Lowell Ladd is Director of Coaching for Myicoach.com and a former college All-American at 10,000 meters and current marathoner. Lowell is USATF level II certified and his other articles can be read on the website.

Making the commitment to run a marathon does not mean that you should go into a training cocoon and avoid racing for months leading up to the big event. Picking races to benefit and supplement your training can make a big difference in your preparation. If you look at the local road race calendar in the Washington Running Report, you can probably find at least a half dozen road races on a given weekend within driving distance. While there is no shortage of races, especially smaller ones like 5Ks and 10Ks, the challenge is deciding which you should use to help you get ready for the big event.

On the one hand, some people feel that they need or want to run a race almost every weekend. Whether the reason is motivation, fun, or something else, racing every weekend is too much if you want to take your marathon seriously. Your priority should be the 26.2 miles that you've made the commitment to train for. If you race too frequently, you can compromise your training. The long runs are among the most important part of your preparation for the marathon, and it is difficult to get the long runs done if you are racing every weekend. On the other hand, running no races before the big event can leave you unprepared to compete. Just as Tiger Woods needs to use smaller golf tournaments to tune up for the major events, so should runners use smaller races to get ready for their big event. So, what is the magic number? Ideally, you should look to race every two to four weeks.

When racing to prepare for the marathon, there are two basic types of races: short ones (which includes everything from 5K to 10K) and medium length races (10 miles, half-marathon). There are other distances as well, but the majority of races fit into one of these two categories. When planning these races as part of your training plan, keep in mind that shorter races will be much easier to recover from than the medium length ones, which can take up to two weeks to fully recover from.

As you start to pick out some races, you need to recognize that you should approach them differently. While it is best to train through some of them, others can be taken more seriously and may be tapered for. Generally, your first race should be a short one, and should be used as a workout or time trial. Its purpose is not to run your all-time best. Instead, it is to get a good measure of your current fitness level so that you can have a sense of pacing for runs and workouts. A medium length race four to eight weeks before the big marathon can be helpful if you taper for it because it will give you the opportunity to boost your confidence by running fast and demonstrate your improved fitness. The other purpose is to help you know what type of expectations you should have for the upcoming marathon.

Another advantage of using shorter races to get ready for the marathon is that they can be a good way to experiment with your running. Especially in medium length races, you can try going out faster or slower than your goal pace and seeing how that affects your ability to run well later in the race. You can also try running hard over the hills, if the course has them. Taking water or food (usually energy bars or gels) during a medium length competition is also a good experiment because it will give you practice trying to consume those products while running hard and short of breath. While you can do this during long runs, your heart rate and breathing will not be as elevated, so it does not simulate the race situations that you will experience in the marathon. Remember that everyone responds to competition differently, and only through experimentation can you find out what works best for you.

For all races leading up to the marathon, it is very important that you have realistic expectations. Don't expect to run a miracle time that will shock the world. Because your training is geared towards the big event, you might not be capable of giving one hundred percent at any of the preceding events. No matter how things turn out, it is important to keep a level head. If your race(s) are disappointing, avoid becoming discouraged. You need to have faith in your long-term training plan. If your races go well, don't get overly excited and start raising your goals for the marathon to unrealistic levels.