PUBLISHED 08/16/2006
Tune-Up Timeline
A guide to scheduling your next race.
Whether racing at top speed or slower, train until two or three days before your tune-up race, then back off with easy or rest days. After the tune-up, take as many rest days as you need to fully recover, keeping in mind that you'll likely go right into your taper.
Target Race/Tune-Up Race/Time Apart
5-K/1 mile (at the track)/7 to 10 days
10-K/5-K/2 to 3 weeks
15-K or 10-miler/4-miler, 8-K, 5-miler/2 to 3 weeks
Half-Marathon/10-K/2 to 4 weeks
Marathon/Half-Marathon/3 to 5 weeks
Why race?
Energize your day-to-day running with a 5-K.
If you need incentive to register for races, consider this: Racing inspires you to go faster and farther, making you a fitter, leaner, better runner. "Scheduling a race will get you running more often," says five-time Olympian Francie Larrieu Smith, honorary chair of the 116-city Komen Race for the Cure 5-K series. "Once you see that doing a race is rewarding and fun, it can be a springboard for longer-distance races." Plus, the inevitable energy of race day helps you push your pace, incinerating calories during and after your run and serving as an incredible speed workout. And the camaraderie is unmatched motivation.
