Including 'B/C' Races Into Your Plan

Racing before your main goal (your “A” race) — with "B" or "C" races — can be very useful. But using them wisely matters. Below is a guide on how to slot them into your plan without disrupting peak preparation. 

What to Think About Before Adding a B/C Race

Before you commit to a lead-up race, consider:

• Race duration and distance. 

• How much training you have in the two weeks before the race. 

• Your current fitness level for that event type. 

• How hard you plan to race (i.e. full effort vs. “tune-up”). 

• Your past experience and what you know about how you respond to taper and recovery. 

How to Fit B/C Races Into Your Training Plan

For Events Shorter Than 3 Hours

• B-races: use a four-day taper. 

• C-races: taper for 24–48 hours only. 

Taper strategy:

• For the final 4 days, cut planned workouts’ duration roughly in half. 

• Keep intensity the same for speed sessions—just reduce the number of intervals (e.g. from 4 to 2), and shorten warm-up/cool-down. 

• Ideally take two rest days the week before (e.g. Monday and race-eve).

Alternatively, copy and paste the final 4 days of your plan (for B-races) or final 48 h (for C-races), replacing planned workouts.

After the race:

• Take ~48 h off complete rest. 

• For the remainder of that week: resume training, but reduce intensity to easy (Zone 2) until fully recovered. 

• If there were fitness tests planned that week — skip them. Optionally, use your race data instead to check thresholds. 

For Events Longer Than 3 Hours

• Treat B-races with a 10–14 day taper. 

• For C-races: a 7-day taper may suffice. 

• As with shorter races — if the race will be easy paced (i.e. not hard), you may need less taper and recovery. 

Taper strategy (longer events):

• Two weeks before the race: reduce total training volume and intensity to ~65–85%. Long weekend workouts should be reduced by 50–70%. 

• Keep intensity of speed or key workouts similar, but drop frequency significantly (for example, reduce intervals by 70–90%; shorten warm-up and cool-down). 

• The final week before event: replace planned workouts with the final taper week from your plan. 

After the race:

• Rest 48–72 h fully. 

• Resume training gradually — keep volume and intensity low (Zone 1/2) until recovery feels complete. 

• Skip scheduled fitness tests for that week; only resume when ready. 

Why This Approach Works

By planning your B- and C-races with clear taper and recovery guidelines, you:

• Avoid overloading your system or undermining preparation for your main event

• Get “race-practice” benefits — pace, nutrition, transitions, race-day conditions — without compromising long-term training

• Recover properly, so you return to plan with minimal disruption

Races become a valuable part of training, rather than distractions or risks.

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