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In races, prepare for that middle stretch

When preparing for a race, whether it's a five-miler, a 10K or a long-distance run, you might focus on the beginning and the end, paying little attention to the middle.

But it's during the middle of a race that tough training pays off.

For many, race-day preparation goes something like this: Wake up about two hours before the event, stretch a little bit, let the adrenaline build, get to the start line and take off like a rocket at the sound of the gun.

In the first few hundred yards, that quick start and the excitement of the race itself set the mind wandering to glorious thoughts of a record-setting finish.

But after about a mile, the magic wears off. Your legs feel heavy, your breathing is labored and the remaining miles become pure hell.

What went wrong?

If you don't plan for the race and train for it the right way, you're destined for failure.

Here are five tips to help you avoid falling into the black hole that swallows most quick starters at mile two:

1 Set realistic goals. During several training runs leading up to the big day, set specific goals based on the course, your training level and environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.

2 Find your race pace. If the racecourse features significant challenges — such as hills or other natural obstacles — or if the race-day temperature will be at or above 90 degrees, take a 10 percent cut in your pace to compensate.

3 Learn the course. For short races, in particular, run the course in conditions that resemble what you expect on race day. Take notes and remember the tougher course sections. For longer races, such as marathons, attempt to run on portions of the course at different intervals to get a feel for the terrain. Apply this homework to your training and work out a master plan.

4 Try stair-stepping. Maintaining a steady pace for the course is usually not the best approach in short races. Instead, try a stair-step process in which you build speed throughout the race and end at top speed, ensuring the best possible time.

In a five-mile race, for example, your pace goal might be a seven-minute mile. That doesn't mean running five miles in seven minutes apiece. Instead, plan to run your first mile in eight minutes, miles two through four at a seven-minute pace, and mile five in six minutes.

This helps you save some of that adrenaline that's boiling at the beginning of the race, using it more efficiently at the end. It also encourages your body to settle into a pace and not overextend too early.

5 Shorten your stride. To stave off breathing issues, increase foot turnover but don't lengthen stride — in fact, shorten it. This makes each step more efficient as the miles roll by. Increasing steps increases speed. Most runners can increase their number of steps from about 135 to 175 per minute. The result is a better time with measured improvement throughout the race.

Christopher Prawdzik is a runner and freelance writer in Northern Virginia. You may e-mail him at runnerslifeccp@yahoo .com.