Dayton is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WBAFB) and each September, it is also home base for the Air Force Marathon. This year the marathon is scheduled for Saturday, September 17, and registration is open to all runners 18 and older. Many Dayton and Springfield area runners participate in the full marathon, half marathon, or 5k – and many will do so without properly preparing their feet for the race.
Whether you are training for a marathon or just starting a running program, it is important that you take good care of your feet and get them ready for the distance you are covering. Here are some tips to help you do just that:
Cover three-quarters of the distance you’d be running before the race. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should run it – you can definitely walk it instead of run – but your feet should know what that distance is going to feel like. That way you’ll get a sense of whether to expect blisters, chafing or another type of irritation prior to race day and can prepare accordingly.
No time for new shoes. The shoes you wear on race day shouldn’t be brand new, but they shouldn’t be old either. Shoes with right around 100 miles on them are ideal. Break them in about a month before the marathon with shorter distances and then wear them for your training walk.
Gear up. Wear what you will be wearing on race day for your long training days (including the walk) to ensure that everything will work well for you during the race. Race day is not the time to try out new gear – you want everything you use to be tried and true by race day!
These tips will help you get ready to run – no matter the distance you plan to cover! To keep a step ahead of the competition, you may also want to consider custom orthotics made especially for your feet. Call our office to schedule an appointment to be fitted for custom orthotics today!
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