Practice Makes Perfect

Got a race you really care about... run a "tune-up race" beforehand. A tune-up race is basically anything that isn't your goal race, but the article suggests that the former be shorter (although this seems less critical for 5K's compared to marathons). Tune-up races are good because, no matter how hard you push yourself in training, you can never match your "race effort"... adrenaline kicks in when the gun goes off! Plus, tune-up races allow y0u to refine your "racing strategy"... like when to chase down a pack or when to let them go. Also, the more you race, the less nervous you tend to be at any given race. Anyways, the article is pretty interesting, and gives some do's/don'ts, suggestions, and alternate workouts just in case you can't fit in a tune up race. #20