Tour Divide Basics

[Mathewsen]

I hate giving bad press but I've had the same issue.  As someone who has a seatpack and a handlebar bag and has recommended him to many people around here, I was somewhat upset that even I didn't get a call back for a frame bag after leaving a message and waiting patiently for him to reply.  I finally just gave up.  I'll be either making my own or going with Eric.  Eric has been great to chat with over email the few times I've asked him questions.

the ultra racing section of the forum is focused on speed. this is about being slow.

[JMeiser]

Too bad about that, can we move on from what could turn into slander and derail what's been an interesting discussion. 

Antelope wells...I'd talk with the gents in Silver City at Gila Hike & Bike and also folks at Adventure Cycling.  If these folks can't help they may know someone who is.  Many of the Peloton spent the night in Lordsburg post race, you can catch Greyhound to Tuscon or El Paso for a flight home.  Fortunately for me, my lovely lady met me at the border and we road tripped it home making a few stops along the way to recover from my vacation.

[bmike-vt]

speaking of bags... what / how did folks typically divide up their loads?

i did a s24o last fall after getting some epic bags and rolled with the sleep system up front - bag, pad, liner.
didn't bring the hammock or a tent / bivy as i was using a lean to...

curious how folks break it up.

[phil_rad]

Eric was great in giving me advice and he hooked me up with a frame bag, seat bag, gas tank and a handlebar harness. Always answered my mails promptly.

[sherpaxc]

Sorry, shouldn't have posted that in this thread.  Like Joe said, let's stay on topic.

[phil_rad]

OK, back to the BASICs. Counting calories; when resupplying along the route do you just eat whatever you feel like or is it smarter to try and eat stuff with the most calories? How many calories does a person burn/need on a typical Divide day, I know there are alot of variables like age, weight, type of terrain, etc... , just curious.At a 12-hour race I did last year I burned around 5500 cal.

[Marshal]

speaking of bags... what / how did folks typically divide up their loads?

i did a s24o last fall after getting some epic bags and rolled with the sleep system up front - bag, pad, liner.
didn't bring the hammock or a tent / bivy as i was using a lean to...

curious how folks break it up.

Weight distribution needs to be kept in mind (probably more for  ST type races more than the TD) but after that I would recommend you just experiment and figure out what you like best.  I seem to change my pack system a bit for each event as gear and water/food amounts change.  I have even changed-rearranged mid stream a few times.

That said here are a few ‘guide lines’ I try to follow

Organize/Pack what I will need to get in/out the most/least during the day in appropriate manner for easy access of the ‘most’ stuff

Have a rock solid simple way to keep the sleeping bag dry

Have a bit of extra ‘stuffing room’ for different size food items that you buy along the way

Organize in such a way to facilitate quick/logical un-pack-set up-re-pack of all camp items to save time/effort each day

Once you have your system down, keep all the small items in exactly the same place, if I don’t some times I waste time ‘looking’ in the wrong spot. As mental fatigue sets in it’s irritating to waste time looking for small items

[krefs]

Phil - calories along the route was something I was a bit concerned about before last year.  As I've learned time and time again, when you go into a grocery store or gas station, simply buy what sounds good at the time.  If they have some really nice sandwiches, salty chips, fresh fruit, oreo cookies, and a wall full of candy, and all that sounds good at the time is the candy and chips, you're probably going to have trouble getting the sandwich down the hatch in an hour or two.  This probably varies a lot from person to person, but for me it really just came down to buying what sounded good, and buying a lot of it. 

I'd say I took in 5000 calories on days without a hot meal, and probably 6000 on days when I could stop at a diner or get a few mini pizzas in a gas station.  I lost a bit more than 10 lbs during the race, though I had managed to put on a few bonus pounds in the two weeks before the start.  What amazed me more than anything else was how well my body adapted to eating 5000 calories a day of some of the crappiest food one can buy while doing such a physically-demanding challenge.

[phil_rad]

Phil - calories along the route was something I was a bit concerned about before last year.  As I've learned time and time again, when you go into a grocery store or gas station, simply buy what sounds good at the time.  If they have some really nice sandwiches, salty chips, fresh fruit, oreo cookies, and a wall full of candy, and all that sounds good at the time is the candy and chips, you're probably going to have trouble getting the sandwich down the hatch in an hour or two.  This probably varies a lot from person to person, but for me it really just came down to buying what sounded good, and buying a lot of it. 

