Congratulations to those of you who have made the commitment to tackle a race this year.
For many of you, this is not your first time racing! For the rest of you, this may be your very first race ever or the first time racing at this distance. And then there are some of you who are still undecided about which race to tackle this year. Perhaps today’s blog will give you all some nuggets of information to help you best prepare for RACE SEASON!
Here are 5 recommendations for a successful race season:
1. HAVE A PLAN: you wouldn’t believe how many athletes just “wing it” for races. Not only does the absence of a plan create a level of anxiety for athletes, but it also creates a level of risk. Without a plan, one can easily under-train or over-train for an event which can cause an injury and sideline you from your race. A BASIC PLAN outlines the disciplines of swim, bike, run, weight train, stretch, and which day you can focus on what. It’s not what we prefer but it beats no plan at all. An ADVANCED PLAN will have a lot more detail about what exactly you are doing in each workout, at what metric/training zone, and for how long. The key to a good plan is to establish one based on YOUR schedule & availability and ability. This will allow you to produce the end result you are looking for. Meet with our PERSONAL TRAINER to help you create your training plan.
2. CHOOSE YOUR EQUIPMENT WISELY: understanding the different options for swim suits, wetsuits, goggles, bike clothing, bikes, helmets, shoes, run clothing, shoe choice, anti-chafing options, fueling options during training/racing, and then some can be an exhausting rabbit hole. We are proud to have an amazing TEAM at PTSportsPRO who can help you to figure this out and make specific recommendations to help you optimize your performance. Book a CONSULT with us today.
3. UNDERSTAND YOUR BODY: are you overweight, underweight, dealing with health issues, taking medication? There are some critical baseline testing that can help you understand where your current fitness level is and how best to build a safe yet effective training plan. Our EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST will not only provide you with the right testing options but will help you understand your test results to help you best prepare for your race. We are proud to have one of the best testing labs in the midwest offering you all the testing options to help you best understand your body.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR NUTRITION: when it comes to fueling, it’s not just a case of what you eat but also when you eat. Calories matter as much as the quality & blend of calories to best meet your training needs. More often than not, athletes are not taking in enough fuel to support their training. These calorie deficits can lead to poor performance and higher risk of injury. There’s a real science to all of this, but there’s also a science to how you fuel on race day. Our REGISTERED DIETITIAN has already served many local athletes and is ready to help you. Education is key!
5. MANAGE YOUR INJURIES: most injuries happen from doing something “too much, too fast, & too soon”. Have questions about injury prevention or mitigation? We offer CONSULTS to help you understand how best to address this. Injured? We will get you in with our PHYSICAL THERAPISTS within 24 hours to evaluate & treat your injury and get you back to peak performance in as short a time as possible.
This is why “when it comes to TREATING YOU LIKE A PRO, we know exactly how!”
To learn more and to schedule an appointment, check out our website at: https://ptsportspro.com/.