By PCG Elite Coach David Ertl
Have you ever crammed for an exam? Have you ever observed someone who has? How has it turned out for you or them? I have never pulled an all-nighter before an
exam because I observed a college roommate who did and it wasn’t pretty. I went
in the study in the morning and he was bleary-eyed and babbling nonsensically. At that point I realized whatever additional
knowledge he may have gained by studying all night was negated by his ability
to think straight and failure to make use of all the other knowledge he had
gained through the entire semester. This
same logic applies to cycling. Last
minute training cannot make up for lack of preparation earlier in the season
and can in fact be more detrimental than beneficial. I’d like to share a few thoughts on how to
properly prepare yourself for a race or event that you wish to prioritize in
your season. I believe this is an area that has not received a lot of attention
but can have great benefits.
There are lots of books and articles written about tapering
before a major event. But what I would
like to discuss are those last couple of days leading up that that important
event. I’ve often noticed that I place
better in races than some of my teammates who beat me up and drop me like a
rock on our Tuesday night team training ride.
Why is that? Preparation. I don’t put the same amount of energy or
effort into preparing myself for a training ride that I do for races. There is both a physical and mental
preparation that needs to take place.
Physical: It is very
important that your body is fully recovered and fresh going into a major event.
Depending on the length of the event, your taper will vary, but regardless of
the taper length, for the last couple of days you want to be very deliberate
about what you do. All your riding at that point should be focused on recovery
and keeping the legs loose and fresh.
I’ve often observed cyclists who will do a hard training ride two days
before a major race. This is like
cramming. There is no way that training can help improve your performance on
race day as the training effect will take more than two days to be
realized. But it will be detrimental by
fatiguing your body going into the race. (Note that I am talking about the ‘A’
or ‘B’ events that you are peaking for and aiming for good results. This
doesn’t apply so much to those ‘C’ races that you train through and treat as a
training race.) Maybe a recent training
session will improve your fitness by 1% but if you are fatigued and only can
race at 95%, what’s the use of that?
Preparation for a race is an individual thing and you need to figure out
what works for you. Some people take the
day before an event completely off; others prefer to spin or do some light
efforts the day before. I prefer to take
the day off two days prior to a race and then do some loosening up the day
before. But whatever you do, keep it
easy to avoid fatiguing your body and legs.
Nutrition and rest are also critical going into an
event. Eat appropriately for the
distance and ensure you have the proper mix of carbs needed and focus on
getting fully hydrated. Get plenty of
rest for the last couple of days leading up to an event if you can. We often
have to get up unusually early the morning of a race so factor that in and try
to compensate by going to bed earlier and make sure you get a good night’s
sleep for the days leading up the event.
Mental: I believe
this is a critical piece of race prep as well although I’ve not seen much
written about it other than some articles on visualization. I like to spend a
fair amount of time thinking about an upcoming race and getting myself psyched
up for it. I want to be ready to go to
the start line full of determination and ambition. By building up your anticipation in the week
leading up to an event, you can bring your full focus and fortitude to the
race. As we all know, in competition the
mental aspect is just as important as the physical one. The ability to eke out
every last bit of your fitness depends on a mindset that allows you to do so.
In the days leading up to an event, try to avoid negative thoughts and don’t
allow yourself to become overly nervous, but instead focus on the goals you
have for that event. Build your confidence and determination.
You put in a tremendous about of time and effort into your
training. Much of at that can be wasted
if you fail to take the proper steps to fully realize your preparation during
those last couple of days before your event.
This can make the difference between meeting your goals and dropping
out. It’s a small investment that can
have huge effects.
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Written by Peaks Coaching Group Elite Coach David Ertl. David lives in Waukee, IA he is a LEOMO motion analysis certified coach. Learn more about David.
