Photo: Getty Images

Did you just train for -- and compete in -- your first 5K, 10K, marathon, triathlon or other fitness feat? We want to share your story with the world! Let us know why you decided to train, how you did it and what it felt like to cross that (mental or physical) finish line. Send us an e-mail at successstories [AT] thatsfit [DOT] com.

Lace up your running shoes and get ready to celebrate -- Sunday, November 8 is World Run Day 2009!

World Run Day was conceptualized in 1999 by veteran runner Bill McDermott, who told Active.com, "The idea was an international day of charity, built around running. I thought if we could just focus on one day, wouldn't that be great for all of us?" The first actual World Run Day was the following year, and after September 11, 2001, McDermott refocused his energy into the holiday to make it something people all over the world could take part in.

The idea of World Run Day is that, rather than having to run in a specific organized event to raise money for a cause, people can raise money and just go out for a run on their own. If you'd like to participate in a group event, Active.com has a list of World Run Day events near you.

A day just for running and helping charity that doesn't romanticize a marathon? Nobody can object to that!

So, you can run 26.2 miles on the ground and think you're pretty hot stuff, huh? How do you think you would fare if you had to take your race in an upward direction?

Though you might not have tried it, vertical marathons are actually fairly common. On November 15, if you're in the Chicago area, you can take part in Skyrise Chicago Tower Up at the Willis Tower. With 2109 steps, you'll be climbing North America's tallest set of stairs, and you can climb by foot or by using specially installed hand cycles. And lucky you -- they're still accepting registration!

The following weekend, Swissôtel Vertical Marathon 2009 lets you race to the top of one of Southeast Asia's tallest hotels, located in Singapore. Last year, a new record for climbing the 73 stories was set at six minutes, 52 seconds. Think you can beat it? Registration for this year is closed.

Photo: Mike Baird, Flickr

Obviously, exercise is good for you, but just how much it benefits you depends on many factors, including your gender and your race, according to a long-term study led by the University of Northern Carolina.

Researchers have been tracking exercise and cholesterol levels in 15,000 African American and Caucasian men and women since the late 1980s. In all groups, adding an hour of mild exercise or a half an hour of moderate exercise a week increased levels of 'good' cholesterol, the heart-healthy HDL kind. However, the increased activity lead to lower levels of LDL ('bad') cholesterol only in women, not men. Additionally, the only group to exhibit improvement in all cholesterol levels were African American women. Caucasians who exercised more saw a decrease in harmful triglycerides, but African Americans didn't show the same result.

The reason for the differences? Researchers aren't sure, but they suspect it has something to do with hormonal differences between the sexes and genetic difference between races. Furthermore, the method of research -- questionnaires -- means the results might not be entirely accurate.

If you're a woman, this is even more motivation to step it up, because it's evidence that even a small change can make a big difference. But regardless of your race or gender, regular exercise is vital to your heart health and overall well-being -- so get moving!

Need more motivation? Find out how Michelle Obama sculpts those smokin' arms.

Photo: Omar de Armas, Flickr

Do you sometimes want to run where nobody knows your name? While some folks love knowing the names of their competition, others get tired of all the same faces at their local races. Fortunately for them, Active.com has put together a list of the five biggest 5K races in the United States. And you don't have to go to New York or L.A. to run in them!

That being said, the Revlon Run for Women (held in NYC and L.A.) did take second place with 31,120 finishers in L.A. and 26,000 in New York. The largest race is the Race for the Cure: D.C., which, as you clever folks probably already figured out, takes place in Washington D.C.

Rounding out the top five are the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run, held in several Florida cities, the Run to Feed the Hungry in Sacramento, California, and the St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration, all with more than 10,000 finishers. Yep, even in Boise.

See? You don't have to do a full marathon or complete any qualifiers to take part in a major running event. You just have to find the right race for you.

Which do you prefer; small or large races? Let us know in the comments!

Wendy Alexander

That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader. We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other. That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Adidas is giving gorgeous gym bags to each featured member. To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions, with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Wendy Alexander

Age: 45

Occupation: Occupational Therapist

How often do you exercise? Four times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Running and working out at the gym.

What gets you to work out, even when you're feeling lazy? Signing up for 5K races keeps me motivated to stay in shape.

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Scared of marathons? I don't blame you -- the thought of running for 26.2 miles straight is pretty freakin' daunting. Heck, even the thought of running 10 miles non-stop seems like some sort of cruel masochistic punishment to many of us. Sure, maybe you're not a natural-born runner, but have no fear -- according to The New York Times, the Walk-Run Method is a way for regular Joes to get into long-distance running.

Most of us probably already do a version of this whenever we attempt to go for a jog -- as in, we run until we feel like we're going to die and then stop and stagger down the sidewalk, red-faced and gasping for air. But the Walk-Run Method is different -- you stop to walk at regular intervals, whether you're tired or not. If you're just starting, this might mean running for a minute, then walking for a minute -- as you get more experienced and increase your fitness level, though, the walk-to-run ratio will increase.

Intrigued? Click here for more information, and consider working this method into your fitness routine.

Sometimes, the best running partners come with four legs. Those of you who routinely run with man's best friend are already aware of this. However, did you know that there are races just for dogs and their owners?

Active.com has plenty of suggestions for races where you can strut with your mutt. All over the country, the Dog Run Dog 10K/5K gives dog owners a chance to cross the finish line with their favorite workout buddies, but there are loads of other opportunities all over the country. If you don't see anything near you on this list, check with your local track club, or with the nearest veterinary medicine school -- they might have more information.

