Simple ways to be smart about choosing races…
Planning your season properly is such an important job when you consider the blood, sweat and tears that go into your training. It should take careful research, thought and planning.
It’s not something you do on the back of an envelope. And you shouldn’t be entering races on a whim just because your mate suggests it (yep, I’ve done this).
To help you make smarter choices, check out our simple five-point list below.
Five Things to Consider When Planning Your Season
1. Location
Is the event somewhere you’d like to visit even if you weren’t racing? After all, you’re spending a lot of money to enter and travel there. You may as well go somewhere that you’ll enjoy. It’ll make the whole experience more positive and memorable for you and your family. Boggy field in the middle of Milton Keynes anyone?
2. Conditions
Does the race suit your strengths and weaknesses? We’re all naturally better at some things than others, so to maximise your chances of success and enjoyment you should choose your races accordingly. For example, if you’re great at hilly courses in hot weather, make sure you enter plenty of them. We all get a kick from doing well.
3. Excitement
If you’re not sure whether or not to enter a particular race, ask yourself this: Is it an event that you’ll really look forward to? If the prospect of racing doesn’t get you excited, the chances are it won’t motivate you to train hard either. So choose something better instead.
4. Meaningful Outcome
The more good reasons you have for doing a race, the more you’ll enjoy training for them. Therefore, seek events that offer the potential for a meaningful personal outcome.
Examples include:
- Does it offer the prospect of a new personal best or an age group medal?
- Is there is an inter-club or team prize?
- Do you have friends racing who you want to compete against or race with?
- Is it a special distance (such as Ironman 70.3) that motivates you to reach the finish line.
All of these examples will add meaning to your races and help keep you motivated.
