It’s that time of year when the off-season is ending and spring races are right around the corner! Maybe some of you have already been training for a spring race. I’m sure there are others who are just now starting to think about what’s ahead. This is the perfect time to do some planning, goal-setting, and preparation for a strong spring racing season!
It can be really tempting to jump right into a race once the weather warms up, but that’s not usually a good idea. There are a lot of factors to consider like how much you have been running during the winter, the distance of your race, and whether you are aiming for a PR or just looking to run a race for fun.
As you start doing your planning, here are 5 tips to help you to choose your spring goal and make the most of the next few weeks before spring racing season begins!
5 Tips for Choosing a Spring Racing Goal
1. Give yourself enough time to adequately train
As you plan your spring racing goal, you should consider the timing between now and the actual race as well as the distance of the race. If you are planning to run a 5k for fun and have already been running a few times a week, you don’t need much more time to train. However, training for something like a marathon takes about 14-18 weeks of training depending on how much running you have done this winter. Give yourself enough time to include a taper as well.
2. Be flexible
The weather is still all over the place right now which means many of us are still dealing with winter weather. As you decide on your goal race, keep in mind that you may not be able to run quite as much as you want, or you may end up having to move around your workouts. Flexibility is key, especially this time of year.
3. Set a realistic goal
Your goal should be challenging, but also realistic. Be honest with yourself about where your fitness is. If you haven’t been training this winter, maybe do some trial runs to see where your speed is. You can also set A, B, and C goals if you’re not exactly sure what is realistic.
4. Develop a plan
A good training plan is key for achieving your racing goals. Make sure you find or develop a plan that is something you will actually follow. The first few weeks shouldn’t be much different from the workouts you were already doing, and then slowly ease into more mileage and harder workouts. You could also work with a coach if you need someone to create a training plan for you.
5. Consider a plan B
It can be good to have a back up race in case things don’t go as planned. Maybe choose a goal race and then another race of the same distance for a few weeks later in case your training doesn’t go as planned. April and May are pretty popular months for racing so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a back up race!
You may also like:
5 Workouts for Speedy Spring Running
The Most Inspiring Part Of The Racing Season
Do you have a spring racing goal already?
How many weeks do you like to give yourself to train for a marathon?
Do you like to set more than one goal for a race?
Now it’s time for the Runners’ Roundup! Link up your running and fitness posts below! Join myself, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs , and Laura Norris Running to post your favorite running tips, experiences, race and training recaps, workouts, gear, and coaching ideas.
I like your idea of having that back-up race. Had never thought of that before – but it really does make sense especially if things didn’t go too well. Gives you a chance to “redeem” yourself as it were!
Yes! Especially for a shorter race when its not a big deal to run another one a few weeks later.
All sensible goals are out the window for me since my thyroid issue flared up. I have a spring race on tap (Carlsbad 20k) only because we’ll be in San Diego for spring break and why not. It’ll be a fun run, nothing more.
Thats so frustrating that your thyroid issues have gotten in the way of your goals. That 20k sounds like fun though!
I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do for a spring half or will it be a 10 miler? No big deal at this point–I’ll do something!
Its great that you kept a strong base so you can do either of those distances whenever you want!
My first spring race is an April half. It occurs to me I need to be training NOW. I’ve been such a slacker for the past month. I really need these scheduled races to keep me on track.
It’s crazy how fast those spring races are coming up! But the good news is you still have time to train if you start now!
Setting a realistic goal is something I’ve always struggled with! I have a bad habit of comparing my times to races I’ve run in the past. It’s important to realize you’re not going to PR in every race!
Its so hard to not compare to past races! I know my next 5k will be alot slower than my other times.
Normally I like to set more than one goal for a race, but for my march 5K I just want to finish haha! I mean I do have a goal of like not taking an hour and walking the whole thing but realistically the bar is set low and I’ll just be happy to run across a finish line again! 😀
Thats a good goal for now!!
