While there's no such thing as a perfect race, practice can lead to faster times.

With all the races on the summer calendar, it should be easy to practice for an upcoming event. It might require a little extra driving time, but running on the actual race will lower your finishing time.

If you can't run the actual race course, run a route with some of its features. Choose one training day each week to emphasize a different aspect of the course.

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Hills. The first time I ran the Ogden Newspaper 20K, I was amazed by the throngs of runners chugging up Chicken Neck Hill and Hospital Hill in Wheeling. Local runners have a definite advantage in that race because they practice on those slopes.If your big race is a hilly one, practice, if not on the actual course, on hills of similar length and grade. Shorten your steps and run strong, emphasizing the uphill portions of the course. Then coast the downhills and level parts.•

Downhill. I love to run downhill. That feeling of running on the edge of flight is the closest I'll ever get to raw speed. But as I found out in the middle of last year's Boston Marathon, downhill running can give your body, especially the quad muscles, a beating.Practice running harder on downhill portions of the course to prepare your quads for the inevitable pounding. Be sure to run under control. Lean forward slightly and reach out without overstriding.•

Twists and turns. It's obvious that running a shorter distance produces a faster finishing time. On a course with a lot of turns and bends, it's not always clear which is the shortest path.If possible, take a few practice runs, or at least drive the course, to anticipate the bends and turns. On race day, don't hug one side of the road for the whole race. Stay in the middle on straight portions. On curves or turns, pick a point at the apex of the turn and drift toward it rather than veering sharply. Hold that same line through the turn and set yourself up for the next bend in the road.•

Weather. As I've stated in previous columns, it takes at least three weeks to acclimatize in hot weather. You can't prepare for a steamy Florida marathon by running on a treadmill in your air-conditioned health club. Run at least some of your training runs in "worst case scenario" conditions and you'll be pleasantly surprised on race day.•

Time. I'm not a morning person, when, unfortunately, most races are held. It's good to practice running occasionally at the same time as you'll be starting on race day to reset your body's clock.•

Mental practice. Racing is tough. If you plan your strategy ahead of time, it's one fewer thing to think about during the event. While practicing on the race course, imagine yourself running easily and relaxed at the start. Throw a few surges in against an imaginary competitor in the middle.Toward the end, picture yourself fighting through fatigue. And don't forget to sprint the last 50 meters or so.

Congratulations to Mom! According to USATF records, Margretta Lutz set a new 5K record for age 79 with her time of 30 minutes, 44 seconds at the St. Barnabas 5K Saturday.

Saturday, 8 a.m.: Hot Harry's Runners Group Run, North Park. Starts at Stone Field for easy run.Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Up-N-Running Group Run, Valencia. Change of day and time for summer. 724-898-2525 or www.runpa.comSaturday, 8:30 a.m.: Roebling's 5K Run-Walk, Saxonburg. Second race in Saxonburg Distance Series. 724-586-6118 or tmelis@zoominternet.netSaturday, 9 a.m.: Brookline Breeze 5K, Pittsburgh. USATF Three Rivers Open and Masters Championship. www.brooklinebreeze.comSaturday, 9 a.m.: Rimersburg Cookie Daze 5K, Rimersburg. 814-473-6427.Aug. 13, 7 p.m.: Courtney's Ice Cream Race 5K, Grove City. Final race of Twilight QUAD series. 724-866-1374 or smc@runhigh.comAug. 16, 7 a.m.: Beat the Heat 5K, Murrysville. Starts at Sloan Elementary School. 412-352-7961 or www.active.comAug. 16, 8 a.m.: Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon, Parkersburg, W.Va. Cash prizes, no day-of-event registration. www.NewsandSentinelHalfMarathon.comAug. 16, 9 a.m.: Armstrong County YMCA Summer Fun 5K Run-Walk, Kittanning. 724-545-9622 or kknepshield@armstrongymca.org.Aug. 16, 9 a.m.: David Hutton Memorial 5K Run and 2-Mile Walk, Emporium. 814-486-1508 or nin114@hotmail.comAug. 17, 6 p.m.: Run for the Trail 7K Run-Walk, Indiana. Run on Dilltown Ghost Town Trail. 724-479-0769 or Thaddeus.Pajak@ffic.comAug. 23, 8:30 a.m.: Tom Murray-Cranberry Township Aquathlon, Cranberry Township. Run three miles, swim 400 meters, run two miles in North Boundary Park. 724-774-5746 or jkercovich@yahoo.comSept. 1, 8:30 a.m.: The Bethlehem Project's 5K Home Run, Greensburg. 724-834-3710, ext. 11 or bethlehemproject@blessedsacramentcathedral.orgSept. 1, 9 a.m.: Gatorade-Steelers 5K Race, Fitness Walk and Kids Kickoff Run, Pittsburgh. 412-697-7713 or 5k@steelers.com