I'd say I took in 5000 calories on days without a hot meal, and probably 6000 on days when I could stop at a diner or get a few mini pizzas in a gas station.  I lost a bit more than 10 lbs during the race, though I had managed to put on a few bonus pounds in the two weeks before the start.  What amazed me more than anything else was how well my body adapted to eating 5000 calories a day of some of the crappiest food one can buy while doing such a physically-demanding challenge.

Thats what I thought, eat what you can get down the hatch, and lots of it. Does it make sense to get your body used to eating junk food? I'm not a saint when it comes to eating; I do from time to time eat junk food, usually not when I'm training or racing though. Is it possible to buy stuff like Clif bars or other sports nutrition along the route?
Thanks Kurt for your input.

Phil

[Pivvay]

Yea you want to eat high calorie stuff but no sense in buying anything that won't go down the hatch. You get pretty good (sadly?) at thinking about time to next resupply, grabbing "meals" of sandwiches or otherwise and then making a pile of snacks to get you to the next town. Generally I was shooting to have something to eat every hour of riding, plus a treat before bed (often a Caramello as I can't eat them while riding but like them a lot) and a little buffer. In reality sometimes you don't eat for a while, other hours you'll devour 1500 calories and still be hungry!

You can buy cliff bars once and a while but I'll be darned if they're very appealing to eat when you're suffering. Candy and chips and the like really hit the comfort food spot when you're constantly hungry and facing yet another big day.

[Mathewsen]

You get pretty good (sadly?) at thinking about time to next resupply, grabbing "meals" of sandwiches or otherwise and then making a pile of snacks to get you to the next town.

It's best to make rough lists about an hour out from towns. They help you be efficient at resupply. Know where you need to go, what you *think* you need there and and how much. I can only describe the feeling when one walks into a grocery and suddenly face millions of calories and choices as a kind of pallete/palate- high. You're worked over, hazy-brained, hungry, and nearly the full gamut looks tasty--much of which is buy one, get one free (a slippery slope). Phil' it also helps to understand generally how American grocery stores are configured so you don't spend too much time searching aisles. Quick pits are a big decider over the course of three weeks.

In reality sometimes you don't eat for a while, other hours you'll devour 1500 calories and still be hungry!

One way to conserve stores/minimize caloric demand is to make sure you dress on the warm side, just shy of sweating. Same for hydration. Keep the skin and eyes protected from wind and sun and it can actually assist in hydration. Ride with your mouth closed as much as possible. Lots of moisture is lost that way and dust is everywhere (in a normal weather year).

You can buy cliff bars once and a while but I'll be darned if they're very appealing to eat when you're suffering. Candy and chips and the like really hit the comfort food spot when you're constantly hungry and facing yet another big day.

In towns with strong outdoor scenes you can find decent (unexpired) energy bars. In cowboy towns the energy bars are likely to have been on the shelf for years. True of candy bars too. Snickers see high turnover, are usually fresh everywhere. Chocolate milk at every chance, is the bomb! I've mentioned this product before and I'll say it again, Pearson's Peanut Roll, for the money and the weight packs the biggest punch. Two 3.5oz bars for a dollar is common at Conocos. That's almost 1,000cal for a buck. They're not super healthy but high in fat and protein.

[JMeiser]

Stick to the basic food flavors:  Sweet, Sour, Salty, and Bitter.  Candy bars, Cookies, Chips, Gatorade, the occasional piece of fresh fruit, Naked 100% fruit juice, Red Bull, donuts, cheeses, beef sticks, muffins, sandwiches, Burritos, and Pizza were all carried in my pack at different times of the race.  Eat what looks/tastes good.  I too was surprised at how my body adapted to processed foods that I rarely eat. 

As far as packing gear goes;  Handlebars=Sleep System, Seat bag=Clothing (and 2 innertubes tucked into the nose), Frame bag = 3L bladder, bike, and ER kit, Backpack = Food, Camera, Cash and Documents.

I carried entirely too much stuff.  My kit, dry, tipped 20 lbs. of stuff on bike and the bike weighed a stout 28lbs. 

[krefs]

I ate exactly two energy bars on the entire route.  They were both consumed on day 1.

[Pivvay]

Nutrolls are great. I OD'd on them and I don't eat them too much any more, same with any ride snack done too much.

I make rough lists (peanut M&Ms, coffee, more string cheese, more nuts, make sure to get dinner and breakfast, etc) but I hit gas stations much more than I ever hit grocery stores. Grocery stores are large and much cheaper but unless they were right on the route, I wouldn't deviate to get to them. Gas station's limited selection and less "fun to hang out in" nature kept me quick. You can be amazed in grocery stores by all the meats, ice cream, donuts etc that are a PITA to carry IMO. One exception for me is combining dinner and shopping in one place by hitting the premade or deli section in a grocery store. Chicken strips and such plus nicer sandwiches or even cheap ass sushi are ready to roll as well as sometimes brownies and cheesecake and cold drinks. Yum!

