From your local Thanksgiving 5K to the New York City Marathon, runners of all levels deal with aches and pains, pre-race nerves, and even more serious injuries. As an avid runner who just completed a half-marathon, ABC7NY reporter Kristin Thorne came in to speak to the Running Lab team at NYU Langone’s Sports Performance Center to learn how to best prepare both the body and mind for success.

Kaitlyn Baird, MA, CEP, an exercise physiologist at the Sports Performance Center, shared some expert tips that can help any runner prepare for their next big race. Habits like a pre-race dynamic warmup, and coming up with a plan for your projected pace are all key to success. She also stressed the importance of wearing comfortable, broken in shoes and staying hydrated for any race.

Kristin also went through a quick running analysis where her gait was recorded and analyzed with motion analysis software to determine how her running mechanics affect her performance. The Running Lab offers several programs to help runners from elite to novice achieve their running goals.

“Longer races can be intidmidating and stressful, but I just want people to remember to have fun,” Baird says. “You’re doing this because you love it.”

Watch and read more from ABC7NY.