Sustainable endurance training: thriving without a race on the calendar

I have been having similar conversations with a few of my athletes right now.

“How do I structure my training when there are no races on the calendar?”

As endurance athletes, we thrive on challenges. Going after big races. PR’s on a distance. Pushing ourselves to do more.

But what if we are missing the point?

I want to challenge the notion that you need to race every single year.

It’s ok to have a season where there is no race on the calendar.

And this might set you up for your best season ever.

Shifting your motivation from the finish lines to the process of training

A big mindset shift to make is moving beyond the finish lines and races.

And falling in love with the process of training itself.

When was the last time you went out for a bike ride with no goal, power target, pace target, distance, speed, etc?

Your only focus was riding and enjoying the roads or trails around you.

Training now becomes a form of exploration and joy.

Not a target and checkbox you need to complete.

This changes training from something that needs to get done to something that you want to do.

Something that you enjoy.

This might not be enough structure for most athletes. I know myself and even with no race goals I need a little structure to my training or I will end up doing nothing.

Here’s how I focus it a little more:

Focus on the building blocks of sustainable training

To add structure to your training I encourage you to focus on 4 building blocks with your training.

A. Easy Endurance Work

This is where you will build a huge aerobic base. Think of this training as exploration on your feet (or bike). Get out and explore your local trails, roads and paths.

And don’t feel stuck with only SBR training. Incorporate whatever you want but keep it easy for this building block.

B. Balanced Recovery

This is where you will build health and wellness. Aim to dial in your nutrition, sleep and hydration. You now have time to ensure that your training and life stress match your recovery.

C. Strength Training

Often when we start training for big races we neglect our strength training. I don’t even do as much in a race season. Use this opportunity to focus on strength training as a key building block.

​Find a couple of strength workouts here.​

D. Speed and Harder workouts

I don’t advocate for only easy training. It’s still good to have some sessions that push you. The main session to include is a speed work session: think sprints, strides, and hills, where the only goal is to go fast.

You can also sprinkle in race pace efforts (tempo or threshold) but these are best used in a specific plan.

Switching to a long-term focus for your training

Longer time scales will unlock new performance levels.

Most of the adaptations we are seeking from training come from years of training not months. By always chasing big races you may miss some of the adaptations from training.

Allow time for your endurance training to compound.

What you build over a season with no racing will turn into race-specific fitness when the time comes.

Some final thoughts

Don’t mistake this letter for me being anti-race.

I am challenging you to think about a more sustainable and long-term focus for your training.

There is a correct balance between race-focused training and sustainable training.

When you find that right mix, you will unlock growth and improved performance.

So now I am curious, would you take a season with no races? Why or why not? Let me know!

That’s it for today.

Chandler