Ready to Race Series

Updated May 25, 2015, to Edition 6 If You Enjoy Running with Your Dog, Here Are Several Ways in the USA to Have Your Dog Running with You in a 5K or Other Race Running with a Dog Running with a dog can be very rewarding. You get exercise. Your dog gets exercise. You bond with and learn more about one another. You become a happier runner. Plus, a running dog is usually healthier than a sedentary dog. So, have you ever wanted to have your dog run with you in a 5K or other race? What? Dogs Running in 5Ks? Running dogs, like human runners, enjoy competition. So, has your dog looked at you longingly as you've headed out the door for yet another race that prohibits dogs? Have you tried to find a dog-friendly race and failed? It's not your fault! There has been no resource to find them ... until now. Running with Dogs is the most comprehensive resource for finding dog-friendly races -- from New York to California, and from one mile to half marathon. Can You Relate to These Emotions? When it comes to racing with your dog, have you ever been * Afraid that you will show up at a race that supposedly is dog-friendly but is not? * Angry about races that have dog-related sponsors but are not dog-friendly? * Frustrated by how hard it is to separate dog-friendly races from dog-friendly non-competitive events? Relax! Running with Dogs is for you! Real Dog-Friendly Races, Not Non-Competitive Events There are many non-competitive events held year-round for runners and walkers who want their dogs to participate. The focus of this book is specifically away from these non-competitive events and instead on real races, with real competition. Plus, when you register for one of these races, you can be sure that it is dog-friendly. Can't I Simply Look for These Races on the Web? Yes, and you will see that the information is disorganized, inconsistent, and sometimes hidden in PDFs of race flyers and registration forms. In less than 60 seconds, you can have the information in an organized, consistent, and complete presentation -- all in one place. You Have Questions? This Book Has Answers! Running with Dogs answers popular questions like these from runners who want to race with their dogs: * I want to take my dog to Florida on vacation. Are there any dog-friendly races there? * I have two dogs. May I race with both of them? * I want to race with my dog in March. What's available? * I have a small dog. Will we be competing against runners with large dogs for the same award? * I am looking for a 5K race. What's available at that distance? How Disorganization Made Me Write this Book Some of this information was -- and still is -- buried in downloadable PDFs of race flyers and registration forms. Other information I had to get by emailing back and forth with race organizers, some of whom even pointed me to other races that were so new that they were barely documented anywhere else. When all was said and done, I had written this complete book for happy runners who want to race with their dogs. Kirk Mahoney

From the Foreword by John Loftus, Ultra-marathoner and Safety Consultant:  Why would someone write a running / walking book about SAFETY – managing the unforeseen, the training route, weather, gear, and personal security, about INJURY AVOIDANCE – minimizing hurt and pain to our body and mind and CREATING GOOD HABITS so that we do “the right thing” unconsciously? The reality is, whether at work, at home, or pursuing our leisure passions, such as running and walking, we want to be happy and successful as we journey towards and achieve our goals, and this includes being incident- and injury-free. Just get out there, and do it! It’s natural. That’s what I was told years ago when I first started to run and walk faster and further than I had ever done before. It started with just one mile (1.6K), and today my real passion is endurance-walking races (62 miles / 100K), and, when I’m not racing, I’m training and cross-training. I suffered more pain, injury, and mental anguish working my way from 1 mile to a half-marathon and marathons than I have over this past 10 years of doing ultra-marathons. Why? Knowledge, or a lack there of. ...

Updated September 10, 2016, to Edition 2 Attention, Want-to-Be and Current Marathoners and Half-Marathoners There are teachable methods to help you to reach your goal to run or walk your first marathon or half marathon or to complete your next one faster. Here is some of what you'll learn in this book: * The seven "need" beliefs you should have about your endurance running or walking * The "three-finger" way to crush fears and limiting beliefs about your endurance running or walking * Three psychologically powerful ways to engage other people in support of your endurance running or walking * The sixteen-part fortress that will protect your endurance training schedule from sabotage * How to talk to yourself on race day -- so that you have your best race ever! * How to mentally "energize" yourself right before an endurance race * The one thought process that hurts newcomers and seasoned veterans alike * The seven mental rituals that you should follow daily while training * The three-step process for becoming more relaxed in your races -- and the research behind this * Fourteen mental tricks to coach you through a race -- as if you had a coach beside you the whole way! * A super-simple way to recover faster from an endurance injury * How to benefit from research results that prove that you CAN become more proficient with these mental tricks * The one mistake that almost everyone makes in almost every race -- and how to "mentally immunize" yourself against it! * Why and how a statistician's approach to each of your races is crucial to your future success (Hint: It's not what most people suppose!) * Three examples of why and how to apply something called "psychological acupuncture" immediately after an endurance race * How seemingly minor parts of your race-day experience consciously AND unconsciously affect your future performance * Why and how pretending to be this person makes you a better racer (It's not who you expect!) * Two mental mistakes that nearly everyone makes after an endurance race * The five "R"s behind this one thing that you must do immediately after a race Learn all of this ... and more! Get Mental Tricks for Endurance Runners and Walkers today.