Steamy breaths puff out of your body into the crisp morning air. Your feet thud, hitting the pavement in a steady rhythm. You tell yourself to breathe in and out. Two miles down, two to go.
Whether you’re a veteran distance runner or an ambitious wanna-be, you should follow specific guidelines before embarking on an intense run.
Perhaps you want to run with the pack Saturday alongside Mississippi State University students and Starkville residents in the annual Homecoming “Run with the Big Dawgs.” Before you put on your running shoes, follow some tips to avoid injury.
MSU associate track coach Steve Dudley advises runners to consider their physical ability, shoes, health, hydration and pace.
“Make sure your body is able to handle running the distance,” Dudley says. “You probably shouldn’t try to run a four-mile race without proper training.”
Novices shouldn’t tackle a four-mile with the intention of breaking a world record.
Once you know your body can run four-miles, you’ll need shoes that will support your feet.
Good running shoes should endure up to 500 miles of wear and tear, according to www.secondsolesports.com.
The best way to check the health of your shoes is to look at the midsole, the foamy part in the middle under your foot, and see WHETHER it has crinkled greatly. If so, you probably need to invest in some new shoes.
Dudley said runners must give their bodies proper fuel to boost endurance.
“Make sure you’re hydrated. That would mean drinking plenty of water or Gatorade or Powerade-whatever your preference would be,” Dudley said.
Those participating in Saturday’s race will benefit from drinks made available by the Coca-Cola plant, said event organizer Jason Schwanebeck, Student Association director of health and wellness.
Distance runner Jennifer McPherson offered dietary suggestions.
“You’ll want to load up on carbohydrates a few days before the race,” McPherson said. “A couple nights before the race, make sure you are getting enough water, and eating a lot of carbohydrates like pasta and baked potatoes.”
McPherson said she couldn’t finish a race last year because she hadn’t put enough fluids in her system.
“Last year we were racing, and I don’t think I’d had enough water. About three quarters through the race I ended up collapsing and I wasn’t able to finish. I ended up in the aid station attached to an I.V. for almost an hour, so drink your water,” she said sternly.
“On the day of the race, your body needs fuel, so you can eat your regular breakfast. If you run at all, eat what your body is accustomed to eating,” Dudley said.
“Do the same thing you’ve been doing in your training; eat whatever you’ve been eating before your workouts,” he said. “You don’t want to change things on race day that you haven’t been doing.”
“Most of the time, people eat two or two and a half hours before and eat pretty light. That seems to work, but I really recommend whatever they do normally,” Dudley said.
After you arrive at the race site, remember to stretch. Dudley and McPherson suggested warming up a bit before tackling intense stretching.
“Make sure you’ve warmed up properly,” McPherson said. “Jog for about 10 minutes and then stretch well. While warming up, if it is cold or rainy, you should wear warm clothes, maybe even jog for a little bit longer.”
Once you’re ready to start the race, McPherson suggests that you pace your first steps.
“Don’t start the race too fast,” she said. “If you haven’t built your body up to the work you need to do to finish the race, you need to take it slow at first and let your body adjust. Beginning runners should go at a comfortable pace. Don’t put your body under a whole lot of stress.”
“The best thing to do is to monitor how your body reacts to running,” she added.
“Listen to your body. If your muscles start feeling really tired, back off the pace a little bit. It might even benefit you to stop and stretch for a couple seconds,” McPherson said.
The Web site www.geocities.com offers tips to follow for a triathlon that might also benefit Saturday’s runners.
The site suggests keeping your head up while you run. This will help prevent injuries by keeping the rest of your body in line. It also suggests relaxing your arms and avoiding extreme arm movements.
For those of you who wish to embark on the challenge, Saturday’s “Run with the Big Dawgs” will spring into action at 8 a.m.
Participants can either register in the Student Association office today or at the race between 7:15 and 7:45 a.m.
The fee is $5 for MSU students and $10 for everyone else. The SA also encourages participants to bring items to donate to the Humane Society.
“The revenue apart from costs will serve to benefit The United Way,” Schwanebeck said.
The annual four-mile Homecoming run goes around the outside of North Farm. “To get there, go to U.S. Highway 82 East, just past the new campus entrance and it will be on the left,” Schwanebeck said.