How to prepare for the next SUP season

The role of the SUP Coach

by Paolo Marconi

With the start of a new year, it's time to begin planning for the upcoming sports season, thinking about the next races, trips, and challenges we want to face in SUP. Most SUP events already have a date in the busy calendar, with races for every taste, many types of competitions, all kinds of distances, and destinations. In short, for those looking to challenge themselves in SUP, there is no shortage of options. It is precisely during this time of year that we start planning and dreaming about the next adventures, setting goals and trying to fit our sports commitments into our daily routine, and figuring out which event on our wish list is within reach. Up to this point, everything seems relatively easy, but what are the key steps to achieving our SUP dream or simply organizing a sustainable race season? The three fundamental steps we'll discuss in this article are: Planning, Preparation, and Execution.

Planning: This is the phase where we build a solid foundation for the success of our upcoming season. During the planning phase, we identify the goals we want to achieve. Everyone has their own way of experiencing SUP and their own goals to reach. Some set performance-oriented goals (winning a race, achieving a specific placement, winning the overall circuit ranking or their age category, etc.), others might set performance-based goals (beating their record on a specific course, lowering their average pace per kilometer, paddling a certain distance, etc.), and others still might have more varied and personal objectives (completing a race, undertaking a SUP trip or expedition, or simply using SUP as a way to stay fit). Goals can vary, but during the planning phase, we also try to assess whether our goal is achievable and what we can do to reach it. It's also in this phase that we analyze other aspects related to achieving our dream. For example, during planning, we figure out how to train to reach our goal, how to organize logistics to reach an event or undertake a SUP challenge, what equipment we will use for the upcoming season, and so on.

Preparation: This phase is perhaps the most exciting, as it's when we dive into the action. We have our goal that keeps us company and motivates us day by day to face our training and embrace a healthy lifestyle. Athletes of all kinds, from amateurs to professionals, view the preparation phase as the journey that leads them to realize their project. During this phase, trust in the process and belief in the correctness of what we’re doing are crucial. We must be convinced that every training session is an essential piece that will help us unlock our full potential. It’s important to find time to complete the training program. Sometimes, this means getting up early to do the first session of the day before the city wakes up, when staying in bed would be so comfortable. All those who start an athletic journey of any kind should be proud of themselves because they are everyday warriors who have embraced the priority of moving, training, and forging themselves through their discipline. Physical activity is a powerful tool for improving both as athletes and as individuals, which is why the preparation phase is so captivating.

Execution: We’ve planned and prepared well during the period leading up to the race season. Finally, the time has come to take action. The race season begins, or we set out for our personal adventure, or maybe it’s time to compete in our first Ultra. Everyone's Race Day will be different in terms of goals, expectations, and performance. It doesn’t necessarily have to coincide with a race; the competition can be personal. Some train an entire year to achieve the goal of winning a medal at the Sprint World Championships, while others train to fulfill the dream of completing the Yukon 1000 Ultra. Every SUP athlete has their own story and journey to paddle through. On the day we step into action and paddle toward our dream, we must rely on the hard work done during the preparation. If our body is ready for the challenge, we can be confident in facing it. However, the outcome will be largely determined by the strategy and tactics we employ on Race Day. Only those who can interpret certain race situations, attack at the right moment during a long distance race, maintain a sustainable pace during an Ultra, or adopt the best nutritional strategy during an expedition—only those who can ride the right wave will successfully complete their mission.

The entire process is relatively easy to describe, but a little more challenging to implement. Each phase requires a good dose of self-discipline, practical knowledge of training, periodization, and a certain level of experience in the racing world to clearly know which direction to take and how to set one's goals. All of this can be achieved alone. There are many so-called “self-coached” athletes, meaning they coach themselves, and many of them achieve excellent results. However, there is a figure who can help athletes and make their journey to success easier: the SUP Coach. A coach is a multidisciplinary figure who bases their knowledge on training methodology applied to the sport, physical preparation, knowledge of the racing world, understanding the mechanisms and phases of competition, and many other important pillars. A coach can help define the right goals for you—balanced goals that can be achieved through the correct process. A coach will help you plan the race or adventure of your dreams, prepare you physically and technically, and provide valuable insights based on his experience that will come in handy when it's time to perform at your best. Having a coach is, therefore, a shortcut to achieving your goals. In Italy and around the world, there are some excellent SUP coaches with extensive experience and diverse backgrounds. It’s up to you to find the one who most aligns with your approach to the sport, the one with whom you feel most comfortable communicating, because, most of the time, it's the communication between the athlete and coach that makes the difference.

If you want to know more about the SUP Coaching program we offer with SUP Salivoli, you can visit the Coaching section of our website