Jumping back in

[itsflantastic]

Well,
I used to race... 3years ago. Since then I haven't trained much at all but I ride my bike all round the city. This weekend will be my first racing weekend and I'm pretty much just jumping back in.

Any nutrition tips? What do ya'll eat for breakfast the morning of?
What should I put in my bottles?

I'm so far removed from the culture of racing that any tips or words of wisdom would be great. That said, I've been riding for a decade+ and my bike handling skills are pretty on point. Going to try to stay toward the front of the pack and hang on for the ride :)

Wish me luck :)

[AngryScientist]

what you eat and drink totally depends on the length of the ride and the temperature conditions.

make sure you're very well hydrated and fed before the race.

welcome back, and good luck out there!

[itsflantastic]

Well it's supposed to be about 50 degrees and I'm signed up for the not so intense races. Think my ride is about 30 something miles. how about now?

[AngryScientist]

Well it's supposed to be about 50 degrees and I'm signed up for the not so intense races. Think my ride is about 30 something miles. how about now?

30 miles in 50 degrees? no problem, water is all you should need for a race like that, between an hour and a half and 2 hours most likely. eat a good breakfast well before the race and start hydrating the night before.

[itsflantastic]

yeah i'm not too worried about it, but it will be interesting. Most of my riding has been touring (x-country, east coast) and city riding (about 10-15 miles a day on a fixie) for the last few years. I'm not too too out of shape, though about 12 lbs. heavier than my last top 10 finish :)

[false_Aest]

Hommé,

H20 will be fine.
I tend to drop a Gu about 30 min from the finish of a race simply to prevent any excuses--e.g. I was low on energy and couldn't sprint, etc.

What Category?
Remember that its safer up front than in the back.

Also, if you're on your hoods, stick your elbows out. Keeps other schlubs away from you in a pack--helps protect your wheels from dudes that don't understand how to ride a bike (learned this from CX).

Also, as you're getting back in to racing, consider tapering caffeine before the important races. 4 days with no caffeine makes the cup-o-joe, redbull or caffeine laced faux-food-good effect noticible.

[itsflantastic]

thanks for the pointers.
Considering I don't drink coffee, if I down a cup o joe it'll probably do wonders (or make me poop my chamois)
gross.! :hello:

[jr59]

you will do great! If you keep in mind that you haven't trained, or raced and are overwieght!

All in all, A top 5 finish! :p

Just go have some fun!

[itsflantastic]

It should be fun as long as I can stay in front of the crashes. If I can do that, then I'll call it a good day :)

[jaykosta]

I would eat an un-bulky, mostly carb (low fat) meal several hours before the race so that it is mostly digested before the start. Maybe plain oatmeal, or pancakes with jam.

during the race, I would use Gatorade (or some such carb & electrolyte replacement drink).

Tactics-wise, I would try to stay in a pack and do as little work as possible (i.e. look dead tired, and draft....). If there are hills or the pace is fast you might get dropped, and if that happens just gut it out as a training ride.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

[victoryfactory]

The best advice I ever got for race day or any big event:

DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING! Including what you eat and when.

Just eat the same stuff as your regular routine for a hard training day.

Many people have had bad results due to suddenly changing their diet for a
race or other big effort.

Good Luck

[kgreene10]

How did it go?