Pre-race dieting

Question
As indoor rowing season is well under way in the colder parts of the country, I was wondering what diet you would suggest leading up to an ergo race (in particular sprints; ~500 - 2000 meters). In specific, what should one be eating for the few days before the race, the day before the race, and the morning of the race, and how should you hydrate yourself?

Answer
Hi Patrick: It looks like you don't have any issues with making weight for lightweight events, so this makes things easier.  You should eat sensibly while training for these events -- with a balanced diet of proteins (meat), carbs (potatoes, rice) and veggies.

The general wisdom is to load up on carbohydrates the day of and day before the race.  This will give your body extra glycogen, which is stored energy that becomes released during the middle stages of your 2K piece.  So eat grits or oatmeal for breakfast, pasta for lunch and more pasta for dinner.  

Of course, avoid things that will angry up the tummy, like a Burger King Angry Whopper.  The last thing you want during a piece is abdominal cramps.  And do not starve yourself on the day of the race.  You need fuel for the task ahead.

Hydrate sensibly, i.e., don't drink a gallon of sweet tea before the race.  Sport drinks like Gatorade are fine.  You can even have a Red Bull just before your piece.

In the end, it's going to be your training that is going to dictate how well you will do.   

Good Luck/AP