<B>Saxonburg Cross Country Crusade 5K, July 12:</B> Brian Tackett, 1st Overall M, 18:05; Doug Basinski, 2nd Overall M, 18:59; Brian Forester, 3rd Overall M, 19:06; Alyssa Kunkel, 1st Overall W, 20:45; Shannon Evanchec, 2nd Overall W, 22:31; Dorothy Moxie, 3rd Overall W, 24:41; Dave Chinchilla, 1st Masters M, 19:20; Rich Makin, 2nd Masters M, 20:56; Mitch Radella, 3rd Masters M, 20:57; Mary Jo Sanks, 1st Masters W, 25:12; Patricia Neubert, 2nd Masters W, 25:26; Micci Hutterer, 3rd Masters W, 27:19; Dan Carlino, 1st 25-29 M, 19:08; Jacob Montag, 1st 15-19 M, 19:10; Paul Kletzli, 2nd 15-19 M, 19:15; Cory Steinhagen, 1st 20-24 M, 19:27Steel Flynn, 3rd 15-19 M, 19:51; Chris Singleton, 1st 35-39 M, 21:13; Chuck Sarver, 1st 50-54 M, 22:34; Matt Drohan, 2nd 35-39 M, 22:35; Rajir Sawhney, 1st 45-49 M, 22:37; Bob Cunningham, 2nd 25-29 M, 23:05; Keith Blayden, 3rd 35-39 M, 23:06; Michael Beamer, 1st 10-14 M, 23:44; Anthony Boerio, 2nd 45-49 M, 23:47; Amy Formica, 1st 35-39 W, 25:06; Tommy Steinhagen, 2nd 20-24 M, 25:43; Jeff Kiley, 3rd 20-24 M, 26:03; Emily Hertweck, 1st 10-14 W, 26:43; Kara Hoerth, 1st 25-29 W, 27:53; Nicholas Ashenden, 3rd 45-49 M, 28:11; Tina Gallo, 1st 15-19 W, 28:18Ralph Ross, 1st 70-74 M, 28:44; Katie Sefton, 2nd 15-19 W, 28:54; Nicole Binnie, 3rd 15-19 W, 28:57; Durrell Kreisher, 1st 65-69 M, 29:14; Jessica Fix, 2nd 10-14 W, 29:28; Jessica Kelosky, 3rd 10-14 W, 30:13; Kristen Kelosky, 1st 40-44 W, 30:14; Bonnie Doyle, 1st 20-24 W, 30:44; Frank Prazenica, 2nd 60-64 M, 31:53; Jinny Hertweck, 2nd 35-39 W, 32:17; David McConahy, 3rd 60-64 M, 32:23; Ken Meissner, 2nd 70-74 M, 33:27; Margretta Lutz, 1st 75 and over W, 33:30; Carter Hoerth, 1st 9 and Under M, 33:42; Viviana Altieri, 3rd 35-39 W, 35:28; Debra Kuminkoski, 2nd 45-49 W, 37:03; Ada Rumberg, 1st 55-59 W, 37:19; Donald Cescon, 3rd 70-74 M, 38:50; Scott Thomas, 1st 40-44 M, 41:23K.J. McCrea, 19:53; Van McCarren, 20:02; Eric Snyder, 20:04; Kevin Keppel, 20:26; Tim Van Tine, 25:16; R.J. Hughes, 26:17; James Reich, 26:24; Dave Hall, 26:32; Josh Hashmi, 26:35; Ethan Fritz, 26:40; Bob Clark, 27:37; Robert Dummer, 28:26; Ashley Burns, 30:40; Ben Campbell, 30:50; Julia D'Amico, 31:03; Jake Rupert, 32:03; Glenn Lang, 33:14; James Fritz, 34:37; Marty Mehring, 45:06Send comments and suggestions to: 435 Cherry Valley Road, Saxonburg, PA. 16056. Phone: 724-352-4395. E-mail: bigp16@connecttime.net