With the race season underway and possibly only weeks left to race day you will have a race goal in mind; this is the time to really set your race plan according to how your training has gone.
If everything has gone to plan then carry on as intended, but it is vital to put it down in writing helping you to remember and execute come race day!
If your training has not gone to plan you may need to revise your goal – your goal has to be reasonable, so be honest with yourself and reflect on how consistent your training has been, whether you missed sessions and whether you are hitting race pace in test sessions. You may have had an illness, injury or other issues along the way so don’t be too hard on yourself and accept that your original race goal may not be achievable.
How to write your plan
- Day before the race – what will you eat and drink and what time will you go to bed? Go over the course route information and know where you are going and if there are laps, know how many you need to do.
- Race Day Morning – what will your morning routine be? What time will you set your alarm, what will you eat and when will you get dressed. List the order you will do things in.
- Race Day Nutrition – you should have been training using the nutrition you plan to use on race day, but go over how much you need and when you will take it. (Where will you put it? On the bike, in the race belt, in a pocket etc)
- What equipment do you need? i.e. wetsuit, goggles, swim cap, timing chip, trisuit, bike, bike shoes, helmet, race belt with number attached, sunglasses, trainers, run cap, small towel…
- Pacing – this is key to racing success, know what pace/intensity you can maintain and stick to your plan. Go too hard early on and your race will be doomed.
- Transitions – you should already be practising the order in which you do things during transition, if not, there is still time to focus on this. Simplicity is key and keep equipment to a minimum!
- Plan B – write a plan B, what will you do if you have a puncture, lose your goggles, have stomach issues or have poor weather conditions. It may be exceptionally hot or cold, or wet, so think about how you would cope in those scenarios.
- Race Week – if things haven’t gone to plan don’t try and panic train. In the week before a race you cannot gain fitness, but you can add unnecessary fatigue!
This is the time to focus on the things you can control and try not to worry about things you cannot change. Happy planning!
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