Race Preparation - Road Running, Triathlon & Cycling

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY FOR THE BIG DAY By Carly Spragg BSC, PFLC, CPT Conditioning Specialist You’ve done the 6:am training sessions, you’ve bought all the gear, and you’ve signed up for the race - now what? How can you ensure that your race will go the way you’ve dreamed it would for the past few months? There’s no magic formula or schedule that works for everyone, but here are a few tips that will definitely help you reduce stress in the week leading up to the race, and ensure success! 1. Reduce Total Training Volume The key point here is quality over quantity in the last couple weeks before your race. The distance of your race and what your goal pace is will dictate how long before the race you should cut your mileage and by what percentage. This is very particular to each racer; it is helpful to have a coach or conditioning schedule to help you figure out the mileage that should be decreased to ensure you peak during the race. 2. Increase Volume of High Intensity Training The endurance training component of your program should be reduced and replaced with interval/temp based training. Endurance training brings on morphological changes; such as increases in heart size, hematocrit levels, and VO2max that develop over months of training. Therefore, save your energy because 1-2 additional weeks of endurance training is not enough to bring upon significant morphological changes anyway, as this energy is better spent increasing immune function and stocking energy reserves in the muscles. 3. Train Very Specific to Competition Demands Cut out the cross training (including weight training), take the subway instead of walking everywhere and focus on perfect technique when you do train. You should already have the base and muscle mass you need for your race and trying to squeeze in extra sessions or burn extra calories in the week or so leading up to your race will more than likely backfire, leaving you fatigued and your energy resources depleted. If you’re a runner, try shorter runs at your race pace or a few seconds quicker, this will help you to focus on foot turn over, running form, and keep you sharp for the race. If you’re a cyclist, practice increasing your cadence and staying there. Nothing can slow you down faster than a choppy cadence. Focus on even pedaling and, if you have proper racing shoes and pedals, use the upstroke to recruit the hamstrings, rather than just relying on the quadriceps. If you are a triathlete, you should ensure that you practice transitions. Brick workouts are very important throughout training, but in the last few weeks, two to three brick workouts are very important to help your body get used to moving from one sport to another. Do a mini race (¼ - ½ of your race distance) about 7-12 days before where you do all three sports in one workout. The point here is to develop a personal technique that makes it easier for you to perform well, feel good and reduce the time it takes you to get accustomed to the next sport. If this is your first triathalon, practice everything right down from how you will layout your towel to how you will mount your bike. 4. Get Enough Sleep the Week Before Chances are that the day before the race, you are going to be very excited and nervous and you may not get the best sleep. Don’t panic! Tossing and turning all night, worrying about not getting enough sleep can make it worse. Make sure you have a low key week, with minimal stress, and early nights to be sure your immune and nervous system are rested and at peak function for the race. 5. Don’t Change Your Diet The worst thing you can do before a race is something unfamiliar. Even if you heard a certain meal made someone else have the best race of their life, don’t try it unless you have done it during training. You never know when a new food can disagree with you. Practice eating on a schedule conducive to your race time. If you know your race will be early in the morning, experiment with how much time you personally need to digest in order to race without cramping or getting an upset stomach. 6. Know the Race Course Have an idea of what lies ahead in the race you are choosing to participate in. The earlier in your training you know the course, the earlier you can prepare for it. If you do all your training on flat terrain, for example, and the race you are running has a killer hill, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Look at the elevation chart (usually there’s a link on the race websites to view the route and elevation). If you are running a race in your town, maybe try to run the course or part of it to be sure you are prepared. 7. Make Arrangements Early Not having your affairs in order can be stressful no matter what the circumstances but it can be even more stressful when added to race anxiety, challenging yourself physically, and all the other stresses that come along with racing. You should sign up for your race a month before, print and save the confirmation, get directions , complete instructions and make hotel arrangements. Remember that there is no one program or schedule that works for every racer or every race, so be sure to experiment with yourself and consult a professional for specific recommendations based on your fitness level, the distance and type of race, and also the psychological aspects of racing. These basic tips can help everyone, from first timers to old timers. Have a safe, fun and successful race.

 

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