Dial In Your Pre-Event Routine Maintaining a pre-event routine is crucial to being physically and mentally prepared. Over the years, we have determined various ways to fine tune our lead-in to a big ride that have made huge differences when it comes to the day of the event. You may have all heard of these tips before, but it’s about how we put them all together with the right mindset that really makes the difference. Try to stick to these simple guidelines as strictly as you can for the week leading into the ride and reap the (sometimes remarkable) rewards.
ONE WEEK BEFORE Most of your preparation should be done before the day of the event. You should NEVER tune up or dial your bike in the night before a big event. All of the running around, planning, bike maintenance, and finding lost articles of clothing should be done the week before You should… GOOD SLEEP: Make sure you start getting good sleep the week of the event. You want to strive to get around 8 hours of sleep per night for at least 3-5 days before the night of your event. The evening of races can be short on sleep due to travel, and for some people, their nerves can keep them up. It will not matter if the night before is rough if you’ve had good sleep and recovery for the week ahead of time. MONITOR YOUR WEIGHT: Weigh yourself when you wake up every morning and make sure you are staying hydrated with a light electrolyte solution constantly throughout the week. Hydrating only the night before the ride (or day of) may not give your body enough time to absorb and distribute fluids all the way down to the cellular level. ELECTROLYTE LOAD: If you are prone to cramping, consider taking an electrolyte supplement the week before the event. It is best to take these supplements when NOT exercising and with a light snack. Some electrolytes cannot be absorbed during exercise (especially during race efforts), so do your best to stock up on electrolytes during the entire week before. CUT THE CAFFEINE: Avoid all forms of caffeine for the week before your event. As you will see when you read further, caffeine can be a crucial part of your race day performance boost.
ONE OR TWO DAYS BEFORE WEATHER: Know what the weather is planned to be on event day, and pack appropriately. You do not need to bring every piece of cycling gear you have ‘just to be safe’. If you are truly prepared, you should have the clothes you need for warm-up, your racing, and post-ride casual clothes to get into immediately afterwards. You do not need to have nine jerseys that clutter up your car and bag. Having a cluttered bag makes you have to pull everything out to find a sock or arm warmer and ruins any organization you may have had.
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