Endurance Training Program

Race Day & Ride Day Nutrition Planner

Enter your details in Tab 1 and press Calculate — your personal targets flow through every tab automatically.

How to use this calculator

Enter your body weight in pounds — this scales your fluid targets to your size.
Enter your expected ride or race duration in hours — a century might be 5-6 hrs, a gran fondo 4-7 hrs.
Select your intensity level — Low (easy endurance ride), Medium (race/event pace), High (hard effort/criterium).
Enter the forecasted temperature — this adjusts your fluid and sodium targets automatically.
Press "Calculate My Targets" — your results appear below and carry over to all other tabs.

Your Details

Body Weight

pounds

Ride / Race Duration

hours

Intensity

Temperature

degrees F

Per Hour Targets

Carbs / hr

grams

Fluid / hr

Sodium / hr

Total Ride Needs

Total Carbs

grams

Total Fluid

Total Sodium

What to Pack

Gels

Energy Gels

25g carbs each

Bottles

Water Bottles

20oz each

Caps

Electrolyte Caps

500mg sodium each

Press "Calculate My Targets" above to see your personalized results.

How to use the Ride Schedule

First calculate your targets in Tab 1 — your personal targets will appear in each section below.
Click + Add Meal or + Add Fuel Stop to log what you plan to eat at each phase.
As you enter carbs, protein and fluids, a running total appears at the bottom so you can track against your target.
Press Update Totals in any section to refresh the running totals after entering your meals.

Targets not yet calculated. Go to Tab 1 and press Calculate first.

Pre-Ride / Pre-Race Days Before

Ride / Race Morning

During Ride - On-Bike Fueling

Post-Ride Recovery

Pre-Ride / Pre-Race - Days Before

Carbohydrate Loading

Your personal targetCalculate in Tab 1

Increase carbohydrate intake to 7-10g per kg body weight per day
Focus on easily digestible sources: pasta, rice, potatoes, white bread
Reduce fiber and fat intake 24-48 hours before
Avoid new foods or supplements - ride day is not the time to experiment
Test all nutrition during training rides first

Hydration

Monitor urine color - pale yellow is the target
Drink an extra 16-24oz water per day above your normal intake
Avoid excessive alcohol the week before a big event

Ride / Race Morning

Pre-Ride Meal (2-4 hours before start)

Your personal targetCalculate in Tab 1

High carb, low fat, low fiber meal
Target 1-4g carbs per kg body weight
Good options: oatmeal, bagels, banana, white rice, sports drink
Continue hydrating - 16-20oz fluid 2-3 hours before start
Top off with 8oz fluid 15-30 minutes before you roll out

During Ride - On-Bike Fueling

Carbohydrates

Your carb targetCalculate in Tab 1

Start fueling early - within the first 20-30 minutes
Set a timer every 15-20 minutes as a fueling reminder
Use multiple carb sources (glucose + fructose) for rides over 2.5 hours
Never wait until you feel hungry or like you're bonking

Hydration and Electrolytes

Your fluid targetCalculate in Tab 1

Drink to thirst but aim for your hourly fluid target
Hot weather: increase fluid intake by 25-50% and add electrolytes
More than 2% body weight loss impairs performance significantly

Post-Ride Recovery

Recovery Window

Your carb targetCalculate in Tab 1

Within 30 min: hit your carb target above plus 20-25g protein
Rehydrate: drink 150% of fluid lost (24oz per lb lost)
Replace sodium: 500-700mg per 16oz fluid consumed
Continue carb intake: 1-1.2g per kg every 2 hrs for 4-6 hrs
Focus on whole foods after the initial 30-minute recovery window

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Waiting until you're hungry or thirsty - by then it's too late

Trying new products on ride day - always test in training first

Not practicing your nutrition strategy on long training rides

Overdrinking plain water - hyponatremia risk on long events

Skipping breakfast on ride morning to feel "light"

Forgetting to fuel in the first hour when energy still feels high