’t squeeze out easily; too watery will make a mess.

 

Once everything’s in the food processor, start it and let it run until the Goo has a uniform texture. Taste it to check the salt, add salt if necessary, add more water if necessary, and done!

 

Spoon the Goo into snack-size zipper bags. Fill each bag with only the amount you’d want to consume at a rest stop. I carry a few zipper bags of Goo in my back jersey pocket, inside a lightweight plastic bag from the grocery store, and keep the empty zipper bags in the grocery bag until I find a place to dispose of them.

 

Why Potato Goo?

 

What do you get with Potato Goo that you don’t get with bars, gels, shots, or other sugar? You get the recommended electrolytes – potassium from the potatoes, sodium from the salt – AND the fastest carbs going. Much faster than sugar.

 

Glycemic index (GI) is hardly the be-all / end-all, but here it’s quite helpful. The GI of potatoes is higher (faster) than that of sugar, so the potatoes start working almost immediately. You can feel them. There’s no sugar crash. And potatoes don’t cause the gastro-intestinal upsets commonly associated with fructose, a common ingredient in many bars and sports drinks.

 

If you’re sensitive to sugar, this is a better way to fuel because you won’t find yourself dealing with sugar cravings, withdrawal, malaise, or other after-effects of sugar consumption.

 

Caution:  No Nutrition Surprises on Performance Day!

 

If a major ride is coming up, try Potato Goo on a training ride first. Know how your body responds before you invest in it 100%. In fact, get used to everything you may experience.

 

• If the ride is long, increase you distances systematically.
• If you’ll be riding in the afternoon heat, train in the heat.
• If you’ll be climbing a lot, make sure you climb a lot during training. If you don’t have access to steep hills for training, at least get into your biggest gear and train on the hills you have.
• Get up early enough to eat a solid pre-training meal about 3 hours before the ride. A real meal includes protein, complex starches, and fat. Fruits or vegetables are optional.

 

The worst way to begin a ride is to skip eating to get extra sleep, then try to make up for it on the ride with power gels or power drinks.

 

• I recommend avoiding sugar during the ride. Some rest stops offer nothing but sugar, although aware ride sponsors will provide variety: potatoes, peanut butter sandwiches, much more.
• Eat lightly to avoid gastric distress, of course.
• Drink LOTS of water, instead of sugared drinks.

 

Dr. Joan’s Potato Goo has worked for runners, indoor and outdoor cyclists, and indoor endurance rowers. I have confidence it can work for you.

 

For more tips on fueling for training, just visit LastResortNutrition and grab your free Boost My Workout consult. Discover how easy it can be to improve your performance and feel great.

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.