Develop a Pre-Race Plan

One of the most important things you can have with you when you arrive at a race is a plan on exactly what you're going to do and when you are going to do it in the time leading up to your race.  Whether it is in SUP or sprint canoe-kayak, I've seen too many people arrive at the race venue and spend their time unfocused, distracted and hesitant.  At best they lose track of time and aren't properly prepared when they step on their board or into their boat.  At worst, they spend their time watching other athletes who are focussed and on a mission instead of focussing on doing their own thing, and are totally psyched out by race time.

I never really needed to be told about a pre-race plan.  From the time I started paddling I always wanted to win so badly that I was extremely focussed and knew exactly what I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it.  My pre-race plans were actually developed in training sessions.  I used to mentally prepare for training sessions, taking them so seriously I was unintentionally simulating race conditions.  I was probably no fun for my family or friends to be around much of the time because I was so focussed on the upcoming workout or race.

Only when I made the National Team and was exposed to sport psychologists did I realize that things I was doing intuitively were actually things that high achievers are taught to do.  The fact of the matter is, whether you're an athlete, a performing artist, or someone making a presentation in business you've got to have a plan not only for how you are going to execute your performance, but every minute leading up to it as well.  I'd go so far to suggest that without a plan for the time leading up to your performance there's not much use in having a plan for the performance itself.  Your performance can be so highly compromised without a good pre-performance plan that it's hardly worth having a plan for the performance in the first place.

The National Team sports psychologists and my coaches helped me craft pre-race plans that were optimal for me, and looking back on my career I can tell you that my best races were generally when my pre-race plans worked best and I was the most "in the zone" (sorry about the cliche) when it was time to race.  I'd suggest that your pre-race plan actually start the day before your race.  Essentially you're developing a script that you can follow for the 24 hours or so before your event so that you can just go on autopilot and not be distracted by any trivialities as you approach the start of your event.  Here are some things I suggest you consider:

Evening before you race

-    know where you're going to stay; know how far it is from the race venue and how long
     it'll  take to get there in the morning

-    know what time registration is, how to get there and how long you're going to stay
-    know what, where and what time you're going to eat
-    If you're having s shower before bed know what time and for how long
-    know what time you're going to go to bed
-    take care of any technical or equipment issues in the evening so you go to bed knowing
     that everything is properly in place
-    prepare your hydration kit and put it in the fridge so it'll be nice and cold in the morning;
     take care of any race nutrition you're going to need (gels, mixes, etc.) as well

 

Morning of your race

-    know what time you're going to get up

-    recheck all of your equipment to put your mind at ease

-    if you're having a morning shower know when exactly, and for how long
-    know what you're going to eat for breakfast and when and where you're going to go
-    know when you need to leave for the race venue, who is going with you and how long it
     will take (leave generous time for parking and other things that might come up)
-   know approximately when you'll need to go to the washroom (experienced racers should
     be pretty good at this)
-    know what your warm up routine will be, when you'll start it, when you'll finish it
     and when you want to go to the start line, whether it's on the beach or water
-    know what time the pre-race racer's meeting is and make sure you attend

Having a plan is going to keep you on track and focussed and keep you from looking at your competition and perhaps psyching yourself out.  I always feel I perform best when I feel like I'm on a mission, and your mission starts when you roll out of bed.  The sense of purpose I feel following my plan as the race gets closer is the same type of focussed frame of mind I want for the race itself.

A word of caution, however.  Don't be so attached to your plan that you unravel mentally should your carefully thought out plan develop snags for whatever reason.  It's hard to predict what's going to happen race morning, especially if you're a relatively inexperienced racer.  One of the most important characteristics of top performers is flexibility to adjust to unforeseen events that disrupt plans and throw a curve at you at the last moment.  If you can calmly and confidently readjust the timeline of your plan, or perhaps comfortably drop an element of it or add something to it, then you are going to do really well.  Remember you plan is supposed to be a routine that helps you, not a script that you are bound to. 

In addition to having a solid pre-race plan that you feel comfortable with you should make an effort to know everything about the race course before your race.  Don't leave this till the last minute.  I'll mention more about this is a future Tip but in general you should try to paddle the course a week or two before if you can, or the day before if you can't get there any earlier.  Study the tide charts and know the weather forecast for race day.  Both can be factors in determining which line you are going to take.  I usually seek out someone with some local knowledge I can trust to paddle the course with or at least get a good debrief of the race course from.  And of course it is imperative that you attend the pre-race racers meeting and listen carefully.

It takes some time to figure out what works.  Try different plans at different races and then reflect on them after as part of your overall reflection on your race.  Learn what works and what doesn't, what helps keep you calm and focussed and what doesn't.  With a little experience you'll begin to recognize certain things you do before the race that are huge contributors to having a successful race.  Over time you'll be able to refine your plan and feel like a real pro on race morning.  I guarantee you'll see that reflected in strong race results.