Got my first XC race on Friday, just want to get a little advice with regards to nutrition to make sure I’m doing the right basic bits to give me half a chance at doing well.

Race starts at 1300. I’ll have a bowl of the kiddies cheerios at 0900 and planning to have a simple sandwhich around 1130. Then smash a mars at the start, possibly a second after the first hour.

Washing it down with High5 2:1 when required.

I know this is only basic, but is there a good start-Xhrs to eat breakfast/lunch?

seems fine to me.

i normally avoid eating within two hours of exercise, so just make sure whatever you eat last is packed with slow release energy.

a tin of ambrosia was always a good start to a race day for me 😀

Aren’t the cheerios going to be high-GI? If so I’d skip and have lowish GI carb source (porridge, banana etc.). Simple sandwich over an hour before sounds fine. In-race depends on how long it is, if it’s like 1-2 hours I’d probably just take a gel rather than try and eat a Mars bar whilst huffing & puffing.

eat well the night before.
then eat whatever you would usually eat before going for ride.

The timing for when you eat depends on your own metabolism, how quickly can you digest food and how much food do you need? If you don’t digest very quickly I wouldn’t be attempting to eat a mars bar half way through a race, perfect recipe for throwing up, probably.

I agree go with something more complex for breakfast; wholegrain cereal plus some fruit; boiled egg if that’s what you’re used to. I think your lunchtime snack is fine – I like to have something a bit savoury if I’m going to be taking on carb drinks later. Mars bars would be a disaster in my opinion (especially if you have not tried eating them before and during a hard training session); massive sugar dump, feel on top of the world for about 2 minutes, and then an insulin rush that makes you feel like crap. Slow release/absorb carbs that are easy to eat such as bananas, fig rolls (poor water shedding properties) are my preference.

I’d avoic sugars before the race (your mars bar). Also low GI food generally is best. NO need to stuff yourself tho, and make sure you are hydrated.