Race Day

yaboo81 said:

HI am about to cycle my 1st race its 56km race any advice as to what to do on race day

eat at least 1,5 h before the start, and give yourself 15 minutes before the start to focus (as it is a short race and things will probably be tense right from the beginning). That's what i'd do...

Get a good warm up, make sure your heart rate is up there. Many races start off fast and then settle in. You want your body ready to respond to that initial fast pace.

Eat 3 hours before the start.

It's also getting warmer and a good idea would be to drink fluids. Lot's of fluids make sure you leak every chance you get too. Also, yeah a good warm up is in order. And just try to ease your nerves. They make it hard just try to focus on one thing other than nerves

Spunout said:

Eat 3 hours before the start.

I would expand on that and say eat 1 to 2 grams of carbs per pound of your body weight. 1g for your 56km race may be enough, but up to 2g for long/tough races. Since I weigh 148 pounds (67kg) I eat 148g at least, and more if it's a long tough race with hills. As much as 300g... that's tough to do! I love eating, but that's ridiculous! 😉 Eat very little fat or protein; they are better saved for recovery meals after the race.

If your race start is too early for a 3-hour digestion period, eat less for breakfast and emphasize a big carb dinner the night before (AKA "carbo-loading"😉, then drink some energy drink just before the race, and eat during the race if it lasts over an hour.

Also make sure to hydrate. For your 56km race you won't need to go to extremes, but you'll certainly want to drink plenty of water. I try to down at least 32 oz. (1 liter) the morning of a long race. If it's really hot and it's a long race you may want to eat some salty foods the previous night to supersaturate your muscles.

Oh, and don't stress out: Remember that it's supposed to be fun! 🙂