I’m not much of a summer runner. The heat, the barbeques, and the fun with friends all detract and distract from my drive to get out to train during the summer months. I know I want to keep running and that racing is fun, but how do I choose a goal that will keep me motivated and accountable? I want to keep my passion for running strong during the summer. To do that, I love getting a fall race on the books to give me a goal to work towards and to keep me accountable, even when the heat tells me to relax.
In this article I’m sharing my method for choosing a race, taking into account the season, my propensity to train, and how I will actually implement my strategy once I make my pick. For me, given that the summer is a tough season for me to stay motivated to train, I’m focusing on the Orca Half Marathon in Seattle. Here is my personal case study.
Here are some things to look for when picking a fall race so that you maximize your likelihood of success:
- Pick a race that mimics the terrain you normally train on. This assures that you don’t have to go out of your way to find a running route that has big hills, or trails, roads… etc.. I have flat and fast roads near my house, so the Orca HM is a great fit.
- Pick a race that fits with your schedule. If you pick a race that makes the training feel crammed, you may well start to hate the training. That likely leads to skipping important training days. So in my case, picking a race after Labor day sets me up for success, and picking a race that is not super long also hits the mark.
- Choose a race that excites you! Races are meant to be fun. They are a celebration of your fitness. Pick a race that resonates with you. Do you like the cause? Do you like the environment? Do you love the course?
For me, the Orca Half Marathon (September 14th and 15th) is a perfectly timed event to celebrate the end of a fun filled summer. It’s in Seattle and it’s a place where I can celebrate my fitness and my love for running. It’s also an environmentally friendly race. It’s a flat and fast course. And it is in a beautiful location in West Seattle with great views along the waterfront starting in Lincoln Park. It’s also after Labor Day = life logistic win!
When I’m picking a race, I am also thinking about fueling and hydration logistics, especially with warm weather racing. I think about this both for during the race itself and for how I’ll prepare during my training. Summer running differs quite a bit from training during the rest of the year because your performance nutrition matters a ton. You sweat more, your body is working harder to stay cool, and the general life chaos of summer can lead to chronic under fueling during the day. It can be really easy to miss meals and to get into a routine of underfueling during busy summer months.
So when I’m thinking about training and fueling well for my training, the first thing I like to think about is what are they going to have on the race course? Whichever race you choose, investigate the products that will be on course and formulate a summer nutrition plan around that. Use that product and train your gut accordingly. For the Orca HM, this is Tailwind and GU.
- GU– Your body NEEDS carbs to run. GU products have the perfect ratio for carbs and electrolytes. Not all sports products work for every runner, but our stomachs are also highly adaptable. This is why it is important to train with the products you plan to use, to start small, and to build up the amount of carbs you can take in during your training. You need to train your gut the same as you train your legs. Tolerance won’t happen overnight.
- Tailwind– The Orca HM will also have Tailwind on course. This is a drink mix filled with the carbohydrates you need to successfully finish a race. Drinkable carbs are a lot easier for most people to stomach (especially starting out and experimenting with intra-run fueling). The cool thing about this product is that it uses sucrose and dextrose as carbohydrates which is fast acting fuel for your muscles that is easy on the GI tract. A lot of other sports drinks use maltodextrin which is harder for your gut to digest and takes longer.
So now I have my race. I know what I’m going to have during the race to fuel with and therefore what products I will be training with. I know that I’ll be doing training that fits my life for the summer months, and I’m confident that I can do the training and more importantly, that I can stick with the training so that I can be my best on race day in September! (Check out this article on how to train for the Orca HM.) What motivates you? What race will check all the boxes for you? Find your adventure!
Katelyn Steen is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about her or to work with her, check out her coach profile.