Hydration/Perpetuem/bottles question

[tylereasley]

Don't mean to ask a dumb question, but I'm doing my first century on Sat, and if I load up one of my bottles with Perpetuem, how do I stay hydrated? Is it just a matter of stopping hourly to fill my (one) water bottle? Thanks.

[jesswah]

Yes, it sounds like you are on the right track. I've found the easiest way is to have 2 bottle - one is a multi-hour bottle of Perpetuem (say, 3 hours) and the other bottle is strictly water. Then I just carry a ziploc baggie with 3 hours of Perpetuem to refill about halfway through. This works well as long as the water stops are close enough to only use 1 water bottle between them.

Jessi

[steve-born]

Hello tylereasley (please list your first name when you post so we'll know who you are!) -

Jessi's advice is solid. If you make a 3-hour bottle of Perpetuem consider that a "calories only" bottle. You'll drink 1/3 of that every hour and augment that with an appropriate amount of water every hour (20-25 ounces/hour + or - 3-4 ounces depending on your weight, the weather outside, and how well or poorly you're acclimated to the weather).

If I know I need to make another 3-or-more-hour bottle of fuel, what I do is carry a "bulk" amount of Perpetuem with me in a fairly heavy duty Ziploc freezer bag. I also include the scoop in there so that I can measure our however many scoops I need. I find this works better for me than carrying 3 hours worth of Perpetuem and trying to empty the bag into my bottle (I'm a klutz and end up spilling a good portion of the powder). Anyway, either way you want to do it - whether it's carrying "X" amount of Perpetuem + the scoop in a bag, or carrying an already-measured-out bag of "X" amount of Perpetuem - is absolutely fine.

Another thought to consider is this, assuming for a 6-7-hour century:

1) Make a 4-hour or 5-hour bottle of Perpetuem. This will (obviously) cover 4-5 hours worth of fueling needs.

2) Carry a flask of Hammer Gel with you. This should hold enough calories to cover you for 2 hours, maybe even more.

I find that this option works nicely, for me anyway, because I don't have to stop and make more fuel along the way. I've got the majority of my fueling needs covered by Perpetuem (which is what I want to make sure I do) and I've got the other 2 hours covered by Hammer Gel. As long as the majority of my calorie requirements fulfilled from Perpetuem, I can easily use Hammer Gel - if only for a little variety in the menu - to cover the remaining calorie requirements.

All of these options, both the ones I've provided and the ones Jessi's provided, are appropriate and should work well for you.

I hope this helps!

Sincerely -

Steve

[rp24hours]

Hi Tylereasley:

To ad to the discussion, I will take two bottles: one with a multihour bottle mixed with Perp and Hammer gel, and another with either water or some HEED. If I can count on water on the route, I will refill my HEED/water bottle en route and mix up some more Perpetuem as you already heard. If I know that the stops will not provide me with enough opportunities for H20 refills, I will (dare I say it?) take a 50 oz. hydration pack. Yes, I know that a hydration pack is blasphemy for roadies, but we MTB endurance racers use them religiously.

In a pinch, I will take another water bottle and stick it in my jersey pocket. Another option are seatpost-mounted bottle cages that you see some of the tri riders using.

I always carry a flask of Hammer Gel or even two as backup.

Randy

[tylereasley]

Thanks so much. I know these "newby" questions can be irritating so I really appreciate the thoughtful advice. My buddies tell me that this is a really well supported ride (Flying Wheels in Seattle) so my 1 bottle of Perp (with more in baggie) and 1 bottle of water (refilled regularly) should work.
Warmly,
Tyler

[steve-born]

Tyler -

You're very welcome for the information and no worries at all about the "newbie questions" (FWIW, I personally do not care for that word/term "newbie"). Seriously, answering questions and helping athletes is what this forum is all about. There are no dumb questions and there are no irritating questions... we're here to help so if you have questions please don't hesitate to ask them!

Sincerely -

Steve

[tjnieman]

Just another suggestion. Instead of carrying my dry Perp in a baggie, I can put three servings into a Hammer flask. I find it easier to get out, and into a water bottle without spilling all over, and it's easier to carry.

[JimP]

One more thing, if it is going to be a hot or humid or (both!) day, I personally like to add Enduralytes to the mix and take 1-2 hour. The little change purse thing on the website is just perfect for doing this as you can grab one 'with your tongue' and take a swig of HEED to swallow. I did not think it would be easy to do this while riding but once I tried it I became a believer.

[tylereasley]

Again, thanks everyone. Did my century today. Perpetuem and Nuun (one bottle each.) Felt good all day, albeit a bit tired at the end. Good tired tho.
Tyler