With all of the excitement and nerves starting to gather, we can easily forget about some important details in the days leading up to a big race.  Whether you’re a seasoned triathlete or doing your first race, taking extra care of your body a few days out can make a huge difference between a great race to the finish or a long day of suffering.  I try and focus on 3 things before every race: recovery, nutrition, and hydration.

Recovery: This includes getting lots of sleep each night and taking naps if I can squeeze them in during the day.  It also means eating after every workout and getting enough protein in those post workout snacks.  mix1 is my go-to post workout snack because it has a balanced mix of protein and carbohydrates that helps my body recover quickly from the training.

Nutrition: Not only is it important to eat a well balanced and nutrient rich assortment of foods leading up to a race, but it’s important to eat enough so that my body is fully fueled for race morning.  I’ll add an extra mix1 into my daily diet in the days leading up to the race so that I’m keeping my fuel levels topped off.

Hydration: Most of our races are in hot conditions so it’s important to go into the race totally hydrated.  Staying hydrated is always an important goal of mine, especially here in Colorado where it’s so dry, but I make an extra effort to drink more in the days leading up to the race.  mix1 is great in helping me stay hydrated because I can get some extra fluids in with my recovery snacks unlike protein bars.

Here’s what my pre-race days typically look like (or at least what I shoot for!)

Friday

            Morning

Easy training (swim, run, bike) with several “race-pace” efforts

Focus on post training nutrition and hydration with mix1 and lots of water

 

           Afternoon

Like many of you, I work full time so my Friday afternoon is spent working in my microbiology lab but I try my best to stay off of my feet as much as possible!

I take a lean performance mix1 for a snack when I start to feel tired or flat mid-day

           

            Evening

Big dinner with lots of veggies, pasta/bread/rice, and chicken.  I feel much better when I keep things balanced and typical of what I normally eat on a daily basis

Wash my Specilaized Shiv and get it race-ready and running fast (with the help of The Boulder Service Course)

Get to bed early because tomorrow night’s sleep may not be great due to an early morning race start

 

Saturday

            Morning

mix1 and Breeze Bar for a light but substantial breakfast pre-run

Easy jog with some strides and pick-ups to race pace

Big breakfast with some eggs, toast or waffles with almond butter, orange juice, and coffee! (Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day)

Short ride, just to make sure everything on the bike is working properly

Easy “float” swim – I leave the swim till last because it helps me loosen up and relax for the rest of the day

 

            Afternoon

Lunch – sandwich with fruit and a mix1

Pre-race meeting and expo – these can get long and hot so it’s important to stay hydrated and bring a snack like a mix1 and some dried fruit

Chill out in a cool place and watch TV or a movie

 

            Evening

Dinner – Pizza, salad, and some ice cream. I love pizza so it’s never hard to eat even if I’m really nervous for the upcoming race. It’s also never hard to find a pizza joint in whatever town I’m racing.

Put race numbers and gels on my bike, pack race equipment in my backpack and get to bed early!

 

Sunday  Race Day!

Wake up about 2-2.5 hours before race-start

Breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal, mix1, Breeze Bar, small cup of coffee

Drive to race site and set up transition area

Easy jog or ride with a couple efforts to get my heart rate and body temperature up

Long swim warm up so I’m ready to get out fast

Race FAST!

Immediately after the race I have a mix1 that I froze the night before so it’s nice and cold waiting for me!  Just because you’re not racing again soon doesn’t mean you get to skip the recovery step!

Time to relax and have some fun at the expo and post-race festivities.  I don’t usually feel like eating right away so I’ll have another mix1 to try and get some calories and protein in until I’m ready to eat!

For more information on Kristen's recovery products, mix1, please visit www.mix1life.com