I am currently preparing for the Fantasy Football season. Fantasy drafts work like this: a group of people gather together and draft teams. Each player can be drafted by only one team, so the goal is to get the best value for each draft pick.

The best value means choosing a player who will produce better statistics than the players drafted before him. If I draft Ray Rice (the running back for the Baltimore Ravens), and he runs for more yards/scores more touchdowns than Adrian Peterson (the running back for the Minnesota Vikings and consensus number one pick in most fantasy football drafts), then I’ve gotten better value.

Sometimes leagues have different rules. They may award one point for each reception. This makes a player like Ray Rice more valuable than Adrian Peterson even though Peterson may run for more yards because Rice catches more passes. You have to know what is the most important for your league.

Running is the same way. When considering your workouts, trying to get the best value for your workouts means knowing what is the most important.

A marathoner’s fantasy draft of workouts would look like this:
1. Long Runs
2. Recovery Runs
3. Rest (Sleeper Pick*)
4. Tempo Runs
5. Core Work
6. Long Intervals
7. Form Running
8. Striders

A 5k runner’s draft list would look different.
1. Short Intevals
2. Tempo Runs
3. Core Work
4. Recovery Runs
5. Long Runs
6. Form Running
7. Rest
8. Striders

An athlete focusing on weight loss would also be different:
1. Easy Runs
2. Cross Training
3. Interval Training
4. Core Work
5. Rest
6. Long Runs

So, what are you training for? What’s your number one overall pick in your fantasy training draft? No, a run with Kara Goucher isn’t an option. Think about what you’re trying to get out of your running. Draft wisely.

*A sleeper pick is a choice that is under the radar, a player that many folks haven’t heard of or don’t value very highly. I chose “Rest” as my sleeper pick not only because it’s a sweet pun, but also because most distance runners short change themselves in this area. Rest times are when your body recovers and rebuilds itself. It’s when the actual growth from all your workouts takes place.