WALK THIS WAY walk this way
by ZELDA BOTHA
Plan Well to Race Well
I ’ m always happy to share some of the knowledge I have gained from many years of racewalking , so this month , let ’ s talk about the importance of planning your training and nutrition , and importantly , your racing week .
Recently , my younger brother also discovered a love for racewalking , and in his first year of participation in the sport , he managed to excel in four races , which earned him a place him in the Wes-Boland team that participated in the Boland Championships in Paarl at the end of February . His build-up and preparation made me realise that many young athletes like him don ’ t always know what to do in training overall , and the week before a big race , and on the day of the race . Perhaps that applies to you , too , even if you ’ re not a junior ? Now I am no expert in training or coaching , but I can definitely talk from past experiences – both bad ones and great ones .
Making the Time
Building up to a goal race takes planning , but some of us have crazy-busy lives , and putting pen to paper to plan your next week of training is challenging at the best of times , while planning the last week before the race only seems to happen the Wednesday evening before the Saturday race . And by then , it ’ s really too late ! So , in an ideal world , do your planning at latest the Sunday before the week starts .
This way , you know exactly what you did the past week in training – it ’ s fresh in the mind – and can work out a clear plan as to what needs to follow the coming week . Nutrition-wise , you can also plan your meals , and go to the shop to buy everything in advance . I always try to do this , in order to avoid rushing into the shop looking for a quick-fix meal for that night , and then being tempted to buy unhealthy and unnecessary foods .
Zelda and her brother – keeping it in the family
Slightly blurry action pic of younger boet in walking action
Some of you might say that your schedule is so packed that you barely get time to think about the now , let alone planning a whole week , but your training the coming week won ’ t happen efficiently unless you plan . And if it ’ s important to you – you will make time . That may sound harsh , but this is a lesson I had to learn myself . When SA Olympic walker and great friend Marc Mundell once said this to me , when I made the excuse of no time , and I thought he probably doesn ’ t understand , because I have a full-time job , and this and that and all sorts of things filling my days , but the truth was that I needed to hear it . Because once I actually made time for my planning , and made time for my nutrition and training , then I started excelling .
Final Preparation
The night before a race looks and feels different for each athlete , in terms of what you eat , when you eat it , and how you relax and sleep , and you need to do what works for you . Just don ’ t change your plan at the last minute , because you heard what your competitors are doing , and now you think that could give you the upper hand . Stick to your plan , as much as possible , because you know yourself better than anyone else .
In my case , I always have a very plain bolognaise – no spices – and a glass of juice . No desert , but maybe a nice yoghurt later before bed . In the past , I used to eat steak and vegetables the night before the race , but eventually changed that . Really , it ’ s what works for
With the right planning , the racing success follows !
you , but test your nutrition on important training days , not the night before the race . This way you can learn what works and learn what doesn ’ t without potentially wrecking your race .
Lastly , let ’ s talk about race day ! Eat breakfast well in advance , so that you ’ re not full and feeling sluggish when the race starts . When I eat too close to the race start time , I tend to fuel less during the race , because I feel full already , which can then cause dehydration in the later stages of the race . So , eat early , drink some water before you get moving , warm up well , and put in some fast strides to get the body moving .
At this point , there is absolutely nothing you can do on the day to be fitter or faster , so don ’ t go warming up an extra kilometre just because you feel you didn ’ t train enough this week . All the experts will tell you that a well-rested body on the start line is way better than an overtrained , tired body . So , accept it , and go enjoy the race . Oh , and nothing works better than a smile on your face – believe me , it certainly makes you walk faster !
Plan Well , Race Well
At the end of the day , what you put in is what you will get out , so if you want it , work for it . And if it ’ s important to you , you will make the time and put in the effort to plan to succeed .
About the Author
Zelda Botha ( née Schultz ) won the 2019 SA 20km Road Race Walking title and the 2021 SA Track & Field Champs title , and she represented SA at the 2018 African Champs in Nigeria . She balances training and competing in racewalking with a full-time job as a surgical sales representative , and being married to top obstacle racer Armin Botha .
Images : Courtesy Zelda Botha
52 ISSUE 157 | www . modernathlete . co . za