Training in the Face of Uncertain Racing
Here’s how I’m staying motivated when no one knows what racing will look like this winter
By Jake Brown
Earlier this summer, our rowing team completed their first race of the year, a small competition consisting of elite scullers in Boston for a race fittingly named the “Social Distance Regatta”. This was their first and likely only race of the year in a season that was supposed to include a plethora of qualifying regattas leading up to the Tokyo Olympic Games. As you might imagine, the race itself looked and felt quite a bit different- no boathouses, no volunteers holding the boats at the start, and no high fives. It makes me wonder as a winter athlete what racing will look like this summer- how often, where, with what teams, and on what stage- if at all. Racing motivates me, and if I were to hear that our season was cancelled I’d be more than a little sad. The reality is that we are prepared for racing to look differently this winter; so how are we maintaining our motivation amid all the uncertainty?
Set process goals
Early in Once a Runner (one of my favorite books) protagonist Quenton Cassidy explains how, in the track and field world, each athlete walks around with a set of numbers floating above their head as if their very existence is summed up in a column of personal bests. Set a new personal best and one number is replaced by a better one, boosting that running’s worth in track and field world.
But guess what! Athletes are more than numbers! (shocking, right?!) In fact, Once a Runner goes on to romanticize the journey of Quenton Cassidy over the result that follows. The reader discovers that achievement really is made possible through a well-executed process. In Boy Scouts, our Scoutmaster used to remind us of this by asking, “How do you eat an elephant?” To which we were to reply, “bite by bite.” Sure, every now and then the elephant-eater will need to look up and remind his or herself that they are eating an elephant- maybe see where they are, re-assess their plan for consumption. But the task itself is best accomplished by making the most of each bite. And that’s why we make process goals. This year, for example, I’m focusing on increasing my efficiency in race-pace skiing, trying to learn to ski as relaxed as possible at a fast pace. On the range, I’m focusing on getting my shooting speed up: 25 seconds for standing stages and 30 seconds for prone, for example. These are my elephant bites. Every now and then I look up at the elephant and remind myself that I want to get into the top 30 on the World Cup and boost our team into the top 10 in the Nation’s Cup standings. But with the season uncertain, my focus would ebb and flow if I focused on solely those numerical goals. For now, I find it best to keep my head down and take satisfaction in making each bite the best it can be.
Find Accountability
At Craftsbury I’m fortunate to have great biathlon training partners. These guys share my passion for improvement, push me to be my best, and like to have fun along the way. While I do enjoy training on my own for some easy afternoon sessions to give my mind a break, I find that on the hard days nothing gets me out of the house more effectively than knowing that my teammates are expecting me to hit training hard alongside them.
Furthermore, my teammates and I help each other execute our bests. Sometimes that means encouraging each other when one of us makes the decision to rest when we’re dead tired. Other times it means giving a fist bump before the morning’s last tough interval. On the range it’s often direct accountability- we’ll often ask each other what our shooting focus is for a certain stage, and then follow up afterward and ask how we did. It’s always helpful to be forced to verbalize your intention for the day, and then have to tell someone if you executed your task or not.
Make it sustainable part 1: Have fun
Having fun is key to getting through the years of training required to perform at an elite level in an endurance sport. Better yet if you find the work fun in the first place, but I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it can feel like just plain work. We can’t be merely fair-weather exercise enthusiasts if we want to achieve our lofty goals. So we have to find a way to make training fun, even when it’s work.
Of note this year is our competition for the “Top Gun Trophy”, the winner of which receives the option for a trip to Hawaii (winner pays, so it’s all for the fun of it). Essentially, each interval workout consists of a set of “races” in which an athlete receives a certain amount of points for having the best or second-best shooting in a “race”, and negative points if their lactate is too high or too low. Sometimes we get creative and make up other games for our longer workouts as well, whether it’s drafting our favorite vegetables onto teams or testing out alternative technique solutions.
Make it sustainable part 2: Find balance
Training isn’t everything in life, nor should it. I’ve found that when I obsess over my training day-in and day-out it becomes unsustainable after ~12 weeks. My teammates help me out with finding balance and making this journey sustainable year after year. Music nights, campfires, games, and celebrations have their place throughout the summer and fall. Helping out around the Outdoor Center with coaching, gardening, and general upkeep gives my athlete mind the break it needs before the next training session.
Make it sustainable part 3: Make long-term health a priority
Perhaps this topic is the most important, yet I must admit it is the area in which I am weakest, or perhaps simply less experienced. I’ve always thought of my training as an asset to my health, but too much of a good thing can be just plain too much. Two seasons ago I pushed the envelope on travel and training. I didn’t give my body the time it needed to heal. I wound up with two injured legs in the spring of 2019 and had to refocus on how I make this process sustainable. Every year I improve at finding better ways to take care of myself- sleep, nutrition, rest, managing stress and travel. I’ve been lucky to have access to professional help through the USOPC and some of the Outdoor Center’s connections. Of course, this year presents a new set of challenges. More than ever, we need to keep our immune systems firing on all cylinders, and there is added stress as we consider the unknown future ahead. It’s important to prioritize long-term health for both performance but also for our lives beyond sport (remember, athletes are more than numbers). I want to be an active human for the rest of my life, beyond my pursuit of international biathlon results. That for me remains a fundamental priority as I train through this era of uncertainty.