Don't Shop Hungry

I am no longer allowed to go shopping for groceries unless I have chowed to the point where I feel six months pregnant beforehand.  It's not my fault, either.  I have the attention span of a squirrel on crack.  Mix that with a love for pretty much anything the grocery store has to offer and you have the catalyst for an explosive bill.  Yes, Dear, I did have to have all eight flavors of Mountain Dew.

So, what does that have to do with running, you ask?  Starting the racing season is like hitting the grocery store.  You should have a plan mapped out ahead of time.  When an athlete and I sit down to plan a racing schedule, we need to prioritize their goals.  There are all sorts of fun races with sparkling packaging whose proceeds go to a great cause.  If we don't have a plan, the athlete is surely going to want to go hog wild and try to run every one of them. When they get to the end of the season and their goal race arrives, however, they're likely to be out of energy.  In grocery store terms, they've ruined their nice steak dinner by filling up on Mountain Dew and O-KE-DOKE Popcorn.

Prioritize your goals and your season.  When you think about what you want to accomplish this season, make that the basis for everything you do.  Start with your goal time at your goal race.  Consider a list of preparatory races that will help you to attain that goal.   These race are supplemental to your goal, though.  Remember to keep your eye on the big picture; the forest through the trees, so to speak.  Make sure your racing  list is in pencil.  Life happens -and it can disrupt even the best laid plans.  Be comfortable enough with your plan to adapt it while keeping you main goal in focus.  Also, allow yourself a couple of extras.  I'm usually allowed to pick up a couple of items not on my grocery list as long as I keep them within reason.  In racing terms, if your training is going great or you have a friend that needs your support or a great new race pops up in your backyard, then allow yourself the flexibility to add it to your list.

Race day is the fun time.  Set yourself up for success.  Going out and reaching our goals is what makes all those hours of training worthwhile.  Set your goal and then check out the FLEET FEET Race Calendar to line up your grocery list of races.  In addition, you may want to consider joining a FLEET FEET Training program to help you reach your goal.