of cycling team Garmin-Slipstream's training and race preparation."There's nothing nutritious about that food," is Lim's blunt opinion of the traditional pre-race meal. In fact, he has eliminated all processed wheat from Garmin-Slipstream's diet, and at races

Q. I know pasta's an old favourite, but is there an obvious choice for a meal the night before a race?A. The pre-race meal is a matter of individual choice and preference, but there are some factors to consider. The first important point is to eat

- especially if you're anxious.Pre-race dietPre-race dietary preparation can affect some runners, so pasta loading or a high- carb diet can be upsetting to people who are sensitive to these types of dietary changes. Try altering your pre-race dietary regimen

. To read the full article - including Gordon Ramsay's perfect pre-race dinner and Michel Roux Jnr's favourite recovery fuel - subscribe now. You'll even save 30 per cent on your annual subscription by doing so right here online. Race-morning breakfast

leading up to, and following a 26.2-miler. Their task: to create a dish with the right balance of carbs, protein and fat to propel runners to the finish line and help them recover from their effort. Bon appetit! Pre-race dinner - Powered-up pasta

As it turned out, father knew best...When I trained at the track in secondary school, my dad considered it his duty to make sure I never trained or raced on an empty fuel tank. One of his favourite pre-race traditions was to have me gulp a

is to top up your liver glycogen stores at breakfast, as liver glycogen is depleted overnight.Eat Two Hours Before Racing Eating a carbohydrate-rich pre-event meal means that you will start exercise fully fuelled. Avoid Fry-Ups Dodge anything high in fat

-before’ selection. Just ban the word ‘stuff’ from your pre-race vocabulary. The evening before a race, you want to top off your glycogen tanks, not pig out. Since you probably do little or no running the day before your race, you only need a light meal. Besides

the carbohydrates replace some of the calories lost through exercise."A little of what you fancyModerate consumption is the key to enjoying a guilt-free beer. Use these guidelines to keep you on the straight and narrow:A pre-race beer the night before to help you

yourself before and after a session. (One kilogram of weight loss is equivalent to one litre of fluid.) Once you know your sweat loss you can prepare your fluid-replacement strategy for training and races.Pre-planningFor an event such as Ironman Nice ensure