Are You Prepared for Your Next Race?

Preparation is important in many facets of life, but after spending a weekend with the Team Specialized Racing Juniors at the Valley of the Sun and Madera stage races, I was reminded how pivotal preparation is in bike racing.  Although many of us enter each race in a habitual manner, it is always good to plan ahead. 

Here are some simple steps to help with your preparation process.

1.       Where and when is your race?  Know your start time and the time it will take to get to the start to ensure you get your appropriate warm-up in, and be fed and fueled in the proper time frame.
2.       Know the course and the potential conditions.  It is your responsibility to know your course and to plan for conditions accordingly.
3.       Know your competition.  No excuses for this one with smartphones and social media.
4.       Is your bike in working order? Make the repairs and adjustments days in advance, NOT the night before the event.  Look for gashes in your tires, make sure the pressure holds, and check the tightness of all the bolts.   Just imagine doing Copperopolis or Sattley time trial with a lose headset or bottle cage. Ouch.
5.       Food for the event.  Pack your nutrition for the event, and this should involve pre, during, and post race nutritional needs.  Fueling within the event is as important during the race as your recovery directly after the race.  Plan ahead by packing a lunch at breakfast time to consume as a recovery meal or even another pre-race meal.  Don’t wait.  Be hydrated, fueled, and prepared, don’t make excuses later.
6.       Gear.  Always plan ahead for the worst conditions possible at a race and be prepared for malfunctions to occur in equipment, rainy weather, or a mishap.  Have a race bag full of extra cleats, shoes, pedals, rain jackets, long fingered gloves, pins, magnets, valve extenders, tubes and tires etc.  My question to you, do you have an extra chain ring bolt with you? I do.
7.       Visualization.  While warming up, or driving to the race, think about different scenarios that may occur during the race and visualize your response for each one.  Your mind is a powerful weapon for preparation, use it.
8.       Recovery.  Recovery starts while racing, and continues on in the time after you cross the finish line.  Utilize your fueling window post race, drink your pre-packed recovery drink or meal within 30 minutes, and then enjoy a meal in the next hour or two.  Recovery better prepares you for your next training session or racing day.

There you have it.  Be smart, race safe, and be prepared.  A little preparation can go a long way.  Don’t cheat yourself or your training by not being prepared on race day.

Good luck.