When it comes to racing, there seem to be two types of runners; those who race often, competing in many marathons a year, thinking about their next race before they have even made it out the finishing chute of the last, and spending most of their training time recovering from races. These people essentially race themselves into shape, and truly make the most of racing while they can.
Then there are the others, and I fall into this group. Maybe you are an elite, maybe you are injury prone, or maybe you just can only fit a few races into your schedule a year because of other commitments. These are the runners who are very selective with their racing schedule, and only really race when they are ready to chase down some fast times.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to racing…..as long as you are smart with your 5k, 10k, Half-Marathon, or Marathon race day strategy that is!
At the end of the day, all that really matters is that you challenge yourself, have fun (need more of that? Try these 6 extreme and unusual races), and do the best you can with the circumstances you are presented with.
But we often get the question; how far in advance should I plan my races out, and as I am sure you can guess, there are two answers to this question based on which camp you fall into.
Both methods will get you to the same peak race ready to go, and both have their pros and cons (which I will go over). If we say that your goal race is 16 weeks from your starting point, I will explain the various factors that go into each.
If You Love to Race
If you like to race often, you probably enjoy the social aspect of racing, and this means that you may be running with friends during a few of your races. If you are doing that, you may not be pushing yourself quite as hard as you would if you were by yourself, or at least not emotionally racing as hard as you would alone as friends tend to keep those demons away a little more.
For that reason, you are probably able to bounce back from races a little quicker than those who race less often. Your body also gets used to racing, which helps it understand what is going on. This correlates with what we found in our research about weekend warriors and the success despite cramming miles into a weekend.
If you are in the race often group, you do not need to schedule your races as far in advance…..as long as you are prepared for the first few races to be a little sub par, as you are not yet at your peak fitness.
If you can swallow your ego and do this, then this method is likely best for you.
How to Race Often
Racing often involves just that; within the 16 week stretch, choosing 7-12 races of varying distances (and terrains if your peak race has any hills or turns). You will not taper for any of the races, and will use the races as a workout for the next. Each race should build on the last, and although some will go better than others (and not necessarily in order), your fitness should continue to improve as your peak race closes.
You may also find that you are able to handle pre-race nerves a little better than if you race less.
In the weeks you are racing, you will be able to do one other race specific workout each week. The race will be your second workout. A long run will depend on the distance you are racing, and the distance of your goal race.
Risks for the Race Often Method
If you are injury prone, this method can be risky as you are pushing your body very hard, often.
If you do want to race often, then you should probably consider either a long run or a second workout each week, not both. That way you are essentially racing and recovering for the entire segment. This also involves being very diligent with your recovery, not making these recovery mistakes, and listening to your body, even if it means backing off (or backing out of a race) if you have any pains that have last more than a few days.
Here’s the deal:
This method also calls for some restraint. If you are a runner who tends to give their all to their racing, this method may not be for you as you could end up burned out by the end. Racing to your max not only takes a lot out of you physically, but emotionally too, which can catch up with you by the time you get to your goal race.
This method is best for:
- Runners who enjoy the social aspect of racing
- Runners who are good at listening to their body
- Those who are unable to get enough training in during the week due to schedule conflicts
- Runners who enjoy being spontaneous
If You Need to Race Hard, Sparingly
On the other end of the spectrum are those runners who are not as in to racing. These are the runners who enjoy the race specific workouts, and like to have a detailed plan from start to finish.
If you, like me, fall into this group, you are probably a Type A personality. Or maybe you have other commitments (or maybe little ones running around) who determine your schedule weekend to weekend. Either way, racing often is not on the cards for you, and you need to make the most of every opportunity to race.
How to Race Sparingly
Runners in this group usually like to have a full schedule, knowing their goal race, and all the workouts in between.
If we use the 16 week away goal race, you would chose 3-5 races of varying distances during that 16 weeks. You are unlikely to race until you are in close to PR shape, although you should expect to be a little rusty in that first race.
This is where we usually advise people to change your perspective on racing, to limit the amount of pressure we put on ourselves when we do not race very often.
This works well when you have a few big races in mind, and you love to run them hard. You love to cross that finish line knowing you have given your heart and soul to the race. By racing less often than other running friends, you have more time to emotionally and physically recover between them.
Risks for the Race Sparingly Method
Firstly, be prepared for jealousy. This is one of the issues I personally struggle with being one of these runners, as you see friends with their medals and that post race smile on their faces what seems like every weekend, and you wonder if you should abandon your plan and race anyway. To use this method you have to be confident in your coach or in your plan, and trust that you are doing the right thing.
This method requires putting your eggs in one basket. With fewer opportunities to race, you are trusting that you are going to be able to avoid injury and get to that goal race. We never know when we are going to get injured, so it can be difficult to accept if you do have to pull out of your goal race, as you feel like you have gained nothing from the training segment, which of course, is not true!
I have fallen victim to this thinking many times!
This method is best for:
- Injury prone runners
- Runners who tend to race to the max every time they race
- Runners who have other commitments/a busy schedule
- Beginner runners
- Runners who like to have a distinct plan (usually Type A personalities!)
What’s the bottom line?
Unfortunately, I am not making this easy on you. There is no right or wrong method for planning out your races, it really depends on what your goals are, and how your body handles training. With either method, you need to make sure you are keeping your easy runs slow enough for your body to recover, which we talked about in our post about running 80% easy leading to 23% faster results.
This post will give you a few things to consider when you are planning out your next race, but 16 weeks generally the amount of time most people use to prepare for a peak race.
How much you race during that time, is up to you!
If you are looking for a specific training plan for your next race, you should give the RunnersConnect training plan a try. You can get a 2 week free trial, and we would love to have you as part of the team!
Not convinced RunnersConnect is right for you? Read about how we compare to Hansons, Hal Higdon, Pfitzinger, and McMillan.
