Dory was Nemo’s friend in the Disney movie. Dory had a VERY short attention span, so it was very difficult to keep Dory on objective. Many athletes have this same issue. They set a goal and then quickly get side tracked by other races along the way because of peer pressure or the bling of that special medal.

When training for a specific objective it is critical to stay focused on your goal. Keep your eye on the prize by asking yourself before you sign up for other races how does this help me to achieve my goal? Does it fit into my training schedule? Will it allow me enough time to recover before my main race?

Most elites only race two marathons a year. This is because you must let your muscle fibers heal and your glycogen levels recover much like your cell phone needing to be recharged at the end of a long day. Too many races are a recipe for injury!

Next it’s important to choose the correct race. Do you have a specific strength that you can use to your advantage? If you prefer cool/cold races then it make more sense to pick a race in Dec thru February. How difficult is the course that I have chosen?

Keep your focus on your goal and it will lead to many future successes.