Friday 9 December 2005

Racing Principle #7

Posted by speedygeoff on Friday, December 09, 2005 with
"Horses for Courses "

Previous racing principles were
1 redefine “winning”
2 practise surging
3 plan races so that you have a day’s break from racing for every mile raced.
4 have long term goals
5 define short term goals
6 set intermediate racing goals

Should I train hard while racing? Should I race frequently or should I race rarely? What causes most injury - long mileage or speed work or hill training or something else? How much is too much? What sort of training gets me the best results with the least number of injuries? Should I work on my strengths or my weaknesses? Do I need steady state work or race pace work or long slow distance? Will weight training or gym work or cross training make all the difference? Are light sessions of value or should i be doing something else?

While a forum like mine can propose a number of general principles, sometimes it is just a matter of "horses for courses". Any one individual with a particular set of physical attributes, mental attitudes, likes and dislikes, and so on, is surely unique. What works for one might be disaster for another.

Like a fisherman trying different kinds of bait and angling techniques to get the best catch - don't just sit there doing what you have always been doing. Try different training approaches and see how they suit you. Ultimately, only you can determine what training works best for you!

What distances should I race? Whatever suits you. Whatever you like. If you like 10k, race it. And your likes and dislikes can be fashioned over time by the training you choose to do. You can become a cross country runner - by training often on a cross country course. Sometimes, if you specialise, you can become very good - at your speciality. A "strength" runner can become an excellent cross country specialist. A "rhythm" runner can become an excellent road racer. A tactical runner can become an excellent track runner.

I'd work on my strengths - I'd run the courses that I seem to be made for.

Racing Principle #7 - "Horses for Courses"