You’re now heading out of the second periodization cycle, specific preparation, and into the competition cycle. This last cycle leads up to the big day, and here the focus is on tapering your training, carbohydrate loading in the days just before the event, event-day preparation, and what to do on course.
| 29 weeks to Ironman |
| Cycle: |
General preparation |
Specific preparation |
Competition |
| Training weeks: |
1-12 |
13-26 |
27-event day |
You’ll start to taper your training around three weeks before the Ironman. As you taper, you can back off on calories accordingly to avoid unwanted weight gain.
A week before the event, you’ll want to carbohydrate-load with the regimen you followed during training. Remember, carbohydrate loading is not the meal you eat the night before the competition.
Be sure to take into account any travel you’ll need to do to get to the event and how you will access foods and beverages. Implement a tested plan for how to get yourself, your equipment, and your hydration and fuel sources to their intended locations.
The day of the event is the opportunity to put into action everything you have been practicing during these many months of training. That includes the pre-exercise hydration and fueling strategies as well as how to hydrate and fuel on course. Remember to use those foods, beverages, and sports nutrition products that you are familiar and comfortable with. Avoid the temptation to try a last-minute switch in your pre- or during-race protocols.
Nerves might be an especially disruptive factor just before the event itself. Don’t let this throw you. You can still start the race fully hydrated and fueled. Smaller, more frequent meals may be easier to tolerate, and liquid carb sources often go down easier than ones in solid form.
"Graze" the day before the event on high-carb, low-fiber snacks, and consume sodium sources as well. Continue to select from foods and beverages that you are familiar with.
Get a read on the race-day temperature and humidity conditions, and formulate a hydration plan based on your sweat rate in those conditions. Make mental adjustments as conditions change.
Finally, as you approach that starting line, know that you’ve done everything, training-wise and nutritionally, to be the best athlete you can be. Congratulations on what you’ve accomplished, and go out and be an Ironman!
About POWERCOACH™
POWERCOACH™ is a customizable online training and nutrition tool designed to support both beginners and experienced athletes in meeting their fitness and competitive goals. Created in consultation with POWERBAR Team Elite athletes and coaches, POWERCOACH™ gives athletes the ability to set up nutrition and training plans customized to their fitness level, experience, event, and more. To create your own training and nutrition plan with POWERCOACH™, go to
www.powerbar.com/powercoach/default.aspxReferencesSeebohar B. Nutrition for endurance sports. In: Dunford M, ed. Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetic Practice Group.
Sports Nutrition — A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4th ed., American Dietetic Association. 2006;445–459.
Stellingwerff T, Boit MK, Res PT. Nutritional strategies to optimize training and racing in middle-distance athletes. J Sports Sci. 2007;25:S17–S28.
Topics:
General, Hydration, Carbs
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