I enjoyed giving a webinar called “Your Perfect Race Day” for USA Triathlon today. (If you missed it, it’s archived online, along with its predecessor on race week and its cousins on yoga for triathletes and on recovery. Each offers CEUs for USAT coaches.) There was a great question that came in after I’d logged off, so I’m sharing the answer here.
Q: How should I adjust if training has been subpar or something horrible (e.g., work blow-up, death in the family) happens in the days before the race?
A. Provided you are still committed to the race, revise your goals. Remember why you do triathlon in the first place–maybe even list it, e.g., “Health, fun, camaraderie with training partners”–and form a new goal that feeds those reasons. Or set a fun minor goal, like “Thank every volunteer” or “Push hard for 2 minutes after every turn on the bike.” You get to set your own parameters for success.