The Training Race Trap

By Chris Harnish MS

  As we enter another season, many of us are already planning to tackle some of our most coveted races. For some it might be Fitchburg, Altoona or Cascade, for others it might be the local training race scene. Well, for most, it is hardly a conscious decision as much as it is a mob mentality; we simply feel compelled by the local guru or some long held tradition of racing Tuesday nights. Unfortunately, the local trining race – most training races being competitive group rides, can be your greatest enemy, trapping you in an endless cycle of suffering and recovery with no long-term improvement. However, by planning the season accordingly and using training races appropriately you can unlock the door to the Training Race Trap.

Do we train to race or race to train?

Growing up in a small town in New York, I often relied on my own motivation and a couple good training partners to produce some stellar training rides. However, when I headed off to college I entered an area with a tradition of brutal Tuesday Night “races”, where only the strongest survived. Moreover, as a tradition, you were expected to make some regular appearances or face the wrath of the local guru. For years I struggled to integrate those races into my training and racing schedule, often neglecting my weakest areas to do so and forcing me into a series of recovery rides later in the week. Fortunately, when I moved to South Carolina for gradate school I began training with my first guru and left behind brutal Tuesday Races for Fast Tuesday Sprints and realized that not all guru’s are created equal, nor do they all have your best interest at heart. I also began training to race – specifically planning my training to meet my racing needs.

If you ask a group of riders why they go to the local training race week in and week out you will get several answers, but I’ll wager the most common one is Racing is the best training you can do. Other answers, in no particular order might include:

• Everyone does it, so you should too!
• I was tired and didn’t ride for two days, or I’m just not motivated to train by myself, or I just can’t push myself like I can in a race.
• The training race is blast, and beats training.
• It’s just more convenient to go to the race than train by myself.
• I like to crush the new riders in their race.
• I wasn’t able to race this past weekend, but need to get some more races in before my next goal.

Of all the above reasons, only the last holds any water. The fact is that race IS NOT the best training, just like training threshold or any other training intensity is not the best. If racing isn’t the best training then doing it because everyone else does seems a poor argument. Similarly, if you’re tired or unmotivated to train then you should probably consider changing your training rather than add more racing. If, on the other hand, you want to simply have fun or beat up on lesser riders then your goals lie elsewhere. This leaves the final reason, which actually holds some merit.

Training Race or Weekly World Championship?

Ultimately, the major problem with training races is that riders often forget that their real purpose is for training, and not race results. We often become enthralled in our competitiveness, becoming focused only on the result. Other problems with training races are TIMING and STRUCTURE. It seems that many training races fall on either Tuesday or Thursday, a less than optimal day if one is racing on the weekends. The ideal day would be Wednesday, but still even then, each of us needs to have individual objectives that serve a greater performance goal.

Escaping the Trap

Training races can be a highly effective training tool, and a good substitute for motor pacing. The key to training races is PERSPECTIVE. A good yearly plan with specific goals helps each of us structure our training to meet our specific race needs. The following suggestions will help you use the training race, rather than get used by the training race:

• RACE ONLY FOR A PURPOSE – Racing for racing’s sake does little to help your development as a rider. Similarly, going to training races simply to sit in and wait is simply a waste. Why not drop off the back and chase back on?
• Each time you do a training race, as a team or individual, HAVE A GOAL AND SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES you want to achieve above and beyond simply winning. Plan a whole training session around that race and STICK TO YOUR PLAN!
• LEAVE YOUR EGO AT HOME. The races that count are on the weekends!
• RACE YOUR WEAKNESSES. Training races offer us a unique opportunity to try things that we would otherwise avoid in major races. If you’re a climber, attack often in the local crit trying to form a break, or wait until the sprint! If you’re a sprinter, attack on the climb. Just try something!
• USE TRAINING RACES TO COMPLEMENT GOAL PREPARATION. Training races offer an excellent way to prepare for any major race, particularly stage races. If your major goal is a long road race, but all the lead up races are much shorter, ride to the training race and maybe ride home. Alternatively, if you have a big stage race coming up, race Saturday and Sunday, do a long ride Monday and then race Tuesday.

Case Study

In 2004, Mark McCormack was preparing for the World Road Race Championships held in Late October. This one no easy task, considering his last major race was the San Francisco GP held in early September; all that remained were a handful of road events and regional cyclocross races. However, McCormack made the most of the weekly cyclocross races in New England, often riding to and from the races. While not ideal, this strategy is a good example of how to effectively and appropriately utilize training races to optimize training.

Chris Harnish, M.S. is an Exercise Physiologist and Coach living and working on Cape Cod. In addition to his coaching work with The Peaks Coaching Group, Harnish runs Tradewind Sports, which offers a variety of services including performance testing, training products and international racing opportunities. In 2004, Harnish ran New England’s top Junior Team, which included the top ranked New England Junior and qualified a rider for Junior Worlds. He is a Category 1 road cyclist with Colavita Racing and will be competing in the FBD Insurance Rás this May.