Healthy Hoboken: How To Prepare For A Race

There is something about running with a crowd of other runners that gets your blood pumping faster; that gives you the adrenaline you need to push yourself harder for longer distances than your average run.

Whether or not you're trying to win outright—whoa, killer, that's ambitious—or running in your first race, 5Ks and 5-milers are a great way to increase or maintain your level of fitness.

There is something different about running in an actual race. It's not just the competitive aspect. Registering for a race, and spending money on it,  inspires me to train for several weeks beforehand. I enjoy the camaraderie on the course; and there is something special about crossing that finish line.

This Sunday's HoHa 5-miler was actually a bit tougher for me than I expected. Maybe it because I usually don't know the course, but his weekend, I knew every turn and every hill. I found myself praying for the final stretch while I was still near the Stevens campus. It definitely wasn't my best performance.

Regardless, I am glad I did it. The HoHa 5-miler has been my motivation to run for the last few weeks, knowing that I didn't want to be huffing and puffing through a fairly short race with my friends looking on.  

The first step to enjoying a race is to properly train. My favorite training schedules are from Zooma, a women's running organization that offers free training guides for running, walking or combination events. While geared towards women, the training schedules work for either sex. I've used Zooma to train for several half-marathons, and have beaten my personal best in every race.

Zooma offers schedules for runners of every level. The training runs are based on time, rather than distance. For instance, you will run 30 minutes three days a week, intervals twice weekly and one long run. It doesn't matter how far you make it, as long as you stick to the times you will be ready for race day.

When my mom turned 54, I convinced her that she should try a race with me. She laughed, saying she hadn't run since high school. But I convinced her by enlisting my friend Nikki and Nikki's mom. We all signed up for the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix, Ariz., where Nikki lives. I'm pretty sure my mom was more excited to visit Arizona than to actually run, but she was a good sport about it.

She followed a three-month run-walk training schedule, and got our neighbors to join her for training runs when I couldn't make it back to Parsippany. She would call me every night to say how suprised she was that she was enjoying the training.

On race day, three weeks shy of her 55th birthday, she finished the race in 2:57:07, beating her three hour goal. I think she's still in shock that she completed a half marathon. Even if she never does it again, she gained confidence along the way – and earned a lot of respect from our friends and family.

I have a certain strategy when running a race. As a competitive person, I usually pick someone a little bit ahead of me and try to pass her (I really love passing guys, but it usually doesn't happen). Once that's done, I pick my next target. Of course, people behind me are doing the same thing, and I get know they'll pass me in due time. But I try to stave them off as long as possible. Everyone running in the pack is usually doing this, and it turns into a sort of game.

It's not all about the competition. I've made friends while running half-marathons. Whether you talk for a few meters or run the entire way together, you have a certain respect for everyone else on the course. If nothing else, you can talk about how you trained or other races you've run.

There is one downside to entering races: they usually carry a fee. I don't love the idea of paying to go for a run, but when the entrance fee goes to a charity—especially one like the Jubilee Center, where I volunteer regularly—I'm okay with it. 

Once I get to the few miles, I'm running solely on adrenaline. If I weren't trying to beat those around me, I'd probably slow down considerably. But reaching the finish line—even if you are running a distance you run every week—is a rush.

I encourage all of you to sign up for a race this year. It doesn't matter if it's a one-mile fun run or as hard core as the New York City marathon. The most important thing is to have fun, both when you're training and during the race itself.