A race at White Rock Lake, where a portion of the Dallas marathon takes place
1. Get over the name change. It’s the Dallas Marathon now. If you want, keep calling it the “White Rock Marathon” among your friends. That’s what I do. Except when Marcus Grunewald is around.
2. Buy a pair of good running shoes. You need to go to Run On! or Lukes Locker or a similar running specialty store to be fitted for the shoes. They will be $80-$120. Spend the money this time. Once you know what type of shoe you need, then you can start buying that shoe at a discount shop such as runningwarehouse.com.
3. Test your skills at the Kickoff 6.4k Presented by Miller64, May 30. It starts at Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake at 7 p.m., costs $20 and is followed by a beer- and adrenaline-fueled afterparty.
4. Register for the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon. Registration opens June Those who sign up early get a better price, plus, registration will close at 6,000 entrants in the marathon and 13,000 entrants in the half marathon.
White Rock Running Co-op at LHHS track
5. Join a running club such as the White Rock Running Co-op or the Dallas Running Club. The WRRC is a free group that meets Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings. They offer loosely organized training for the Dallas and other popular marathons or social running. The best place to keep up with this group is via their Facebook page. Even if you plan to train alone for the marathon, the WRRC page is a good spot to join running conversations and get tips. The DRC offers a discounted marathon-training program. (Most people I know are part of both these groups). If you fancy more-formal and more expensive training, Run On! and Lukes both offer training programs.
6. Stick to the training program, eat good food, drink water—regularly, and don’t let the hot Texas summer thwart your progress. Read inspirational stories such as this and this to keep you going.
7. Pray hard for good weather on race day. Last year, Mother Nature greeted marathoners with high winds, 70-degree-plus temperatures and excessive humidity—so much humidity that the streets were wet and one half-marathoner slipped and broke a bone. The weather we want for marathon day is 40-55 degrees, no wind (which, ironically, was the weather that rolled in right after last year’s race). So think cold.
Meme: The grammar is bad, but you get the point
8. Rally your non-runner friends and neighbors (by now they are probably avoiding the guy who can’t shut up about his upcoming marathon, but it’s time to rekindle those relationships) to participate in Dallas Marathon Day, a citywide holiday, by volunteering or cheering.
9. Feel real good about yourself after you run the 26.2 miles on race day. Eat a lot of food. Heck, wear your medal to work on Monday.
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