After months of preparation, the summer competitions are on the horizon - the hot phase of the year for many amateur athletes. Those who have already invested a lot of time so far want to make sure that their investment is having an effect. Those who are a little behind with their training want to make the most of the time they have left. Although the requirements for the two groups are quite different, there are certainly similarities: physical freshness and full energy stores are the basic conditions for top performance on day X in any case. Mistakes made shortly before the competition are particularly serious because there is simply no time left to compensate for them. The preparation of the bike and the final test of the nutrition strategy also fall into these last weeks. Top maxim: no experiments in competition! We show you the most important building blocks on the way to the start line.
Four weeks to the competition
These are the crucial four weeks before a mountain marathon for athletes who have been training regularly. The key training sessions anticipate the intensive phases of the competition in a concentrated form. Ideally, the most extensive units have already been completed; they do not fall into this phase of final intensification because they are associated with greater fatigue. In the last phase before the race, the pace is honed.
Crash training
You can't make up for training backlogs in the last week before a competition - but you can certainly achieve a lot in four weeks. In principle, you complete a training cycle similar to a training camp, supplemented by a few days of relaxation to get the most out of the situation. Our four-week crash training programme prepares you for a mountain marathon - as compactly as possible.
Tapering - Fresh for the competition
We all want to be in top form at the start. But what is form? The term describes the ability to cope with a high training load combined with sufficient recovery to be sufficiently fresh at the start. We achieve this freshness through relative relaxation. In the last seven to ten days before the competition, the training volume is reduced by 40 per cent, but the intensity is maintained so that the body does not switch to holiday mode. What we want is positive tension so that the body is well prepared and ready to jump. Of course, if you have done little or no training up to this point, you cannot reduce your training even further, because 60 per cent of little is far too little; on the contrary, you need to ramp it up and reduce the relief phase to a few days (see crash training).
Full memory
Tapering also includes topping up your energy stores. In the last few days before a marathon, a surplus of carbohydrates should be on the menu. We do not recommend deliberately depleting your carbohydrate stores in order to overcompensate. The traditional pasta party on the evening before the race is too late. This meal should not be too rich anyway so as not to put unnecessary strain on the digestive system.
Competition food
Cycling is an energy sport. A regular supply of energy on the bike makes a considerable difference. The safest way to do this is with special sports products such as bars or gels. Rule of thumb: plan 60 grams of carbohydrate intake per hour, practise in training and try out the products. Sandwiches and bratwurst are not much help in a race; it is better to eat something enjoyable as a reward after the competition.
Preparing the bike
The same applies to the bike: no experiments in competition. The set-up for the race should therefore be trialled in the weeks leading up to the race: Seating position, clothing, tyre pressure, repair kit, chain lubrication, brake pads - all the details should really be thought through and the procedures practised. Does the valve length of the spare inner tubes match the rim height? Have you practised using the CO2 cartridge? Is there enough milk sloshing around in the tubeless tyre? Don't wait until the day before the race to top up!
