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 So
you've been out on your bike
riding mostly short
distances for some time now,
and you'd like to try
something a little more
adventurous.
Around
the country there are
currently a number of
organized longer events from
about 30 km up to more than
100 km plus, mostly for
cycling related companies &
charity. |
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~
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. |
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~ 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. |
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~ 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!. |
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 ~ 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'. |
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