Last weekend, as part of my first 20,000 days celebration, I ran my second half marathon. In spite of my September post on preparation, I did not prepare to the degree I had planned. So here’s what you do to make sure you have a good time, a good race, and no injury.

1. Set your expectations to match your level of training. If you are running a longer race, but haven’t come close in your long runs, be prepared to walk part of the way. You can run the whole thing with the right level of mental toughness, but your risk of injury increases if you exceed your training by too much.
2. Follow a practical pre-race ritual. This is different for everyone, based in part on your travel to the race location. Some nutrition to start your engine is a good idea, but most runners don’t want to have too much in their stomachs at the start of the race. Get to the race with enough time to register and pick up your number (unless there was pick-up available the day before). Check for the porta-pottys. If you need to use one, chances are they will be busy just before the race, so line up early.
3. Position yourself in a reasonable location at the start. Don’t put other runners in the position of having to run around you in the early running. And don’t put yourself so deep in the pack that you don’t have room to run.
4. The longer the race, the more careful you pace. Don’t start out at your best stride when the race is much longer than your usual run. If you routinely run 5k in 25 minutes, then by all means go out fast and back off a bit if you need to. But if you are an 11-minute miler running a 10k, don’t rush out at a 9 minute pace and expect you will keep it up.
5. Remember the words of my friend John: “To finish is to win”. You trained, you registered, you got to the start. Now get to the finish and don’t worry about your time.
6. Enjoy the rest of your day. If you ran a long race you may want to ice the legs a bit, even in an ice bath. This will reduce the recovery time.
7. Pick another race and set up a new training plan!

I know that I was not happy with my last finish time, but thrilled with the run itself and that I finished without injury. But I know what I need to do to improve and I’ll run my own 13.1 in May with a new goal. Assuming I train enough.

Enjoy your training as much as your racing, and, as always, let’s be careful out there.

Anna at abdpbt is responsible for the effort to Fight Listless Mondays. Find other list links on her blog. Her lists and the others linked there always give you something to think about, and may even make you smile!

The next race I ran was in 2008.

I didn’t run much in between those two races. I started running again in November, 2007 with a goal of running and walking 1,000 miles in a year. I met that goal and ran a few races, including a half marathon that I finished in 2:18. I hope to run the same race this year with an improved time.

Running has been good for me, but it might have been disastrous if I hadn’t gotten good advice. Here are the tips I believe any new runner should take into account when beginning a running program:

1. Find a local running store (LRS) that will fit you correctly for your gait and pronation.
2. If you haven’t run before or you’ve been away from it for a while, start with brisk walks.
3. As you build endurance, alternate running and walking depending on how you feel. You don’t have to run every step of a planned outing, you can walk.
4. Pay attention to the weather and respond accordingly. If it’s too hot, shorten your run and make sure you stay hydrated. Use sunscreen if needed. If it’s cold, wear the right protective gear.
5. If music or recorded books help get you out there, great. But don’t let the isolation of the ear buds prevent you from knowing what is going on around you.
6. If you must run on a road, run facing traffic.
7. Wear reflective gear or lights if you run pre-dawn or at dusk.
8. Read forums and interact with them. I recommend the Beginner’s Forum at Runnersworld.com. There are many experienced runners there that are eager to help.

Have fun. Stick with it long enough to feel some benefit, and you will enjoy something that to non-runners looks like too much work. And call yourself a runner. It doesn’t matter if you run fast, or alternate running and walking. You are a runner.

And don’t forget the most common advice: Check with your doctor. And as a friend of mine says, ask your doctor if getting off your ass is right for you.

Let be careful out there.
Lists on Monday are influenced by Anna at abdpbt. Her lists are more clever.