That’s exciting about racing a 5K! My first spring race this year is a May half. I start training for it next week which seems so soon, but that’s 11 weeks away! I like longer training cycles for the half so I can focus on speed and then goal pace.
That sounds like a good plan! Its exciting that you start training next week.
Well, I already have a pretty full calendar…and there are two half marathons on it 😉 I have done so many half marathons, I don’t really consider what I do actual “training” but more of a “fine-tuning” of my running. I’d like to snag a sub-2:00, but I’m doing any training specifically for that becasue I have a handful of other race distances mixed in there as well.
I like the description of “fine tuning” your running! Its exciting that you have a lot of races this spring.
In the past, I’ve been anxious about signing up for races and just went for it! You’re right – in Feb, there is still plenty of time. That’s exciting to have a 5k picked out!
I’m still a little anxious about committing to a race! I have my eye on one but also a few others in case it doesn’t work out.
Good idea to have a plan b race to consider. I had an tri race a few years back and then had a re do a few weeks later and did much better.
Its nice to have a second chance, especially if you put in a lot of work but race day just didnt go as planned.
I think it all starts off with developing a plan. I like to look at a full plan from start to finish to make sure that I’ll be able to actually do all the training.
I like the idea of a back up race, although I don’t have one, lol.
Yes, a good plan is key! I think for marathons its tough to have a back up race because its not like you are going to run another one the next week. But I guess if for some reason you could run your gaol race its nice to have another one in mind to sign up for.
I am running a marathon in April and my goal is to finish it under 5 hours. 🙂
Awesome!! Good luck:)
I rarely make any goals for spring races. They are usually run just for fun and to finally get out of the house and enjoy warmer weather!
Spring races are perfect for just getting out and enjoying some nice weather!
My favorite tip is to set realistic goals! All of these tips are great though!
Thats a great one! Its so important to keep in mind your fitness and how much time you have to train.
Having a good training plan is really important for me. I need guidance for how fast or slow to build up my mileage. I liked the slightly altered plan I used last fall, so I tacked on a couple weeks and will use it this spring as well. I had success so I’ll stick with it.
That sounds like a good way to train! Following a plan is really key when training for a race.
I made the decision last week to train for the May Half instead of April 10M, which would leave me in a “now what” from APril 9 – May 19. I’m not sure if that means the Half is my goal though, as I’m way more excited about April as it’s a new distance/course. The May Half ends at the beach though, so it’s a toss up. Ideally I won’t be broken again so the May Half will go better than February’s
Both of those races sound exciting! I hope your training goes well!
Very sensible advice, Lisa!
I have an ultra coming up in April and I have been training for it since December.
I love the idea of A, B and C goals, although I have to admit I usually go into a race with only one goal. It’s better to have a fallback plan!
I like having multiple goals because you never know what you will be faced with on race day!
I used to have goals. Now it’s to stay healthy and have fun.
I maintained my endurance all winter so I can just jump into a half or any spring race.
I’ve only run one marathon and I trained for 4 months.
Today the nyc marathon lottery opens. Just sayin.
Ohh that’s exciting! I hope you get in if you want to run it this year:)
these are great things to consider when choosing a race goal. As you say, it is really crucial to assess where you are now vs where you’d like to be when embarking on a plan
Exactly! I think its common to back off all winter and then suddenly get the urge to race as soon as the weather warms up.
I don’t usually have any goals with my Spring races because I find it difficult to consistently train through the winter. I usually have a couple of half marathons scheduled, and I try to simply run them strong but I give myself grace since there’s ((probably)) not been any legit speedwork involved. I go have a 6K race this weekend, so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out, given the quirky & short distance.
I’ve done the 6k distance a couple of times. Its tricky because it basically sounds like a 5k but that little extra at the end feels like alot!
I like the idea of a Plan B! Had never considered that before. A couple of races have been announced for May and JUne and I’m continuing to pray that races return in full force. I really miss races.
I really hope races get back to normal for you soon!
I try to be flexible about goals with spring races, since the weather on race day can be fickle also. Great tips here for navigating races during the spring!