What is Your Game Day Strategy I

What is your game plan? What are you going to do in this race to insure that you get a medal? First of all you need a strategy. Cross country is a mental sport. If you think all you have to do is get in shape and show up race day and follow the crowd you’ll never end up with a medal.
You need to know what the course looks like. You need to know where mile markers are. You need to know where the up hills and down hills are. You need to know when you are going to be on the left side of the course or the right side of the course. Get a map BEFORE meet day and know the plan.
Here are a couple of ways to look at race strategy and pacing
What good does it do to be the first one off the line? Blasting down the first 100m of the course like Maurice Green? Most of the time the fool that wastes all that energy by leading the pack by 30m at the beginning of the race will end up one of the last few in and have embarrassed himself by not having workable plan.
You must pace yourself. If, in practice, you generally run a 8 minute mile then running a first mile in 6 min doesn’t seem wise. If you have studied the map and know what times you want to hit at the mile markers you will be able to adjust during the race. If you hit the desired time at the mile mark keep with the plan. If you are ahead of your expected time…it might be a great day for a personal record. If you’re behind your expected time than you must change the strategy. IT IS NOT WORKING. Have a plan B ready. Something you have thought out. How are you going to make up for the last time? There are several techniques you could use to “pick up the pace.” YOU HAVE TO DECIDE TO MAKE A MOVE. You have to say, “Ok, It’s time.” Look up at other runners and pick a goal. “I will catch the guy in green by the next curve.” “I will do a surge and get myself up to the next pack of athletes whether they are teammates or competitors.” “I will expend the energy NOW, because if I do I will be back on pace and back in the race!”
You must train your mind as well as your body. Everyone has energy at the beginning of the race when your teammates are surrounding you and people are cheering you on, but what about when later in the race when you are winded and struggling. An athletes natural tendency is to feel sorry for yourself, day dream about plans for later that night, wonder what you are doing out here anyway or just plod along following the crowd in front of you….this is why you need to train the brain as well. After the first segment of the race you will need to convince yourself you need to pick up the pace. Unless you fight the urge your mind lets your body slow down. Fight the urge by as you come off the first section (probably at the first mile mark) decide you will pick up the pace (as opposed to slow down to “catch your breath.)” This requires you to quicken your turnover…not sprinting, just quicken your step a small amount and look for your next goal. More info to come….