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mtb_chick

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
hey,

I will be doing my first ever big race in 9 days and I'm looking for some pre race advice.

It's a point to point and I expect my time to be in the 4-41/2 hr range... that said, what should I eat the night before and the morning of? Race does not start til 11am.

What length and intensity should my training rides be up until the day? And what should my warm up entail? I am most nervous of over-training and over-warming-up and running out of energy.

Lastly, what food/drink should I carry with me? I have a 3L hydration pack which I am reluctant to fill completely due to the weight. There are 2 drink stations on course.

thanks for your help!
 
#2 ·
good job going for a long one! You might get some more good info in the Endurance Racing forum as well. Pre-race nutrition is something I don't have much expertise in other than eat healthy with an extra serving of carbs for several days before the event. Drink plenty of fluids in the days before as well, you should be having to get up at night to pee. For a 4+ hour race time, I would not even warm up other than tinkering around the starting venue. You're going to be on the bike for so long and it doesn't sound like a 1-2 hour sprint like a typical XC race, so the warm up will happen as you ride the first portion of your race. If you're gunning for the podium, then that is a different mindset and I didn't get the impression that this is your goal. I think you've got the right idea about your hydration. Plan your hydration to get from aid station to aid station, not from start to finish. As for nutrition, I think you might want to be self sufficient but it depends on what you can rely on at the aid stations. Solid foods early in the race and shifting towards non-solids (gel) as the race progresses. I love Hammer nutrition Perpetuem, but your nutritional needs are something that you should experiment with before race time. Don't try anything new for the race, stick to things you know you can deal with from personal experience. Race day is not a good time to experiment.

Good luck! Have fun!
 
#3 ·
Well, 9 days out from your big race, you should be pretty much done with your training for the race. There's not really anything you can do to improve your fitness at this point. But what you can do is reduce your fatigue and get yourself prepared for the event. It's called a "taper" (info here)

Basically, dramatically cut back on your riding time, but add a few days of high intensity intervals (ex 5x1 min on 1 min off, etc). separated by a few days of rest or very very easy active recovery. This dumps the fatigue from your legs and has your fresh and ready come race day!

For a 4-4.5 hour race, your warmup depends on your fitness level, but it should be short because it's a very long race...

Eating the night before, depends, go with foods you typically eat, but go for well balanced meal with plenty of carbs/protein/fats. A good example is a decent plate of pasta with some chicken and some bread with olive oil. Don't go all out and don't overeat, but try to eat slightly more than normal.

Food/Drink, again you really should have this stuff dialed in at this point. Race day isn't the best time to try new things or new methods. Go for what's worked for you in your training and use that as a starting point...
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Thanks for the fast replies guys!

ewarnerusa, you're absolutely correct, the podium is a pipe dream - my goal is to get to the finish line! I race recreationally every week, race times between 1 and 2.5 hours so I am used to the concept but for me this is a huge test just to see if I can do it. If it goes well I will enter one more in september and think about a full schedule for next season.

sprocketjockey9, thanks! tapering is exactly what I'm looking for. In your opinion then, should I race in my weekly short race tonight or not? I was also thinking of doing some dh in the park to practice my descending skills while conserving energy. technical descents are my biggest weakness. what do you think?
 
#5 ·
I'd think the short race would be ok in place of one of your high intensity workouts, just make sure you recover properly afterwards (there's alot to that part alone)

As for practicing DH skills, yah that could fit in on your easy days as long as you kept the workout short < 1 hour and you managed to take it very easy getting yourself back up to the top (granny gearing even on the easiest stuff, moving so slow it hurts to go that easy. if you know what I mean)
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Awesome, thanks so much for your help. Here is my plan, please criticize at will!

Thursday
short race

Friday
rest day

Saturday
easy ride

Sunday
intervals
1 hr astanga yoga session

Monday
pre-ride a section of the course at 75%

Tuesday
dh skills
1 hr astanga yoga session

Wednesday
pre ride a section of the course at 75%

Thursday
intervals

Friday
rest??

Saturday
RACE DAY

dh is lift-accessed so no worries there.
 
#7 ·
Looks good. Some athletes like to an opener the day before a race (I know most elite level racers are).

If you are interested something like this would work for your last three days.

Friday: Rest
Saturday: 1.5hrs steady include 2x7 minutes @80-85% with at least 10 minutes easy between.
Sunday: Race

mtb_chick said:
Awesome, thanks so much for your help. Here is my plan, please criticize at will!

Thursday
short race

Friday
rest day

Saturday
easy ride

Sunday
intervals
1 hr astanga yoga session

Monday
pre-ride a section of the course at 75%

Tuesday
dh skills
1 hr astanga yoga session

Wednesday
pre ride a section of the course at 75%

Thursday
intervals

Friday
rest??

Saturday
RACE DAY

dh is lift-accessed so no worries there.
Click to expand...
 
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Discussion starter · #8 ·
what do you guys think of massage as a tool for getting ready for a race? My legs have been feeling fatigued my last few workouts and I was thinking of trying to get them worked on tomorrow on my rest day. good idea or not?

race tonight went well but turned out to be very short (about 45 mins) with no sustained climbing, just short bursts. still, I felt the fatigue in my legs. how can I get rid of this in time for race day?
 
#10 ·
Massages are great! But as most have already said, no radical changes as the race gets closer. I would get a massage as close as 4 days out personally. From there I would just do simple short self massages and elevate the legs probably 20 minutes total time per day.
 
