It’s the night before the big day, you’ve been bursting with excitement. Then it hits you…what should I eat tonight and the tommorrow before the race?

No one menu can be right for every triathlete, but there are some basic guidelines that you should consider.  First and foremost never experemint with anything new or different that what you have trained with.  Don’t find out the day of the race your body doesn’t like a new triathlon fitness bar or sports drink.  Plan to incorporate your nutritional needs during your training and you will 1000% more confident on race day.

Drink Plenty of Water. The biggest challenge a triathlete faces is dehydration

Studies have shown that losing as little as 1 percent of your body weight in fluid can decrease performance by up to 10 percent.   Be careful not to force feed yourself fluid.  Only drink enough so that your urine is very light to clear in color.  Drinking any more than this can affect your electrolyte balance and negatively impact your sleep pattern.

Take Care of Your Stomach and it will take care of you. Experiment with various food combinations and use a diet that your body can easily digest.  Avoid food that take a long time to digest, especially high fat, processed or meals high in fiber.  Simple and natural food are the best choices.

Your final big meal before the race MUST be finished no less than 12 hours before a race.  Use this rule a guideline and adjust to your body type.  Continue hydrating particularly in the last two hours before the event.

Post Race Analysis 

Take a moment to analyze how your race went and use it to model your plan for future races.  Make changes to your nutrition and hydration strategy for the next race