With the new year, I have been hearing everyone discussion about goals, resolutions and intentions. This is great! But, how do we really make that happen?

It is fun to dream about goals but many people forget that we have to start thinking about what we can do now to make them happen even if they seem a long ways away. Even big, big goals are achievable with enough time. 

This is the time to be preparing to train. Preparing? That’s right. It might sound funny, but we need the foundation and basic skills to be able to take off and do the actual specific training for an event and to minimize the risk of injury along the way.

Do you have a race plan?

This is an often overlooked part of preparing for an event. It does not matter if it is a 5K, sprint triathlon or marathon. You have done all the hard work of finding the time to train, learning how to prepare for your event and now it is race day. As you head to the start line, you’ve done everything you can to be ready for this race. Right? 

Not so fast! (See what we did there?) 

So many athletes walk to the start line thinking that the hard work is done and they have made it. And yet, they have no plan for what they are actually going to do on race day. There are a lot of issues to consider here. Will you warm up? What pace will you start? Are you planning for a faster finish by starting out conservatively? What is a conservative pace? 

These are all pertinent and important issues. But, beyond these questions, there is another aspect of race planning that many have never considered. 

Whether you are set to race a 5k, olympic triathlon or marathon, what is the course profile and how can you use it to your advantage on race day? 

Using the ups and downs of a race course can help you keep your effort level consistent giving you energy and an advantage as you head towards that finish line.