#11 ·
I don't know your full background or how hard you've really been training or your fitness level coming into this race so YMMV

But if the purpose of this block is to truly rest and prepare yourself for the race, you have 6 days in a row of riding? That's not going to dump fatigue but accumulate it right into the race. I do agree with LMN's recommendations for the openers, they are a critical component of preparing for a race

Below is a recommendation, and it would change for anyone or due to any number of factors

Th-Race
Fr-OFF
Sat-45 min super easy flat terrain spinning
Sun-Intervals 1 hour max ride (Is there a reason for the yoga? you could dump that for some extra rest)
Mon-Off
Tues-Pre-Ride course 1 hour max with some short intervals or interchange with the DH session
Wed-Off/maybe 45 minutes easy spinning, but I'd recommend off
Thurs-Off
Fri-Pre-ride course with openers 1 hour max
Sat-Race

If this is really your big target goal, you'll want to be as well rested as possible and it might take some nail biting and sacrificing a few rides. If you're truly ready to go, you'll be busting at the seams over anxious and wanting to ride your bike :)

Best of Luck!
 
#12 ·
mtb_chick said:
what do you guys think of massage as a tool for getting ready for a race? My legs have been feeling fatigued my last few workouts and I was thinking of trying to get them worked on tomorrow on my rest day. good idea or not?

race tonight went well but turned out to be very short (about 45 mins) with no sustained climbing, just short bursts. still, I felt the fatigue in my legs. how can I get rid of this in time for race day?
Click to expand...
Massage are a great tool but it has to be the right kind. Massage around competition should be fairly light. It shouldn't hurt, if a massage is hard (like one you may get in training) it can take it out of your legs for a couple of days.
 
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#13 ·
sprocketjockey9 said:
I don't know your full background or how hard you've really been training or your fitness level coming into this race so YMMV

But if the purpose of this block is to truly rest and prepare yourself for the race, you have 6 days in a row of riding? That's not going to dump fatigue but accumulate it right into the race. I do agree with LMN's recommendations for the openers, they are a critical component of preparing for a race

Below is a recommendation, and it would change for anyone or due to any number of factors

Th-Race
Fr-OFF
Sat-45 min super easy flat terrain spinning
Sun-Intervals 1 hour max ride (Is there a reason for the yoga? you could dump that for some extra rest)
Mon-Off
Tues-Pre-Ride course 1 hour max with some short intervals or interchange with the DH session
Wed-Off/maybe 45 minutes easy spinning, but I'd recommend off
Thurs-Off
Fri-Pre-ride course with openers 1 hour max
Sat-Race

If this is really your big target goal, you'll want to be as well rested as possible and it might take some nail biting and sacrificing a few rides. If you're truly ready to go, you'll be busting at the seams over anxious and wanting to ride your bike :)

Best of Luck!
Click to expand...
Looks like good tips, it may sound weird but I can't take days completely off during the week, the bike is pretty much the only good option to get to work but I try to go real easy and use my 'route with the least climbing'...
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
It doesn't sound weird at all - I struggle so much to take full rest days. The yoga I do every tues and sun as a sort of way of forcing myself to rest. i.e. if I do yoga it's not really a workout but it stops me from going out of my mind becasue I haven't exercized that day. Also good for stretching and strengthening muscles/

LMN you make a good point about massage - I think I will probably skip it in favor of rest just to be on the safe side. I will test it more before the next big race.

OK, so I tone down the workouts this week, I can handle that because this race *is* a big goal. I'm a little nervous because there are a few parts of the course I haven't ridden yet and it is a 1hr drive to get there so I can't just go pre-ride whenever I feel like it. It has to fit around my work schedule also....

But I'm sure I can come up with a compromise, it really is good advice because I do want to be busting at the seams to ride my bike!

The last thing I need to work out exactly is nutrition on course. It is supposed to be a hot weekend unfortunately. Should I carry water in hydration pack plus electrolyte mix in bottle or just a bottle? I thought of carrying extra mix so I can quickly make up my bottle again at the aid stations...

Thanks for all the well wishes guys!
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
Revised schedule:

Fri-off (check)

Sat-off or easy flat spin (depends on how my legs are feeling by this evening, but they are definitely thanking me for the day and a half off so far!)

Sun-pre ride a section of the course w/intervals

Mon-off

Tues-DH skills and maybe yoga

Wed-off

Thurs-off

Fri-1.5hr pre-ride course with openers 1.5hrs max

Sat-Race

I like how focussed this new schedule is on rest, *however*, it does concern me that there is so little riding in there. Guess I will have to suck it up and hope for that busting to ride feeling on the day....
 
#17 ·
I think there is too little riding.

I don't know what kind of training load you are at but here is my suggestion.

Monday: OFF
Tuesday: 1.5hr road ride steady.
Wednesday: 20 minute w.p. 3x2 minutes @80% with 2 minutes rest between. 4x4 minutes @90-100% with 4 minutes rest. 20 minute w.p.
Thursday: Pre-ride (1.5hrs max) MHR<75%
Friday: Off or easy coffee shop spin.
Saturday: Pre-ride with openers
Sunday: Race

mtb_chick said:
Revised schedule:

Fri-off (check)

Sat-off or easy flat spin (depends on how my legs are feeling by this evening, but they are definitely thanking me for the day and a half off so far!)

Sun-pre ride a section of the course w/intervals

Mon-off

Tues-DH skills and maybe yoga

Wed-off

Thurs-off

Fri-1.5hr pre-ride course with openers 1.5hrs max

Sat-Race

I like how focussed this new schedule is on rest, *however*, it does concern me that there is so little riding in there. Guess I will have to suck it up and hope for that busting to ride feeling on the day....
Click to expand...
 
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#18 ·
There's a point at which you need to stop obsessing over it and just do it. You want to go in to the event relaxed and ready to work, not worrying about whether or not you should have done that extra ride that week or had that extra helping of mashed potatoes the night before.
 
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