Now, as exciting as this is, you have to remember that dogs are affected by the sun and summer temperatures just as much as you are, if not more (just imagine running a 5K wearing a fur coat!). Keep these safety tips in mind during your training and on race day so that you and Fido both make it safely to the finish:

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader. We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other. That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Adidas is giving gorgeous gym bags to each featured member. To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions, with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Amy Comesanas

Age: 33

Occupation: Registered Nurse

How often do you exercise? At least three times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Running, elliptical, swimming, abdominal and upper body workouts. I also occasionally like to take classes like Body Flow, Abs and Glutes and Power Circuit.

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Glamour model Katie 'Jordan' Price and her husband, Peter Andre, ran the London Marathon this year. Well, run is a bit of an exaggeration -- Katie went down with a knee injury at mile 18, and her husband helped her the rest of the way, almost having to carry her for the last mile. They finished with a time of over seven hours -- not the speediest finish on record, but hey, they finished. And they did it together.

Lots of us have running buddies, and often, we run races together. But the question is, how committed are you to your buddy? If he or she went down at the halfway mark, or was just having a slow day, would you stay back with them? Or do you make a point to let your buddy know that, come race day, anything goes?

It might depend on who your buddy is and what your goals are. I've run races for which I had a goal time, in which case, any running buddy who was also racing knew we'd both be going at our own pace. However, I've also run longer races that, truthfully, I just wanted to cross the finish line, and my partner had the same goal, so it was no problem to stick together.

Let us know in the comments how committed you are to your running buddy. Then, get inspired by checking out all of the celebrities who've completed a 26.2 mile race (and find out how fast they did it!). Will you be next?

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader. We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other. That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Adidas is giving gorgeous gym bags to each featured member. To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions, with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Kate Marshall

Age: 27

Occupation: Public Relations Consultant

How often do you exercise? Usually two or three times a week, although lately I've been slacking off. I need to get back into my routine!

What type of exercise do you do? Everything -- I lift weights, go to cycling classes, do yoga, use the elliptical machine, etc...

If you're gearing up for a big, long-distance race, are you incorporating shorter races into your training? You should -- lots of elite runners consider tune-up races an important part of training.

Generally, a tune-up race should be about half the distance of your big race. It will help you get comfortable with your pace, figure out your hydration needs and get your brain in gear -- you and I both know that once that start gun goes off, your mind is in a totally different place than it would be if you were just setting off on that same distance run around your neighborhood!

Dennis Barker, who coaches Team USA Minnesota, puts it really well, telling Runners World, "You can train hard, but racing helps take your fitness and confidence to another level. It's more intense, you have different people around you to challenge you, and you can really get your competitive edge honed."

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When I say triathlon, lots of people are immediately intimidated. And they shouldn't be! Part of the beauty of the sport is that there's a distance to suit almost any fitness level ... although, whatever distance you're considering, now is the time to start training. But you probably already know that.

I've made it no secret that I love Sprint Triathlons -- they're short enough to be manageable for lots of people (I really think that everyone should do one!), but long enough to be a good physical challenge. The distance for a Sprint Triathlon can vary, but the ones I've been involved with have included a quarter mile swim (although, what I've found online says it's a half mile -- still, doable), 10 or 15 mile bike ride (again, doable), finishing with a three mile run (or walk, so ... you guessed it -- doable!).

However, some people are still intimidated by the distance, and it's a shame for them to miss out on such a cool event just because of that! Recently, I found out that there's a slightly shorter distance available -- the Super Sprint taking place in my hometown has a 250-meter swim, four-mile bike, and 1.5 mile run, although I'm finding lots online that are slightly longer in the swim and bike portion.

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Funny and handsome, actor Ryan Reynolds recently proved he's far more than your typical Hollywood man candy. He hit the streets last November and ran his first New York City marathon. We told you all about it back when it happened -- here and here. But we're still inspired by the guy, and we think after you read this, you might just want to hit the streets in your sneakers too.

Ryan raced to raise money for Michael J. Fox's Foundation for Parkinson's Research foundation, because Ryan's dad has suffered from the disease for 15 years. But he also did it to test himself physically. "Marathon running, for me, was the most controlled test of mettle that I could ever think of," Reynolds told Men's Health. "It's you against Darwin."

Reynolds was plenty fit before he started training for his marathon, but he discovered what many people who race already know -- having that long-term goal in your sights is a powerful motivator. Running with a purpose -- whether the purpose is the prize or the money you'll raise for charity -- is a great way to give your running or walking routine new life.

Kristen recently challenged us all -- runners, joggers, and walkers, alike -- to sign up for a race this year. I've got my eye on a 5K in May ... what about you?

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I challenge you to sign up for a race this year. Ideally, in a distance you've never done. I don't care whether you plan to run it at breakneck speed or want to intersperse some light jogging with walking, but set a goal. And then, get yourself some support.

No, I'm not talking about proper undergarments (although, that's pretty important, too). I mean support for your training. You might have friends who will train with you, or a local running team you can join. But, if you don't, Active.com has several online teams you can train with.

Choose Rookie Runner (which takes you from the couch to your first 5k), First Marathon, First Triathlon, or Bye Bye Baby Weight. Each category has a coach and several runners who are blogging about their training, so you're never alone in your training. And, they have training plans you can download (for a price).

So, what do you say? Will you sign up for a race this year? Let me know in the comments what you plan to run!

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