by hattenburrow | Jan 1, 2014 | Nutrition
Protein supplements Powder and Bars.
Training sometimes feels like the easy part, it’s simple you have a programme you put the effort in, you get the results out (sort of). The difficulty comes in finding good nutritious, quick food to eat around my training.
I have tried many products during training. When I first started I headed off to Holland and Barrett and got a couple of protein bars and energy gels to try whilst I was training to see what brands were good.
I found the protein bars I had brought all had a tough texture a bit like chewing on a cows butt! They left me bloated and not wanting to eat a meal which meant my nutrition was suffering because I couldn’t get enough nutritious calories in.
I tried protein shakes and found these to be a lot easier and used one from Holland and Barrett after my first race as during training it had been fine, however after racing it did not agree with me and left me again with the awful bloated feeling.
The search for good protein!
I did some research online and spoke to friends who recommend Science In Sport REGO I tried it with milk and also with water and found it had a smooth consistency was easy to drink, tasted good and seemed to help with my recovery as I could train each day and felt like I was getting stronger.
Protein shakes are great for after training and races as long as you can keep the powder and water/milk separate and mix just before you want to drink it. Sometimes this is not easy when it’s hot leaving water or milk in the car is not always a good idea and a warm protein shake is not present! This is where a protein bar comes in handy. My experiments with Holland and Barrett ones where no good and if had given up on the idea of finding a good one until I got a sample from Zip Vit, the chocolate orange protein bar was totally different to anything I had tried before it tasted or chocolate orange and not protein which was a great start and the consistency was less chewy and didn’t leave me feeling bloated.
Over all I think both bars and shakes have their place in the diet of an athlete. Bars are quick and easy but personally I prefer protein shake and to eat something wholesome too.
by hattenburrow | Dec 16, 2013 | Biking Adventures, Kit Reviews, Nutrition
The day started early, leaving the house at 7.00 to drive down to the New Forest to take part in our first Sportive. I had convinced Martyn we should do it together and that we wouldn’t race it but just enjoy it, I wasn’t until we arrived that it became apparent Martyn had other ideas!
Arriving in Brockenhurst it was great to be back where I had spent so many days training last year. I love the New Forest it’s one of those places where you can ride for miles through different landscapes from heathland to forest, the scenery is always changing and hills spring up out of no where.
We set off on the Epic route which was 35 miles long at 9:45. The course meandered through forest and heath using the main forest tracks linked together by the odd road section. It was great to see so many people of different abilities doing the same ride, all out to enjoy the fresh air with friends on their bikes, it reminded me of The Ride London back in August which had the same feel.
Martyn soon picked up the pace and we seemed to be eating into the miles, to get ‘Gold’ you had to finish in 3 hours 50 which seemed fast for an off road race and like I said we were taking it easy, or so I had been led to believe !!…
The first food stop was at roughly a third of the way round, there was lots of snacks to choose from and I had half a banana and tried one of my USN Vooma caffeine gels, which USN had kindly given me to test during the event. I had used other brands of gels before in my XC races but not during an endurance event. As we were stopped I could open with my hands, but usually during a race I would do this with my teeth moving. I think from the way the packaging is designed it would be easy to open with teeth and shouldn’t spew out over you before you can eat it which is a bonus!
The gel was mocha flavour, not being a coffee drinker I was intrigued to see what this tasted like! it tasted like it smells when you walk into Starbucks with a hint of chocolate and a warming feeling. What I liked about this gel is that the texture was nice, some can be too sticky and leave your mouth feeling dry but this did not, which is a real plus for me as there is nothing worse than having a sticky horrible mouth when your racing and breathing hard.
The gel contained 24g carbs which is good for the size of pack and I would have been able to fit a couple easily in my jersey pocket.
As with most other gels if taken, it contained a mix of carbs and electrolytes which is great because it means you can take it just with water, saving you from having to buy energy drinks as well, and for a racer on a budget like me that’s a great option!
The gel seemed to kick in after about 10/15 minutes and I felt like I had an extra boost of energy and was able to push hard which was good as we had reached the hilliest part of the course and the extra energy helped me keep up with Martyn who was setting a medium/fast pace.
I only took one gel but think that if you needed to take them more regularly it would still taste and be fine. Some gels, if i take them too often don’t agree with my stomach but this seemed fine and I would be keen to try during a XC race where I usually take one per lap (every 30/40 mins).
The miles seemed to fly by as we got close to the end. We chose not to stop at the next feed station and pushed on, we were doing very well until we got about 8 miles from the finish and I heard this shout of ‘stop’! from behind, Martyn had a puncture! We quickly pulled out a new inner tube and got it changed but had some pump issues. Luckily a nice guy and his little boy stopped and lent us their pump. Once sorted we continued in having lost around 10/15 minutes, we pushed a little harder, but now raining slightly as well we were keen to see the end and a nice hot drink! It seemed like all the drama was going to happen in these last few miles as we went flying down a hill and it was my turn to shout stop! Martyn pulled up and pulled along side him, not able to open my eye because I had so much grit in it, not ideal. After a brief stop we were back in and eased off slightly and enjoyed the last part of the course.
We crossed the finish line in 2 hours 50 minutes travelling time which was a great achievement for our first sportive and meant we were comfortably within the time for a gold finishing position.
For anyone thinking about doing an off or in road sportive I would say go for it! It’s a brilliant way to get out and see new areas you wouldn’t usually cycle in and also a great sense of achievement to finish.
My tips would be take lots of layers, even if it looks like a nice day the weather in the UK is unpredictable especially in winter! Drink plenty, staying hydrated is important so make sure you have at least one bottle of water with you. If you’re doing a longer distance than you are used to make sure you have some decent padded shorts and chamois cream or Vaseline to stop any irritation. Take two snacks with you incase you get hungry in between feed stations, peanut butter sandwiches are great, as are bananas and gels. I can personally recommended the USN Vooma mocha gel it kept me going to the end.
by hattenburrow | Apr 14, 2013 | Nutrition
Healthy Snacks, Banana and Almond Slice.
We all love a little bit of sweetness in our lives. Having a sweet tooth makes it rather tempting to dig into something chocolaty or a slab of cake before going on a training ride, but these sweet treats don’t sustain you for very long, as they are full of sugar which give you a quick boost but leave you wanting more very quickly.
What you really need are foods that have a low Glycemic Index (GI), these are foods which release carbohydrate more slowly over time in order to sustain the training you are doing for longer. So to combine something sweet with something that will sustain training I’ve started making banana and almond cakes, these are full of slow releasing energy and a sweet treat at the same time. Bonus!
What you will need:
3 large bananas, mashed
Sliced almonds, a hand full
200g (7 oz) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
1 egg
75g (2 1/2 oz) butter, melted
A cap full of vanilla essence
How to make:
Preheat your oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4, then grease a tin, any tin will do as long as its about an inch deep. You could also make this into a muffin mix by using a muffin tray. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl and add in your sliced almonds.
Using a blended mix together the bananas, vanilla essence, sugar, egg and melted butter, once its turned into a yellow goo pour in stirring as you add the dry ingredients once its all mixed together add to your baking tray and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. You will know its cooked when you can lightly tap it and it bounces.
Leave to cool and then cut into slices, grab your bike/trainers and your delicious treat and your good to go.
I hope you enjoy my healthy snack, if you have any alternatives please share.
