Pre Race Prep. Mental and Physical strategies for race day
Race weekend has arrived. Hopefully all the work has been done to ensure that you achieve the performance that you desire. What are the physical and mental strategies to use to ensure you have the best day in the office that you can.
Unlike exams cramming for a full Ironman or a 70.3 is not a recommended strategy. Ideally race week has been reasonably stress free, with just enough training to keep the engine ticking over.
Aim to arrive 2-3 days before race day allowing time to register, have a shop at the Expo, ensure that the bike is running smoothly and that you have familiarized yourself with the course, especially the bike leg.
On the day before the race it’s a pretty simple routine:
Physical
Swim: 15-20 minutes swim, ideally on the swim course. Keep it easy with a few short (60 seconds) race pace efforts to wake up the muscles. Familiarise yourself with swim entry and exit and practice siting.
Bike: 15-30 minutes. An easy bike to loosen the legs including a few 2-3 minute race pace efforts. Check that everything on the bike is working fine.
Run: 15 minutes easy jog include say 5 x 1minute race pace efforts to waken up the legs. Sometimes called 15, 15 15 or 20, 20 20 this is a useful routine to follow on the day before the race. Practice good form and technique.
The last thing to do is to rack the bike. This comes down to personal preferences and in some cases superstition. Some like to rack as early as possible. I prefer to rack later in the day so that my bike is not standing in the sun. Whatever you do try and stay off your feet as much as possible and rest up – have a power nap if you can.
Mental
The best strategy is to try and keep calm and not to get overanxious.
- Thinking about winning, making the podium or getting that qualification slot can be detrimental to performance. Focus on the “here and now” and what you can control and not what you cannot.
- Race strategy will have been discussed and agreed well before the race with your coach.
- Have a process. Make a checklist for kit, equipment and travel-make lists. Get everything ready the day and the night before and don’t leave it until the morning.
- Think of it as Just Another Race (JAR): tone down your expectations and focus on the next 10 meters in the race. Enjoy the experience and let the results take care of themselves.
By David Hunt certified TriSutto coach