2016 might have been about getting into running or it may have been about hitting a new PB but 2017 is time to take on a race or two and test your skills against other runners. Planning your racing calendar early is important for a number of reasons, not only do races fill up rather quickly nowadays but you also need to make sure you space them reasonably so you don’t take on more than you can handle.
Jason Fitzgerald has put together 5 reminders to help create a well-planned racing calendar and help you achieve your goals.
1. Prioritize
What is your goal for this year? Do you want to go further, run faster or take on trails? Be specific in your goals and then prioritize them. This will help you keep you structured.
2. Pick Your Goal Race
Choose what race is going to be your favourite achievement for the year. Some races are more popular and may have constraints such as a lottery system or qualifying time, choose a backup plan in case you can’t get into your top choice.
3. Establish Your Training Cycle
Your training with differ depending on your goal race and current fitness. Here are some basic guideline aimed at runners who have som previous racing experience. If you have recently been injured or are getting into racing for the first time you may need more time to train.
- 5K–10K: 10–16-week plan.
- Half-Marathon–Marathon: 12–20-week training cycle.
- Ultramarathon: 16–24-week training cycle.
A training cycle needs 3 phrases.
- Base phase: Builds your endurance and prepares you for harder workouts.
- Race Specific Phase: Workouts that are race-specific and get you used to running at your goal race pace.
- Taper: A period of reduced mileage prior to your goal race.
4. Specificity and Tuneup Races
As you get closer to your race you need to do workouts that closely resemble the actual race.
5. Allow for Recovery and Downtime
Taper, taper, taper! Trust that you have trained enough and allow your body to rest leading up to the race. After the race give yourself adequate recovery time before you start training for your next race.
To read the full article written by Jason Fitzgerald click here.