5 Steps to Elevate Your Racing Performance this Winter
Hello friends,
Last Sunday (8th December) marked the end of my 2024 racing season, and what a way to finish.
The year's final race was in the Endurance Prokart Series at Clay Pigeon, and it was my best result to date. Starting 11th and climbing to 3rd in 40+ mph winds, courtesy of Storm Darragh, I felt at home on the track.
Despite the chaos, I loved every second of it. My plans for 2025 racing are secured, continuing karting in the EPS and my first season in BUKC.
I’m incredibly grateful, but many drivers don't know when they will get out on the track. So, let’s talk about how to maximise your winter break to set yourself up for success next season.
The Perfect Time for Progress
Winter is your opportunity to make the training adaptations you didn’t have time for during the racing season.
With no immediate races to conserve energy for, you can push your limits in training. Here’s how:
1. Set Goals and Systems
I wrote about this last week, but without a clear goal (and path to get there), you'll find yourself in the same position next year.
Take the time to identify a single area where you want to improve. It can be anything from cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, reaction times, or flexibility.
For example, if you struggle with endurance during long races, prioritise building your aerobic fitness. If strength was an issue, build a programme around compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses to develop overall power and stability.
Whatever you choose, write down your goal and break it into smaller, manageable milestones.
2. Adapt your Training
Without the demands of race recovery, you can push your training harder than during the season.
This is the time to add volume and intensity. Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions to improve anaerobic capacity, long steady-state cardio for endurance, and strength exercises.
Keep the plan dynamic to stay engaged and motivated.
3. Reflect and Adjust
Take an honest look at your 2024 season. What did you do well, and where did you fall short?
If your starts were slow, focus on power and reaction training. If you struggled with consistency, develop routines to improve your focus and endurance.
Use video and racing telemetry to uncover patterns and inform your training. Engaging with teammates or a coach can provide valuable perspectives you might miss on your own.
4. Dial in on Nutrition
Use this time to refine, experiment, and optimise your diet and recovery strategies.
You could experiment with nutrient timing. For example, eating a carbohydrate-protein mix post-workout to accelerate muscle repair and see how that makes your next workout feel.
By dialling in your nutrition now, you’ll be better equipped to handle the demands of next season and avoid unnecessary gastric problems when you're racing.
5. Train your Brain
Racing is as much about mental acuity as physical performance.
Try meditation and breathing techniques to build mental resilience. This can help you stay calm under pressure.
As an avid reader myself, I recommend reading books on psychology or working with a sports psychologist to refine your approach. Regular journaling can also be a game-changer for your mental health. It has been for me.
Resource of the week
I recommend reading the book Racing Hell by Peter Cate.
The book is full of inspiration from Peter's racing career (from nothing to the Nürburgring) and actionable tips for everything you can think of as a racing driver to improve your performance. Read it here.
More important than training, is spending time with loved ones. You've worked hard this year and need time to recover physically and mentally - especially in a sport like ours.
Thanks for reading the 14th edition of the Margins newsletter. What’s your focus for the off-season? Are you working on fitness, recovery, or something else entirely?
I’d love to hear about your goals and how you’re planning to achieve them. If you found this helpful, share it with a friend and reply to this email if you have any questions.
See you next week,
Rhys
This is the 14th edition of the Margins Newsletter. Sign up for free, weekly insights into the science behind motorsport athlete performance here!
