If you’ve ever competed in some form of physical challenge, like a Quest Race, a marathon or the CrossFit Open. You’ll know that one month out is not where the majority of preparation and work takes place.
But you can quite often make some common mistakes with a month to go, so over the next few weeks, these competition prep posts—starting with this one—will break down some key topics you may want to consider as you prepare for a challenge ahead.
Whether you’re running your first half marathon, competing in a weightlifting meet or doing an adventure race, these next few weeks should help you perform at your best the next time you decide to put your fitness to the test.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
It takes a lot longer than one month to properly prepare for a big test of fitness. Whether it’s the Open, a race, a tournament, or any other type of event, most of the work you’ve put in to be prepared is already done.
At just a few weeks out from “go time”, the hay is either already in the shed or it isn’t.
With that said, there are some things that are still in your control that you can focus on to perform at your best once it’s game day.
ONE THING TO TRY THIS WEEK
There is typically a number of skills in any event you can prepare for. An adventure race, it might be getting on and off your bike and into the next transition. A marathon it can be drinking while you keep moving (Honestly this is a skill!). For something like the CrossFit Open there’s a list of skills that have repeatedly shown up.
Even though you may not be able to get stronger or more aerobically fit over the next three weeks, you can still identify a few specific skills to work on to make yourself more comfortable if you encounter them once the workouts are released.
Handstand Push-ups, Wall Walks, Muscle Ups, Toes to Bar, Thrusters, and other barbell cycling are all skills we’ve seen in past Opens.
Identify one of the skills you’ve struggled with and intentionally practice this in a workout. This shouldn’t be a ton of volume, but rather intentional practice and repetition to make you feel more comfortable with the movement.
The key here is to commit to consistent practice over time, while focusing on only one or two of the skills that have challenged you the most. You’ll be surprised how much of an impact dedicated practice can have on skill development—but you need to stay consistent!
The work you put in during the weeks leading up to your big event is done and outside of your control at this point, so focus what is and what you can make huge improvements on over a short period of time.