Should You Add Miles After a Race? How to Adjust Your Long Runs for Dopey Training (Without Burning Out)
Congrats, here’s your medal… now let’s go run 4 more miles.
Training for the Dopey Challenge is a different kind of chaos - magical chaos, but chaos nonetheless. And one of the trickiest parts is figuring out how to handle the races you’re already signed up for.
If your training plan says 17 miles, but you’re running a half marathon that day… what do you do?
Add four more miles?
Let the race count?
Cry into a box of Mickey waffles?
This guide breaks it down for you - the flexibility, the science, the reality, and the surprising ways you can modify your training without sabotaging your progress.
⭐ My Half Marathon… and Then Four More Miles (A Very Relatable Training Moment)
It was Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, and I had just crossed the finish line feeling like the main character in my own sparkly Disney+ sports documentary.
I felt amazing - glitter on my face, half my costume still on, and the kind of confidence you get only after running 13.1 miles in Florida humidity.
And yet…
Reality was waiting.
My friend had been reminding me for weeks:
“Don’t forget — your training plan says you need 17 miles that day.”
Seventeen.
As in: “Congrats, here’s your medal… now go run four more.”
My first reaction?
Absolutely not. No thank you. I’m good.
But the idea sat in my brain like that one sock you keep avoiding in the laundry.
I tried ignoring it.
I made dramatic sighing noises.
I questioned my life choices on the walk back to the resort.
But eventually…
I ran the extra miles.
Like a feral princess doing laps around Saratoga Springs.
And honestly?
I felt like a total bada$$.
I bragged SO HARD.
I devoured a box of Mickey waffles.
I passed out in the world’s most deserved nap.
And I had this realization:
THIS is Dopey training.
Running a race… and then running more.
Doing things that make zero sense to anyone else.
And somehow feeling stronger because of it.
And here’s the surprising part:
Running a race as part of your training actually makes running feel easier.
A 2020 study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that running around other people creates a collective motivation effect, which lowers your brain’s perception of effort.
Which explains a lot — like why random Saturday long runs feel like emotional character development, but a race feels energized and fun.
⭐ The Real Reason Your Training Plan Will Never Line Up With Your Race Calendar
If there's one thing I wish someone told me earlier, it’s this:
👉 Your training plan and your race calendar will not match. And that’s normal.
Training plans are designed for mileage progression — not the random assortment of races you signed up for because:
- the medal was cute
- you got FOMO
- someone on IG said “it’s a must-do”
- or you just wanted a weekend away from laundry and responsibility
Add in real life — vacations, holidays, schedules, chaos — and suddenly your training plan and your calendar look like they’re not even on speaking terms.
But here’s the good news:
You don’t need them to line up perfectly.
And if you’re a Type A runner (hi, welcome), here’s some science you’ll love:
A 2019 study in the International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance found that runners who build flexibility into their training — adapting to life, events, and energy levels — have better long-term consistency and less burnout.
Meaning:
👉 Moving your long run
👉 Letting a race count
👉 Swapping weekends
…isn’t “cheating.”
It’s literally what successful endurance runners do.
⭐ Why Running a Race + Extra Miles Can Be Okay (But Not Always)
Let’s get into the big question:
“If I'm running a half marathon… but my plan says 17 miles… do I need to tack on the extra four?”
Here’s the simple answer:
✔ OPTION 1:
If the race mileage is close enough, let it count.
Your body doesn’t know the difference between 12.9 and 13.1 and 14.2.
It only knows: “We ran… a lot.”
✔ OPTION 2:
If your training plan calls for slightly more, you can add 1–3 miles before or after…
ONLY if your body feels good.
✔ OPTION 3:
If the mileage gap is large (ex: plan says 20 miles, race is 13.1)…
Then you need to adjust your overall schedule — NOT stack hard events.
Which leads to the next point…
⭐ Overloading Your Body Will Backfire Every Time
There is a strong temptation to “do both” — the race AND the full scheduled long run.
But forcing everything to fit perfectly is a direct route to injury and burnout.
Examples of overloading:
❌ Running a race + doing your 17-mile training run
❌ Doing a half marathon one weekend + a 19-mile simulation the next
❌ Scheduling huge weekends back-to-back to stay “on track”
Your body needs rest just as much as it needs miles.
You don’t get stronger from the run itself — you get stronger from the recovery.
Trying to do too much doesn’t make you “dedicated.”
It makes you injured.
⭐ Okay, So How Do You Actually Adjust a Training Plan for Dopey?
Here’s the real-life, beginner-friendly version:
⭐ 1. Let races count as long runs
Even if they’re not an exact match.
⭐ 2. Add small extra mileage only if your body feels good
Think 1–3 miles max — not an entire extra loop around the planet.
⭐ 3. Move long runs around as needed
Running long on Friday or Sunday is fine if that’s what your schedule demands.
⭐ 4. Prioritize consistency, not perfection
Every training plan is a guideline — not a moral contract.
⭐ 5. Avoid stacking high-mileage weekends
This is how injuries happen.
And another fascinating science nugget:
A 2020 review in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that group running reduces emotional stress and improves motivation.
Which means using a race as your long run?
Approved by science.
⭐ Final Thoughts: Perfect Plans Don’t Make Strong Runners — Adaptable Ones Do
Dopey training isn’t about never missing a mile.
It’s about learning your body, adjusting when needed, and showing up consistently.
You’re not messing up your training by being flexible.
You’re doing it exactly right.
And when you step up to the start line in January?
You’ll know you trained like a real human with a real life — not a robot following a chart.
⭐ ✨ Free Resource: The Dopey Diaries Run Journal Page
Track your mileage, energy, fueling, race weekends, and adjustments — without guilt.
👉 Download your free Run Journal Page here
⭐ ✨ Need Gear That Makes Long-Run Days Easier?
My Even More Magic fanny packs, bottle bags, and race-weekend accessories are designed for runners just like you.
Perfect for gels, phones, electrolytes, and mid-run snacks.
👉 Shop the collection at EvenMoreMagic.com
⭐ EMIÉ Behind-the-Scenes Update
Production is officially underway for the first round of EMIÉ activewear pieces, and I’m getting the final pre-production samples soon! Once those are approved, it's full-speed ahead.
We’re in the fun-but-nerve-wracking phase where we’re praying timelines behave themselves (shoutout to everyone who’s worked with overseas manufacturers and knows the chaos).
I can’t wait to show you everything as samples start arriving.
⭐ Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Do YOU add miles after a race… or is that chaos energy?
Come tell me on Instagram:
👉 @EvenMoreMagic
👉 @MilesWithBritt
And if this post made you feel even 1% less guilty about adjusting your plan… send it to a running friend.