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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Sign Up for a Race!


Need some motivation?  Try signing up for a race! 

This is by far the best thing I do for myself to keep me striving to go farther, do better, get faster, or just plain keep me going.  Plus you get to meet some great people.  The sense of community that runners have is amazing and encouraging.  Pressure's off!  Most races have different categories too (age, weight, distance, and sometimes pace) so your not up against the whole field.  Ever heard of the "Clydesdale" runners?  This is for you men with healthy appetites.  Really, runners come in many shapes and forms.  Don't be discouraged, give it a shot!  You'll find that this community cheers for everyone.

Set some sort of goal whether it be to finish in the top three, not to finish last, or just to finish.  After your first race you'll then have a time you can try and beat at your next race.  Or, as you're running find someone a little farther ahead of you that you would like to catch up to or pass.  Little accomplishments really can feel quite rewarding.  If all else fails, finish strong.  When you catch site of the finish line PICK UP THE PACE.  Not too soon though.  You'd rather be sprinting than crawling to the end right?  Above all...HAVE FUN!!!  After all you've probably got yourself a new T-shirt, some new friends, and hopefully a big prize from the raffle. 

Here's a couple of upcoming races in my neighborhood.  Click on the links for online registration. 

May 1st - Race Against Child Abuse
  • Offers 10k, 5k, or 1 mile
  • Early registration by April 24th
  • Place - Wellsville, UT
  • Time - 9:30

May 8th - Smithfield Health Days
  • Locate left side tab "Programs"
  • Use drop down menu to find "10 Health Days Fun Run"
  • Choose your distance - 10k, 5k, or 1 mile
  • Place - Smithfield, UT
  • Early registration - May 3rd

What's going on in your neck of the woods?  Here's some ways to find out. 

Find your local parks and recreation office.
Search online for local races.
Logon to your City or County website.
Ask your sporting good store if they have any race schedules
Check out...
http://www.active.com/,
http://www.theschedule.com/, or
Runnersworld Race Finder


Good Luck!  See ya on the road!

6 comments:

Stacey said...

Signing up for a race keeps me motivated too. Just having something on the calendar is key. You have a great blog!

Rad Runner said...

Heck yes! Fill a list with races for me and I am a happy motivated girl! (The shinny medal at the end doesn't hurt either...) Great post!

Glenn Jones said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog Kiesha! I'm always floored that people fiund my drivel informative and/or entertaining.

Out here in Southern California we have another great resource called Raceplace (www.raceplace.com) that lists all the races in the Southern California area. I'm sure these type of websites exist for other places too!

RunToTheFinish said...

I am not a big fan of racing because I just make it too much pressure, but having a few key races outlined each year certainly helps me get focused!

Lisa said...

Great post! This is exactly how I started running and really got in shape! I joined NYRR and started signing up for all the races I could! Definitely provides motivation, even if it's mostly monetary at first ;).

We have a ton of races going on around here. That's one thing I love about NYC, always something and somewhere to run!

Have fun with your next race!

Unknown said...

Very cool post. So there is an "Athena" category for women...I would qualify LOL!!

Thanks for the link love on the right.