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!