Having a successful racing career depends on a variety of factors – motivation, talent, available time, a support team, nutrition, and health, to name just a few. A very important but sometimes overlooked component is planning. In order to achieve your personal best, it’s critical to step back from the daily grind and take a holistic look at your seasonal, and multi-seasonal goals. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Establish your long-term goals. You may want to qualify for the Ironman World Championships, or finish a local marathon without injury. Whatever it may be, take a realistic look at your current condition, then determine a timeframe that allows you sufficient space to get from point A to point B. It may take one year, or several.
Establish interim (or short-term) milestones. What events or key workouts do you need to successfully complete in order to be confident you are moving towards your goal? To continue with the above examples – finishing an Olympic-distance triathlon could be an early step towards qualifying for Hawaii; running a 5 or 10k could be a first step towards completing a marathon.
Determine a realistic weekly schedule. If you’re starting from scratch, you don’t want to jump into twenty-hour training weeks. Take a look at your available time and current condition, then determine what it will take to reach your first milestone, not your end goal. That’s an important distinction. Re-evaluate your weekly plan as you progress through the season.
Find a support team. Most athletes soon discover that having a supportive crew of like-minded athletes or supportive friends and loved ones to reaffirm your goals is incredibly important. There are plenty of training groups in most areas, and the online community can be great for folks in isolated areas. These teams, groups, and communities are helpful resources for training information and camaraderie. You don’t need to go it alone.
Take your rest and recovery. All well-balanced training approaches include periods of rest and recovery. Without proper rest your body will slowly weaken and eventually break down with injury or illness. Injury as a result of overtraining is the quickest way to derail your plans.
Do some homework. As you embark on your journey you’ll soon discover that there is more than one way to climb the mountain. There are different training philosophies and approaches to endurance sports. Most are based on some simple, fundamental concepts, but many folks will claim to have “the solution.” But there are some very good ideas that can be implemented very badly, with devastating results.
The truth is that there are a number of ways to succeed, one of which may work best for you. Tap your support team (see step 4) to discover what has worked for them. Read the available literature – not just the glossy magazines, but recommended books and scientific articles. Working with a reputable trainer or coach will also be a time-saver – these individuals have the experience and knowledge to help you maximize your time and effort investments.
Maintain the focus, but let off some steam. There’s a fine line between being highly motivated and determined to succeed; and being obsessed and unhealthy in your approach to sport. Most top athletes recognize within themselves the need to let go and relax on occasion. We’re no different. Rest and recovery are just one part of this equation, mental relaxation is another. A few hours here and a couple days there may be just what your mind needs to succeed – for the long-term.
