Guide

Plan now and reach your goal next year

3.12.2019

Translation: machine translated

What should it be next year? A bike marathon, a first ultra trail or perhaps a competition in a sport that you have previously practised as an alternative? Time to start planning.

Now is the right time to start thinking about your sporting goals for the new year. And to start preparing.

Set yourself a realistic goal

Find the right challenge for you and sign up. This will make your goal binding and you can start your preparation. Each training session now serves the big goal. When choosing this goal, make sure that it is realistic and that you can achieve it with a training effort that is compatible with your current situation (job, family, other hobbies).

Plan your training

It's a good idea to tackle a big goal in a structured way with the help of a training plan. If you stick to the plan, you can be sure that you have done everything you need to do to succeed. This mental effect should not be underestimated. In any case, it is very important that the training volume is in line with what you have been doing in the last six months, otherwise there is a risk of injury. It is also crucial for the success of the project that you train holistically. In other words, you should not only think about endurance training, but also not neglect the strength and flexibility components in particular. Speaking of the wrong training: here are some tips on this.

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Think about recovery

In the short term, you can cope well with an increase in training without adjusting your recovery measures at the same time. In the long term, however, an imbalance will result in a drop in performance or increased susceptibility to injury. Therefore, consciously plan rest weeks and pay particular attention to getting enough sleep. The mind also contributes its article to regeneration. Just 20 minutes of breathing exercises, meditation, light stretching or a walk in the evening can calm the mind. Body and mind are one unit. A calm mind supports the regeneration of the body.

Increase your motivation and performance with an intensive week

On the way to your goal, it will help your motivation if you ensure variety with a week of training with like-minded people, for example by the sea. You will see that you get lots of new input and make a leap in performance thanks to the extra training.

Set yourself intermediate goals

It's a good idea to not just take part in one big race, but to include two or three "stopovers" in the form of preparation races along the way. This allows you to check your form and gain a lot of experience in terms of race preparation, race tactics and equipment.

Oh yes, don't forget: you're building your beach figure for next summer now.

Alright, before I forget: The texts from last summer are still available here.

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Patrick Bardelli

Senior Editor

Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.ch

From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.

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