The test of your fitness. Excruciating pain. Pride.
It’s racing, something every runner should do at one point or another. You don’t even have to be competitive; lots of group runs and races are just fun social events!
You can run or walk a local 5k event and probably help support a good cause at the same time.
Even for the bigger, more competitive races, only a small percentage of the field will be racing to win. Most competitors will be out for fun or to set a personal best.
So remember – you don’t need to be fast to enter a race! Just be sure to line up further in the back, so you don’t interfere with the fast runners who will almost be sprinting off the start line.
Registering for a race is a great way to stay motivated!
One source of event listings is Active.com, or you can check out listings at CoolRunning.com. I suggest looking for races in your area, and if you find one, set a goal for yourself to run it. It’s a good idea to plan this in advance for two reasons. First, you can probably save money if you pre-register early. Second, having the race in the future is good motivation to keep training consistently.
If you know anyone else that runs, get them to come along. It’s a lot of fun to test yourself and compare war stories after the race, while enjoying free post-race food!
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