Episode 151: How to Build Your Race Calendar
In this week's episode, we dive into how to choose your goal races for next season, starting with the most important question: what do you actually want to get out of your training and racing? We break down the many factors to consider when building your race calendar, including your performance and experience goals, the type of training you want to do, course characteristics, weather, logistics, scenery, atmosphere, and how racing fits into the rest of your life. We also talk about balancing A, B, and C races, choosing courses that play to your strengths versus challenge your weaknesses, and why the best goal race is ultimately the one that aligns with your purpose for the season. Finally, Elena shares some reflections from a recent crewing experience and we talk about harnessing the "potential energy" you build before a big race or adventure, even when things don't go according to plan. Check it out!
How to choose a goal race for next year!
Many athletes starting to think about what goal races to do next year! First questions I ask myself when figuring out a goal race:
(1) What is my purpose this season?
Note that purpose can change year to year or even within a year!
Examples: performance, adventure, community, routine, trying something new, etc.
(2) What are my outcome goals?
Specifically consider whether they are completion based, time based, place based, qualification based, experience based, etc.
**The more specific the outcome goal, the more you may want to reduce uncertainty and unnecessary variables + choose a race that sets you up well to execute on that goal
Considerations:
(1) What do you want the training block to actually look like?
Do you want to spend 4-6 months doing… high volume cycling, high volume running, lots of climbing, lots of trail time, lots of trips to the pool…
Does the training required for a goal race sound exciting to you?
Does it fit into your actual life? (Work, family, travel, daylight, other commitments)
Related: Do you have enough time to prepare appropriately (working backwards from race day based on where your fitness is now)
(2) Course characteristics
Terrain (hilly or flat) → also related to what your training will look like and what terrain you have at your disposal
Technical vs. non technical
Road vs. trail
Altitude
Wind exposure
For triathlon: ocean vs. lake swim, currents, wetsuit likelihood, technicality of bike course, etc.
Consider whether you want a course that plays to your strengths or that helps you develop something you want to get better at?
(3) Weather/climate
How do you perform in heat/humidity vs. cold vs. dry vs. rain?
Are you willing to accept a lot of weather variability?
Equally important: What will the weather be during the bulk of your training?
Fall Ironman races sound appealing until you realize that you may be doing the bulk of your training in summer heat!
Early spring races might mean your biggest training weeks happen in snow / darkness / indoors
Particularly if you have a specific performance goal, think about how much environmental uncertainty you’re willing to accept. Particularly if you have a specific performance goal, think about how much environmental uncertainty you’re willing to accept
(4) Timing
What else is happening during the 8-20+ weeks leading up to race?
Does timing line up with a period when you tend to have more bandwidth?
(5) Logistics
How much time / energy do you want to invest in getting to your destination?
Is a destination race exciting to you?
Time-zone shifts and flights are inherently more challenging than driving-distance races for most athletes!
How complicated is transporting your gear, particularly for triathlon?
Example: Bay State Half Marathon / Marathon = “a business trip” for many runners in the Boston area
Related: cost! Consider how much money you are willing to invest in your goal; a local race might allow you to put substantially fewer resources into achieving the same performance goal
(6) Experience / scenery / atmosphere
How important is scenery, travel, or the beauty of the experience to you?
Do you want a huge race with spectators and lots of energy?
Or a tiny local race where you can park nearby and have a low-stress morning?
Do crowds energize you or stress you out?
Is part of the goal getting to explore somewhere new?
(7) Competition / qualification considerations
Big fish in a small pond or small fish in a big pond?
BQ likelihood (also consider penalty on very net downhill courses); KQ likelihood
Final thoughts:
If your purpose is performance → course fit, predictability, logistics, training specificity matter a lot
If your purpose is adventure → scenery, novelty, travel, challenge matter a lot
If your purpose is community → maybe the answer is simply the race your friends / teammates are doing
If your purpose is consistency / health → maybe choose something that fits seamlessly into your life without requiring a heroic training block
Elena’s recent crewing experience
On the pacing/supporting experience—>
the community! So cool to see how people make it so fun for the runners doing such a scary hard thing
Truly never know what could happen in a race and the excitement/challenge/learnings come from troubleshooting
The “potential energy” of a big challenge— building up the preparation and mental reserves. How can we all take advantage of this?
Race sim prep.
Planning a bigger day with friends to make more of a thing out of it
Keeping whatever your inspiration is close to the surface
Another big adventure day because it sounded fun
Feeling the time on feet effect when it comes to endurance training again
A mini challenge— at the end of your longest session, push hard for 1 minute. You may be surprised what your body can still access
Challenge/Resource of the Week
Katie: Brainstorm goal races for next year!
Elena: See some pretty leaves!
Gear Pick of the Week
Katie: Power Stride Ankle Socks Lettuce Edge
Elena: Skratch Recovery Mix