Anyone who is looking to take their running from training to racing always faces two major questions: If your mileage has to increase, how do you fit in the training? Do you need to change what you’re eating – maybe even have separate training and race day menus? ASICS and Wiggler Suzannah Cranwell are here to help!
How can you fit in your training?
Ryan Martin is a pro athlete so he’s used to having to focus on one major day. We can learn a thing or two from him about how to create a solid training plan that balances distance with skill work.
Takeaways:
Do two runs a day, breaking it up to make it easier to fit your goal distance into your daily schedule. Maybe use one of these sessions to do drills. This doesn’t just help to build strength and improve form and mobility, it also keeps your training fresh and prevents training boredom.
Should you eat differently on race day?
Watch this video to find out what Gwen Jorgensen (2014 World Triathlon Series World Champion and a member of the 2012 Olympic Team) eats on race day and how it differs from her training nutrition.
Takeaways:
Eat pretty much the same food whether you’re training or racing. Take on a bit less fat on race day because digesting fat is quite a slow process. On race day you need to easy-to-digest food so that you’ve got a quick supply of usable energy.
With both of the main concerns covered, you’re set up to give race day your best shot! Once you’ve got a few races under your belt you’ll have a good idea of what works for you and what needs refining. Take notes about how you feel during training sessions and what you can learn from each race. You don’t need to over complicate things – simply start with the basics and add more detail as required!
Words by Suzannah Cranwell
