ASK THE COACH…
WHEN IT COMES TO THE MORNING OF THE BIG RACE WHAT IS THE BEST FOOD TO EAT?
Nutrition preparation before a race really starts a couple of days before. Not that you really need to “carb load” but ensuring that you have good carb’ based meals and that your glycogen stores are full is a good start. The other thing that people always forget is hydration. It’s really important that you up your hydration pre-event and ensure to start with this also to the max…. No need to drink endless litres of water but sipping away on a bottle for a couple of days before is going to really help you out… in the morning overnight soaked oats, no need to cook them just soak in milk, add honey and they are good to go. You could perhaps add some sliced banana or crushed nuts too. A small coffee, a small glass of veg/fruit smoothy and perhaps a one egg omelet as your protein to help prevent muscle damage too. A really important thing is to play around with what works for you and experiment pre-event so that you can get it just right. Don’t start changing on the morning of the event with things you have never done before. Use a few months out to not only tailor your pre-race/event meal plan but also what you eat and drink on the event itself.
AFTER NOT CYCLING AS MUCH AS I USED TO I’M FINDING I AM ACHING MUCH MORE AFTER CYCLING, ESPECIALLY MY LOWER BACK. ARE THERE ANY EXERCISES I CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS?
When we ride our bikes, we tend to “sit” in the same position for hours on end and so of course with that we get aches and pains as we are in the same position for a while. The best thing to do is try to move around the “cockpit” as I like to call it. Sit up or back, move your hands on the bars, on the drops etc all these things will change your position and a few cm here and there will help you
out. By far the best thing to do though is core exercises off the bike. These will strengthen your back and shoulders and will help your climbing also. Good sources of core sessions are on Training Peaks, GCN and Bicycling.com. Other great things to do include Yoga and Pilates which will help ten-fold in giving you a stronger upper body.
I generally say that if all is working ok then no as the body will adjust to what and how you are riding, and I have seen more people get a bike fit and end up in a worse position than they were to begin with …. HOWEVER, a fit is going to get you set up into the best position possible making you the most effective and comfortable on a ride. Likewise, if you are spending serious money on a new steed then getting a fit will enable you to get the best from your new investment for sure. If you have also had a fit a few years ago then I would also consider getting another. As we get older our bodies change and what was once an easy position to ride can become uncomfortable. We need less slammed stems and a more upright position with more mature years become more practical and less racey and aggressive. Ensure that you ask around and look for recommendations too as with most things it can be a midfield to find the right person. Also ask to check the qualifications they have too, just make sure that they are actually qualified to do the job !!!
ARE EBIKES REALLY WORTH IT?
HELL YES !!! e-bikes allow people that perhaps are less mobile/fit/not cyclists to explore areas that perhaps they couldn’t with a normal bike…. Now, saying that I took one out last summer (am pretty fit by the way) with my wife (who is not a cyclist) to explore our local area here in Italy. 3hrs on the bikes, lots of stops for photos/coffee and almost 50km later we came home. 50km that were fun for us both and gave me an opportunity to ride with my other half. There is no way she would have gone that far without the “comfort” of something powering her up climbs and helping her on the way home…. It created a great memory for us both. They are great things and really open up the world to people. Even if you are cyclist that has gone on an alpine holiday and perhaps don’t have the energy to ride uphill for 1hr or more an e-bike will give you that fun of climbing a mountain pass. Anyone getting on a bike is a good thing and plenty of people have bought an e-bike, had a great deal of fun and then switched to leg power, buying a regular bike. I have to say whizzing uphill at 30kmph was brilliant fun…. Just watch the battery doesn’t run out and keep an eye on that power gauge !!
I AM DOING MORE CYCLING BUT NOT LOSING WEIGHT, WHY IS THAT?
Just because you add more exercise doesn’t mean that the weight will simply fall off, I am afraid. Firstly, many people think that riding a bike and burning a ton of calories allows them the comfort of a 250ml full fat latte and a slab of chocolate cake at the coffee stop, lunch when you get home, protein smoothies not forgetting the huge porridge breakfast you had before you left the house. Add this in and you are probably eating more than you are expelling!!! If you want to lose weight, then you need to dial in your diet and focus on that. When you jump on the scales remember that all weight is not equal. Muscle weighs more than fat and your weight will also fluctuate and is influence by hydration and your glycogen store too and will change from the morning till evening also. What you eat also matters and your genes will also play a part as to how you lose weight. Time though to stop grazing and hoovering things up. Eat three meals that will prevent you from going hungry after a couple of hours. Portion your plate so you have half your calories from vegetables and fruits, a quarter from complex carbs, and a quarter from lean protein. Add in some HIT training (high intensity efforts) into your rides a couple of times a week if you are not doing those also. Body adaptation, that is you doing the same thing all the time, same rides same effort, same consistency and your body adapts pretty quickly to what you are doing so mix it up to build muscle and lose weight. The last one is easy, check your sleep if you are tired and not getting enough RNR then focus on this. Regular sleep patterns and good quality sleep aids weight loss and we all like to put our feet up. Other things you can do drink more water, eat more carbs for training days, more protein for days off, carbs at lunch protein at night to stop you snacking before you go to bed and then add in all the small things that add up. No sugar, lower fat spreads and milk less dairy and I am afraid cut out/down on the alcohol also!!!