
Everyone has a personal approach to racing and the number of bibs they wear in a year. With an increasingly dense race calendar and growing enthusiasm for running, it’s essential to register early to secure your spot before registrations close quickly. Let’s see how to select the races you will participate in. And how to effectively plan your season to perform on race day!
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A Few Main Goals Per Year
Some runners may sign up for more than 10 or even 20 races in a year.
During my track years, I participated in about thirty races annually, but not all had the same purpose. Some were used to test different strategies and prepare for future races. Only a handful were my main goals.
On the road, it is recommended to have a maximum of 4 to 5 main goals per year.
If you have 1 or 2, that’s great too! Why? Because these main goals require significant physical and mental intensity and need sufficient recovery time to prevent injuries and optimize progress.
When Running Marathons or Ultra Marathons
The wisest approach is to aim for 1 to 2 marathons per year as main goals and prepare for them properly.
For example, running a marathon in spring and another in autumn allows for a progressive training approach and alternation between preparation and recovery.
One of the common mistakes is setting two main goals too close together, leaving insufficient recovery time. This often leads to injuries. After a marathon or a longer race where you gave everything to achieve a performance, I recommend allowing at least 8 weeks between two main goals. On average, it takes about 3 weeks to properly recover after such a goal (for example, with our post-race recovery programs).
If you plan to run several long-distance races close together, you should accept that some races will be run at a lower intensity as intermediate goals. These will serve as training but at a lower intensity or shorter distance than your main goal. Preparation races help fine-tune strategies for your main objectives, particularly regarding race strategy and nutrition.
If you run trails or ultra-trails, check out our article on how to plan your trail running season.
When Running 5K, 10K, or Half Marathons
For those who prefer shorter distances, you can aim for 3 to 4 main goals per year in 10K, half-marathon, or even 5K races. The key is to structure the season according to the desired progression: a speed-focused period with multiple 10Ks, followed by an endurance-focused period targeting a half-marathon.
Sometimes, runners who have completed a marathon feel they have improved and want to attempt a personal best in a 10K soon after. While they may achieve this, for true optimization, we recommend following a dedicated 3-month training plan for that distance. Speed can feel limited after long-distance goals, and regular short-interval training over three months will help optimize performance.
Combining Road and Trail Goals?
For those who race both on roads and trails, the ideal approach is to focus on road racing during one part of the year (often in spring) and trails during another (typically summer). To minimize injury risks, avoid alternating between road and trail races in less than a month, as they place different stresses on joints and muscles.
Sometimes, patience is key, and it may be better to plan a competition schedule over 2 or 3 years rather than trying to do everything in one season. 😉
Which Preparation Races to Plan?
If you’re training for a marathon, it’s advisable to run a half-marathon about three weeks before to test your condition and fine-tune your race and nutrition strategies. A fast 10K a few weeks before can also be a great indicator of your fitness level.
For a half-marathon, running a 10K race between two and four weeks prior can help optimize speed and prepare mentally for competition.
The key is to choose preparation races that align with your main goal. They should be spaced out enough to prevent overloading and allow for progressive adaptation to training.
How to Plan Your Training?
Once you have listed your main goals, you can plan your training! Of course, you can add or cancel preparation races based on how you feel during your training.
The goal of training is to reach peak performance on the day of your main event. This involves different training phases.
You start with a general preparation phase, where you develop speed and endurance qualities. The training volume increases gradually.
Then, in the three months leading up to the race, training becomes more specific to the type of event. This is the famous marathon preparation phase, for example.
If you have preparation races, you will have 4-5 easier days before and a few recovery days afterward to ensure good race conditions.
Often, training follows a cycle of three weeks of increasing intensity followed by one easier week to allow for recovery. During these semi-recovery weeks, the risk is either doing too much or pushing too hard in sessions. Recovery is an integral part of training!
In the 10-15 days before your main goal, you enter the competition phase, reducing training load to arrive as fresh as possible for the race.
Find These Principles in RunMotion Coach
This philosophy is embedded in the RunMotion Coach app. The sooner you enter a main goal, the more complete your training will be. If you enter a goal within three months of the race, training will focus primarily on specific preparation.
Planning your season means making choices. Being confident in your choices and future preparation is the first step to success! Over the years, your goals will evolve. Your mistakes will help you grow, and you’ll know yourself better. Good luck with your next challenges!