RACE READY ?

	'Now all you need to know is how to prepare yourself
	& make sure that your ambitions don't out-strip your ability's'

~ Trying it on ~
If you are entering an event that is going to last several hours, you will be well advised to do a little bit of training. What you need to develop is muscular endurance, as well as appropriate feeding and pacing strategies to get you through the ride. As you need to ride for a few hours, the pace will need to be a lot slower than your quick thrash round the local routes, so get your body used to longer, slower rides. If you currently only go out at weekends then we suggest you try to increase the length of your weekend rides. There's no need to replicate the distance for your longer event, but you will need to get to at least three quarters of the target distance at some stage.

Remember - the secret is learning how to pace yourself over the longer duration, but if you build up slowly then this should not be a problem. We also suggest that you try and get out at least once during the week for a shorter, faster, more fun ride, to maintain the skill aspect of your riding.



~ Before the big one ~
Final preparations for the big day are vital to your success and one of the most important aspects is diet. If you start an endurance race with low muscle glycogen levels then you'll fatigue much sooner. So how do you make sure that you are loaded with glycogen ? Firstly, you do not want to do any long rides within a couple of days of your event. This would deplete your glycogen stores. Next in the days leading up to the event, increase the amount of carbohydrate you eat. But be careful - most people just eat more.

You should actually try to substitute high fat or high protein items with ones that contain carbohydrates. This is why marathon runners have a pasta party the night before a race. Preparation before the event should include a large meal no more than 4/5 hours prior to the start, and keeping well hydrated leading up to the start.


~ During the event ~
One of the most important things to monitor during the ride is fluid intake. Unfortunately, the body's thirst system is slow to respond, so if you feel thirsty then you've left it to late. This is particularly important on hot days as dehydration reduces the body's ability to lose heat through sweating, leading to an increase in core body temperature and an elevated pulse. Ideally, drink something every 10 to 15 minutes. Don't wait until you are thirsty. Water is O.K., but there are many sports drinks that are absorbed in the gut more effectively than water.

During training rides, experiment to find a drink that you like and that doesn't upset your stomach. In addition, most sports drinks contain carbohydrates which you need to keep going during an event. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, but if unsure make the drink more dilute, as this is least likely to cause you harm. You should also consider eating energy bars, because after a couple of hours you'll feel hungry even though you're getting energy from your drink. How much do you need? As an absolute minimum you need 500ml of fluid and one energy bar for every hour of your ride. If it's hot, increase fluid intake to 750ml per hour. Remember: it's no good finishing an event with water in your bottle and an energy bar in your pocket, and suffering from total energy loss...use them up!.


~ Post ride ~
You will most likely be knackered and just want to lie down after your event, but you should first consider your hydration status. Dehydration is potentially dangerous, so ideally, if you can have a chilled sports drink and sip it slowly you will greatly speed up your recovery process. Whatever you do, DO NOT drink alcohol - it will only make you more dehydrated. Stick with a sports drink for the first hour after the event, as you may not feel like eating solid food right away. When you're ready for a meal, eat what you want and then have that celebratory beer.

Will I WIN ? NO CHANCE SON, It's the taking part that counts.
'Keep the U.K. Mountain bike scene going & enter a competition this year'.