Squamish 2009 - Doneen
A race plan is how you will approach race day and specifically how you will tackle the race itself. The goal of a race plan is to control those things within your powers and ignore those that are not. In other words, this means, “don’t worry about the rain, just remember to bring a rain coat!”
A good race plan addresses a number of components of performance as they affect your race. These are:
Performance
- Fitness
- Psychology and behaviour
- Your race plan should identify a few key psychological tools to help you on race day; positive thinking, coping strategies, emotion management, focusing, anxiety control, etc.
Skills
- What key skills will you work on in the race, warm up, etc.
Tactics
- Warm up
- Course review and preparation: consider using Google Maps and Google Earth as a race route planning tool View Larger Map
- Pacing: An excellent article to read on pacing strategies in cycling: Distribution of power output during cycling
- start
- swim plan
- T1
- bike plan
- T2
- run plan
- finish
- warm down
- recovery strategy
Nutrition
- pre-race
- in race
- post-race
Logistics
- The months and weeks leading up your race: focus is on following your training plan
- The week before: pre-race training and preview the race course. Help organize your friends, family, other spectators and sponsors to view the event where you would like them
- The day before: pre-race training, equipment preparation, etc.
- when you will wake up
- when and what you will eat
- how to get to the race venue and travel time
- where to park when you arrive
- race check in
- warm up options (do you need your trainer or rollers)
- start time and procedures
- post race recovery
- post race debrief
- post race socializing plan for friends, family, sponsors, etc.