Training # 22 - The Pre-Race Meal
… or Pre-Event meal if you will. I’ve stuck to the following advice since April and have noticed a significant increase in performance including racing, long weekend rides and organized centuries. What’s prescribed is a three-hour window before an event in which you can eat; meaning don’t eat anything within 3-hours beforehand. And only take in what your body can assimilate.
Why? In it’s most simplest of senses, in a stressful situation such as racing, you don’t want your body to be laboring on digestion when it should be putting every resource into your legs. In addition, the fuel stores that you will be using are gathered up, saved up, used up from the previous day’s meals. That places a lot of importance into your recovery meals after exercise which we’ll get into at a later time.
Of note, on my last century last Thursday I awoke at 7:00 AM and was out the door at 7:30 with no breakfast. The day turned out to be one of my best.
To better explain the intricacies of the Pre-Race Meal, I will refer you to Steve Born of Hammer Nutrition. I’ve had the pleasure of running with Steve’s brother at the Hood to Coast Relay where I learned about Steve’s regimen’s first hand (Steve’s brother was in the van delivering to Steve fuel and support during the Race Across America).
