Why did the hamburger beat the runner in a race? See the end of this post for the answer.
Many people start running to attempt a certain event. Or, maybe you start running and then think a race might be fun. Or, maybe you haven’t raced in a while but want to get back into it. Whatever your motivation, how do you pick it?
The most important item, and maybe the easiest, is distance. There are runners who go for a marathon, or even an ultra, for their first one. Others go for a 5K/10K/half-marathon. Sometimes odd distances show up, like a 4K for July 4th. Think about your goals and, based on how your training is going, what a reasonable challenge is, both time and distance-wise.
Once you’ve settled on a distance, the next and more difficult choice is which race. Some areas host races/events every weekend so it may be easy to find a 5K to half marathon. Other places only have a few races per year so it may be that if you’re going for a half-marathon, it’ll have to be the annual race in your hometown. While there are many marathons out there, they are more sparsely scheduled and unless you live in a major metro area, you will probably have to factor in some travel.
Check out this directory of races in the U.S. If you see one on there that you want to do, you should go to the race’s website to make sure it still exists and that the date information is accurate.
A few things you’ll want to keep in mind. Do you want to try a race with a large number of participants, or something smaller? Do you want to run it on roads, pedestrian paths, mountain trails? Do you want to go with cooler weather by picking late fall to early spring but risk the chance of winter conditions and possible slick surfaces, or do you want to go with a summer race but know it could be hot?
With the size of the race, as with everything there are trade-offs. A big race with thousands of participants can be a lot of fun. You’ll have plenty of company along the way, the course will be well-marked, and it will be well-stocked with aid stations. But, even for a well-organized one there may be more travel logistics involved, such as having to park further away from the start line or, in some events, using public transit and factoring in that travel time. Also, some parts of the course may get crowded and it may be tricky to pass people. With a smaller race, most will be well-organized but if there’s a smaller staff, the course may not be as well-managed and there may be fewer amenities. The plus side is it could be easier to get to, you may be closer to the start, and you will not just be one person among thousands and can move along the course more easily.
For whether you opt for trails or roads, you’ll want to pick something that you enjoy running on and that you’ll be able to train on. For my first 50K, only 10+ miles were on true single track (10+ were on dirt road/jeep road and 10+ were on asphalt) and I figured I didn’t need much time training on the trails. My ankles were pretty sore after that one. For the next 50K which was 90% single-track, I did nearly all of my long-distance runs on trails, as well as some shorter ones.
Most races will post their routes ahead of time so you can look at exactly where you’ll be running. Others will not only post the route but they’ll also show the elevation profile of the course. This is incredibly valuable. If your goal is a marathon with net downhill elevation loss, you may want to do a shorter preparatory race that is either net downhill, or features a substantial length that is downhill, to acclimate your body to it. Or, if your goal is a race that involves lots of climbing, you may want to pick a shorter race that features lots of long uphills or sustained elevation gain. Even if you’re not going for a race that has lots of ascent or descent, if you know the elevation profile ahead of time, you’ll have a better sense of where your mile splits will be faster or slower.
The weather is completely out of your hands. See my earlier post about training for that. Obviously the time of year will have something to do with that. But, pick a time of year you’ll be comfortable with. If you loathe going out in temperatures under fifty degrees, it would be better not to pick the “Blizzard Blast 5K” (to my knowledge that name is made up) in January even if the weather in your area is temperate.
For those of you in the Denver metro area or who may travel out here, I’d recommend All-Out Multicourse. They have 10 events with multiple races every year. Their races are fun, they’re always put together well, and they know how to take care of runners. 3W also hosts outstanding races, including Let Freedom Run on July 4th. The Bolder Boulder is large and popular, and there are also excellent smaller events, such as the Taste of Louisville.
Once you’ve selected your race, if you’re aiming for a specific accomplishment (finishing a marathon, getting a certain time in a 5K or 10K) I find it helpful to do a race one to three weeks before my “main” race. It gets you acclimated to racing and how your body will feel. If it goes well, great. If not, then you know what to do differently for your main event. What distance race should you do as your test run? I’ve always followed the rule of thumb that race recovery is one day per mile. So, you wouldn’t want to do a half-marathon one week prior to your main event. Given that the point is to experience a race, a 5K or 10K would work well in many cases. This advice also goes for more seasoned runners.
Once you’ve chosen the race, trained on the proper surface, and have gotten to race day, trust your training and enjoy it.
Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gingerade Gu: I’m not exactly sure what “Gingerade” is–it sounds like a bad flavor of punch from a reception–but for the Gu it’s a gentle flavor, not offensive in any way, and it gives you the energy you need. If anyone knows what Gingerade is supposed to taste like, let me know and I’ll be glad to do a follow-up review.
Answer to the joke above? Because the hamburger was fast food. For runners with kids, how to pack a “Bob” or running stroller next time. And, Badwater is coming.