We’ve all been there. Race day is coming up, and that little voice in your head starts whispering:
Am I actually fit enough? Can I hold my goal pace? Did I train hard enough?
Those thoughts are completely normal – especially when you’ve poured so much time, effort, and emotion into preparing for a big event. Whether it’s finishing Leadville under 12 hours, setting a new 5K PR, or simply feeling strong at your next race, doubt always seems to sneak in.
But here’s where many athletes go wrong: to quiet that doubt, we try to “test” our fitness in training by going all-out on a ride, hammering an interval session, or turning a long run into a race. It feels like proof that we’re ready.
Unfortunately, it’s one of the least effective things you can do for your actual performance.
Why Testing Fitness Backfires
For example, the least effective way to run a faster mile is to run an all-out mile every day. You don’t get faster that way, you just get tired. Real progress comes from building fitness around your goal pace like running longer at easier intensities to build endurance, and shorter, faster intervals to develop speed and efficiency at race pace or faster. On race day, with proper rest, fueling, and tapering, you are able to put it all together to execute a PB.
The same principle applies in cycling or any endurance sport. The magic is in the combination – structured intensity plus controlled endurance, layered over weeks and months.
That’s how fitness builds. Testing it too soon or too often can actually set you back, leading to fatigue, burnout, or even injury.
So What Should You Do Instead?
1. Trust Your Training (and Your Zones)
Confidence comes from consistency. Hitting 90% of your planned workouts, executed at the right intensities, matters far more than any last-minute test session. Once you’ve mastered consistency and found the right balance between training, rest, and life, it’s about trusting the process and letting your fitness show up when it counts.
2. Plan “B” and “C” Races Early
Working with your coach to schedule lower-priority races throughout the year allows you to test pacing, nutrition, and mental strategies under race conditions without jeopardizing your “A” race.
These prep events help channel nerves into experience and confidence rather than leaving yourself to be tempted with cramming fitness and preparation at the last minute.
3. Build Confidence Off the Bike (or Trail)
That urge to test fitness? It often stems from insecurity, not lack of preparation. Strengthening your mental game can help. Practice visualization, journaling, mindfulness, and/or consider working with a sports psychologist to build self-belief and calm pre-race anxiety.
4. Rehearse Race-Day Details Without Going All-Out
You can still practice key elements of your event without redlining. Try race-day nutrition during long training sessions, ride or run at the same time of day as your race, or work on skills like pack positioning, descending, or running technical trails. These details can make the difference between finishing strong or fading.
5. Prioritize Health and Resilience
Fitness means nothing if you’re not healthy enough to use it. Keep up with the small stuff – mobility, activation, and strength training. They’re the unglamorous habits that keep you consistent and strong for the duration of your race. As the saying goes, “Take care of the little things, and the little things will take care of you.”
The Big Picture
As my own coach reminded me recently, it’s easy to train reactively – letting emotions or race pressure drive impulsive workouts but this is not effective. Training is about patience and process, not proving yourself, save that for race day!
This season, challenge yourself to take the long view. Work with your coach to build a plan that sends you into your “A” race with full confidence – not because you’ve tested your fitness, but because you’ve trusted your training.
Your fitness doesn’t need a test. It needs a chance to shine.