by Megan Check, Occupational Therapist, ThedaCare Orthopedics Plus

So you’ve decided that you would like to participate in a running race event? Whether it is a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon, it is very important to prepare for the race. Different training programs and schedules work at various levels for different people. The biggest thing to remember is to have a plan, including a training program, so that you do not injure yourself prior to the day of the race or post-race.

There are many different resources available to help structure a personal training schedule for example:

• ThedaCare Orthopedics Plus free resources http://www.thedacareorthoplus.org
• Community First Fox Cities Marathon Race Home Page http://www.foxcitiesmarathon.org/
• Join a running club or running store program such as
• Pace Setters http://pacesettersrun.org
• Fleet Feet http://www.fleetfeetfoxvalley.com/
• The YMCA of the Fox Cities http://ymcafoxcities.org
• Join other local running clubs/running groups
• Online memberships /magazines/clubs
• Runner’s World http://www.runnersworld.com/
• Cool Running http://www.coolrunning.com/
• Active http://www.active.com/
• Hal Higdon http://www.halhigdon.com/
• Here is an example of a free pre-structured half marathon advanced training program from Hal Higdon, which I have found helpful for my own personal needs.

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51133/Half-Marathon-Advanced-Training-Program

There are many other resources available to you. These are just a few that may be easier to access in the Fox Valley area. When working from a training schedule, it may be helpful to actually input your training for the day into your personal schedule, being your pocket calendar or phone calendar. There are also specific training logs that are available for purchase or you can use a wall calendar for tracking your training.

Talk with an experienced runner. Most likely they will be more than happy to share their personal experiences with you! See what has worked for them. It also may be very helpful to find a friend or family member to train with. It may work to schedule all your runs or even weekly runs with this person. Or even if you don’t live near each other, it is a great support to have continued contact with this person relating to your daily/weekly challenges. This person can be a huge motivation while progressing along your training journey. Training for your race is not only smart, but the best way to maximize your performance come race day!

Megan Check received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a child and youth emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and a master’s degree in occupational therapy from UW-Madison. She is a registered occupational therapist and licensed in the state of Wisconsin. For more information visit: www.thedacareorthoplus.org or call 920-831-5050

Connect with us on Facebook & Twitter
Have you become a fan of our Facebook page? It’s the best place to get the most up-to-date information on the 2012 event and also connect with other past and present participants. You can give your opinions on questions and tell us about your experiences at our event.

Plus, we’d love to see your pictures from past events! It’s all about sharing and we want you to be a fan! Just go to www.facebook.com/foxcitiesmarathon and Like us today! More of a tweeter? Then our Twitter page is the place for you! Go to twitter.com/foxcities and Follow Us for race information and updates.