posted by Chris Barber
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Here are the best ways to recon your running race course, utilizing my military training with running experiences, to help you do the most effective route reconnaissance.  There are four types of recons:  map, ground, foot, and aerial.  Sorry Rocket Man, but capital probably limits you from doing the aerial type of recon so we’ll just stick to the map, ground, and foot recons.  The foot recon is the most preferred method but map and ground recons can be fine substitutes.  If you listen to me you’ll have the best information possible going into the race, Private First Class Runner.

Map Recon: These days there are numerous sources on the Internet to find any type of map.  When I was deployed to Iraq we would even surf google maps to see if there were any bad guys cruising around the streets.  Not really Grandma.  Seriously though, first you need to get a map of the race course from the race website.  These courses are very well drawn out with street names although some smaller races may only have directions in text.  If this is the case, then go to google maps and print off the area your race runs in.  Then take a highlighter and draw out your course.  Isn’t it fun to make crafts!  If you want to mark the distance on your paper map, take out a pieces of string along the route and compare this to the scale at the bottom of the map to measure your distances.  Or you can just got to mapmyrun.com and do it on the computer.  That’s all that website is good for though.  Come back to seriousrunning.com for all things running…minus mapping capabilities.  It’ll come.  Do beware though, the distances on these mapping programs are not very accurate.

Ground Recon: Get a course map and hop in the car to drive the race route.  Make sure you start a new trip on the odometer so you know your distance.  Point out your the easily identifiable landmarks to give you an idea of where exactly you are while running the course.  While racing you always want to maintain situational awareness.  Always know where you are and your estimated time on target.  As you are driving, visual how you will be feeling and what will be going through your head at certain points along the route.  Utilizing this recon technique at night doesn’t make much sense unless you have night vision goggles…or live in Alaska.

Foot Recon: Find out the race course and go for a run.  Try doing it by yourself.  Don’t race it.  Take it easy.  Take is slow to see everything around you.  Focus on what you will be feeling at which points.  Notice all of the hills that you will have to run up.  Notice of all the downhills you can pick up some time on.  Think about the other runners.  Where will they probably be tired?  This is where you want to make your move.  Make sure you don’t put your move point too far from the finish.  You want to be able to make your move earlier than the other runners and sustain it.  The best way to learn is through experience.  Get some ORT, On the Route Training.  The Army is into the whole “acronym” thing.

See you on the objective!

Tags: Army, race tips, road races

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