When's the Race?
Take adequate time to prepare and get in shape before you race!
There is no exact science as to when you should start your racing season, but I believe waiting a few weeks, at a minimum, after your break is a safe bet to when you can start thinking about a race.
When I was in college, we took an extended break after the cross country season. It was as much as two weeks of very little to zero running. After 4.5 or 5 months of really hard and consistent training, taking some time off was necessary. After that break, we’d jog for a week and then try and qualify for the Big East meet before we went home for winter break. I would never feel good on race day (duh!) and would barely sneak under the qualifying standard. I’d come away from that race needing just a bit more TLC because my body wasn’t necessarily ready for that hard effort.
Would I consider older runners race after only a week of training? No way, Jose! As an adult, we need to spend a considerable amount of time getting back into the right frame of mind and log some consistent miles before we feel confident in our abilities to run fast.
I think running for a few weeks - maybe a minimum of 3 weeks - where we can get our legs back under us helps buffer the risk of injury. Think about it - taking two weeks off, jogging for two or three weeks, then asking your body to run fast - is a recipe for things not ending well.
If you had to race after only a few weeks, I would set your expectations really low and know that your time and/or performance may not (will not) be what you want it to be or expect it to be later in the season.
What you can focus on to get yourself into racing shape is to take care of these 3 training :
Get your long run distance up. How far you go depends on your current fitness, where you left off with your mileage, and your peak race distance.
Get consistent with your daily and weekly mileage.
Start running workouts to build your aerobic system. Run all the paces in a 2 or 3-week block.
As a recap, if you have to race, set your sights on non-performance-related goals, like executing a race plan, finishing strong, or doing your warmup and cool down well. Think about what purpose this early-season race has on the “big picture” racing. If it doesn’t help your end-of-cycle goals, then it might be best served not racing.
Friday’s Action Plan:
Spend 3+ weeks gaining momentum in your training before deciding to race.
What’s Got My Attention:
Article: What all runners can learn from Dathan Ritzenhein
Article: Technology is changing track and field
Popular Articles on the Blog this Week:
Out of shape? These workouts will help
At-Home Strength Workout Ideas
Popular Newsletter Sessions:
Take Advantage of the Good Days
Quote of the Day:
Start with small goals, then complete them. When you see yourself finishing small goals, the larger ones don't seem so large.
Connect with me:
Here’s what I’m working on and what I’d love you to check out:
Thanks for following along on the journey! Have something you’d like to add? Have suggestions or comments? Email me: TrainwithMarc@gmail.com
If this resonates with you, I would love it if you could share it.
Marc is a middle school teacher and coach but also works with distance runners online. I help distance runners around the globe by providing support, writing customized training plans, and designing workouts to help them reach their racing goals. I write for my blog every Wednesday morning and newsletter every Friday morning.