five questions to ask yourself to be RACE READY

You have been training for weeks and months for race day; and for most people, you may only have a few big races a year. Heck, this could be your first race or first big race. Having a plan gives you the confidence to race your best knowing you did what you needed to take care of all the things in your control.

Q1. Is your bike dialed? Having your bike set up, and ready to go is critical for race day. In addition to the ABCs - air, brakes and chain, is the bike set up properly for the conditions? If this is a gravel race, do you have the right tires for the job? If the course has steep punchy hills, do you have the right gearing? With that, if you run tubeless, be sure your sealant is fresh. Also while you are in the garage tinkering with your bike, check your saddle bag that you have supplies to fix a flat, chain, and spare tube to get you back in the game.

1-2 weeks out: tune up your bike and make any adjustments to tires or gearing.
The night before: charge your electronics.
Day of: ABC check

Q2. What are you eating? Your body requires fuel just like a car requires gas. Your body is smart and stores fuel in its ‘tanks’ - the liver and your muscles but those are only reserves. You need to have a constant stream of food to keep racing…and the harder you go, the more important that you keep fueling - fueling more and consistently. When you train, you also train your gut to process food and utilize the nutrients - it learns how to break down with enzymes, blood vessels, and mitochondria. Leading up to the race day, fueling days before and then having an eating and drinking plan that fits the race, your pace and line up with aid stations.

A week out: stock up on your race food and plan out your meals. Research where the aid stations are and what they will have at the aid stations. But be forewarned: some aid stations run out of supplies so ensure you have a backup if this happens. It can be also noted that this is something you may want to do months out and start training with the food they have at aid stations.
Two nights before: Eat whole foods with lean protein and complex carbohydrates and veggies.
The night before: Basic dinner - easy on the spices and fats and fiber. Think pasta, rice or potatoes with some lean protein.
Morning of: Complex carbohydrates with some fat and protein (e.g. oatmeal with peanut butter and fresh fruit).
Race Day Plan: Having 30, 40, 60+ grams of carbohydrates per hour will ensure you have the fuel to keep up the pace. Don’t change what you have been eating from training. How you train is how you race. Get your favorites be it in your bottles, gu, bars, etc.

Q3. Have you prepared for the weather conditions?

Check the weather a week out.

In some situations, the weather is totally benign but oftentimes it can be the death (not literally) of riders. For example, my husband SUFFERS in the heat so much so that I beat him at the BWR Waffle in 2021..and I never beat him (and never meant to). With that said, you may need to adjust your bike, your gear, your nutrition and your clothing to deal with the weather.

Check it days out.

Note the morning temps and the hottest part of the day. It may start off at 55 degrees and then warm up to 80 degrees which means you don’t want to wear too much clothing.

Does that mean you start cold? Do you pack a lite vest to start and then stash it in your back pocket?

Check it the night before.

Also if it is raining, you may need to change your tires. Or if it’s really hot, you may need to adjust your nutrition and hydration.

Check it in the morning

Q4. What is your race goal and your race strategy?

I saved the best for the end. Write out your goals in black and white. Is it to finish? Is it to PR? Is it to win?! Be very clear with yourself. What are your expectations? By this time (hopefully), your training has matched your goals and now you are ready to execute. Still.. write down your goals - this is a magical part of the process. Heck, it may be to do your best or have fun and that’s great.. WRITE IT DOWN.

How will you execute the race..? Your bike is ready, your belly is ready, you have prepared for the weather.. now what are YOU going to do for the next 3, 4, 8, 10, 12 hours!!

Break down the race in pieces, by mileage, by aid station whatever helps you see the course in parts. Then work in the pieces of pacing and eating.
Sometimes, it’s a fast start (most times) and you need to find a pack to work with and ‘grab a wheel’ which means drafting off others and working to have others draft on you. It also means what effort are you able to push for the race.
For endurance races, it is not normal to stay in VO2max or threshold for long or not at all. Know your limits and honor them. I often tell athletes to write their desired heart rate or power zones on painter’s tape and put them on their handlebars.

Q5. What is your timeline to get to the race?

Having a logistic plan in place to get you from A to B is critical to execute your race plan. Showing up late, not allowing time to go to the bathroom, and rushing to get your number plate on are all unnecessary stressors to suck up your energy which should be saved for your race. In the military, they call this personnel the logistical officer whose responsibility is to ensure that equipment and people are where they need to be, exactly when they need to be there. That person is YOU!

Pack your bags ahead of time with the right clothing and the right food.
Map out the distance to the race start and buffer extra time for a bio break, parking, and registration. You may consider getting to the race 1-2 hours before to be settled, use the bathroom (THERE IS ALWAYS A LINE), and get the right place in the corral (part of your race strategy).
Create a timeline to work through. Figure out what time you want to be at the race venue and work backward and write it all out. What time do you want to warm-up? What time to leave the house.. what time to start the coffee brewing..what time to eat.. what time to wake up?

By addressing these five key questions, you'll be well-prepared for race day, equipping yourself with the confidence that you've done everything within your control. While unforeseen challenges may arise, you can take comfort in knowing that you've diligently ensured timely arrival, the perfect bike, appropriate attire, and nourishment. All of this meticulous preparation will pave the way for a seamless race day morning.

To learn more about creating your race plan, join the upcoming Race Ready LIVE WEBINAR on October 18, 2023 at 4pm