Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Tips to get you into shape for race day
IT’S important to stay healthy and strong in the weeks leading up to the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Tricycle and Junior Tour. You want to make sure you have enough energy to cross the finish line and still enjoy all the entertainment at the end.
How you practice and what you eat determines how much energy you have, so eating healthily ensures that your muscles have more power to enjoy your ride from start to finish!
Pick n Pay nutritionist Teresa Harris shares the following healthy tips with Beans wanting to prepare for race day: ● Always eat breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make sure you have a nutritious meal such as wholewheat peanut butter toast with a glass of milk, or ask mom to whip up a fruit smoothie. ● Eat lots and lots of fruits and, of course, vegetables.
Eating many different fruits and vegetables is essential as they all contain different nutrients. Although it’s more tempting to grab some sweets, why not rather make a fruit kebab with colourful summer fruit or raw vegetables such as carrots, baby tomatoes and cucumber with a lovely hummus dip? ● Eat when you are hungry.
Feeling hungry is your body’s way of telling you that it needs more fuel. Don’t eat too much, though, otherwise you will overfill your body and you won’t feel well. Eat a filling meal such as spaghetti bolognaise or a cold pasta salad with tuna and sweetcorn, which will boost your energy levels. ● Drink lots of water
It’s important to drink lots of water and to try to stay away from sugary, caffeinated soft drinks. Freeze a bottle of water or diluted juice the night before and then pack it in your lunchbox. It will be nice and cold for most of the day!
Andrew Mclean from Cycle Lab has a few tips: ● Don’t look behind you. If someone shouts your name or if you hear someone fall, the most important thing to remember is not to look behind you. If you are in a big group and you don’t look ahead, you could veer off in a different direction and cause an accident. ● The more you practise, the better you will become. ● Have fun and enjoy your ride.
The Tricycle Tour is aimed at youngsters up to the age of six years. To ensure everyone has an enjoyable ride, there will be one 1.7km mini-lap with children up to two years of age and a parent. It starts at 8.30am. The three to four age group start their 1.7km lap at 9.30am, with the four to six age group tackling the route at 10.30am.
The Junior Tour is ideal for youngsters between the ages of six and 12 years and offers a choice of 2.5km, 5km and 7.5km routes. Parents on their own bikes are welcome to join firsttimers on the track.
All age groups are welcome to ride the distance they feel most comfortable with.
The event takes place on Saturday, March 9, at the Youngsfield Military Base in Wynberg.
Parents and youngsters are reminded to bring their helmets as a strict “No Helmet No Ride” rule will apply.
Registration will take place on March 1 to 8 at the Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Pick n Pay Court from 9am to 9pm and at the Cape Argus Lifecycle Expo on March 7 and 8 at the Good Hope Centre.
For more information and to enter online before February 27, see www.juniortour.co.za.