[Marshal]

Yummy Yum

On the Soap Box:
In general food is neither ‘healthy’ or “un healthy”.  It’s always the daily ‘diet’ that’s either healthy or not.  With that in mind the calorie dense, highly processed food that is commonly called junk food is lousy as part of a healthy daily diet but is absolutely perfect for a self supported multi-day event the TD.  Basically lots of types of easy to eat calories in a small package. 

From a basic ingredient point of view junk food is exactly the same as energy bars, just tastes better.  It’s only in the shorter, max intensity efforts/races that specialty, easy to adsorb, energy gels and such bring anything to the table.  RAAM type events carry the gel concept to the ultimate in terms of full on liquid diets, but this is not practical or truly effective without practice and full support.

Off the box:
So like everyone has said, plan your stop ahead of time so you don’t wander the aisles with a dazed expression, pick and eat what goes down, and don’t sweat health implications of a short term ‘junk food diet’.

Carbs: That said I do plan to pick and consume as many carbohydrates as possible, especially during lunch and breakfast..  What I mean is that if a sandwich (w/bread) sounds good I will eat it before a fat laden treat.  I also hope to get some pancakes, toast etc on some mornings.  So during the riding day, if my appetite allows I will pick carbs first.

Meats: One of my favorite multi-day meats is cold chicken, lots of times you can get chicken wings, strips, fried etc etc at convenience stores and deli sections or as Matt mentioned, a side order while in a restaurant.  I eat some right away and also carry a plastic zip loc bag to easily carry some chicken for a later meal.  (note: I plan to skip this trick in bear country)

Camp Food: If I know I will be camping I try to plan ahead and buy a bed time snack, the cold chicken is perfect for this, lots of fat and protein, and something for breakfast, small bottle of juice and a pop tart(s).  That juice is always ice cold in the morning and is oh so good.

[JMeiser]

Marshall,

When you mentioned camp food, it brought to light the experience of getting out of camp and on the bike.  This was one of the hardest things to do each morning, so make it quick.  Carrying a few liquid calories for the morning along with some solids is a good idea to get you going, then plan on stopping 1-2 hours down the road for more calories.  This could be on the trail or in a town for a hot breakfast and a big ol' plate of pancakes with extra butter and sausage on the side. 

Evening stops in town were a great way to get food for the night's recovery and breakfast in the AM.  Riding into a town in the AM was a great way to break up the day into 'two' rides.  This cycle of riding into and out of towns also helps to insure that something, anything, will be open.  Of course Trail Magic prevails and occasionally places like Brush Mountain Lodge(Slater, CO), The Organic Peddler(Del Norte, CO), and the Pie Town Cafe' make sure to be 'open' when Divide racers come through, but I wouldn't count on it.

[sherpaxc]

What I'd like to know is how many finishers went stove free vs not.  Or, what was the comparison of those that carried stoves and those that didn't.  Joe put up a little video on his blog with his "how to" coffee thing, but was this even used and if so how often during the journey?

[Pivvay]

I was stoveless and Kurt sent his home. I suspect most of the front group was stoveless. I wouldn't bring a stove if I did it again as a race but if you had to have one, the tiniest esbit/alky stove imaginable would be fine.

[Chauncey Matthews]

Chauncey, welcome aboard the 2010 start list. Be sure to share with us your rig when you finish crafting it. You'll be the 1st person to join Rick Hunter in taking DIY Divide racing to Nnth degree. I see RobinB, first (tentative) Banff local to race TD has chimed in with some goods above.

I encourage other fellows of successful 'Antelope Wells escape' to share their experiences on extrication. They're often colorful, trail magical and almost worthy of a separate thread.

Thanks, Matt and Robin- that's just the info I needed. That solved two pieces of the "getting to the start" puzzle.

Matt, you're right, I have family within 80 miles of AW so my extraction is no problem....I just have to get there first!

[Mathewsen]

What I'd like to know is how many finishers went stove free vs not.  Or, what was the comparison of those that carried stoves and those that didn't.  Joe put up a little video on his blog with his "how to" coffee thing, but was this even used and if so how often during the journey?

Travis, a stove is merely the tip of the cookset iceberg...but, if you can keep one lit/manage to cook on it while riding the bike, it's good for Divide racing.

(said with a slight far east accent) Confucius say: "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop", and "He who will not economize will have to agonize".