Bike Whisperer

Just to add, I started at 98kg, dropped to 89kg in about 2 months after going onto LCHF, just by changing the diet and continuing at my normal riding / exercise routine. I am now at 84kg due to the increased training I did for the Epic, which I only started at the end of January as I got a late request to ride due to a team member pull-out. Now I must stay there....

Yes, I thought that the LCHF option was even better for diabetics, but just from what I read and not personal experience.

Yes. But when you are Fat Adapted, you need the fat for fuel as you body doesn't use carbs that much.

Yes. Checked that regularly for 2 weeks before the ride. I've been in Ketosis for well over a year, but just wanted to make sure as I didn't want to confuse my body where to find it's fuel. It payed off.

No recipe really... I start with the macadamia nut butter, which is quite runny, then add the oil to make sure it flows like a gel. Cocoa and honey in small quantities for flavour. I did it by experimenting until the consistency was right. Just google 'Fat Bomb' and there are many similar concoctions, just adjust the viscosity (flowingness) by varying the oil quantity in the end. Oh, use a Stick Blender to really mix it well otherwise the stuff separates. Mine has been in a 2l Coke bottle for a month and has not separated yet.

Tell me about it. After a while, you learn to ignore the temptation.

Interesting you mention that. I rode all the hills except the one the pros pushed. HR at +95%, and no problems with recovering for what was to follow. The hills were brutal, with large numbers pushing. The hill after the quarry on the last day was a killer and pushed by most... i forced myself to ride it. I was a sceptic too, for a long time, but now this experience seriously surprised me after 20 years of cycling. I'm not trying to convince anyone of the benefits. Just sharing my experience as there was very little 'real experiences' on the interweb for me to refer to. Just letting other LCHF followers know that it worked for me (just for me and may be different for others)

I agree fully. Hence my title: "Doing the Epic..." and not "Winning the Epic..."

Eish, I see the results now show us at 300 (my downloaded certificate says 299, so I'm sticking to that)

You're absolutely right, if you want to sprint and red-line above 90%, but not in the Epic. You'd simply die trying to do that.

I'm not normally compelled to write a blog or contribute to a forum, but I thought that I should share my experience of this year's Epic on the Banting or LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) diet. I was repeatedly told before the event that it is not recommended to ride this gruelling event without carbs, that I would surely run out of energy and suffer. Even the race nutritionist from Woolies echoed these sentiments. I have been eating no sugar or carbs for the past 18 months and have done some events like the Sani2C and other marathon races throughout last year and the beginning of this year without any energy issues... but almost 7 ultras in a row? That was the question and it seriously stressed me out before this year's Epic. I searched all over the internet to get answers and advice, but not much there and a lot of contradicting information. Yes, no, maybe. Make up your minds, would you? I decided to stick to my nutrition and persevered. My teammate (a carb-muncher) and I trained together and were basically riding at the same level and had similar fitness going into this race, so it would be a good comparison. I'm also no racing snake, so was not aiming for a podium or top 100 finish. I was aiming to finish before the cut-off times each day... full stop. We trained to ride at 75% to 85% of max HR. So this is how it went... We finished in 299th GC (just in the top half out of 621 teams) and 89th in the Masters - we're both in our mid forties. I was amazed at how strong I felt throughout the race (all 8 days). Especially strong at the finishing stages of each day, where many teams were backing off and struggling to finish. I ended up always driving my teammate to the finish as he was finding it harder to fuel himself towards the end of each stage, especially during the latter stages of the event. I also did some pushing up-hills and creating a draft/slipstream during the windy stages. Also, it looked like my recovery was faster as I started pretty fresh each next day, unlike my partner. The water points did not cater for low carb at all, so I carried my own nutrition throughout the race: 1. Almonds and dry berry mix 2. Cabanossi (nice and fatty) 3. Home made fat-bomb gels in a squeezee bottle (macadamia nut butter, coconut oil, cocoa, and a dash of honey)... YUM! 4. Low-carb rehydration (electrolyte) mix - I used a combination of USN Zero Carb Rehydrator and Drip-Drop (medical grade rehydration supplement powder I recently discovered) I also found that I did not eat any more than I would have during my normal daily routine, with moderate training. My typical evening meals were steak, lamb or pork and veggies. Fatty bacon and eggs for breakfast (of course) So, it worked for me. In fact, I have never felt stronger during previous long races / rides and still have no idea why I felt so good during this Epic. I can't attribute my strength to the diet alone as we did put in a lot of training, but I have been riding for in excess of 20 years and have never felt this level of sustained energy and endurance for such a long time. So, the long and short of it is that it is VERY POSSIBLE to do a great Epic on the Banting diet. As long as you have some body fat... you have fuel.

You'd be wasting good money

Congrats Team MTN Qhubeka. We're It will make this year's TdF extra exciting.,

Karkloof is amazing. You must do the 30km route.

Strange that there is inconsistency from Avnic. My experience, on both occasions, was excellent. The first unit was swapped out just after warranty lapsed (14 months or so) and I received the 705 on Monday this week. The only thing I was a little dissapointed about was the 1 week replacement time, otherwise perfect service. they merely did a quick test on the spot and produced the paperwork immediately.... Oh, and I do not work for Garmin or Avnic, just in case there is any doubt....

This is a known issue and Garmin replaces the units without cost whether in or out of warranty (as long as the unit is in good condition). I had my first unit replaced after the warranty expired and the second one started to switch off after more than 1 year from replacement. Garmin would also replace this one with a new 305 for free, however they also offered the option to take the Edge500 for free or an upgrade to the 705 for R1300 or so, as they assured me a new 305 may have the same issue. I upgraded to the 705.