As race season draws closer, it is important for to begin developing or refining your race plan. 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;

• Performance
  • Fitness
  • Psychology & 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 is the following;
      • 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
  • preparation for the race
    • the weeks and months before the race (aka 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.