#28 – 24-Hour Countdown: How to be ready for your race

In part 1 (Episode 24) of this 2-part series about what to do in the 24 hours before a race or big event, we talked mostly about the “warmup”.  Glen talked in detail about what he does in his extensive warmup that he needs to perform his best, which is complicated by many old injuries (to his back and heart, primarily) and just simply, a body that is getting older.  Episode 24: The 4-Step Winkel Warmup: https://www.wiseathletes.com/podcast/how-to-warm-up-the-older-body-to-prepare-for-a-hard-cycling-event/ Today, in part 2, we’re going to finish up by covering more variables that impact the day’s athletic performance, especially for the older athlete, and tactics that can be implemented to try to maximize performance.  Why bother, you say?  Well, here’s the thing.  Racing is a special opportunity.  As an adult, you don’t get to feel this alive very often.  Yeah, sure there are other things you can do but this is one of them.  Enjoy it, and avoid wasting it or turning it into a disaster you’ll regret. So, if you want to do your best, after all your training and paying your money and bothering to show up, why not remove impediments that CAN be removed quite easily.  This stuff isn’t hard or expensive.  It just requires a little planning ahead.  And a little discipline. Again, in the 24 hours prior to an event/race, you can do a set of things to get your body ready to perform maximally for your event.  So aside from the warmup that we discussed in detail in part 1, what are those tactics, those things we could do well to maximize our performance?  Why does they matter?  How does it matter even more for older athletes? We are not going to talk about training for an event, or tapering for an event.  We’re just talking about the 24 hours before.   And there are a lot of things you can do that will probably help, yet, for all of us, time is a luxury.  We’ll discuss 10 categories, and then we’ll put them into a timeline for implementation. The categories are: Exercise:  Goldie locks:  not too hot and not too cold.  You don’t want dead legs, but you don’t want a tired heart.  People are different.  You are different from year to year, and race to race.  Figure it out by seeing how you feel in advance.Food – macros:  carbs, fat, protein.  No big changes.  Nothing new.  No alcohol.  Focus on carbs.  You already have plenty of fat, and fat is slow to digest.  Protein can also be slow to digest and is a poor fuel.  Eat real food, like oatmeal, in the final meal before the race.  Most carb sources have fat and protein but not too much.  Some protein before training has a protective effect, but get enough carbs.  Stay away from sugary junk until you are exercising.  Many people suffer from dropping blood sugar if they eat 1-2 hours before warmup due to the compounding effect of insulin and muscle pulling in sugar during exercise.  It makes you feel very tired.Hydration:  avoid dehydration. No alcohol.  maybe drink extra water the day before and morning of.  Beware impact on sleep. And need for toilet at race.  It isn’t cool to pee in the bushes at a race.Supplements:  nothing new,  caffeine,Nerves:   adrenaline is good, but…(need a toilet, can’t concentrate, etc.)Logistics – driving, parking, sign-in, toilet, water, food, ….Race / course:  know the course (ride i