Planning races and looking to the season ahead
The festivities of the Christmas and New Year period are almost over and soon it will be time for you to start regaining focus and if you haven’t already, plan your races for the season ahead. It may all seem a bit of a rush but hopefully over the off-season you have had time to think about what particular races you would like to do. Below are our tips on putting together your plan for racing season.
These are our tips:
1. Choose the distance you are going to focus on this year, does this fit in with your long term plan if you have one?
2. Choose 1 or a maximum of 2 ‘A’ races for your season (these are the races that you focus on and map your training around). Think about any particular goals you want to achieve in the A race, are these goals realistic?
3. Write down all of the additional races that you would like to do throughout the season (B and C races).
4. If you have not already, enter you’re A races before the entries fill up.
5. Begin to plan your training around your main A race(s), breaking your training season down into base, build and competition phases. If you want to have more structure then look into a training plan or being coached but look for something which is the most tailored to your needs and abilities.
6. Think about the amount of time you need to commit to the sport and how you are going to fit this in around work, family etc.
7. Sit down with your family and close friends to discuss your goals for the year. This will help them understand what you are trying to achieve and as a result they are likely to be able to support you better.
8. Check the condition of your trainers and bike fit.
9. Have an MOT check with a physiotherapist
10. Think about your nutrition, having a healthy balanced diet is essential.
Remember it is important to not start competing too early if you are planning to have a long season with you’re a race coming at the end of that year.
Most importantly, make sure that you enjoy the majority of your training and allow yourself time to do other things that you love with those in your support network.
Best of luck in your season ahead!