This article is from the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics' newly launched newsletter, The Medalist Report.

Less than a year after Zach Railey won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in China, the Finn sailor is already setting his sights on 2012. First up: Zach structured an on- and off-the-water training plan to ensure he peaks, performance-wise, at key events throughout the year. The Medalist caught up with Zach at Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Conn., where he was coaching young Optimist sailors. He shared his elite training plan - and gave advice for every sailor about how to stay physically and mentally sharp.  

How does a fitness plan give you an edge over other sailors?
You have to have endurance because sailing is all about repetitive motions over and over again. Time on the water is the number one way to get fit. But once you get to a certain point, you have to look for other avenues and the gym is the only way. All the top sailors in the world are doing this - so if you don't do it, you will lose the edge.  Even if you're not at an Olympic level of sailing, you should get on a physical fitness and nutrition program. You must be physically ready to excel on the water. It will make a big difference.  

How much time do you train on and off the water?
When I am training full time, I probably spend five days a week on the water for an average of four hours a day. I do four days a week of cardio: I do an hour to an hour-and-a-half of running, biking or swimming.  And then I do another hour-and-a-half of weight lifting four days a week, so that's another six hours.

How would you define periodization and how it relates to your training?
Periodization is using your on-the-water and off-the-water training to peak at certain events each year. In order to compete at your absolute best at your key events, you need to peak in three areas at the same time: physical fitness, sailing fitness and mental strength. I work with the USSTAG Performance Enhancement Team trainers and Bow Down Training to design my plan.

The length of your periodization cycle depends on the time between your major events. Optimally you want to have your peaking events very close together, so you can carry your peak for both events. Usually that doesn't happen so you try to set the events far apart - maybe spring time and the end of summer. That allows you to focus on the first event and then go back and redo the entire the periodization for the second event, so you peak at both events. It's a cycle.  

Within that cycle, there are four phases: the building phase, skill phase, competition phase and recovery phase.  The building phase is when you build muscle mass. When I get really close to an event, I increase my endurance and do more cardio and higher repetitions of weight lifting in the gym, which is called the skill phase. When I hit the event, I've built muscle mass up to where I want it, but I've also trained my muscle mass to be able to repeat the actions over and over.  This is the competition phase, when you're at your peak physical condition. You can sail as hard as you want and not get fatigued. You can't hold that endurance level for the entire cycle, so you have to pick spots and events where you want it to happen. After a regatta, I enter the recovery phase, where I allow my body to rest and start again with the building cycle. 

How long are you typically in the recovery phase?  
After the Olympic Games, I took two months off, but that was because I had chosen one peak for the year.  After the 2009 Finn World Championship in Denmark last month, I took a week and a half off. How long you take off for the recovery cycle depends on how quickly the next event is coming up.

How does food play an active role in your training?
When trying to gain muscle mass, you have to eat more calories - but they have to be good calories. You can't go to fast food restaurants all the time. You have to focus on putting good food in your body and getting enough energy in your body all the time. I mainly focus on a diet that's 55-60 percent protein and the rest carbohydrates and fats. A lot of people like to say they don't like to have a lot of carbs, but your body needs carbs, especially if you're training all the time. As you get closer to an event, you increase your carb intake.    

What are your favorite carbs and protein? 
I eat a lot of fish, chicken and vegetables but my favorite is pasta with canned tuna fish in a red tomato sauce.

How do you train for the mental game of sailing?
I think people prepare mentally in different ways. A lot of people try to take their mind off the event. A distraction helps me to calm down before an event, but I am a huge believer in visualization. I want to visualize what I want to do on the water.  I like to sail competitively against the best in the world. When I go to the regatta, I visualize what I want to do, and if it's a peaking event, I need to go in knowing I did everything I possibly could to perform there. If I can do that before the first race, I already have an edge, no matter how the results go. Whether I reach my goal for a regatta or not, I can still walk away and say I know I have gone into that regatta prepared. When you do that, you have a mental confidence in yourself and you're there to perform.

What happens if you're having a bad race? How do you psyche yourself up during a bad race?
You have to look at the race itself. A race isn't over till you cross the finish line. No matter how bad the race is, if you're in 30th place, your goal is to get to 29th. Make the best of the situation you're in. You're going to have a bad race. Bad races happen. But while you're still in the race, you're still in control to get the best result in a bad situation. Just take deep breaths and take it one step at a time. You have to sail the shifts, stay calm and make the boat go fast. If you do that, eventually you'll work your way up the fleet. But if you're still in 30th place halfway through the race, now might be the time to take a risk and go out to a side and hope you made the right decision. lt's a balancing act.

What's your final piece of advice?
We all do the sport because we enjoy it. It doesn't matter if I'm racing at home, practicing or competing for an Olympic medal, I love going sailing. It's really important not to forget about that. Have fun and enjoy the moment because that's what you work so hard for: to be there for those moments. I really enjoy putting myself against the best sailors in the world because I enjoy the moment. And if come out on top, I enjoy it even more! Winning is fun. But if I don't, then I have to know I went into the regatta doing everything I could to perform. If I get beat by someone better than me, then they are better than me. But I know how far I can push myself. 

Click here for more fitness tips from Bow Down Training.

Listen to Sailing World's Stuart Streuli podcast interview with Zach Railey.

Read the rest of The Medalist Report.