Think of all the training and race preparation you’ve done before you get to the start of your first, or favourite Triathlon on the race calendar. Months of training have passed and many sacrifices made only for you to turn up on race day without having breakfast. Excuses don’t even come into the equation as arriving on the start line empty is likely to seriously dent your performance. Even on sprint races you should be eating a breakfast, but as the race distance increases, missing breakfast will definitely have a negative impact on your performance.

The night before race day try and eat a carbohydrate rich meal, containing plenty of rice, pasta or potatoes (brown rice or pasta is preferable) to top up glycogen (energy) stores in those all important muscles. Also avoid any diuretic drinks like strong coffee or even beer and aim to rehydrate with water throughout the evening.

Aim to eat breakfast two hours or so before your race start time (any closer to the start may increase your chances of stomach problems) and have a couple of slices of brown bread or a bowl of fibre cereal. Again try to stay as hydrated as possible with water, the jury’s out as to the benefits of caffeine before a race so I’ll leave that for another day!!

An energy gel 30 minutes before the start will ensure that your glycogen stores are topped up. Ensure drinks bottles on your bike contain some form of carb drink or have an energy gel once you’ve settled on the bike. The length of the event will dictate how much you should eat and drink but you should aim for at least 30g to 60g of carbs every hour.

Also remember that you shouldn’t be practising race day nutrition on the day of your race. Practice with the food’s or gel’s you intend to eat on race day during prior training sessions, this way you’ll have a plan about what you’re going to eat and drink and this alone will give you extra confidence for a successful race.

Happy eating!

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