Hi Reader
If you've raced recently - or you've got a warm-up event coming up in the next few weeks - I want to share something that might change how you think about it.
Most athletes finish a race and immediately sort it into one of two piles. Either it went well, or it didn't. Then they get back to training.
What they miss is that the race just gave them a level of information that no training session can replicate. How your body managed sustained effort under real pressure. Where your pacing fell apart. What happened to your fuelling strategy when nerves hit on the start line. How your legs felt at mile 10 compared to mile 5.
That is not a performance. That is a diagnostic.
And here's the part that matters for athletes over 50 - your recovery after the race is just as revealing as the race itself. How long it took you to feel normal again, how your sleep responded, whether your motivation dipped in the days that followed. All of it is data.
I'll be honest with you - I wasted years changing my training after a bad race when the training wasn't the problem at all. More often than not the real culprit was poor sleep habits or enjoying a few too many beers at the weekend. The programme was fine. I wasn't looking after the basics.
The mistake most athletes make is rushing back to the programme before they've actually read what the race said.
This week, before you lace up again, spend ten minutes asking three simple questions:
What worked, and why? What didn't work, and what's the most likely cause? What did my recovery tell me?
You might find the answer isn't in your training plan at all.
More on that next week.
Train smart, Wardy
P.S. If you want a framework for doing this properly - and for building the kind of durability that actually holds up when it counts - that's exactly what we work through inside SWAT. Find out more: https://simon-ward.kit.com/products/swat-inner-circle
P.P.S. This week on the podcast I'm talking to Kelsie Johnson about HYROX, hybrid training, and what endurance athletes can learn from it. Worth a listen whether you're curious about HYROX or not - the conversation about training balance is relevant to anyone with a long-season goal.
For those who want something to accompany them on a run or journey to work, listen here: HYROX, hybrid athletes and the nutrition mistakes costing you the race
If you prefer reading, you can find the full article here: Why your HYROX nutrition plan is probably behind your training