Kenta’s XC Tips: Pre-Race Prep

They say you don’t win races on your bike – you win them off of it. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, everything from smart sleeping habits to proper pre- and post-race nutrition, can help you maintain the body and the mind in equal measure. It can be the difference between podium and peanuts.

Kenta Gallagher gets it. Before his career as technical coach for the Cannondale Factory Racing mountain bike team, he was a podium-topping XC and DH racer himself. He can help you get faster on the bike, but he’s got some advice on what to do before and after you ride that can make a huge difference, too.

1. Nutrition

Eat the right stuff, and you’ll get the right results. But what’s the “right” stuff before a race?

“A few good examples of pre-race meals are things that are plain,” says Kenta, “so omelets, chicken, carbohydrates like rice and pasta – and don’t go too heavy on the sauce.”

Why skip the Tabasco? Because spiciness can inflame the digestive lining, making it harder and slower for your body to extract the nutrients it needs when it’s time to go hard. Give yourself at least an hour or two to digest, too.

Kenta’s Tip: Plain foods, big results—fuel up smart to perform your best when it counts.

2. Hydration

“Hydration can help you recover, help you perform your best, and stop you from cramping up during the harder efforts,” Kenta explains. “The human body can consume up to 500ml of water per hour during exercise, so you want to stay hydrated not only during the race, but on the lead up to the race, too.”

“And on that lead up to the race,” Kenta continues, “you want to consume electrolytes.” Electrolytes are crucial for various things your body needs to stay on top of during exertion, like nerve and muscle function and rebuilding damaged tissue. You can get extra electrolytes through sports drinks and chews, but Kenta’s a fan of getting them from hydration tabs you can drop into your water bottle.

Kenta’s Tip: Hydrate like it’s a habit, not an afterthought—your body will thank you on race day.

3. Recovery

Go hard, rest hard. All that training means nothing if you don’t give yourself the time to bounce back to its best. Everyone’s a little bit different, of course, and Kenta acknowledges that. “It’s something everyone does, and you have to do as a human being,” he says.

Snagging naps here and there can be great, too. They're something Kenta endorses: “They can really help speed up the process of recovery.”

Napping for victory. That sounds great to us.

Kenta’s Tip: Recovery isn’t downtime—it’s part of the process. Treat it like training.

Conclusion

All the flow, all the power, all the control, and all the fanciest gear in the world means nothing during the race if you can’t make the most of it, which is why rest and recovery off the bike is so crucial. Any champion – Kenta included – can tell you that.

Think of it this way: If you ride your bike three hours per day, that’s 12.5% of your day. What are you doing with the other 87.5% to make those hours count?