So I’m linking up today with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday.
- I’ve been thinking about racing and training.
How do you do both? Should you?
It’s no secret that I love to race! I have a hard time not signing up for a race every weekend.
There are a few problems with this besides that it’s expensive.
It’s hard to train for a long race such as a half marathon.
There would be no problem if I just ran shorter races but I like to run half marathons too.
What I have done in the past is add more miles after my races.
I guess it works. But I am not sure if it is the best way to train.
It’s like running a speed workout and taking a break, eating and then running some slow miles. Not quite the same as you would do when you run a actual half marathon.
So I am going to run lots of races before my next half (on Oct 10): 7-25, 8-1, 8-7, 8-17, 9-5, 9-12, 9-19, 9-26, 10-03 because I like to race.
This decision means that I have to be satisfied with a good or mediocre half marathon performance but maybe not a great one. I think if I want to run my best half, I will have to cut back on racing. Right now, I don’t want to do that.
- I’m also thinking about my next race.
It’s summer. Summer is a time to kick back and relax. Enjoy the sunshine and time with family and friends.
So I have been doing that…a lot!
That means that I have had to skip weekday runs or shorten weekend distances.
My next race is Saturday – another 5k.
I was hoping to get back some speed. My last 5k was under 29 minutes. I’d love to do that again. I’d love to win a age group award too. We’ll see.
- I’m debating about the race after that – either a difficult hilly longer but fun one or another 5k in a scenic area?
The train leaves at 8 am. It takes you to the start and you run back on the wooded hilly trail to the station. Sounds like fun but it is a longer distance than I have been running.
OR
Not as interesting but certainly easier. There will be lots of pretty views.
Happy Running! Do you run many races while you are training for a long race? Do vacations and the heat tempt you to skip runs?
My First 5K and More... 
You know I don’t race as often.
May I remind you how you felt after The saratoga half in the middle of summer last year? Just sayin’. 🙂
Vacation? What vacation? We do that at odd times of the year. Usually around my halfs . . .
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Yes, I remember. I would never do another half in the summer.
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But 8.4 is only about a 5k difference. Again, just sayin’.
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I enjoy a race but I don’t get to do them much. I would just incorporate the races into the weekly plan though. I have done a few close together and it seems to work. I am working my way back to “normal plan” which always included 4 runs a week, one speed work, and a longer run. Right now in the heat a 10K has been as long as i can handle. Hopefully when it cools I can keep my regualr routine up again 🙂
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What’s hot here in the NE is probably cool for you.
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you’re so good about your races! i travel so much on the weekends that it’s hard for me to commit to races ahead of time, so i usually just do a few half marathons a year (and am currently training for my second full). i should start being more diligent about running some 10Ks and whatnot, but every time i go to sign up for one in NYC, it’s already full! have fun in your race this wknd, and always love hearing that you enjoyed your time in NYC. hope to see you next time you’re here — maybe we’ll do a lobster boat run!
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I’d love to see you in nYC. When you are up at the lake, you should do a race. There are some in that area.
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I’m not racing this summer. And I can’t believe I just said that. In this heat I just don’t want to race on Saturday and run LONG on Sunday. Right now, marathon training is more important. And too, I want to waterski on Saturday. Believe it or not, I’m OK with this. I thought it would make me sad.
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I know how you feel. I should probably be smart like you and run long and then boat and give up races. But I’m not ready yet.
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I don’t race that often, because I like the long distances and I have to train for them. Plus there’s that whole summer heat thing…
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Makes sense.
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You are lucky you live in an area where there are so many races. I have signed up for quite a few as part of my marathon training plan, as my long runs, but you are right, it gets expensive !
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I also love to race, but try to limit myself to one per month or less, especially since I run marathons. That Race the Train race sounds like so much fun. If I lived in that area, I would definitely sign up!
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I may but am worried that it’s too much distance and too many hills at this point in my training.
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The first two miles of Race the Train were the hardest I’ve ever run. The rest of the race was a lot of nice rolling hills and then a downhill finish. It’s not paved except the very start and the finish. It’s a pretty nice event, and a part of me wants to try try it again and see if that first hill doesn’t make me cry again, and another part of me says “nahhhhhh”. It is mostly shaded, though. We had nice, cool weather in 2013.
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I am still debating but the forecast is for very warm but I do like a challenge and I could walk the first hill.
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I hope you go for it and have a blast!
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