Race week - race day plan
You have trained, taperd, visited a physio and loaded your muscles with glycogen. You are ready to race!
However, there are a few pitfalls when it comes to your perfect race that can hinder you in achieving your best result. Read along and discover some of the tips you should follow in order to enjoy your race and be proud of your result.
“There is no perfect race, but you can execute a race perfectly.”
Be ready for setbacks
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that no matter how much you put into planning, things can (and usually will) turn out slightly different and that’s OK. You will miss something and make some small mistake but as long as you focus on what’s in front of you, you will feel a sense of pride once you cross the finish line.
Know the course
Study the race layout as much as you can. Know the general route you will be taking and try to get information about the road conditions (potholes, road works, etc). It’s also important that you know the elevation profile. Don’t ride in a heavy gear only to be surprised by a sharp ascent after a turn which forces you to get off your bike and push it up the incline. Keep the distribution of aid stations in mind and know what is offered on them.
In my last long distance triathlon I didn’t know until the race briefing that the drinks we were getting on the bike portion were water and electrolyte ONLY drinks. I was hoping to ingest some of the carbs in liquid form but had to switch up my strategy and use a lot more gels than I wanted.
Prepare your race day nutrition
For anything above a 10k race you will, probably, need something to replenish your glycogen levels. A rule of thumb is to consume 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. With smart training you can increase this to 80, 90, or even more to account for anything that might happen during the race. Calculate your finishing time, workout out how much you need and figure out a way to consume it.
Go fast where you can and go slow where you have to
It’s never easy to get dropped by other people, especially in the early stages of a race when you still feel strong. However, you have to keep in mind that you started a race with the expectation of what pace you will be holding during the event. Don’t let your ego get in the way and burn all your matches in the first half of the race. Before the gun goes off, have an honest conversation with yourself and determine how hard you want to push. It’s better to push the second half a bit harder than to fade away during the last third of the race.
Make a list or have someone double check you
Athletes become incredibly stupid on race day. You forget basic things which might even prevent you from competing. Go through a list you have created before which outlines everything you need for the race. If you can, have someone double check it just to be sure you didn’t mess anything up.
Don’t try anything new
The time for experiments is over, don’t try any new gear or food you haven’t tried already because it can disrupt you in a big way during your race. I have seen people try energy gels for the first time during a race and it upset their stomach so much they had to walk part of the race. Keep everything as simple as possible and don’t deviate from your daily routines now.
Seriously overdress
You want to be warm and loose before the start. Wear anything that will keep you warm and try to stay warm for as long as possible.
Don’t be afraid of sweat
Following the point above, a lot of people don’t warm up properly because they don’t want to start the race tired. Get out there, raise your heart rate and break a sweat. Your system needs to fire up first to be ready to race and you don’t want to use the race itself to get up to speed.
Smile and enjoy it
It’s not only athletes who attend races. You will see a lot of random people, family, friends and everything in between. Try smiling and soak up as much positive energy as you can. The hard work is over. You have trained for a long time and the actual race should be a celebration of everything you have done to get to that point.
Once you cross the finish line, smile to the cameras and cross it. Take a few steps and then look at your watch. You don’t want your finish line picture to be about the top of your head while you were making sure that no second is added to your finish time.
With that, I hope you will have a great race, an awesome story to tell and even higher goals for the future.
