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A friend that has run more half marathons than he can count and around 50 marathons told me that in all those races he has only had a handful where he felt good the entire race. You never really know what kind of race day you are going to have until you start. Come Aug. 20 and the News and Sentinel Half Marathon and you will likely know what kind of day you are going to have in the first few miles.
A lot of things have to go well for you to have a perfect experience. Running is like life though; you need to not get discouraged and push through the days where you would rather just quit.
The first step to get started is of course to get moving in the first place. The most important step is literally the one that you take out the front door of your home.
If you have been sitting on the couch for 30 years, don't get discouraged, and don't overdo it.
If you just walk around the block, it is more than you did yesterday. Tomorrow walk around two blocks. Build on what you did before and don't worry when you slide backward. It doesn't matter. Most of us are exercising for our health and we are using races to motivate us to exercise on days when we would rather just stay on the couch.
I've been hanging out for a while with racers with much more athletic ability than me. They have given me much advice, some I asked for, some they gave me for free when I wanted to quit.
You will have days when you feel like you can run forever. Treasure these and try to figure out what you did right. The food you ate, the amount of sleep you got, the weather, even the clothes that you wear can all have an influence on how well things go for you.
You will also have days that you want to quit as soon as you start. Pushing through these days will make you a better athlete since your body is working harder to get past whatever is making you feel sluggish.
If you are having a really bad day, do fewer miles. There is always tomorrow. Always remember you are doing this for fun.
What works with me is to exercise with other people. Doing this forces you to get out the door on days that you might not have. If people are expecting you to show up, you let them down when you don't. Most of my training has been with my wife Lori, we walk more than we run. Our walking speed is nearly identical. When we do run, I am a little bit faster than her, which is good, because I get to take more breaks for her to catch up.
I have also done a lot of trail running with two local runners, Chip Allman and Sharon Marks, who pushed me way beyond my comfort zone many times. A group of people who are slightly faster than you will help you with training. This was certainly the case with these two.
Don't get discouraged by the weather. It has frequently been said that there is no such things as bad weather, just bad clothing choices, this is certainly true with running. Dress for the weather, which means having different weight shirts, pants and shorts. You want to dress for the second mile, not the first. It is better to be comfortable for the bulk of your run than just right for the first one.
When it is really hot, light rain can actually be nice to run in. Sweat will quickly soak your clothes anyway, so light rain will be more comfortable than a humid day. Don't wear cotton when it is humid. There is nothing worse than a soaked cotton shirt.
Above all, remember that you are really doing a race for you. Your racing efforts will be as unique as you are. At the end of the day, do your best and be proud of your efforts.
Art Smith is co-director the News and Sentinel races and is online manager for The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. He can be reached at asmith@newsandsentinel.com. His column about the races appears each weekend.