---
aliases: ["Race Preparation"]
Is A: Procedure
Belongs to: "[[responsibility-health-fitness]]"
Cadence: "As needed"
Owner: "[[person-luca-rossi]]"
---
# Race Preparation

The week before a gran fondo or cycling event is not the time for heroic training — it is the time for disciplined tapering. This procedure covers the 7-day preparation window: reducing training volume while maintaining enough intensity to stay sharp, dialing in nutrition and hydration, optimizing sleep, and handling the logistics that make race day smooth. Proper preparation turns months of [[procedure-weekly-cycling-block]] training into actual race-day performance rather than leaving fitness on the table through fatigue, poor nutrition, or logistical stress.

## Steps

- [ ] Seven days out: reduce cycling volume by 40-50% from the normal training week while keeping 1-2 short intensity efforts (intervals or tempo) to maintain leg speed
- [ ] Review the race route profile: note key climbs, descents, feed zones, and any technical sections that require attention
- [ ] Plan race-day nutrition: calculate calorie and hydration needs based on expected duration and conditions, and prepare or purchase the required gels, bars, and electrolytes
- [ ] Practice the race nutrition plan during one of the taper rides to confirm stomach tolerance and timing
- [ ] Three days out: shift to very easy spinning only — 30-45 minutes at recovery pace, no hard efforts
- [ ] Prepare all equipment: check bike mechanically (tires, brakes, shifting, chain), lay out race kit, charge devices, and pack spares (tubes, CO2, multi-tool)
- [ ] Prioritize sleep: aim for 8+ hours per night in the final 3 days, especially two nights before the race (the night before is often restless regardless)
- [ ] Night before: prepare transition bags, pin race number, set alarms, and review the logistics plan (travel time, parking, registration)
- [ ] Race morning: eat the planned pre-race meal 3 hours before start, arrive at the venue with at least 60 minutes to spare, warm up for 15-20 minutes

## Notes

- The taper feels wrong. You will feel sluggish, restless, and convinced you are losing fitness. This is normal — trust the process. The body needs time to absorb the training load, and race day will prove the taper worked.
- Do not try anything new on race day: no new nutrition, no new kit, no last-minute bike adjustments. Race day is for executing the plan, not experimenting.
- Sleep two nights before the race matters more than the night before. Pre-race nerves often disrupt sleep the final night, and that is fine as long as the previous nights were solid.
- Review [[measure-cycling-km-per-month]] and recent training logs to calibrate pacing expectations. Your race pace should reflect your actual training, not your aspirational fitness level.
- After the race, schedule a recovery week (50% volume, easy intensity) before returning to normal training. Racing depletes the body more than training does, and skipping recovery invites injury or illness.
