Pre race prep for the rider?

[wence]

I use salt tablets.They are a body salt replacement tablet which i buy from the health food shop.
I used to have bad cramps at the start of each season but now if I have 2 before the event and one as soon as the slightest twinge occurs , as well as water I find I rarely get cramps anymore.
Cheers Mark

[stainlesscycle]

after the first race of the season the fronts of my quads are killing me from the thousands of times i sit down/stand up during a race. i walk funny all week after it.. stationary bicycle does not eliminate this (i still had the same pain this year). by the second or third race this pain is gone. it's gone now, but i think squats over the winter will get rid of this.

also, my triceps used to be sore for the first coupla races. the trials bike fixed that (and you get the added bonus of big triceps and calf muscles...) . i thought the trials bike would alleviate the quads soreness, but it doesn't - since you don't sit down/stand up - you just stand up.

[Skidad]

Originally Posted by wence

I use salt tablets.They are a body salt replacement tablet which i buy from the health food shop.
I used to have bad cramps at the start of each season but now if I have 2 before the event and one as soon as the slightest twinge occurs , as well as water I find I rarely get cramps anymore.
Cheers Mark

These Salt Stick caps have worked really well for me to help with cramping. They even have a dispenser you can rig up to the bike. Combined with Hammer Nutrition Heed drink in the Camelbak and Gel packs pretty much keeps me covered. I'm always tweaking though.

http://www.saltstick.com/

[dank]

quads are the tops of your legs, and sit, stand doesnt work those muscles, neither does a bike, because you dont lift your knee. a good way to work them is to take up running, or lay on your back and lift your legs up, and then let them back down slowly.this will also work your hip flexors. it would be a good idea to work your core as a whole, because alot of those muscles are involved in riding.things like situps, leg lifts, basically anything that works from your shoulders to your knees.

[stainlesscycle]

Originally Posted by dank

quads are the tops of your legs, and sit, stand doesnt work those muscles

sit/stand sure does work those muscles. i am specifically talking about vastus medialis. put your hands just above your knees, and then stand up. there's a whole buncha work going on with those muscles in sit/stand motion.

[Tlineman]

All muscles in your body have a sac around them. When you ride hard or aggresive your muscles swell, loading up with water. The sac cant expand as fast as your muscles and you tighten up. This is why your forearms feel like rocks when you are suffering from arm pump. One way to prevent arm pump in a race situation is 1/2 hour to an hour before a race starts, head out on a practice loop and ride as aggresive as you can, trying to get yourself arm pump. Try to time it that your back just in time for a riders meeting. Ideally your arms will be throbbing at the riders meeting. After 10min or so the swelling will go down, as the sac has had the time it needs to expand. Then come race time 20min later, you should be good to go. Ever notice why you never get arm pump twice in the same day? This is why. The sac has expanded and just as it is slow to expand, it is also slow to contract. So when your muscles swell back up, the sac has already stretched enough to accomodate the swollen forearm.

At races where I can't do a pre-ride / warmup I use one of those grip exercise springs to give my forearms a workout. Do as many reps as I can, then let my arms rest. You may call BS but I suggest trying it first. Works for me every time

[oregon pampara rider]

my blessed wife says it's the vinegar in the pickle juice that is the magic ingredient.