what’s best to eat before/during Moab event. Since we’re going to be almost 1 mile above sea level (I think that’s what I heard, but I may be wrong here), and expending lots of energy, I’m looking for advice from past Munifest riders in regards to pre-ride meals, and the best snacks to put back lost calories during the ride. So far I’ve heard plenty about the need to carry LOTS of water, but nothing (at least I haven’t seen a thread on it yet) about this topic. Thanks!
patsta i would presume
Chase
That might work for BEFORE the ride, but what about DURING? Powerbars tend to sit in your stomach like a brick!
Bring whatever you normally like to eat on rides. If it’s PBJ, great. Bars are important supplements, but you can always stop at Subway or a sleven and pick up a pre-made sandwich as well so you have something to offset the bars. I like fluffernutters because they provide protein, complex carbs, and simple carbs. Pickles are good, as long as you have a good ziplock system.
But one small obserevation, terrybigwheel: I think you might be over-thinking this whole Moab thing. Pack your muni, bring some spare parts and tools, grab a good hydration pack, bring layers of clothing, don’t forget your camera, pads and helmet, and worry about the food and stuff when you get there. There’s still two months to go…if you try to sustain your current rate of Moab questions and threads, you’ll have done worn yourself out by the actual event. Pace yourself… Everything will be okay. 
desert dessert
It is simply most important to bring lots of food and drink. I like trail mix and other dried fruits to supplement energy bars and gels. Gels are great when you’re getting grumpy. They won’t refresh your legs but they go straight to your head in a few minutes and the world is a happier place again. There are great sports drinks out there designed for endurance riding but you’ll have to do some experimenting to find the ones that work best for you and your stomach. Many drinks with alot of protien can cause stomach cramps and that’s no fun. I usually ride with sports drinks at about half of their reccomended strength and supplement with food for energy. One of the best secrets is to take along a handful of electrolyte capsules, also sold where you get your sports drinks. These are wonderful little pills when you’ve been out there too long, it’s too hot, and there are many more miles to go. I usually take one every hour or so and two when I’m done with a long ride. They encourage you to drink more and seem to help you keep from cramping up on the ride and do a good job of stopping the post-ride headache when it’s really hot.
The best advice is to get in plenty of miles and experiment with what, when, and how much to eat and drink. I drink about twice as much as the folks I ride with and even carry a water purifier if I’m going to be out for more than 3 or 4 hours. So there is alot you’ll need to figure out, but nobody’s died in the desert because they brought too much food and water. Good luck and see ya in Moab! Tom Miller
You aren’t the Tom Miller that builds unicycles at The Unicycle Factory, are you? Are you from MN?
One question about sports drinks; would a can or two of Red Bull be good to drink before or during the rides??
I sometimes use energy drinks during late night street sessions. At a certain point I get a wierd happy feeling, and normally then I land whatever I’m trying. I don’t know if this will help for distance Muni, but it does make me feel happy, and isn’t that good enough reason to bring them with?
I’m the Tom Miller who used to live in Minnesota and now reside in the Four Corners. If you ride the ultra long Porcupine Rim ride at Moab this year, it’s my fault.
Eat lizards.
Since they can be hard to catch, be sure to bring some with you.
For Tuna:
This Tom Miller has done more riding in Moab than most of us, and is like the MUni equivalent of Aspenmike. He was our guide on the Amasa Back Trail and helpd out on the last couple of Moab events.
Caffeine is a diuretic, and flushes water out of your body. Red bull has a bit less caffeine than coffee, and more than twice that of soda (by volume). In my opinion, Red Bull is not a good idea before a long ride.
Red Bull and other “energy drinks”, I’m sorry to say, are just ‘glorified soda pop’ as my dad puts it. It’s just pop with extra caffine, and some added junk like taurine, which your body already has lots of, so it isn’t any help.
Gatorade is good to have on long rides, because of the electrolytes and potassium help keep you hydrated.
It’s my dad’s JOB to know this stuff, so of course I end up hearing it all sometime or another. 
Hmmm…interesting…
I do love the taste of Red Bulls and do think they work to “energize” you (probably cause of the caffiene) but I also believe that a lot of it is in my head cause I think it works (like sugar pills where people thought the pills were helping them cause they thought they were medicine, and they were in fact helping them not by what the pills were made of (sugar) but because of thier attitude in thinking that they were getting/feeling better. Having a hard time trying to explain what I mean…must mean it’s time to go home!!
It’s called the Placebo Effect. When they are trying out pharmaceuticals, they have to give half the group placebos (sugar pills) because some people will actually get better for the mere fact that they are given a pill that they are told will help them.
It’s a good point about energy drinks. You obviously still have energy left after a ride even if you can’t access any more of it (the fact that your heart is still beating means there’s some energy left in you). So by thinking you have more energy, you are able to tap that reserve energy.
I don’t doubt that it’s true, but it’s probably not a good idea to tap that reserve, since it’s being used for things such breathing and brain functioning. 
oranges. eat oranges all the time. sweet, full of good stuff, water, and they don’t get all messed up by being in a pack. saved my life last moab, and I’m gonna have them again. Most semi-sweet stuff tastes AWESOME halfway through. Granola bars are good, for example.
Red bull will make u thirstier than a frog in an oven, but u won’ feel like anymore liquid after drinking one, but give it a try, if u don’t believe me, when u still have 3 kms to go and ur out on a hot day, really thirsty and tired, i’d rather eat bricks than drink bullsh*t ,jj