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SMITH: Running around town

Not to make you feel like an under achiever — but — if you are reading this you are likely not at this moment running in the News and Sentinel Half Marathon, particularly if you are reading it when most people do, early Saturday morning. For literary purposes I am going to assume that you are reading it at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug 20. Thirty minutes ago, hundreds of men and women started the News and Sentinel Half Marathon, thereby returning long distance racing to the streets of Parkersburg for the first time since 2019. The fastest runners are making their way up and down ...

SMITH: One week to the starting line

One week from now you could be running in the News and Sentinel Half Marathon. Or not. It’s up to you. If you are not running in the Half or the Two-Mile Race, please be mindful that hundreds of people are. If you are driving anywhere in Parkersburg next Saturday morning you might be delayed for a while as runners and walkers make their way by. They, and the people who put the race together, have worked hard to get to this point of normalcy. It’s not too late to join them in either race by registering at NewsandSentinelHalfMarathon.com, or in person Friday at the Parkersburg ...

SMITH: We Got This

Staging a race the size of the News and Sentinel Half Marathon takes a lot of effort, and a lot of people. The team that puts the race together spends countless hours making sure things go off without a hitch. COVID-19 caused us to take a two-year pause in the race, so we haven’t had a race in around 1,000 days. That’s a long time. For many different reasons the make-up of the team that puts the races together will be a little different this year. Like any sports team, we have several people that will be “playing” in positions that may be new to them. I recently sent an ...

SMITH: Eat, drink, run

When doing a race like the News and Sentinel Half Marathon, your body is basically an engine burning fuel. What you put in your fuel tank beforehand can and will have a direct correlation to how you do during the race. Everyone reacts differently to different foods. The secret to doing well is knowing how your body is going to react to what you put in it. Take advantage of your training runs to make sure the food you eat and drink on race morning is going to sit well with you and power you through the race. You wouldn’t do a race with shoes you have never worn; you should not do ...

WELKER: The positive influence of sports and family in life

I have made many mistakes in my life as an athlete on and off the field of play. But haven’t we all. Now that I’m a retired teacher, coach, and official, I have thought about how athletics and family assisted me in coping with the challenges of living a life of personal fulfillment. I want to share with athletes in all sports the five principles I have learned participating in sports and gleaned from a caring family. ∫ Be Humble — Always take your classes in school and sports seriously, but not yourself. To do so, is the beginning of arrogance. Arrogance offends others and has ...

SMITH: What to expect from your first half marathon

If you are signed up to run in the 2022 News and Sentinel Half Marathon, congratulations, you are going to take part in one of the best 13.1-mile races in the country on Aug. 20. Many people run the half year after year. If this is the first time you are going to be part of the event, I thought it would be good to outline exactly what to expect. Most people get the “full experience” by coming to the packet pick up the night before. Open from 2-9 p.m. in the Parkersburg Municipal Building, the packet pick-up is a great way to connect with other runners. After you pick up your ...