Your first Sportive

So. You're taking the plunge and you've signed up for your very first Sportive. Congratulations! The first piece of advice is...ENJOY IT! A Sportive is a great way of exploring new roads and new places, and tackling new climbs, without having to do any research or route planning, finding food and water or worrying about punctures or other mechanicals. But how do you go about planning to make sure the day goes smoothly?

Before - Prepare

Read the website and ride info pack carefully. How far is the ride? How much climbing? Where do the feed stops fall? How far away is it - how long will it take to get there? Check the map - if you're having a bad day, where are the route splits? Where can you cut back to the start? Are the feed stops en route, or do they add extra miles? (We did one where it was off course, and down a hill. One guy was apoplectic that he had to climb a hill and didn't even want the feed stop... if he'd read the map he wouldn't have followed the arrow...!)

Practice on the bike you're going to use, in the clothes you plan to wear, eating and drinking the food you plan to eat. Doing or using something for the first time on Event day is asking for trouble. If feed stops are provided, they may supply a different brand of food - eating a new food that you're not used to can cause gastric distress, never a good thing on a bike.

If you're aiming to ride further than normal (not unusual, adrenaline on event day is a massive boost) take it easy in the preceding week (posh folk call it 'tapering') This ensures you're not fatigued before you even get to the start line. If you normally ride 30 miles and are doing 50 on a Sunday, don't do 30 milers on Tuesday and Thursday. Your last big ride should be at least 7 days before your event. If you ride in the week, keep it short and low intensity.

Day Before - Pack

This may sound bonkers, but you SHOULD go for a ride the day before. If nothing else, waking up on Event morning and finding you have a flat tyre, or your battery is dead, is soul destroying! A Pre-Event ride allows you to discover any problems the day before, when there's time to fix them. But also it actually helps to prepare your body. Aim for 30-45 minutes in Zone 1 (very easy, imagine your pedals are made of glass). Ride in a low gear, with very little resistance. Include 4 x 30 second 'spin ups' - this is where you increase your cadence (pedalling speed). This makes your heart rate rise without inducing fatigue - your body thinks you're working hard, but the low resistance means you're not.

Get all your kit sorted the night before. Pack EVERYTHING you might need. Check the weather forecast for where the event is (the Epic Ride Weather App allows you to get a forecast for the actual route you're riding). Charge all your devices - phone, lights, GPS.

- Cleats, socks, toe covers/ overshoes

- Bibshorts, 3/4s or bibtights

- HRM, strap, sports bra

- Base layer/ vest

- Jersey

- Buff, casquette/ skullcap

- Gloves (long and short if changeable)

- Helmet, shades

- Waterproof jacket/ gilet

- Lights, GPS, bidons

- Food

If you've been sent your registration pack in the post, put your number/ timing chip on your helmet. Put the event address in the Sat Nav and pack the car;

- Rack and bike (safely secured)

- Kit you're not wearing (helmet, cleats etc.)

- Track pump and tools

- Dryrobe, towels, dry clothes

- Bike number

- Breakfast

- Recovery food

- Glasses, contact lenses

- Medication, sun cream

- Chamois cream

- Bags, for wet clothes, muddy cleats, rubbish etc

- Phone - charged, money/ card

- Bike bag with tools, spare tube, puncture kit, basic first aid

Have a simple meal quite early, and get to bed. We have pasta in tomato sauce, easy to digest and unlikely to cause any stomach upsets.

Event Day - Perform

Poor Preparation leads to Piss Poor Performance. If you've done all your prep, event day should run smoothly.

Know when you need to arrive for registration. Always give yourself an hour before your start time. Even without registration this soon gets swallowed up. Leave home in good time - we usually give ourselves half an hour wiggle room.

If you might be parked on grass, wear wellies, or a different pair of socks than those you plan to ride in. There's often dew on early starts and starting a Sportive in wet socks is not nice! Put on all your cycling gear, bar your jersey, leaving your bib straps down. Wear a jumper or fleece over. Adrenaline will be high and again, you don't want to start in a sweaty jersey. Have a wee before you set off, and if it's a long drive have a first breakfast - something you eat regularly that agrees with you.

When you arrive, get your bearings. Locate registration and toilets. If parking is a long way away, you probably want to take your bike with you to reg. You don't want to be carrying a massive bunch of keys, so make sure you can easily detach your car key and carry only that one on the ride.

First, get to registration. Collect your numbers. Put your helmet sticker on following the instructions (it's usually your timing chip) and put your bike number on. Have your second breakfast - VERY easy to digest e.g. bagel, croissant, energy bar. Put your lights, bidons and GPS on the bike. Change into your jersey, put your food and spare clothes into your jersey pockets. However nice a day it is, ALWAYS carry an extra layer. It's amazing how quickly you get cold waiting for assistance, especially if injured. A rain cape fits in a jersey pocket and can weigh under 100g, but will keep you warm.

Put your chamois cream on. You don't need to hide in a portaloo - no one will bat an eyelid at you with your hand down your shorts, trust me! (But if you wear contacts, put these in first!) Put your casquette, helmet, shades, cleats and gloves on. Take any medication you need.

Get to the start area early. You may even be able to join an earlier wave. If you're late, and it's busy, you may miss your start time and throw your timings for the whole day. Once you start, take it easy. Don't get dragged into starting flat out, or keeping up with someone else. Think tortoise, not hare. After two miles, drink. Whether you're thirsty or not. Drink every two miles. Little and often will keep you hydrated, if you wait until you're thirsty it's too late, and if you sit get into a routine there's every chance you'll get distracted as it's your first event and your hydration will suffer. Staying hydrated is a massive factor in you smashing this sportive!!

You should be carrying enough food to get you to the first feed station (or beyond if you're sensitive or have allergies). Again, don't wait until you're hungry. You should start to eat early (or have a carb drink), so that you have glucose available at all times, rather than depleting and refuelling in waves. You should have practised your fuelling schedule - and it will change with fitness as your body adapts to using fat to fuel lower intensity (endurance) rides. I aim to eat 20g carbs every 10 - 13 miles, and have carbs in one of my bottles (I always have plain water in the other. Sometimes you don't want a sweet drink, and washing a wound with a sticky drink is grim).

You're probably thinking 'I normally just ride to the coffee stop, why do I need to eat constantly?' Well, on a normal ride you're on roads you know, riding with people you know and you stay within your limits. A Sportive is probably further than you normally ride, and more challenging. You'll push harder than usual, surrounded by other riders, and you'll be using a lot more mental energy on unfamiliar roads and concentrating on following the arrows. If you let your energy levels get depleted, you may never recover and your day will be miserable. You'll have wasted your entry fee and all that training!

When you get to the food stop, be as quick as you can. Refill water, grab food and get going...otherwise café legs kick in. If you're feeling tired or sore, stretch and get back on the road, or keep moving. If you sit down, you may never get going again.

When you reach the finish, grab your medal or goody bag, and get back to the car. Change or put on warm layers on top if it's a short drive home (you cool down quickly once you stop, and it can be hard to warm up again if you get TOO cold). Take lights/GPS/ bidons off the bike, put it on the rack and DOUBLE CHECK you've secured it - it's easy to get distracted when you're tired. Have something to eat (preferably with a decent hit of protein) and get home. Eat a proper dinner, again with a decent portion of protein, as well as carbs to replenish your muscle glycogen.

If it's been a hard day a soak in a hot bath can really help sore, tired muscles to recover - and Epsom Salts are not a myth. Morgan Blue Muscle Relax is also a godsend just before bed - it's like a top massage in cream form (but take your contacts out first...!)

Sweet dreams, and well done. You smashed it!