Benefits of Running and Cycling

7 Reasons to Sign Up for a Spring Race

Setting your sights on a spring foot or bike race readies you for success throughout the year—and training for one can whip you into shape STAT
By Hollis Templeton fitbie
 

Give Yourself a Starting Point

Ever notice how the biggest, most popular marathons—think New York, Chicago, and the Marine Corps—are all in the fall? Perhaps race directors know a thing or two about how athletes choose to prepare for the country’s toughest competitions. “Many runners targeting these races will begin their training in June,” says Paul. “But runners who have targeted a spring race, whether a triathlon, half-marathon, or full marathon, are already in great shape and ready to build upon the great base that they have established.”

As spring turns into summer and fall, use events as building blocks to tackle greater distances, moving from a 5-K to a 10-K to a half-marathon or from a sprint-distance triathlon to a half- or full-Ironman event, suggests Matthews. “This keeps you on-point and keeps you going with consecutive training programs,” she says.

Whatever the race distances you choose to cover between spring and fall, allow yourself time to rest in between training plans, warns Paul. “Recovery time is essential, but all too often it’s ignored as an integral part of training.” After a half-marathon, take one to three days completely off from training, then dedicate another 10 to 14 days to easy workouts, suggests Paul. A full marathon requires a two to six-day no-running period followed by two to three weeks of light running, meaning no speed work.

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