Helpful Tips
Tips for healthy pedaling from Coach Tracy Roth:
Riding Tips
• Get your bike tuned by a professional, and stay up-to-date on maintenance.
• Know how to change a flat tire and always check your pressure before a ride. Low air is the #1 cause of flats.
• Balance your training: 1-3 times per week, go on 1-2 hour rides with some relatively short, yet intense intervals/efforts (sprints, hill repeats and climbing.) At least once per week, schedule a long ride (>2 hours). Make your rides progressively longer leading up to your event. 1-3 times per week, do some strength or weight training, particularly for your core stability, strength, and endurance. If you find it challenging to do more than one or two rides or workouts per week, focus on the long rides, but add in some intense efforts during those rides to build strength and power.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of carbohydrates (See Nutrition Tips).
• Stay hydrated every day, during your ride, and know the signs of heat stress.
Credit Coach Tracy Roth
Nutrition Tips
• For endurance athletes, carbohydrate and calorie needs are higher. This is true
for our diet in general, and during rides >2 hours in duration.
• What you eat before exercise affects performance and recovery. Within 1-3 hours
before your ride, eat a balanced meal of protein, healthy fat, and carbohydrate.
The closer you are to workout time, consider more easily digestible foods or a
smoothie.
• Avoid processed foods, as they are often high in calories but low in nutrient
density. Eat real food!
• During a long ride, aim for100-200 calories of carbs with 15 grams of protein
(~60 calories) per hour. Avoid too many gels, gummies, or bars, which are filled
with processed ingredients and can cause stomach upset. Include or just eat real
food like dates, nuts with dried fruit, banana with nuts or nut butter, etc.
• Athletes need at least 1 liter of fluids (water and an electrolyte drink.) every
hour. Don’t wait until you are thirsty, as it may be too late to really stay hydrated.
Electrolytes are necessary to replenish sodium and potassium lost through
sweating. Ingest at least 400 mg/L sodium, and 120 mg/L potassium each hour.
Avoid sports drinks that have artificial ingredients and high fructose corn syrup;
opt for more natural products (like NUUN tablets) that are also easy to carry and
add to fresh water.
Credit Coach Tracy Roth