Sport Beans Presents: Tips From The Pros

Balance is key; there are no miracle supplements or foods out there, just a natural healthy balanced diet.

Slow and steady wins the race: (when it comes to food) Eat regularly so as to never over stuff oneself with huge meals, and to never starve oneself with long periods of fasting.

When training and racing, EAT! when it comes to a workout, you need energy, eat for anything over an hour long, something like Sport Beans with electrolytes and minerals lost in sweat, and simple carbohydrates for fast energy.

The morning of a big race I always eat 2-3hrs beforehand and it's usually a combination of some type of protein and carbs. Typically not anything that you can taste for a long time afterwards.

My typical breakfast is oatmeal, scrambled eggs and toast 2-3hours before.

Usually if it's a typical road race I'll warm up by riding around before the race to get the blood moving. If it's a late start in the evening I'll do a 1-hour spin in the AM and then get in a nap before I get back on the bike for the race that night.

A typical non-racing day usually consists of me catching up on all the things I put off while I was training and racing hard. If it's not a typical day off, I'll spin for an hour to get the blood moving through my legs.

I always train with Sport Beans as well as one bottle of sports drink and one bottle of water. I usually take a swig of water after each of the other products.

Nutrition tips:

Eat and eat often, food is the body’s fuel and during stage races you can't get enough.

On the bike during a race I try to get down one bottle of liquid an hour (the body can't absorb much more, on hot days you can dump more on your head, but if your supplies are limited it is best to drink it even if it feels good to pour it on yourself). Also, I try to eat an energy bar or two in the first couple hours, then after that I use Sport Beans the rest of the way, especially if there are climbs. Sport Beans will get to your muscles much faster than a bar, making them ideal right before big climbs and the second half of the race.

3 hours before a race I usually eat a bowl of oatmeal with almond butter and a banana, a piece of toast with olive oil and a big glass if water. This is a meal that is easily digested and easy to make when traveling. It is best to be consistent - stick with a meal that feels good to you.

Wait to eat again until near the start of the race - I have a bag or two of Sport Beans just a few minutes before the race gets going.

Don't try any new pre-race food or race nutrition without testing it in training first.



Training tips:

Listen to your body. If you know you are tired then rest. If you are strong then train hard. It's not rocket science.

Set up training blocks and follow a plan.

During the winter I do long base rides and as the season approaches I being to add intensity to get ready for race speeds.