I don’t like it…but there is a downside to endurance racing and pushing your limits.
You can only do so many in one year.
These big races…the couple that are the most important in our race calendar are referred to as A RACES.
So, for example, I have 3 A RACES this year.
June Patriot 70.3
September Lake Geoge 70.3
November IRONMAN Florida
These are my top three. And within that, my 70.3 races are stepping stones on the way to Florida.
So what happens the rest of the time, other than a ton of training? Can you do other smaller races?
Yes! They are categorized as B and C races.
B RACES are used to keep you sharp! They can be a great way to practice race strategy, transitions, or nutrition in a race atmosphere while the stakes are low. B Races don’t need more than a couple of days of taper or recovery time, so they are’t a big disruption to your training cycle. As long as you schedule them correctly. A little goes a long way, and a summer full of B Races can leave you too tired to properly train for your A RACE.
What are C RACES? They are the little local races that you run most years. They support a cause that is important to you. It is running a 5K with your neighbor because it is her very first 5K and she was motiated to start running by seeing you head out the door every morning. It’s running an annual Turkey Trot or New Years Race. You can go easy, you can make it a tempo workout. You can run a little before and after to make it your weekly long run. They can be adaptable and social!
So… let’s look at my schedule again!
June Lake T Sprint (just the swim portion) C Race
June Patriot 70.3 A Race
July Mass State Olympic B Race
August Lake T Olympic B Race
September Lake Geoge 70.3 A Race
November IRONMAN Florida A Race
November Manchester Thanksgiving Day Road Race C Race
Starting to see the picture?
The swim in June was practice for Patriot AND I got to race with one of my athletes. WIN WIN!
Summer Olympic Tris keep me sharp, speedy, and motivated during the hot summer months.
I run the Manhester Road Race every year. It may be slow or it may be fast..it doesn’t matter (well…as long as I run fast enough to get a card for the seeded corals the following year!)
How do you plan your race season? And how far in advance? How do you categorize your races?
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