Mini Marathon, the great Ireland run, the adidas race series are just some of the hundreds of races that are now appearing around the country on a monthly basis. A quick look on www.runireland.com will show you just how many races are now on. We are rapidly becoming a nation of running and adrenaline junkies, with these low cost races adding fuel to the fire. As I sit in Galway, penning this article, eating another meal of carbohydrates , fueling up for the connemara Ultra Marathon tomorrow morning, I thought that this week I would put together a map for you. A map to show you how to run that marathon you have always wanted to , or even further. So many people have a deep desire to run races and are simply put off as they don’t know how to get to their goal, the task seeming too scary for them so they put in on the back foot. But the reality is this, with the right preparation, plenty of hard work and some sacrifice ,you can do any race that you want to. The only thing that stops you is you yourself. Now heed this warning, training for such events will have a major impact on your social life and the amount of time you spend with your loved ones. Before you start even training, you need to discuss the project with them, ensuring that they back you 100% , because the reality is, between training commitments and fatigue, you won’t be able to go to all those parties or events, your priority needs to be the event that you are training for, everything else must come second. The bigger the event, the greater the priority. You must ensure that this is something you can do.If not , then you may want to look at an easier event, no point in lulling you into a false sense of security about this. Once you have this commitment both from yourself and from those around you, you need to select your event. There are a few considerations you should look at when choosing the race. The first one is the sport itself, is it totally new to you or have you a background in that sport? I remember some years back I went from running marathons straight into training for an ironman, even though I had never cycled or swam before, making the training a huge task, albeit one that I embelished! You should also look at the location of the race and take into account the travel time and cost to get there. Look at the course profile, is it very hilly or flat, is it in a warm country and will you have someone going over with you to help you get set up and support you. These are important elements, especially the temperature, I can tell you that there is a huge difference in racing in Irish conditions and racing in mid 30 degree heat!! Once you have chosen your race, you need to put together a training plan. If this is a new sport, you may want to consider paying for a coach to get you there. There are coaches in Ireland or coaches online that will email and skype. Both have their advantages, I always tend to try find the best coach that I can, as I learn and learn each time that I work with someone new, trying out their techniques to see what is working best for me. At this point it is essential to ensure that you have left yourself enough time to train for the race ,if not then you may risk overtraining or just not being ready to race . Having pushed my body over the limits several times, often ending up in a&e in some foreign country having collapsed during a race, I know all too well about this. Overtraining is a valley of fatigue that basically means you keep pushing your body without giving it enough time to recover, symptoms are tiredness, mood swings, unwillingness to train, lack of hunger and even hayfever symptoms in the extreme .The only way to get over the fatigue is rest,simply rest up until you feel like training again.If your body is sore after even an easy session then you need to rest for a longer period of time. Having a coach, will help to avoid the possibility of overtraining, as they will ensure that you are resting sufficiently. By picking the right event, getting a good coach and putting the work in, you will succeed in hitting your goal. Getting the amazing feeling of crossing the line, feeling like a gladiator who has just won in the colesseum in Rome, conquering your own battles along the way. I will leave you with one of my favourite quotes that I feel sums up the journey of anyone brave enough to try push themselves to try a tough event, it is by Theodore Roosavelt: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."