Every Day Counts

 

The morning always begins with a good brekky. People often ask me “So you must have a really strict diet?” But my motto when it comes to food is everything in moderation. I guess I have a slight advantage having a degree in Nutrition and probably take for granted the amount of knowledge I have. But none the less, I like to keep things simple.

 

Food is fuel. To be able to train effectively my tank has to be full, so always a good breaky of porridge or muesli with yoghurt and fruit, and of course coffee (you don’t graduate to a professional cyclist without being a coffee addict!), and then it’s out the door on my Avanti Questa. When I put the power down (1026watts is my personal Max) it's important to have the right fuel to burn. When pushing myself to the limits that ‘food fuel’ is so important. I am the engine on top of the dream machine.

 

To be able to train day after day the recovery food is just as important as the fuel before training. As soon as I walk in the door I’m mixing a recovery drink which I drink in the shower – time is muscle (recovery), every minute counts.  It  can be the undoing of a keen and under-informed athlete to overdo it and not consider that recovery is just as important a part of training as the training itself.

 

For dinner it’s about the quantity and the quality. Quantity: The amount of food needed to gain energy balance. Put back in what put out on the bike during training. And then the Quality: The type of energy. Consisting mainly of carbohydrates and protein, also fats and the all important vitamins and minerals. My favourite carb is rice and I love combining it with a beef stir-fry’s, risottos, & lamb curries loaded up with fresh veggies.

 

I guess it shows that performing isn’t just about what happens on the bike, or during the race. It’s the preparation and attention to detail every day that combine like a puzzle to create the perfect picture so that come race day I’m ready to jump on my Avanti knowing I’m in the best possible condition to push the limits.

 

by: Alison Shanks

 

To see our selection of Nutritional supplements see here


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If you haven't seen it before, take a look at our article titled '12 tips for quality training nutrition' for further information on staying fuelled for the ride