Even recreational riders like to step outside their normal riding and participate in a race or two during the year. Since we (me included) are not regular attendees at these types of events, we have to get ready a little bit different than a seasoned racer that is already set up and ready to hammer. Earlier this year, I had to prepare for the Big Creek Time Trial and this week I am getting ready for the road Time Trial at the USA Pro Cycling Championships. As that date on the calendar gets closer and closer…how do we…the non-racers…get ready for a race event?
Race Preparation for Non-Racers
The following tips are a sequence of events that I go through to get ready for one of my few races during the year. I have found that serious racing takes too much training and hard work to be seriously competitive (and I am VERY competitive), so I stick to bringing my head above water only a couple of times a year. Since I am not training for race season all year long, I do this mini preparation for the big event.
Several Weeks Before the Race – Starting several weeks before the race, I will start to put in a few more miles during the week. If you have your regular local ride that you hit every Tuesday, do a couple more hill repeats and put in the extra mileage. It will help build your endurance up for the main event while still being able to enjoy your regular rides as you normally do. After all, you are out there to enjoy your spin time on the bike…so there is no use killing yourself. I will also look for more mountain rides on the weekends to get in the elevation change. Again, this is to try to build up a little bit of extra endurance that will be very beneficial for the race.
The Week for the Race – The follow tips are ones that I take starting around 9 days before the race. A lot of this is just general race preparation that most racers do all year long.
- Diet – No…I do not join Weight Watchers, but I do start watching what I eat and cut out all of that high fat, high calorie gas station food that just makes my mouth water. During this time period, I am making sure that I get the most bang for my buck when it comes down to food consumption. Your body is going to need a base to pull nutrients from during the race and starting 48 hours before just is not enough. By taking a close look at what I am shoving down my mouth during the week preceding the race, my body feels better and I am able to hammer more power to the ground.
- The Bike – If you are riding a road race or event, make sure you get the road bike out several times before the race that week. If you are doing a mountain bike endurance event, ride the bike you are planning on running for hours on end. The idea here is to get out whatever bike you will be riding for the event and get some spin time in. Not only does this get you comfortable on that bike for the event, but it also lets you diagnose any mechanical mishaps before you are getting down to the start time pressure point. The night before the event, go over your entire bike and make sure everything is torqued correctly, greased up and ready to run the next day. Nothing will ruin a day more than a mechanical that could have been avoided with a little bit of extra preparation.
- Your Body – When you are in the 72 hour window of any event, you are not going to gain any extra endurance for the race, so do not push it hard during this time. You do need to get out and spin your legs on the bike, so go on easy rides that do not peak your heart rate. You want to keep everything fresh without creating lactic acid buildup that will kill your chances of having a great race. It is also a great idea to stretch during this time to keep everything flowing correctly. Loose, limber and ready is how you should feel the night before…not soar and beat.
- Shopping and Laundry – I try to have all of my pre-race maintenance tasks done 48 hours before any event. This involves my pre-race checklist of required nutrition, race apparel (don’t wash it the night before…what if something happens!), shoes, etc. By having all of this done 48 hours before the event, I am able to relax the night before and get a good nights sleep without having to rush to get anything done.
Now that everything is done and ready for the big event where I am going to lay the hammer down and get my ass handed to me, I am able to get a great nights sleep, wake up early, enjoy a light breakfast and head out to the race. Every now and then, I get lucky and my preparation pays off with a podium spot, but it it doesn’t…it’s all good because I am just out there to participate in the event.
Biking related events are a great way to get involved with the sport and meet new riders along the way. You do not have to be a hardcore racer to enjoy the events and there are multiple classes to fill the needs of everyone attending. Get out there and get your feet wet…you will be glad you did. Hopefully, these tips will help with the overall stoke and let you perform at a level that you expect from yourself.
Now…I’m off to go get ready to play with some roadies in Greenville, SC on my Blue Competition Cycles Nx7.