The Smartest Race Strategy

When you’re preparing for a challenging race, you face two big questions. 

“Can I finish?”

“How hard will it be?”

Together, they can create a load of uncomfortable anxiety.

You try hard to believe you can, but you don’t.

You seek reassurance from others, but it only helps for a moment.

You train harder, add mileage and crosstrain but you don’t know if it’s enough.

You look at what everyone else is doing but don’t find the silver bullet.

You get a crew and pacer so you’re not alone but it doesn’t answer the questions.

And you’re still anxious. Which makes your more anxious.

You just want to get the race over with and finish.

That’s where I was on my second try at Leadville 100. 

I dropped the previous year at the 50-mile turnaround at Winfield when an aid station volunteer greeted me with “you only have 15 minutes on cutoff.” I regretted it heavily.

The next year, I was determined no to drop and promised myself I wouldn’t.

I planned to get to Winfield with plenty of time to turn around and finish, and ran the first half with desperation. I wanted it to be over and done.

When I descended Hope Pass and arrived at Winfield, I was beaten up, stressed from pushing pace, and wondering if it was enough. 

To my disbelief, an aid station volunteer told me the exact same thing - I only had 15 minutes on cutoff.

I looked back up the climb to Hope Pass. It was gripped in black storm clouds and incoming runners mentioned hail. The steep, rocky climb would be hard enough but the conditions on top…

The way ahead seemed like a nightmare and the only option worth considering was dropping.

My only plan had been, “get to Winfield faster and don’t drop.” I had no plan for how to actually do that and finish the rest of the race.

So I dropped.

And the reason I dropped costs you races too.

When you don’t answer the two questions for yourself - “can I finish” and “how hard will it be” - you let things happen and answer the questions for you.

The smart strategy is to answer those questions for yourself…ahead of time.

Map out exactly how you’ll finish and how you’ll experience it. 

Sound crazy? 

It works. Client after client goes into races calm and prepared after turning unknowns into knowns.

All you have to do is take the things you know and worry about the race, and make all the decisions ahead of time so you’re not making them under stress with a fatigued brain.

I use a specific, detailed process with my clients. 

I walk them through the physical, mental, and emotional parts of the race, and help them make decisions, plan for problems they may not anticipated, then put all the pieces together in a simple, practical, do-able plan. They don’t have to sit down and do this from scratch.

It may sound like a lot but consider this - you’re doing it all in the race anyway. Wouldn’t you rather do it ahead? With another set of experienced eyes on it?

If I’d had this at Leadville, I would have been able to get out of the aid station and finish.

Having this level of plan takes the anxiety out of the race so you can run and enjoy it. 

You get all the worry out of your head. No more overwhelm.

You know how you’ll accomplish the course, distance and cutoff. No more doubt.

You know how to think about the race as it unfolds. No more demons.

You have a solid, practical plan. No more struggling to believe.

With this plan, you run the race calm and confident, knowing you have the two big questions answered and can make it happen.