It doesn’t matter whether you are a runner, triathlete or biker, our ten tips show you how to organise your competition so you shine at the finish.

10 tips for organising a successful competition

1. Think positive
   No matter whether you couldn’t sleep due to nervousness or could barely eat breakfast. Today is an important day for you – a day in which you have invested a lot. Start the race with joy and enjoy that which you have been training so long for. After all, you want to reach the finish with a smile.
2. Select a reasonable race pace
   Particularly at the beginning, it’s tempting to keep up with the masses and overdo it. Be reasonable and choose your optimal speed so you can still step it up in the second half.
3. Concentrate on yourself
   During the competition, concentrate on yourself. Focus on your breathing, your speed, and your movement patterns. Other competitors can motivate you, but should not overly influence you and your race.
4. Divide up the route into sections
   During the competition, this means: well divided is half the battle. This not only helps you in selecting the speed, it also gives you a mental advantage: pick out the intermediate goals that you want to achieve.
5. Distraction
   Tired thigh muscles, heavy breathing, a blister on your foot or the feeling “I can’t go on” - this can all happen during a competition. You now need to distract yourself from the source of irritation or negative thoughts by thinking of something positive or by diverting your attention: instead of thinking about your aching legs, focus on your arms and their dynamic use, for example.
6. Motivate yourself
   Keep on motivating yourself during the race to get the maximum out of your performance. Visualise how you arrive at the finishing line; how proud you will be at that moment and imagine how you will reward yourself afterwards.
7. Remain flexible and relaxed
   Perhaps not everything goes according to plan during the race: extreme weather conditions, a faulty bike, or you can’t maintain your targeted time. It is important here not to waste any additional energy, but to remain flexible. If plan A doesn’t work, then plan B most definitely will.
8. Control your movement patterns
   During the race, you should deliberately and repeatedly focus on your movement patterns to make sure you don’t get a cramp: What are my legs doing? My arms? How is my body posture? Am I breathing evenly?
9. Food and drink
   In a competition with a duration of more than 60 minutes, you always need to supply your body with energy in the form of fluids as well as solids, if necessary. Please don’t experiment in the competition itself.
10. Enjoy running to the finishing line
    You did it. And here it is, THE MOMENT. You’ve geared a lot towards this over the past weeks and months and have perhaps also gone without. The finish is now tangible: Enjoy the last few metres and soak up everything around you.

RunningCOACH plans your training so it has variety and structure. By duly combining a mix of individual forms of training for you, you can take your running to new heights and shine at the finish.

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