A vs B vs C prioritization

here's a post from a few months ago, about prioritizing your season...

 

...

 

Hey folks - I'm sometimes asked about the A vs B vs C prioritization which I often refer to in emails.     Here's what it means.

 

At the beginning of each 4-5mo season, you establish your training, wellness and race objectives.   If you don't you should.  That's how I manage personal training for my 1:1 runners.   And, yes, there are three objectives, not two.   In addition to training and race objectives, you should always have wellness objectives*, too.    I won't go into wellness metrics here, but let's talk about the other two.    You define then prioritize your training and race objectives as follows: 

 

"C" priority.    These are considered glorified training runs or races.   You do them purely as a fun and interesting training day, perhaps a cool destination, perhaps with training buddies, etc.   You never do a "C" race if you're sore, fatigued, etc.  Bail on it.   You never go "all-out" on a "C" race.   They are simply for fun.   It is a training day.  You happen to get a race shirt.   You happen to get free chow at the end.   There happen to be other people who you don't know running around you.   There is a clock at the end that tells you your time.  Nothing more.   Fun.  Simple.   Folks, you enjoy "C" races... but don't put any emphasis on them.   For a typical 4mo season, you can have several "C" races.  That's fine.  However, let's be crystal clear to your goals -- you should resist the urge to do a fun "C" race which doesn't provide the sufficient mileage you truly need for a given week.   Only do "C" races if their distance meets the objectives of your broader plan.  If you name is Aimee, you find it simply impossible to do a "C" race as anything other than all-out.    She's a hell of a good runner, but I continue to badger her about NOT making every race a lung-searring, speed-burning cheetah blast.  Aimee needs to learn the concept of a "C" race.  Dag, she's fast.   But when does she ever take a race as a "C" race?   How 'bout you?

 

"B" priority.     I use these as checkpoints during your season.   Consider them a "mid-term" grade.  They are important for only that.   "B" priority events vary widely, but can be things like... getting a half marathon time split during your full marathon training...running a 10k at race pace (say 48min).... achieving a lower threshhold split during swim training (say 1:40/100m on threshhold repeats).... doing a 30mi charity ride at your desired half IM race pace (say, 21mph)...the list goes on.    There are endless choices for "B" events.  You use "B" as checkpoints, to assess progress your making in key functional areas to improve.     You can have 2-3 of these during your training, to test yourself on progress.    I'm fine with you having > 3 of these, however don't go crazy with "B" progress checkpoints.    Only have a few.   It'll stress you out needlessly otherwise.   Aim for improvements over 8wks or more.   Not less than that.   You do "B" races only to assess progress.   For example, I might have a runner to do only 50% of a full marathon race, then quit.   Yep, quit the race!     Afterall, the goal for that day was simply to get a benchmark on the half split.  Not more.    Jon is our resident expert on "B" races.   He gets it.   He'll easily cut short -- or extend -- a race once he's delivered his "B" quotient for that event.    Do you have Jon's discipline?

 

"A" prioirity.    THIS is your TOP priority.  This is the reason you train like mad, endure hundreds of tough hours training, suffering, running, cardio, strength.  Your "A" priority is the culmination of your training.   Every single workout you do should systematically build to this objective.    You should have only (1) "A" priority in a 4mo window.    Make your "A" priority the first thing you think about as you start your run and when you end your run.   It is what drives your training.    Kristen is my example on "A" objectives.   The entire Fall training season, she followed her plan 100%, and kept the sole focus on race day.  Sure she did other races, but she focused all available energy to hammering her race day goal.   She took training days off if she was spent, stayed healthy, and never lost focus.   Her PR at Richmond speaks volumes to her "A" race focus.

 

Folks, take a minute today to review your plan.   Identify which races or training objectives you've identified as "A", "B" or "C".   If you have Qs about this, let's chat.  

 

Jeffries 

 

*  Wellness metrics are incredibly personal, and address only you.   You establish and monitor them to track broader health considerations in your life.   This varies widely, but can be data-derived metrics ike diet monitoring, BMI reduction, weight reduction, cholestorol reduction, stress reduction... . or even broad metrics like commiting to a weekly bike ride w/ the kids, or perhaps running 4x monthly with your spouse, etc etc].