Published: February 07, 2007 08:40 am         

Preparing for MINI

Three area men are starting their preparations to run the OneAmerica 500 Festival Indy Mini Marathon May 5 along with the other 34,997 entrants in America’s largest event of its type.

All find the 13.1-mile race appealing. James McDonough, Batesville, ran it for the first time last year (finishing in the top 500!) after already completing an IronMan Wisconsin and the Boston Marathon twice. He reports, “It’s extremely well organized. It’s a very fast race because the course is extremely flat. There are bands and cheerleaders the whole way – and you get to run on the Indy 500 track, which is really, really cool. The race goes by so quickly. It’s just a fun race because of the fans cheering you on.”

Scott Johnson, Greensburg, training for his fourth Mini, says signing up for this event, which has attracted athletes from all 50 states and seven other countries, “gives me motivation to run.” The goal is “to keep myself in shape and keep a few pounds off.”

Even during these winter months he is getting ready. “I try to run four to five days a week. You don’t always have to go out and run at 100 percent,” he notes. Some days the North Decatur High School agriculture teacher jogs at about 65 percent of his pace. The 37-year-old never runs less than three miles. His goal is to run 8-minute miles or a bit faster to keep his pace consistent. In fact, Johnson’s New Year’s resolution is to improve his time. “Every time I run I have to have the watch going.”

According to Kevin Stone, Rushville, marking his 25th Mini in 2007, “Whenever it’s feasible to run outside, I do that. I also have a membership in a local fitness place in Rushville so I’ve been able to do some weight training and use the treadmill there.” He says it’s OK for new runners to jog as far as they can, then walk, then jog again, working up to all running.

McDonough, 43, is jogging 30 to 40 miles a week at a moderate pace, not worrying about speed at this point. Because he is a triathlete, “I do a lot of cross training.” He lifts weights at Bee Active Gym School and swims and takes spinning classes at Southeastern Indiana YMCA, Batesville, if the weather’s too crummy to bike outside.

“I always tell people to train ugly,” he adds. “You’re going to have to run when days are rainy ... or cold, because you never know what the weather’s going to be” for the Indianapolis half-marathon.

About a month before the race, Stone will be running anywhere from 25 to 40 miles a week. “The length of some of my weekend runs gets up to 10 or 12 miles,” he says.

Likewise, Johnson gradually increases his distances, using Saturday for a long run, at least seven miles and several times 10. The shortest runs are five to six miles.

About eight weeks before the Mini, McDonough starts to focus a lot more on speed, targeting that aspect during two of his four weekly runs.

Diet matters when getting ready for the 31st race. According to McDonough, “I’m very focused on nutrition. I’ve learned that over the years.” He eats a lot of fruit “because of the antioxides” and also concentrates on fish, soy and whey protein products, steering away from red meat.

Stone, who is the general sales manager at WKWH radio, Rushville, reports, “I’ll drink a lot more (liquids), getting used to what it will be like on race day itself ... I try not to overindulge with lots of sweets. I do eat a lot more pastas for the carbs.”

“I try not to drink as much soda pop,” preferring water, says Johnson. He eats carbohydrates for energy and after a long run increases his protein intake to rebuild and heal muscle tissue.

What are the biggest mistakes beginning Mini participants make? “Trying to pick up their mileage too quickly,” which can lead to calf and knee injuries, answers McDonough. “The other mistake ... is to try to train as though they’re going to run fast. They should focus on having fun and getting it done.”

Johnson advises novices, “Just because it’s a 13-mile run, you don’t have to ever run 13 to get ready for it.”

Stone, 52, points out, “You can’t do it (start training) a week in advance and be ready for it. It takes two to three months of preparation.”

They have other pointers. McDonough suggests, “Make sure you really focus on stretching. As you pick up on your mileage, your body tends to take a little more beating. You need to have your body in a really flexible state. You’ll get injured if you don’t stretch properly,” states McDonough.

Johnson recommends, “The week before the Mini, you really kind of want to let your body rest.” He runs for the last time the Wednesday before, then takes Thursday and Friday off.

Stone tells new Mini entrants, “Be prepared to run with 35,000 people because you don’t get to do that in your daily runs. If possible, if you can participate in a race a month or so prior, it gets you in the frame of mind of what it would be like.”

McDonough likes to involve his family (a wife and three children 9 and under) in his races. “You need their support because you’re going to be gone a lot” training, he observes. They may meet him halfway through a long run to hand him a bottle of sports drink or cheer him on at the finish line. He notes that kids can do the 5K part of the Mini.

For some Mini entrants, “One of the most powerful things is example setting,” inspiring the family to be fit.

Twenty years from now no one will remember a finish time, McDonough reflects. But friends will say, “‘Oh, my gosh, you did a half-marathon. Isn’t that cool?’