7 habits for better training, racing, and recovery

Set Clear Goals and Plan Their Training

Sure, some things may get done when you wing it. When it comes to training or any goal you have set, you want to set clear goals and follow a plan. Rather then doing random races or whatever workout you feel like doing that day, its better to map it out. Choose a few races leading up to the big one because trying to race every other weekend can lead to burnout. Plan to ramp up volume and intensity and then taper before race day.

Be Consistent and Disciplined

Workout 5-6 days a week, making as routine as brushing your teeth. “The best way to get better at anything is by doing it consistently” Joe Rubio. Keep it simple and make it a non-negotiable. Don’t let weather prevent you from skipping training because you don’t feel like it. This will build your mental toughness. Consistency is the secret sauce to getting to your goals.

Train Smart and Balance Intensity

When you do all of your workouts at top speed or full max, this doesn’t allow for adequate rest and recovery. Try the 80/20 rule - 80% of training should be easy (zone 2 a conversational pace), and 20% should be hard (zone 4 +, very hard intensity). You still progress to your gains without overloading your system. As the easy days are your pillars, you will find that you have more energy and stronger outputs on the more intense days.

Mix Up Your Workouts

Doing the same things every day will eventually make you plateau. In one week you could do a track interval session, a tempo session, a long run, some easy recovery runs, maybe a hill piece, and some form drills. This builds multiple avenues within one week (speed, stamina, endurance…). If you’re jogging the same 5km pace every day, don’t expect much change and beware of burnout or boredom.

Prioritize Recovery

Rest and sleep are non-negotiables. The improvement happens between workouts when your body rebuilds. When you don’t recover well, all those hard workouts won’t translate into better performance. Sleep 8-10 hours, nap when needed, foam roll/stretch, eat well, and respect the down time. This is your muscle repair, muscle growth and hormonal recovery time. “You’re not as good as the workouts you do, you’re only as good as you recover from the workouts you do”. Schedule recovery weeks, easy days, and cut mileage when needed to absorb training days. Listen to your body; if a something starts to bother you or a deep fatigue sets in, back off or get seen by a practitioner before it becomes an injury.

Fuel Your Body Properly

You can’t out train a bad diet. Fried food, greasy heavy meals, are not fuel for performance. You can enjoy the things you love, but day in an day out proper nutrition and hydration need to come first. Quality carbs for energy, protein for muscle repair, and plenty of vitamins and minerals from veggies and fruits. Drink plain water regularly and use electrolytes during workouts. If you’re cardio training, practice eating nutrition during your workouts so you can do so on race day without issue. Don’t skip meals! Refuel after workouts with proper nutrition. Keep healthy snacks in hand, plan meals, and stay on top of your nutrition. This will become a habit that will literally change your life to perform better.

Execute Competitions Strategically

A common mistake is to start the race too hard and fast. Learn to tame that excitement to allow for a slow burn to meet your fitness and goal. Many runners run the second half of the race faster than the first. Holding back when adrenaline is high and remembering to trust your plan makes a huge difference. Create a fueling plan (knowing where and when to take energy gels/water intake), study the course (where are the big hills and what kind of weather will there be?), warm up well before the start.

End Thoughts

These are all choices and practices that anyone can learn and build into their life. Sure some people seem to have more talent, but what sets people apart is doing the simple things extremely well day after day. Structure matters, especially when you have a job, a family, and a social life.