"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - what should I eat?

I have a race tomorrow afternoon, and I'm wondering what some good race day foods are so I don't go in too heavy or too light and make myself sick. Over the past week I've been watching what I eat pretty closely. I always avoid things like fast food and soda, but even so, I've tried to avoid grease as much as possible and stick to salads and meats. I've thrown some fruit in there occasionally too. What would be good to eat on the day of the race? My race will be at 3 pm. Thanks in advance! :)

Before a race is NOT the time to try new things.

Breakfast at 8am - Oatmeal with peanut butter and honey mixed in.

Lunch at 12 - Small serving of pasta with tomato sauce.


That's what I would do.

Race day, I eat pretty normal stuff. Cereal for breakfast. Maybe a turkey sandwich in there somewhere. And at least one oatmeal cream pie before the race. The OCP is the key.

Nothing crazy.

Seems to be the most popular answer, and the one that's worked best for me. YMMV, but if it's f**king hot, I like to drink an icee or something before the race. It's cold, and full of sugar.

i always eat muesli 2-3 hours before a race. i just seem to ride well on it. and i eat a handful of espresso beans just before starting

for tomorrow, i would eat something you know will go down well. something safe like a pb&j sandwich and a banana or something like that.

experiment with different things during training. sometimes things aren't always what they seem. i can normally tolerate oatmeal for breakfast, for example, but during a race it wants to come back up.

If the pro's can down a coke in the middle of a race, you can do the same before yours. Calories over the course of weeks or months are one thing, instant energy, caffeine and replenishing your body before or during an event are another. Just sayin'.

3pm...


let me gues- CAT5 at Deland?


see you there.

I have a race tomorrow afternoon, and I'm wondering what some good race day foods are so I don't go in too heavy or too light and make myself sick. Over the past week I've been watching what I eat pretty closely. I always avoid things like fast food and soda, but even so, I've tried to avoid grease as much as possible and stick to salads and meats. I've thrown some fruit in there occasionally too. What would be good to eat on the day of the race? My race will be at 3 pm. Thanks in advance! :)

Eat what you'd normally eat, at the times you'd normally eat them. Your race start is at 3 pm so you have time for a breakfast and lunch ... and the secret ingredient to any successful race is one powdered mini doughnut, hostess only, about 15' before your race;)

Nothing crazy.

Seems to be the most popular answer, and the one that's worked best for me. YMMV, but if it's f**king hot, I like to drink an icee or something before the race. It's cold, and full of sugar.

That's a good idea! I'll give something like that a shot!

Breakfast at 8am - Oatmeal with peanut butter and honey mixed in.

Lunch at 12 - Small serving of pasta with tomato sauce.


That's what I would do.

Thanks! I may just take that prescription, considering you can do 40 mph sprints. :eek:

Race day, I eat pretty normal stuff. Cereal for breakfast. Maybe a turkey sandwich in there somewhere. And at least one oatmeal cream pie before the race. The OCP is the key.


Thanks! I'll give it a shot!

i always eat muesli 2-3 hours before a race. i just seem to ride well on it. and i eat a handful of espresso beans just before starting


what's muesli?

for tomorrow, i would eat something you know will go down well. something safe like a pb&j sandwich and a banana or something like that.

experiment with different things during training. sometimes things aren't always what they seem. i can normally tolerate oatmeal for breakfast, for example, but during a race it wants to come back up.

Ok! Thanks a bunch!

what's muesli?


Corn flakes, nuts, and raisins.

(to me anyways)

If the pro's can down a coke in the middle of a race, you can do the same before yours. Calories over the course of weeks or months are one thing, instant energy, caffeine and replenishing your body before or during an event are another. Just sayin'.


That's a good point. Thanks!

Corn flakes, nuts, and raisins.

(to me anyways)


Oh! So something like raisin bran?

3pm...


let me gues- CAT5 at Deland?


see you there.


Good call! Awesome! Good luck!

Eat what you'd normally eat, at the times you'd normally eat them. Your race start is at 3 pm so you have time for a breakfast and lunch ... and the secret ingredient to any successful race is one powdered mini doughnut, hostess only, about 15' before your race;)


Thanks! Yeah, I'm seeing that last minute sugar rush thing a lot. I'll have to remember that. :)

or, just to be safe, you could try 'em all: spaghetti for lunch, and just before the race, eat a powdered donut, an oatmeal creme pie, some espresso beans, and wash it all down with an icee. you'll be unbeatable. you'll also be wired

Oh! So something like raisin bran?


With nuts and stuff. I've never really liked it, but some people swear by it.

or, just to be safe, you could try 'em all: spaghetti for lunch, and just before the race, eat a powdered donut, an oatmeal creme pie, some espresso beans, and wash it all down with an icee. you'll be unbeatable. you'll also be wired


And fat. If I had heard someone ate all of that before a race, I'd stay the hell away from them.

Oh! So something like raisin bran?

no. there are a lot of oats in it, also

And fat. If I had heard someone ate all of that before a race, I'd stay the hell away from them.

:lol: me too. they'll be strung out higher than a kite for 34 minutes, then go into insulin shock and fall off their bike dead asleep

yeah, i swear by muesli. the oats are great fuel, nuts mix in a bit of protein, and the raisins are good for iron and blood. stuff just works for me. YMMV

For a real boost...

I have to eat my oats and drink my coffee no later than 6:30 AM for a 10 AM start but I'm certain everyone's GI system is different.