It's not a Race, it's a Training Run

Have you ever over-scheduled your race calendar?

I have (and not by accident).

Though I'm not a competitive, type-A, "in-it-to-win-it" type of a runner, I do enjoy racing. I'm also not a certified coach, but I bet any (or all?) of them would advise against too many races within a training cycle, especially if you're training for a major landmark race. My caveat to doing numerous races (while training for something bigger) is that I do them as training runs.


Have you ever done such a thing? It's really not a crime, after all. Here are some things to consider if you find yourself training for a big race (your first-ever long distance event, or a half marathon, or possibly a full marathon or ultra) and can't resist hitting "submit" on a registration site:

1. Just because it's a race does not mean you have to RACE it. Did you know you don't have to make every "race" an all-out 110% PR conquest? I know, if you're going to spend the money, why not try for a victory....I get that...but if you give every race a full-on effort, you will need a lot more recovery time after each finish line. If you have a big race that, ultimately, is your "main" race, your training may get side-railed as a result (ummm...#burnout). Let's not even talk about the increased risk of injury from all of the effort (hello...#overtraining).

One such race for me was Grandma's Marathon (June 2015). I essentially used Grandma's as a training run in preparation for my first ultra (Christmas in July 6-hour Ultra) a month later. I had already registered for Grandma's (and was in the early stages of training) when several friends asked me to join them at the CIJ. I was torn...I really wanted to do both races, but I also respected the amount of wear and tear it would be on my body. Hence, I got the idea to continue with my marathon training, but treat the first race as a long training run...in other words, go for distance and not finish time on race day. Because I ran Grandma's at an easy pace, I was able to recover much quicker than had I tried to "race" it. Granted, my finish time was my slowest 26.2 to date, but I was also able to finish my first-ever ultra  the following month.

Approaching the finish line at Grandma's Marathon

2. An actual race environment is a great opportunity to test your race day strategy for your future BIG race. When I trained for Route 66 last fall, I also wanted to run in the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon (a month prior). I had been having some issues with my pacing (running the training runs too fast) and my fuel needed tweaking. My coach advised me to run the first eight miles at a slow pace (for me, that was between a 10-10:30 pace), then try to to run the remaining five miles faster, with a moderate effort (9-9:30 pace). I also had the plan to take a gel every four miles instead of waiting for when I felt I "needed" one (usually around the 6-mile mark), and to alternate water and Gatorade at the water stations....in other words, I needed to make a conscious effort to stay ahead of the fueling/hydration. Guess what? Without the pressure to PR, I was able to focus on my well-being. All went well...I stayed on pace for those first eight miles, and (by doing so) had enough energy left in the tank to finish strong (even with a tough hill near the 10-mile mark).

3. You can swap it out for a tempo run. Recently, I was registered for a 10K (Leprechaun Chase), but some unexpected snow/ice paid the race course a visit and the route had to be shortened for safety reasons. Believe me, I did not show up on race morning ready for a 5K, but it's what we were given. Although I desperately tried to start out easy, I got swept up in the excitement and followed the crowd...it wasn't until I glanced at my watch (at the 1-mile mark) that I realized just how fast I was going (8:00 pace...YIKES! #toofastforme). I managed to reel it back some for the second mile, but ultimately ran the entire race faster than I'd anticipated. I didn't get a 5K PR, but it definitely was one of my fastest 5K's ever.

Leprechaun Chase...an unexpected 5K tempo eun

4. You also have the option of running a few extra miles before and after to arrive at a cumulative long-distance. Another recent race happened at an inopportune time within my training cycle. Our town was hosting a state-wide 5K event, but I had a 10-mile long run on my schedule. It was still relatively early in my training, so I opted to run an easy 3 miles as a warm-up, "race" the 5K, then finish up with four extra bonus miles afterwards. Problem solved. The 5K happened, and (thanks to the 3-mile warm-up) I ran it well! The remaining miles were finished and I was able to stay on schedule with my mileage .

5. Last of all, you just might end up with a medal for your efforts. Another such race that I ran as a training run was the Quad Cities Half Marathon (Sept. 2016). Technically, I also ran this race as part of a marathon relay team (continuing on to the 13.1 finish line after my relay leg was completed), so I scored two medals! I'm kind of a bling junkie....if I have a long run that needs to be run, why not earn a medal in the process?

Double race bibs = double bling

Obviously, this strategy is not for everyone. Racing is expensive, and it would be ridiculous to try to do a race every weekend  just for the sake of extra hardware. This works for me because I have learned to alter my training plan(s) to accommodate the optimal mileage needed to stay on track for my races. Is it ideal? (no) Is it perfect? (not really) But, can it work? (YES!)

Have you ever utilized a race as part of a training plan? Have you ever had to take a pass on a favorite race because it may not have fit into your schedule?

I'm linking this with Meranda and Lacey and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0. 

I'm also linking with Nicole for her  Fit and Fashionable Friday link-up.