6 Nutrition Tips for the BP MS 150

Here are are six quick tips to keep you well-fueled between Houston and Austin.

1. Eat Familiar Foods

The #1 rule – if you haven’t tried it in training, think twice or three times before trying it on ride weekend. The rest stops and lunch will have foods you haven’t trained with. Think about how your body responds to those foods when you aren’t riding then consider how happy it will be to have them in your stomach when you are riding. We recommend keeping it simple and minimal at the rest stops until you get to your camp site on Saturday and Austin on Sunday.

2. Keep Drinking Fluids

You should continue drinking the same kind and amount of fluids on the weekend of the ride that you’ve used in your training. If you have a hard time remembering to drink, set an alarm on your watch to beep every 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Watch the Color of Your Urine

If you’re maintaining your hydration level, your urine should be pale lemonade to clear color. If it is darker than that, you need to increase your fluid intake.

4. Stay Away from Alcohol

Remember – adult beverages are dehydrating. Many people have alcoholic beverages when they reach their campsite in La Grange on Saturday. If you plan on imbibing remember that your body sees alcohol as a toxin and tries to get rid of it as fast as possible. Your body uses water to process and remove alcohol from your body. This is one reason why alcohol is dehydrating. If you’re going to have alcoholic beverages when you reach La Grange, have at least one to two times the same amount of water.

5. Eat a Good Breakfast

Breakfast – Come and Get It! Sunday morning breakfast in La Grange can be one of the highlights of the trip. This is similar to rule #1 above. Be sure you’re comfortable that your body can handle what they’re serving before getting on your bike to ride through the hills of Bastrop State Park (or not). If you’re not sure about what they’re serving, pack some of your own to meet you in La Grange (just be sure it travels well like dry oatmeal, nuts and dried fruit).

6. Keep an Eye on Food Temperature

Temperature is important. If you’re getting food at a rest stop, dinner or breakfast and it’s supposed to be hot or cold, don’t eat it unless it is hot or cold. I’m not saying to carry a food thermometer with you, but you don’t want to end up with a food-borne illness on your big weekend. If the food isn’t hot enough (over 140o F) or cold enough (below 40o F) then throw it away. Food can stay in the “temperature danger zone” (between 40o and 140o F) for 2 hours before bacteria can begin to grow. You won’t know how long the food has been in the “danger zone.” Why chance it?