Does it get easier

menglish6 said:

Here's my question, do those last 20 miles get any easier? I ate consistently every 15-20 miles, I was drinking a ton of water and gatorade when I could get it. I was fine until about mile 90-95, at which point I just couldn't keep my pace anymore, I dropped probably 3-4 mph or so for those last miles.

You might have bonked. Eating every 15-20miles might not be good. Eat, say, a powerbar and a mouthfull of water every 30-40minutes. This way, it would make your energy levels high. Dont overfill as it would be hard on your digestion and will give you an upset stomach and that's the last thing you want to happen. Also, sip fluids as frequently as possible esp. on those warm and hot days to avoid dehydration.

menglish6 said:

I assume that I just ran out of energy, but I didn't really feel like I could eat anymore. I wonder if this is a symptom of eating during the ride simply not being able to keep up with the required expenditures of the ride, and at around mile 90 the deficit I was running all along caught up with me?

Based on my experience, the longer I go on the ride, the less time interval I wait before eating. It means, eating 20-30 minutes after, say, more than 4 hours on the saddle to avoid bonking.

menglish6 said:

Will my body get better at handling this? I mean next time I do this will the glycogen stores remain intact a little longer? Or is there some set limit to the stores my body has and I just need to force myself to eat more along the way so I don't crash at the end?

Because the muscles can only store so much glycogen, is the reason why cyclist eat at a designated time interval which is suited to their body's need. This is constantly replenishing your glycogen stores so that you avoid "hitting the wall". You'll get better, dont worry. 🙂