🏁 How to Prepare for Your NICA Race Week: A Proven Plan for Peak Performance

Whether you're racing JV or Varsity, your preparation in the week leading up to race day can make or break your performance. This guide is designed to help you arrive at the start line feeling confident, fueled, and ready to crush it.

• Workout: 3 sets of 10 x 30s intervals (30s Zone 5, 30s recovery), with 15 minutes of Zone 2 between sets.

• Why: Keeps your legs primed for race efforts without over-fatiguing. Think of it as a “wake-up call” for your race engine.

• Option 1: Full rest day.

• Option 2: 45–90 minutes of VERY easy riding (low Zone 2).

• Why: Recovery is training. Let your body absorb Monday’s efforts.

• Ride: 45–90 minutes with 10 spin-ups (30s each, full recovery). A spin-up is where you start at your normal cadence then reach your VERY highest cadence. Do this for 30 seconds and hold your highest cadence until the 30 seconds is up.

• Nutrition: Start shifting to 80–90% carbs. Avoid dairy. Hydrate well and add electrolytes.

• Sleep: Go to bed early. Your body recovers best during deep sleep.

• Ride: 45–90 minutes in Zone 1. Keep it chill.

• Nutrition: Continue carb-loading smartly. Small meals, no overeating.

• Sleep: Again, early bedtime. Your future self will thank you.

• Ride: 1–2 laps at an easy pace. Stop to check lines, session tricky sections, and take mental notes.

• Nutrition: Medium to small meals, mostly carbs. Eat more frequently. You should shoot for 5-7 grams of carbs per KG of body weight. Be sure to drink a lot when eating so you can absorb the carbs.

• Hydration: Keep drinking and get those electrolytes in.

• Breakfast: Something familiar and carb-heavy (pancakes, oatmeal, banana).

• Hydration: Start drinking early. Gatorade or similar for electrolytes.

• Meal: Small to moderate, easy to digest. Varsity/JVA—this is your breakfast.

• Hydration: Keep sipping fluids.

• Hydration: If it’s hot, keep drinking lightly. Otherwise, taper off so you can pee before the start.

• Optional: Beet juice for a performance boost.

• Fuel: Banana, SIS gel, or GU.

• Nutrition: One gel per lap. Use bottles with carbs + electrolytes if possible.

1. Prep Everything the Night Before
   Lay out your kit, nutrition, shoes, socks—everything. Avoid race-day stress.

2. Control What You Can
   You can’t control your competitors. You can control your effort, mindset, and preparation.

3. Confidence Recipe
   Write down past wins—great climbs, strong races, solid practices. These are your achievements. Review them before bed and while staging.

4. Visualize the Course
   Picture the start, the climbs, the corners, the finish. Your body will follow your mind’s lead.

Race week is about smart preparation, not just hard training. Trust your plan, fuel your body, and believe in your preparation. You’ve put in the work—now it’s time to let it shine.

Good luck out there. Ride hard, ride smart, and most importantly—have fun.

Checkout our other posts on race week for more helpful info.