Spring is here and we are well underway to getting closer to summer. For runners, late spring, all summer, and early autumn are prime time race seasons. Staying up to speed with your race pace during the cold winter months can be tough especially if you are forced to work out and train inside. If you’re ready to dust off the cobwebs, here are 4 ways to prepare yourself for the upcoming race season.

4. Hold Yourself Accountable

Right off the bat, let’s get serious about holding yourself accountable. Before you even create a training program or start jumping into working out, set some dates. In fact, you should be paying for races right now.

We’d recommend signing up for a short race first, a 5k, for example. Then a month or two after that, book something you need to well trained to tackle. These paid-for dates will help you stick to your training as you’ll be preparing for something concrete.

3. Create a Training Program

Next up, let’s set up an actual running program. You may not like to admit it but your race pace probably isn’t the same as it was at the end of last season. Don’t worry! That’s the beauty of muscle memory. We just need to get you back to where you were before.

Start by defining the goal distance. Ideally, this will be the race you booked a few months from now. Now, add one or two miles more than this distance. You want to train for more than you actually want to ensure you can easily reach that goal.

Okay, let’s scale it back. Go in reverse from the goal distance, subtract a half of a mile or a mile each week until you get to where you are now. For example:

Goal: 10 miles (Race Distance: 8 miles)

• Week 10: Race Day: 10 miles
• Week 9: 9 miles
• Week 8: 8 miles
• Week 7: 7 ½ miles
• Week 6: 7 miles
• Week 5: 6 miles
• Week 4: 5 ½ miles
• Week 3: 5 miles
• Week 2: 4 miles
• Week 1: 3 miles

2. Don’t Forget the Weights

You have your miles set for training but there’s one thing you don’t want to neglect: weight training.

Resistance training can greatly benefit running performance and race pace. Stick to 2 or 3 days per week of full body workouts. The best movements for runners include the following:

• Squats
• Romanian Deadlifts
• Barbell Rows
• Deadlifts
• Hip Adduction / Abduction
• Donkey Kick

1. Nutrition, Rest, & Recovery

Last but certainly not least, if you want your body to be prepared for the big day, you need to make sure that you are well-fed and well-rested.

Don’t skip on your rest days. Over-training is a serious concern for runners who bite off more than they can chew. The best ways to avoid over training? Eat a clean diet with plenty of whole food calories and let your body rest. That means 8 hours of sleep every night.

Tell Us What You Think!

How do you prepare for race season?

Do you have your own training program?

Let us know in the comments below!