The 5k is the most popular road racing distance in America. These races include grandmothers, moms pushing strollers and elite college runners. This article will give a training plan as well as some helpful hints for running your first 5k.
The 5k is the most famous race distance in America today. No matter where you live, you are probably within easy driving distance to a 5k road race on any given weekend. The popularity of the 5K is two-fold. At 3.1 miles, the 5k is a distance that most anyone can train for and complete. Most 5K’s are fund-raisers as well, which adds to their appeal. You should, however, be careful. Once you have run one, you may find yourself addicted. Given that most races give out t-shirts in their race packets, you may never need to go shopping again once the racing bug has a bit.
There are a few things to do to begin training for a 5k. Check the newspaper or the internet to find your goal race. If you have done no running previously, give yourself at least six weeks, if you are already running some, you can probably get by with a month. The goal for your first 5k is to complete it and have fun, not necessarily win, and not make yourself miserable. Leave yourself enough time to do adequate training, and you will have a great time. Once you have chosen your race, it is time to get running.
Your goal for a successful 5k is to build up to running for 30 minutes at a time before the race. At 3.1 miles you may take longer than that to complete the race, but if you are comfortably running thirty minutes before race day, the energy and excitement of the day will be enough to carry you on your big day. If you are already running, add 5 minutes to your time every 3 to 4 runs. For example, if you have been running 20 minutes 3 times a week, go to 25 minutes this week, and 30 the week after. Once you get to 30 minutes, you can increase your fitness level by varying your running route, adding hills, or going to the local track to run intervals. Keep it simple; if you have too much to think about, you will inevitably end up dropping the ball and backsliding on your training.
If you have been sedentary up until now, your approach to the 5k will be a little different. The first week, aim to exercise for 10 minutes, jogging as long as you can, walking when you need to. Take your time, if you push yourself to soon, you will be sore and uncomfortable, and may lose motivation.
For week 2, add 5 minutes to your total time, so that you are exercising for 15 minutes. Your goal for this week is to run for a solid 5 minutes, so start your run, look at your watch and try to run without stopping for 5 minutes. Remember, you are going to exercise for 15 minutes, and ideally, run a good part of that time, so feel free to take walk breaks, but aim for a 5 minute uninterrupted stretch within that 15-minute block.
Week 3, and we are moving up to 20 minutes. Keep your uninterrupted 5-minute block in there, and maybe add a minute or two, but only if you are comfortable. Make sure to get your 20 minutes in at least three times this week.
Week 4 we stay at 20 minutes, but run for 10 minutes uninterrupted. If you are consistently feeling out of breath, then slow down a little bit. Too many people start out to fast, without realizing it and cheat their body’s out of a long, sustained workout.
Week 5, almost there! Run 25 minutes, running at least 10 minutes at a time. You are probably starting to get into a groove, where you settle into your run and “coast” for a while. That is what you are looking for. Run as much as you are comfortable, but do not hesitate to walk if you feel like you need a break.
Week 6, the countdown is on. Run 30 minutes 3 days this week, running as much of each run as you can. Do not get caught up in minutes or numbers, instead, think about how your body feels and how much you have changed in the last six weeks. Relax and enjoy yourself and get ready for the Big Day.
Now that the hard part is over, it is time to get ready for the race! Let the weather dictate what you wear, although you do not want to race in anything brand new. Make sure that you have run in anything you wear at least once before, this goes without saying for shoes, but also includes shortstops, sports bras (for the females) and even, or perhaps especially, socks. Nothing can ruin your first race experience quicker than something chafing, rubbing or causing a blister.
Many of these races take place early in the morning, which can be chilly even in the summer. It never hurts to take a sweatshirt or jacket you can throw on as you wait for the race to start and then peel off and drop to the ground as you line up. Hopefully, it will be there after the race, but if not, make sure that it isn’t something that you will miss terribly.
Once you have put in the time to be trained for the race and decided what you are going to wear, the only thing left is to plan your dinner for the night before, something light and not too greasy, get a good night’s rest, and get up in the morning in enough time to have breakfast. If you usually have been running in the morning, you should have a good idea of what you can tolerate and what you cannot. If not, some good choices are a bagel, a banana, or a peanut butter sandwich. To drink, have coffee if you usually do, but chase it with a glass of water. Otherwise, apple or orange juice, as well as sports drinks, are generally well tolerated. Stay away from milk and breakfast meats unless you have tried this before and it does not bother your stomach.
On the morning of race day, wake up early enough so that you not rush, although too much idle time can be nerve-racking if you are nervous. Plan on getting to the race venue about 30 minutes before the race. This gives you time to loosen up, get your race number pinned on, and take one last bathroom break. When you line up, plan on lining up toward the back of the group. It is much easier on your self-confidence to start too far at the end of the pack and spend the entire race passing people, than starting too close to the front and spend the whole race getting passed.
When the race starts, it is essential to run your race. If you start out too fast, you will be pretty miserable before you are half-way through. Most tracks get marked so that you have a pretty good idea how far you have run. Maintain a comfortable pace, and toward the last mile, if you feel like you have some energy left, pick up the pace. Aim to finish strong.
After the race, there will be refreshments waiting, anything from sports drinks and fruit to beer and donuts. Awards will be handed out, not just for the top finishers, but for different age group winners as well. Hang around, enjoy the festivities, and be sure to wear your new t-shirt to the grocery store the next day.