A Mesage from Cadel Evans

Fellow riders,

Firstly,congratulations on taking part in the 2010 5 Dams Challenge. I hope you all meet the challenges of the course and have a great day.

As you prepare for your 5 Dams experience, keep in mind the following to ensure you complete the day in your best shape and avoid the dreaded "bonk":

1) Carb Up 

The "bonk" occurs when the body's stores of carbohydrate (glycogen in the liver and muscles) is depleted and the exercising muscle shifts to fat metabolism as its primary source of energy. To avoid this consume a high carbohydrate diet during your training program and in the days before the race. Rice, pasta, cereals, breads and energy bars and gels should all feature prominently.

2) Race Day

Again, carbs are key. Don't wait until you get hungry. Prepare your food plan beforehand. A rule of thumb is one gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour. For example if you weigh 80kg and you plan to ride for 5 hours, you should plan to consume 400g of carbohydrate. To supplement the lunch box you are supplied, I would suggest you plan to carry an extra energy bars and be conscious of "fuelling up" throughout the ride.

3) Beware the Sugars

Beware the quantity of sugar in your race foods. Sugar causes an energy spike that gives you a quick high but plummets very quickly, leaving you feeling flat and listless and a long way from home. Save the soft drinks and sweets until after the race.

4) Recover!

A long ride does knock your body around. The first step to recovery is to keep restoring your glycogen stores with further carbohydrate intake. Energy bars, bananas are sandwiches are a good choice. Don't be afraid to pig out as your body needs it. Protein is important to repair your muscle tissue so your first meal after the ride should feature high-protein ingredients such as red meat, chicken, fish or tofu.

Good luck and good riding,

Cadel Evans

Cadel and his partners at Winners Sports Nutrition will be providing Winners-Cadel's Mountain Mix energy bars for all competitors in the 5 Dams Challenge.

Also, all 5 Dams participants will be eligible for 7.5% discount on all on-line sales at www.winnersbars.com . Just include the Discount Code 5 Dams when prompted.