Race Day Preparation
How to not throw it all away before the start of the race
Day before the race
• Good idea to do a Pre-race ride (Friday)– Gets the legs prepared and not stagnate – Test equipment before you get in the car– Gain a little confidence in how you feel– Get time to think about the race demands, course,
competition, etc. – If you are going to carbo load (races over 2 hrs),
allows the body to prepare to store carbohydrate
Day before the race
• Pre-race ride (Friday)– Consists of:• Warm up 15 mins, check bike• An effort at threshold (5 mins, or 2 x 5 mins) (5RBI), • A couple of 1 min all out efforts (3-5RBI)• A 200 meter sprint. • Cool down 15 mins, check bike• Total of 1hr. Go home and eat, or start carbo loading
regiment.
Pack equipment
Pack equipmentEquipment includes:• Jersey, shorts (x 2-3)• Extra socks (x 2-3)• A towel• Helmet, shoes, gloves. TT
helmet.• Arm warmers, knee
warmers, a vest, a jacket. (Even if you think it is going to be 75 degrees!!!)
Pack equipmentOn the bike food – bars, gels, blocks, drink mix, bananas, water, other stuff that you like
Estimate # of hours on bike x 750 calories x 0.5 and round up. • Eg. 3 hour ride x 750
calories =2250 calories, that would be 1200 calories of food. ( think 5 gels, 2 block packs and a bar.
Pack equipmentOther stuff: • Trainer to warm up• Extra tubes• Heart rate monitor,
garmin, etc• Pins for numbers• Medications• Tools- tire levers, valve
stem extender, multi tool• Music to warm up with
Day of the race eating
• Eat a good, nutritional, easily digestible breakfast, heavy of carbs with small amounts for protein and fats. Oatmeal, a muffin, some eggs and rice, waffle, pancakes etc. Think 500-750 calories.
• If, you are doing a road race, have post-race food and recovery beverage ready to go before you start the race! Often these races are remote!
• Eat calories on the bike so you are not bonked.• Buy this and get it ready the night before!
Day of the race -arrival
• Arrive with enough time. • At least 45 mins to park, reg, prep equip• If race with hard start (eg. criterium or time trial), add 1
hour warm-up• If others are racing, get there to see their race and
support them• Have a short tactical session with your teammates• If criterium, go look at the course, and watch earlier
categories to get a read on tactics! Get an idea of where 100m and 200m to go is on the course.
Day of the race warm-up
• Duration of the race and intensity with which it starts determines routine. – Shorter race with harder start- longer and more intense
warmup– Longer race with slow start- easier warmup and
equipment check.– Warmup is meant to prime muscles, increase blood flow,
increase muscle temperature, and prime the body to use carbohydrate and fats as fuel.
– Warmup also prepares the mind for the tough work ahead!
Warm-up examples
• Shorter race with harder start (eg criterium, time trial, mountain bike xc event, cross race, road race where you are going to attack from early on)
• Easy spin 15 mins• 2 x 5 (5RBI) threshold• 2 x 1 min all out (3 RBI) (skip this for tt)• Time this to get to the race start <=5 mins after
warmup is complete
Warm-up examples
• Longer race with easier start (eg. road race) – Easy spin 15 mins and bike check– 5 min ramp from 75% to threshold– 1 min all out, and 1 form sprint– Time this to get to the race start <=15 mins after
warmup is complete
Multi-race weekends
• If you are doing a multi race weekend or stage race:– After the first race, cool down 15 mins and drink
recovery beverage. – Change and eat a meal. – Relax, and don’t do another ride before the warmup for
the next day.– Think about checking out the next day courses.– Have a debriefing about the tactics and performance
with your teammates and coach– Recover, recover, recover, recover!