Have you chosen your 2022 race yet? As we wrap up 2021, now is a great time to start honing in your 2022 goal race and build-up events. For many of our athletes, Organic Coaching uses our athlete’s goal race, being a marathon, half-marathon, IRONMAN 70.3, or IRONMAN to craft our training plans.
Depending on your 2022 goals, course selection and timing within the year can be critical. In addition to the timing of the 2022 goal race we also want time for a couple – not a lot – of build-up events to benchmark fitness, race fast, test out gear and put ourselves on the line.
When choosing your 2020 goal race, I like to look at course selection for goal events in four ways: time goal, qualifications, the challenge and destination.
If you are looking for a particular time goal for your 2022 race this is where course selection can be critical. You and your coach need to find a course that will work well with your particular strengths. For this type of goal, a flatter course with cool temperatures is often the winner.
When going for a Boston qualification we often aim for a spring or fall marathon on a course where temperatures are cool and the course is near flat or a little downhill. For half IRONMAN and IRONMAN the answer gets a little more complex and a lot more specific for that athlete’s needs. When planning a qualification pursuit for IRONMAN your strengths need to be evaluated along with how many qualifying slots are available at each race. If you are a strong climber on the bike courses like Lanzarote or Lake Placid should be considered. If you run well in the heat a historically warm course is best for you.
Looking for a course to push your limits? This challenge may involve extreme heat, hills, or distance.
You can also choose a course based on location! For example, you can choose a race destination that doubles as a great place to take your family for a holiday after you complete your race or a location that just sounds fun. The great news is that when you work with a coach we can help prepare you for a great day on any course at any destination.
Build-up events are important when building your race season. As I mentioned earlier, not a lot of racing is needed when building up to big events. It’s better to spend the time working on the specifics of the goal event. Shorter build-up races should mirror some aspects of the goal race, so you can apply practical race day tactics and test fitness. In addition to the timing of build-up, races need to be considered so the body has proper time for tapering, recovering, and building.
Have you set your 2022 race goal yet? Be sure to consider these 4 things when choosing your big race goal and build-up events for the upcoming year. If you’re not sure how to use your 2022 race goal to build your training plan, book a discovery call with one of our coaches! All of the coaches here at Organic Coaching use all of the above when working with our athletes to build their 2022 race season and training plan to ensure you have the most successful and fun season possible.
-Coach Tyler
Carly and Tyler Guggemos built Organic Coaching in 2014 with a simple philosophy that works. The idea is to take what you have and grow it to get faster, fitter and stronger. And to do it with the time you have – not the time you wish you had.
For athletes who are ready to take their training to the next level while still thriving and succeeding in their professional and family life.
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