Nutrition: You need lots of carbohydrates and protein during training. whole foods are the best. Rice, potatoes, bread etc. are great for carbs. Eggs, meat, milk, are great examples of protein. You should not be doing any kind of calorie restriction during training season- you need more nutrition than you think! Doing so could put you into Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs)*. Always have some kind of a carbohydrate (toast, banana, pancakes, etc) for breakfast before practices or riding. 

Hydration: for rides 1-1.5 hours water is enough, any longer and add a carbohydrate mix. Commercial mixes like Carborocket, Gu, etc.. or make your own with sugar and a little gatorade (commercial mixes are just fancy sugars that end up at the same place...your muscle). AFTER your ride be sure to drink 16-24 oz of fluids. For long hot rides (not team practice) make sure to have some electrolytes in your water or sugar mix. 

Bike: Try to spend most of your training time in low intensity work at the beginning of the season then add higher and longer intensity sessions later in the summer. On race weeks high intensity should be shorter. Hours on the bike should gradually increase. Don't do really long hard weeks randomly. Work on skills! Find logs, curbs, corners, berms on recovery days. Everyone should have AT LEAST one full day of rest off the bike and hiking and vigorous activity. 

Recovery!: 8-9 hours of sleep! Latest science says in the offseason as a teenager you should be off the bike for 2-3 months. Cross training is ok. 

WATCH FOR OVERTRAINING: 

• nonspecific muscle or joint pain

• unexplained fatigue

• mood change

• declining school performance

• loss of motivation

• Rising resting heart rate

• falling power

Sport Specialization:

Latest science and research says it is best for you not to specialize in one sport (>8 months out of a year). This can lead to overuse injury, burnout, and dropout. This has been found to be especially true with female athletes!! 

*Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) - any signs of fatigue not correlated with normal training, recurrent illness, stress fractures, or menstrual irregularities (for females) are factors that should be taken serious. Talk to a coach, parent, and pediatrician if any of these are a concern. 

Riding volume should be reduced by 40-60% and frequency (day on bike) unchanged. This is what we call tapering ... and it works!! This keeps your legs fresh and strong for race day. If you are strength training cut to low intensity and short sessions. In the past we have had athletes in weight classes and doing heavy "leg days" race week...do NOT do this please! 

Race Week Training:

Monday: Most intense day; do 4 to 6 x 3 min hard efforts for 1 to 1.5 hours.

Tuesday: Bike check* and day off or easy spin (or substitute a hard Monday ride for P-town here) 

Wednesday: Easy aerobic ride; 1 hourish. 

Thurday: Off bike or very easy

Friday: 30- 40 min easy (usually pre-riding the course) with a few(2-3) hard race efforts no longer than 60 seconds long. 

Saturday: Race

Sunday: Rest and recover. 

Nutrition: 

• NICA races (races <1.5 hours) do not require "carb loading." Eat healthy and normal race week. Do NOT restrict calories. 

• Reduce fiber(salads, veggies) and high fat (burgers, some pizza) on Thursday and Friday.

• Nothing new all week! No new gels, drink mixes, bars, etc.

Hydration:

• Urine should be pale yellow

• The right amount of water is different for everyone. Drink when you are thirsty. 

• Water is generally ok if you follow the above steps. 

Other stuff:

• *Bike check: ABCDE! XC race tires installed and fresh sealant for tubeless. Check brake pads, shifting up and down and chain lubed, dial in tire pressure (usually about 20-22 psi for tubeless or 25-30 for tubes).

• Watch the course preview on youtube. Usually coach has it linked here: https://linktr.ee/skyridgemtb   

Friday night:

• Pre-ride - see above but keep it always to one lap, never more. 

• Dinner: rich in grains (pasta, bread, rice) with some protein and low in fiber (veggies and salads), fat, and spicy food. Avoid dairy if not tolerated well.

• Hydrate with meals but don't force extra water. Urine should be pale yellow at bedtime. If you drink too much you will be sacrificing sleep by using the bathroom at night. 

• Sleep: Most of us struggle with this the night of a race. The most important night is Thursday night for your race (two nights before your race). Screens off >1 hour before sleep. 

• Night before ensure the bike is ready to go, race kit, race numbers, nutrition all laid out. 

• Have a race day schedule and plan all written out. Start at tent time and work backwards. 

Race Day:

• No caffeine - NICA rule

• last full meal no closer than 2 hours prior to your race (this means if you race at 8am you need to eat breakfast at 6am!). Lots of carbs, little protein and little to no fat/fiber. Good breakfast items: Oatmeal, banana, toast with peanut butter, rice). 

• Small top up carbohydrate snack (half a banana, fruit snack, sports drink) 1 hour before your start time. NOT a protein shake - yes, we have seen these come back up on the race course. 

• 1 hour before race: Sunscreen, gloves, helmet, kit, sunglasses all on and ready.

• Warm-up: 20-30 min on the bike with easy pace but short 30-60 sec race pace efforts as well. 

• Empty your bladder before staging.

Race: 

• First several minutes is fast start to try to get positioning. Once on singletrack back off pace a little and try for a "negative-split" meaning your next laps get faster and faster. 

• Carbs are not necessary if you plan on racing <1 hour. If your race is longer put some carb mix in your water bottle or have a gu or gummy. Also, if you are racing for <1 hour sometimes your brain likes a little sugar even if you rinse your mouth with it. Its proven!

• Have fun and do your best!

TIP: If it is a hot race you can buy some pantyhose and cut them up to about a foot long and stuff a couple with a fist size amount of ice. Put one on your high back under your jersey before warmup/staging and the race. 

Handling stress/anxiety: 

• Box breathing (inhale x4s, hold x4s, exhale x4s, hold x4s). This slows your fight or flight stress response and tells your body its ok. 

• Get a mantra and repeat it! (smooth is fast, fast is smooth... I am stronger than I think I am and I can do more than I think I can... etc).

• Visualize the start, finish, technical spots etc. Close your eyes and mentally go over it. Keep it on "what I will do" not "what I hope will happen".

• Keep your goals as process goals rather than outcome goals. "Ride smooth through the rock garden", "execute my pacing plan" rahter than "finish top 5" . Race YOUR race. 

• Name your nerves to tame your nerves. Thats nerves and its telling me I am ready and excited. Don't fight the feelings.