Are you ready to race?

The best way to make sense of the importance of pre-preparation before a mountain bike race is to envision yourself and your bike as a motor vehicle, writes Christie Thomas, an experienced mountainbike racer.
"What do you do before you undertake a long road trip? You thoroughly check your vehicle and inspect it for damage, or parts that need to be replaced. Your bike is your vehicle, the wheels that will carry you from point A to point B. Your race is your long road trip. Take care of your bike and it will take care of you! Before a big race:
Consider taking it for a service
Check all moving parts
Check the tyres and wheels - Will it offer sufficient grip, is the sealant still fresh, are the spokes still tight?
Is your chain still tight?  Is it cleaned and lubricated?
"Wash and polish your bike the night before the race.  Lubricate the chain.  Fill your water bottle.  Be proud of your ‘vehicle’ and show you care by arriving at the race with it looking ‘spick & span’.
"You are the engine that will drive your vehicle. You need to make sure that you have ‘filled’ your stomach with enough low-GI fuel to carry you through from start to finish. Low GI is essential for a steady supply of energy to your body.
"A light pasta (whole wheat), or easily digestible meal, the night before is good.  Beware of consuming too much meat, as this takes to long to digest and may ‘rob’ you of energy the next day.
"I find the best pre-race morning meal is a bowl of oatmeal porridge or something like fortified Pronutro, taken at least an hour before the race.
"A banana is an excellent ‘energy’ snack to be carried during the race.  Consume it halfway through the race to make sure you have enough ‘petrol’ to get you to the finish. I like to eat an ‘energy’ snack at least every hour during the race. Peanut butter is also an excellent source of energy, a good combination of fat and protein.
"When the race is done you will need ‘recovery’ food to assist your body to bounce back after all you have put it through. The easiest, most readily available source of carbohydrate and protein is low fat chocolate milk. Milo is always my first choice, and I can pick it up at any café en-route to the race.
"No engine can run without making sure there is enough water in the radiator!
For a short race (20km), one bottle (750ml) of clean filtered water should be sufficient to carry you through to the end. Make sure your bottle is empty at the end of the race!
"The rule of thumb is to hydrate every 20 minutes, whether you are thirsty or not!
F"or a longer race (40+km), you would need one bottle of water and one bottle of energy drink. Start with the water. When you are halfway through the water, start alternating with the energy drink. The energy drink will replenish important salts and electrolytes lost during the ride.
"Make sure to fill up your water bottle at the available water points if you are running low."