Don't Race Without Strategy

As we approach the Hospital Hill 1/2 Marathon and the Kansas 70.3 Ironman, I wanted to review the importance of race day strategy (RDS). Many endurance athletes really don't even consider RDS. But they should! Athletes don't achieve their race goals because they don't have a strategy going into race day. Having a plan for race day will greatly increase the likelihood that you will PR or have a good race. So here are three things to consider for RDS.

1. Start Slow - That's right! Too many athletes go out like gang busters only to find themselves huffing & puffing 10-20mins into their race. Ease into your race...warm up, and then you can push your effort. You expend too much energy at the beginning and you will likely never recovery.

2. Respect the Course - Don't try to blast up the hills and hammer down the backside. Use the course to your advantage. Remember that endurance events are about a total time that is based on an average pace. This means that each mile can vary, and should vary based on the course layout. Your pace can and will change based on course layout.

3. Save It for the End - You can do a lot for your overall time and race confidence if you have something left in the tank to give with about 3 miles remaining in your race. There is no better feeling than to be able to drop the hammer on the last 3 miles and no worse feeling than to know that each mile you are getting slower and slower. The latter happens because the racer did not follow rule #1 & #2!

Following these simple rules can help you have better races and better results. Try to keep in mind that there is more to endurance events than just going out there and wailing away at the course. In essence, racing in an endurance event is much like playing a round of golf. The old strategy of "grip it & rip it" does not usually produce favorable results on the golf course and the same usually holds true for endurance events. Know your ability level, don't overestimate your ability, start slow, respect your course, and finish strong...these are some basic tips for RDS!