Whether you're a veteran athlete, or a beginner, there are three important elements of athletic conditioning; nutrition, hydration and endurance training.  Follow the simple guidelines below for a successful race-day event:
       
NUTRITION:  Good nutrition is simple: eat a large variety of minimally processed foods. This means you should consume fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. Highly processed foods have limited nutritional value and should be avoided.

HYDRATION: Water is the best choice for proper hydration.  Sports drinks tend to be high in sugar and calories, but can be appropriate choices when exercising on hot days.  Aim to consume 16oz of water during each hour of exercise.
 
ENDURANCE: The human body will easily adapt to the demands of exercise.  With nine weeks to go before the Kaiser Permenete Kids Duathlon, there's plenty of time to comfortably increase your endurance and be ready to race! 
 
WEEK 1: Begin your endurance training with an easy bike ride of one mile.  Choose a flat course and ride at a comfortable speed.
 
WEEKS 2 and 3: Increase the mileage to two miles while increasing the pace of the ride to about 7 to 10 miles per hour.
 
WEEKS 4 and 5: By now you should be really comfortable on the bike, it's time to increase the distance to three and a half miles, maintain a pace of 7 to 10 miles per hour. 
 
WEEKS 6 and 7: Your goal during these two weeks is to ride 5 miles while maintaining 10 miles per hour.  If you're feeling strong, increase your speed.
 
WEEK 8: Take two bike rides this week, six miles each.  Try to maintain a steady speed of 10 or more miles per hour.
 
WEEK 9: This is your week to taper and prepare for your event.  Any bike rides should be easy and at a comfortable pace. 
                           
 
RACE DAY:  Relax and have fun today!  Eat a good breakfast of protein and carbohydrates, such as:
                     scrambled eggs and toast,
                     peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a banana
                     waffles with fruit and eggs