How to Avoid Hitting The Wall | H24 Cycling Tip

September 27, 2017

With endurance sports like cycling, it’s not uncommon to get to that point where sudden fatigue sets in and you feel like you can’t give anymore. However, there are some things you can do to help prevent this from happening. Sam Boardman of H24 Cycling shares his three tips for how to avoid hitting the wall.

3 Tips to Avoid Hitting the Wall

Tip #1: Pace Yourself

One of the best things you can do to avoid hitting the wall is to pace your rides. Don’t go too hard at the beginning. Keep the duration of your training block in mind and plan your pace accordingly. It’s important to make sure that the amount of energy you’re expending at the start is comparable to the amount of energy you’re using at the end of the ride.

Tip #2: Keep Eating

In a lot of other sports, you don’t typically eat while training or competing. One of the great things about cycling is that you are encouraged to eat on the bike. As a cyclist, it’s a good idea to pack enough snacks to keep you fueled for the duration of the ride. Sam’s favorite snacks to bring on training rides are a banana and 4-5 Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars. He recommends choosing natural foods when doing basic training rides. They are easier to digest, not as hard on your stomach, and typically taste better. Gels are an option too but they can often be a little strong. Plus, while training you don’t necessarily need snacks that have easily removable packaging, so try avoiding non-natural snacks if you can.

Tip #3: Hydrate

If you run out of water, it’s pretty much game over. Always make sure that you have enough water or some kind of hydration for the ride. For rides that are longer where there’s no way to carry enough with you, plan out a designated place you can stop to refill.

Following these tips can help keep up your performance on long rides and prevent you from hitting the wall. Allowing your body to fully recover between rides can also create a performance advantage. Marc Pro is proven to enhance recovery and conditioning so cyclists can perform better, prevent overuse injuries, and do more before their muscles break down.