Picking races to run - strategy?

Mollydolly10

Hey runners out there, do you use any sort of strategy when picking the distance and order of your races? Or do you just pick good events?

For example, I have my long-term goal, a marathon on April 7, 2012, and now I am setting up my summer/fall race schedule. I enjoy having a race a month or something like that, but do you consider where you will be in your training plan and calculate it out thinking, "Oh I could really use a quick 5k around this week," or "a longer race like a 10k or a 10-miler would be good at such-and-such time"?? Or do you just choose races that look fun/good location/etc etc? Not that it would probably make a huge difference, I'm just curious how other runners go about creating their racing schedule :-)

FYI, here is what I'm considering:

Background: I've done 5ks, an 8k, a 10k, a 10-miler, and a half marathon as of 2 weekends ago - so I have the endurance to do about a race a month if I wanted to.

July:
-July 23: 5K
-July 30: trail 10K

August:
-August 14: 10K or 20K

September:
-Sept 10: 5K
-Sept 25: 10 miler or 10K (maybe, depending on half marathon in Oct)

October:
-Oct 2: Half marathon
-Oct 16: Half marathon (if I don't do the one Oct 2)
-Oct 30: 10K (if I don't do Oct 16 half)

---

April 2012:
-April 7: MARATHON (I'll have 6 months from my half marathon, whichever I choose, to my marathon)

kelsully

I would love to run that many races but financially and schedule wise with 4 kids I just can't...so I pick races that fit into my training...mini goals...just ran the 10K...as it is 2 weeks before my training starts...then I run a 1/2 around about the time I would run that distance in my marathon training...I might run another half with my husband is he ever decides to stop napping...that would be in a good time for my marathon training too...if I do any 5K's they will have to be for fun or with my kids...

rachel5576

Well Molly I don't have anything big until this fall when i do another half. So this summer i am doing pretty much any local race i can find. I live in a very small town surrounded by other small towns so races close to me are hard to some by. They are mostly 5ks and 10ks. Just enough to keep me going until im ready to train for my next half. Before my last half i didnt worry too much about the length of the race but i did end up canceling one because I would have been racing 3 weeks in a row before my half which is probably not at good idea at least not for me.

Have fun looking for races

rybo

I ran 2 races preparing for my marathon that I used to help me figure out a goal pace. Other than that I don't really put too much effort into coordination. I'll run the occasional race that fits my schedule & fitness at the time.