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Ask The Coach...
WHEN IT COMES TO THE MORNING OF THE BIG RACE WHAT IS THE BEST FOOD TO EAT?
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Nutrition preparation before a race really starts a couple of days before. Not that you really need to “carb load” but ensuring that you have good carb’ based meals and that your glycogen stores are full is a good start. The other thing that people always forget is hydration. It’s really important that you up your hydration pre-event and ensure to start with this also to the max…. No need to drink endless litres of water but sipping away on a bottle for a couple of days before is going to really help you out…In the morning overnight soaked oats, no need to cook them just soak in milk, add honey and they are good to go. You could perhaps add some sliced banana or crushed nuts too. A small coffee, a small glass of veg/fruit smoothy and perhaps a one egg omelet as your protein to help prevent muscle damage too. A really important thing is to play around with what works for you and experiment pre-event so that you can get it just right. Don’t start changing on the morning of the event with things you have never done before. Use a few months out to not only tailor your pre-race/event meal plan but also what you eat and drink on the event itself.
AFTER NOT CYCLING AS MUCH AS I USED TO I’M FINDING I AM ACHING MUCH MORE AFTER CYCLING, ESPECIALLY MY LOWER BACK. ARE THERE ANY EXERCISES I CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS?
When we ride our bikes, we tend to “sit” in the same position for hours on end and so of course with that we get aches and pains as we are in the same position for a while. The best thing to do is try to move around the “cockpit” as I like to call it. Sit up or back, move your hands on the bars, on the drops etc all these things will change your position and a few cm here and there will help you
Ian Jenner
My cycling journey has brought me to be fortunate enough to live, work and train in Italy, at Italy’s largest lake, Garda. However my 40+ years of riding bikes started when I taught myself to ride at a young age. Having a bike gave me freedom and that freedom soon culminated in me wondering how I compared to others. TT’s and Road Races soon followed then of course Club Events and in later life Sportives and Granfondos, some of Italy’s toughest as well as a few MTB events too.
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