By Lisa Mensink- Professional Triathlete & Olympian
May: Race Prep Tips & Tricks
The days are longer, the temperatures warmer and the roads clear for riding; it’s time to switch gears and think about racing! So, this month I’ll share with you a few of my tips & tricks to getting race-ready in May and fully prepared for the Ironman 70.3 Calgary.
Plan your season: Try planning your season so you can maximize your performances at your high priority races. Make sure you look at the big picture to get the most out of yourself at these races (a coach can assist with this!). Try to match your training program to your selected races and your goals for those races (your training leading up to a race varies depending on the priority of the race-high, med or low).
Testing, 1,2,3…: Now is a great time to try out new nutrition plans & products. If you had issues last season with nutrition & hydration, try to resolve them before this season’s racing starts. A long run or ride is a great time to try that new flavour of electrolyte drink out!
Be prepared: As with nutrition, being prepared before race season is key to having a successful race day. Pull out all your race gear now and test out those race wheels, aero helmet, wetsuit & race shoes in advance. Assess if you need any new equipment and acquire it now. This will limit the pre-race surprises and race day blisters & chaffing!
Dust off the cobwebs: find a low key local race to enter (sprint tri, 10k/21k run race, local bike race, etc). If you haven’t raced since last season, this will help your body remember what racing is all about and get your head back into the game. No matter how hard you train, a race always get you to push yourself that one level harder.
These are some of the things that I do to help me get prepared for my upcoming races. This is what you’ve put in all those long hours of training for; be ready, be prepared & have fun out there. Let the racing begin!
Gear up for the Ironman 70.3 Calgary !!
Lisa
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