When: Sunday, October 17, from 06.20am
Where: From Pietermaritzburg Ciy Hall to the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
Stick to these helpful tips from an expert and you could just survive your first Amashova.
Stick to what you know: Don’t try something new on race day. Nutritional supplements and energy foods that you aren’t used to can ruin your experience.
Rest up: Get a really good night’s rest at least two nights before the event. On the night before the race, many are very nervous and don’t go into a deep sleep. This leaves them exceptionally tired on the day of the event.
Back to basics: Eat as you normally would the night before the race. There’s no need to go overboard on carbs.
Stay home: It’s best to eat at home just before the race. Avoid restaurants just in case.
Get good service: Ensure your bike is serviced and that you’ve ridden it at least a few times after it has returned from the bike shop.
Clean up: If your bike is in good condition, then good concentrated cleaning will let you know if there are problems such as brake pad wear or glass splinters in tyres that must be sorted out before race day.
Have a bite: On race day, try and eat two hours before you make for the starting line.
Drink it in: Sip on a 500ml water bottle from breakfast until about 30 minutes before the start. Often, the race bunches and there is not a lot of time to drink. This means you could only start drinking when you are already depleted.
For further information, log on to www.mtncycling.co.za or call the Shova organisers during office hours on 031 312 8896.