I was reading through blogs this morning and came across a gem on Amanda Lovato’s blog.
The other thing that sort of bothers me is when I hear about athletes not caring about a race because it is a “B” race.
What the hell does that mean?
I think that this comment is a cop out. I also find this comment rude. I feel it takes away from the people who beat you and the people you beat. It allows you to go into a race with a built in excuse.
Every race that I enter is a “A” race. I put my best foot forward every time I step on that line. I don’t care if I have ridden 5 hours the day before or if I have tapered for 10 days. It doesn’t matter. I am a competitor. And I will race as hard as I possibly can on race day.
“B” races are training races - a good way to judge your fitness before a major race. Example, run a 1/2 marathon a few weeks or a month out of an IM at your expected pace. Sure, you can do this without going to a race but as said before, some races make good catered training days…
I’ll try to dig it up later, but someone wrote an article about sacrifices and that includes holding back when you want to go full on but I’m heading to a 10k tune up (B) race in a few.
agreed…last year at Timberman Sprint a young local guy I beat by 1 minute came up to me after. I said to him, “how did you race?”. His response, “OK, considering I wasnt going all out?” I remember it pissed me off and I had to bite my tongue. Why show up to a sprint race if you arent going to race hard. I think though an A race for me means I have built up the season to peak physically at that time. It doesnt mean I dont try hard in the races before or after.
What I find hilarious in this is 97% of all athletes can’t even figure out how to plan to make an A race actually turn out to be an A race. So they go half ass all these other B races as “training races” (which to me seems a bit like an oxymoron) then when the time comes to perform the excuses roll after the A race b/c they left time on the table or blew up or something.
From a coaching perspective, I don’t care about any races my athletes do except the one or two each year they want to do extremely well in. They will do other races and these would be classified as B races if I used that sort of classification system. But if the goal or aka A race is in the future, you get no break from training the day before this race and I still expect them to lay it out there come race day and don’t half ass it.
Half the time the training race actually is an overall lower systemic stress then what they would have done working out so not only do they get to race they get a recovery day at the same time.
I do follow the A, B, C races thingy but I certainly don’t use it as a cop out. (I think many athletes just don’t understand the whole assigning certain importance to the races in your calendar). The difference between my A, B and C races is just the taper I’ll do for each or not. Since it is impossible to peak and be in top shape for all our races I plan to peak 2 A races for the year and for those I will follow my training plan (general to specific) and taper thoroughly to assure I am recovered and ready to push as hard as I can on race day. For B races I will taper just a few days to make sure I am somehow recovered yet I will certainly be racing fatigued from previous weeks of training. For C races I don’t taper, IOW it is scheduled within a training cycle hence I will be racing fatigued. Still for ALL races I will race at the best of my capabilities for that day. On B, C races I won’t be able to performance at my best just due to fatigue, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be pushing my self as hard as I can that day and beat as many as I can or avoid getting beaten by many
an A race is one that I taper for, while a B race is one that I don’t. An A race is one that I will judge the success of my season on, a B race I won’t. It has nothing to do with the effort level, both are races, which means I am trying to go as fast as I can on the day. (I have no idea how to hold back when I race, which means that I suck at the longer stuff).
I like this sentiment, and I agree with it, especially in regards to the other people in the race. There is definite purity of purpose in those words.
Here is my question though. I have a friend who is racing her first 1/2 marathon in a month or so. This is a race that is local and I have never entered it because it is always a week before the first triathlon of the year that I love to race (it is also local), and I have always been worried about the effects of racing a 1/2 a week before the tri. This year I am going to enter both events, although my plan is to run with my friend for the 1/2 marathon. The pace I will be going is far off where I usually would race a 1/2. So how do I justify the 2 ideas? I suppose that I should just not use my friend as an excuse. But I am not entering this race with the intention of going all-out.
The money tree in my backyard has aphids and isn’t producing this year, so if I’m putting up the cash for a race I’m gonna race it, I can train all I want for free. Besides, I’m training to **race. **As always, just my opinion, not coming from the burning bush.
I totally agree with you. There certainly are races that you are more prepared for vs. less prepared for and races you are more rested for vs. less rested for. But when the race happens, regardless of how ready you feel, you always give a maximum effort on that day.
I think the whole concept of “B” race is wildly misunderstood. It’s not that you don’t try as hard; it’s merely that you aren’t as perfectly rested/peaked as you could be. Calling a race a “B” race is really about managing your own expectations, but too many people use it as an excuse to not go as hard as they can. This is dumb, in my opinion. It’s a race: you give the best effort you have on the day. If you are “training through” the race, you can expect that maximal effort to yield a slightly lesser performance than you might otherwise be capable of. That’s a “B” race. A race where you don’t try as hard as you can is just a dumbass race.
BTW, great effort in your “B” race yesterday You are running super strong this season!
Thanks Will! Actually that race was what got me thinking about this. And I just coincidentally ran across the blog entry. The 10-miler yesterday proved to me that “B” races (as you correctly define them) are actually harder than “A” races!
Amen to everything that has been said. I never really understood the logic. If you were not going to “race” or go “all out” then why waste your money on the race - the same can be accomplished in training. All races are races - doesn’t matter if you are tapered, coming off injury, get a PB or a PW, have great weather or poor - you still give it 100%.
although my plan is to run with my friend for the 1/2 marathon. The pace I will be going is far off where I usually would race a 1/2. So how do I justify the 2 ideas?
When people ask how you did tell them you ran a whatever time. Or even better plug your friend and mention that you ran with your friend who is overjoyed at running a whatever time and you are very happy for your friend and glad that you could have been a part of that firends accomplishment.
In 18 seasons I’ve done 1 “B” race. A few years ago I did a sprint triathlon on Saturday. I swam at full speed, biked at near full speed then waited in transition for a friend to “run” with. I was first off the bike and watched 4 of my age groupers run by as I ran with a friend.
The NEXT day was the Florida State TT Championships. This is why I “jogged” my run the day before. btw - my TT got poured on at mile 16. The skies let go - Lightning so close it rocked my bike…as a result…my TT time sucked : )
I have no “B” races. I enjoy racing and leave it all on the course.
My pet peave is…people who “race”…then go and do a workout. What the hell is that. After a race…any race…I can’t even standup! When I cross the line, I couldn’t take one more step if I wanted to.
**When people ask how you did tell them you ran a whatever time. Or even better plug your friend and mention that you ran with your friend who is overjoyed at running a whatever time and you are very happy for your friend and glad that you could have been a part of that firends accomplishment. **
This is exactly what I was thinking, you summed it up nicely. To do anything else would seem to minimize other people’s effort, and I would not want to do that.
I always go all out at any race I toe up to. A, B, C is just how important it is to me and how I make my schedule around it, but the effort I put out is the same at each.
You are running super strong this season!