You know the race day drill – you get up early with a jolt of adrenaline in your veins; this isn't going to be another day at the office! You give your bike the once over for the third time. Everything tightened up? Check. You paw through your gear bag again. Everything squared away? Check.

Your gas can has been topped off so it's time to pack your ice chest with the grub and drinks that'll get you through the day. The question is, what are you packing it with? It's not junk food and sugar-laden snacks, is it? If it is, you'll be giving away your edge when the rubber hits the dirt.

The answer to this question is, “It depends.” Ever rider is different, so every rider's diet is unique. What works for Bob might not be the right mix for Nancy. But that being said, there are some definite guidelines that serve as a good starting point.

First, the primary ingredient in the mix is lean meat. This includes turkey, skinless chicken, and lean cuts of beef. Add some seafood to round it out. Salmon is a particularly good choice. It contains fats, but they're the good type

.

Second, throw in fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat organic if you can, not to be trendy, but because the mineral and vitamin uptake is greater and those pesticides aren't going to help you in the long run.

Don't forget dairy. You need strong bones when you ride and load-bearing exercise that riding is helps you to absorb the calcium that make that happen. Low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt will help you in this department.

Finally, chow down on carbs. Whole grain bread and pretzels will give you a longer energy plateau than highly processed white bread. Have a sweet potato rather than a russet. Legumes such as lentils deliver energy for a longer, more consistent period than any other food. This is a fact from the glycemic index.

Easy! Take a look at your current diet and the physical state you're in. Carrying a few extra pounds? Most of us are. But don't rely on weight alone; this is a poor assessment. Instead, rely on fat percentage. Male rides should be around twelve to fifteen percent, just a tad more for females.

The best way to monitor this is to buy a digital scale that also analyses your fat percentage. You can find one in most sporting goods stores.

Breakfast is always your most important meal of the day. Your body is hungry from your snoozing hours. Also, breakfast gets your metabolism in gear and cranked up. What are the best foods for this meal?

You need protein (eggs, Canadian bacon, or sausage), high fiber carbohydrates (whole wheat toast, bran cereal with milk, etc.), and fruit juice (orange, prune, tomato, or grape). This is also a perfect time to take your multi-vitamin.

You should also have a mid-morning snack, a moderate lunch such as a sandwich and soup, a mid-afternoon snack, and finally, a well-rounded dinner. The idea between spreading the food intake like this is to keep a steady energy burn. It eliminates sugar rushes and subsequent sluggishness.

Isn't this a special situation? Indeed it is. You're going to be excited, as you well know. This means it's more important than ever to have a healthy breakfast with an eye to high glycemic index foods. This is an occasion where what works well for some doesn't for others.

For example, what works for me is a bowl of lentils and wild rice topped off with a couple of eggs and hot salsa. Don't laugh! What works for you will most likely be different, so experiment and enjoy!

You might want to go light on the coffee. If you enjoy morning coffee on a daily basis, don't avoid it altogether on race day, just half the normal intake. Cutting it out completely will result in a massive headache. Trust me. Been there, done that.

This is where a lot of mini-meals come in handy. Fruit, whole grain bagels, cheese sticks, and plenty of water or sports drink. There's no real magic in sports drinks like Powerade or Gatorade, but they will replace electrolytes lost through sweat. Also, the taste will encourage you to drink more.

But here's one caveat – always eat and drink the same things that you do on training rides. Some riders make the mistake of believing the promotional hype of “sports super foods” and shell out extra bucks for them on race day. They don't do anything but confuse the body.

The prime time to snack and drink is immediately following one moto while you're waiting for the next one to start.

Start changing your culinary habits now and you'll notice vast improvements in your performance. Buy yourself a scale, grab a chart of the glycemic index and start taking a multi-vitamin if you don't already.