Welcome back to All Things Running With Sonja & Jen. Today Jen is going to talk about race plan strategy and how it might be holding you back from actually reaching your goals.
I’ve been deep diving into my own headspace with regard to racing. A couple of items came up while I was thinking about my last mile race of the season. I later addressed it in my 800 and also in my 400 races that followed.
Can a racing plan actually derail you?
Having goals is important for structuring your training. You wouldn’t run high mileage and tempos to race a 100 meter dash. If you have proper training that prepares you for race day then race day should be exactly that. Just race.
It is good to understand a number of strategies that you will learn by racing often. Sometimes the race may start out fast or slow. The start of your track race might also vary from lane, waterfall to a double barrel. It is good to learn all three techniques. By racing and doing it often you will gain knowledge about what strategies work best for you. It is best not to say I’m going to run xyz pace for the first 200 meters and then this pace. Rather it is good to be prepared for such a pace. If the race goes out fast and you are now at the back of the pack you might not be able to cover the ground necessary to win the race or even run the time that you want because of unnecessary traffic.
It is important to understand the physiology of your chosen track race. What is happening in my body and at about what time. Is my race predominantly aerobic or anaerobic and when do shifts happen in my body? How does my body respond to going out fast or slow? What is it like to lead or follow? Should I run in lane one or in two? How does that affect my overall result? If I run in lane one will I get boxed in and therefore not able to reach my goal? But if I run mostly in lane 2 then I am running further. So many questions but none of these should be going through your mind on race day.
I find it helpful to ask myself a few simple questions or make simple statements to myself while racing.
GET OUT - you have 10 seconds of free energy. Use it or lose it. Know how far you can run in 10 seconds. Then settle into your pace.
Can I make a move? Find the hole. Put myself in a place to make moves.
I feel fine so can I press harder? Or maybe I don’t feel good, I’m going to hold until this feeling passes and I know it will. My kick has always been waiting for me.
When my body switches from anaerobic to aerobic I need to maintain my stride. It's hard but I know in 10 seconds it will pass and my aerobic system will fully kick in.
You see, none of this is about pacing. Pacing is something you practice in workouts. Pacing helps to prepare us for performance it does not predict our performance. On race day. It is best to just race. Learn the skills necessary to be a good safe competitor. Know the rules of track and field. Be a good sport and remember that there are no bad races. Each race is an opportunity to learn how to become a better racer.