Sometimes, training only makes you better at training and when races results are in, all the training in the world did not yield your new PR. Instead of trying out the latest and greatest new training regimen, sign up for more B races and race your way into shape. I got this idea from cyclist competing in the Tour de France, many of which use the classics and other European tours to race their way into shape. Accept your first race of the year as starting point then continuously improve each subsequent race. Instead of always tapering like you would for an A – top priority race, treat your B – lower priority races the same on your weekly schedule for a typical training long day. On your training plan, make your long days fall on a Sunday so they can be easily swapped out to either do that long run/ride or race instead. A training race pace can attempt to simulate situations but one needs to race for real to get into the appropriate race rhythm. After all, doing race pace work for intervals does not add up to a five hour half or eleven hour full Ironman where you reach within to throw out what others say and find your own personal race pace inside. This year, 18 weeks prior to Ironman I raced Wildflower 70.3 to get re-acquainted with what a T2 race pace brick should feel like and I will be racing Kaiser to make an investment in 155 miles and 13,500’ of strength training.
