Most blown races start in race week, not on race day. Last-minute panic workouts, new gear, and random nutrition experiments do more damage than a slightly imperfect training block.
7–5 Days Out · Keep The Rhythm, Cut The Volume
Training should still look familiar — just smaller. If you normally train six days per week, you’re probably still training five or six days. The difference is the size of the sessions.
- Keep a few short efforts at race effort to stay sharp.
- Cut total duration by ~30–40% versus a normal week.
- Aim to finish every session thinking, “I could do more.”
3–2 Days Out · Remove Friction
This is logistics time: no scrambling, no guessing. Lay out gear, confirm travel, and lock in your plan so the only job on race morning is execution.
- Check weather and adjust kit — nothing brand new.
- Confirm start time, parking, and packet pickup details.
- Walk through your fueling and pacing plan on paper.
24 Hours Out · Calm, Carbs, And Bedtime
Eat foods your gut already knows. A little extra carbohydrate is great; a brand-new “super fuel” is not. Hydrate with electrolytes, not just plain water. Go to bed slightly earlier, but don’t panic if you sleep lightly — that’s normal.
Race Morning · Trust The Work
Give yourself more time than you think you need. Light breakfast, easy warm-up, and a few short pick-ups to remind your legs what race effort feels like.
When the doubts show up (they always do), remind yourself: the work is already done. Today is just the reveal.
If race week always feels chaotic, the fix isn’t more toughness — it’s having a repeatable template. Once you have that, every race week becomes another rep, not a fresh crisis.