Any training tips for a 5K run???

I'm going to do my first attempt at a 5K run in two weeks. I'm in pretty good shape, but I've never run before. I was on the treadmill last night and I'm hoping to finish in 30 minutes or less.

Any training tips? How do I pace myself?

I love exercise, but HATE running. I am athletic, I am just anatomically not cut out for fast or extended running, therefore I hate it. I play a very demanding sport and have to run at least 5 times a week, and I usually push myself until I puke. I have run a few 5Ks and this is what I do to train:

1. Jog
2. Jog
3. Jog
4. Once my endurance is built up and plateaued, I monitor my diet and how it affects my performance.
5. Once that is determined you can start finding the right pace for a 5K.

This is very specific to my body for your results may very. Basically once I have my endurance built up most of my variables are made constant I start finding a good pace.

Now my rugby workouts are a complete different story

Google "couch to 5k" - there's a site out there for runners with training tips on how to get ready.

Interval training is the key - you start out alternating between jogging and walking at intervals (depending on your current level of fitness), something like 3 minutes of walking then 90 seconds of jogging) - gradually increasing the time you jog vs. walk, then work up to jogging and running.

I've done a few 5k jog/walks - they're a lot of fun.

Can I run every day, or should I run every other day with rest in between?

Last night I did 35 minutes on the treadmill between a 10 and 8 1/2 minute a mile pace.

I just printed a map of the course. They get about 700 runners.

You are gonna want to take days off. If you don't normally run, your body (feet, knees, muscles) are not gonna like it. But don't give up, just take it easy. Push yourself and you won't be there on race day.

I suggest you NOT make any effort to run a certain time. Just concentrate on achieving a pace you can sustain for the entire run. Do this when you train (pace).

5k is not that much, so you're not likely to shat yourself or die along the way. But with only 2 weeks start training, you're not likely to win either

A great way to pace yourself on race day is get behind a runner-looking girl and try to keep up - incentive there ya know. I did this in a race and posted a great time.

Tips? Don't forget to make your shoe laces are tied....

Take a day off from running and do plyometrics, thats the good stuff

passedpawn said:

A great way to pace yourself on race day is get behind a runner-looking girl and try to keep up - incentive there ya know. I did this in a race and posted a great time.

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I tend to start out way too fast if I don't do this. I have trouble setting my own pace and I find it's best to find someone who's running at a steady comfortable pace to begin with to try and find my stride.

Find a local runner and make sure you get your breathing and stride down. It is amazing how many people are terrible runners just because they don't have a good stride.

Don't take a day off completely. Can you currently jog for 30 min straight without a problem? If so, just do a light jog on your day off. If not, go on a long walk on your day off. It will keep you in the habit of running every day and help get your circulation up to promote healing.

If you can, practice on the course you will be running. It will help you set your pace, and then you can get used to any hills on the course. This will also ensure that you get your body conditioned to run at the conditions (temp/humidity) that you will be experiencing during the run.

Train for a 6k. You don't want to get your body used to running 5k and then quitting.

It's amazing what a day off will do for your next run. I heard a woman call that day off her "injury prevention program". Break it down, build it up.

Spaghetti / pasta is great just before a run. I ALWAYS eat a tums before I run, even training (like today!). Nothing like a bit of acid 3 miles in to ruin it.

If you continue running beyond your race, start looking at shoes. They can make a big difference. A persistent pain can go away instantly with a shoe change. I know this from my own experience. I now run in Nike Vomeros which are great for my various pains.

passedpawn said:

If you continue running beyond your race, start looking at shoes. They can make a big difference. A persistent pain can go away instantly with a shoe change. I know this from my own experience. I now run in Nike Vomeros which are great for my various pains.

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And don't just buy shoes online. Go to a real running store (not foot locker) and they'll look at the wear on your current shoes, as well as your stride as you run and make suggestions for the type of shoe that works for you.

My wife does 5K's and she walks most of it. Five minutes walking, two minutes jog...back and fourth. She finishes in about 45 minutes and likes to do it.

I would check out the Runner's World website. they have a lot of training plans for beginners to advanced. They also have a training calculator that will design a specialized plan for you.

As a beginner, I found their articles on your first race really really helpful. Just what to expect and things like that.

I absolutely hate running. With that said, what I've found in the past to help me was the "couch to 5k" website. But I highly recommend following it as closely as you can. I tried to add in an extra day each week of running and regretted it from the beginning. I also downloaded some USMC cadences. I kept time to the cadence and adjusted my stride for my pace. But the only things that I've found to make running bearable was to run on a trail through the woods and not on the streets. When I run on straight flat surfaces, I get bored after about two blocks. At least on trails, there was something else to look forward to, the next hill or curve...

Please keep in mind that I don't even consider myself an amateur when it comes to running. I would probably take an avid runner's recommendations over mine.

What you should do is listen to your body, if you run a couple of days straight and are sore or tired, take a day off. The only time you get stronger/heal etc is when you are resting. I recommend crosstraining if you aren't already, so maybe a run day then a weight day with low/no impact cardio like the bike or eliptical.

Start a good nutirtion program if you don't have one already, dropping any excess baggage is the best way to boost your running potential.

dozer217 said:

dropping any excess baggage and plyometrics is the best way to boost your running potential.

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Fixed. For realz, do some plyos!

I don't run much any more, but I used to run Cross Country, which were usually 5K races. We were competing so we did a LOT of training. Stadiums, sprints, long runs, sprints, practice 5ks, longer runs. It sucked. Most of our times were between 16 and 21 min though. Being competitive in a 5k means damn near close to a sprint the whole way.

If you aren't looking to be competitive, just make sure you can get through the entire race without stopping. Working out your core is always good for running. Sit ups, and other ab workouts, as well as back workouts. A strong core really helps regulate breathing.

c25kmakes it easy. I didn't follow the program exactly but it was a great starting point. I did the first 4 weeks one day each then did week 5 workout 2 2x, followed it up with week 6 workout 2 2x. After that I had no problem doing the 5k. Good luck

Depends. Ultra absorbency.

Couch to 5K has been great for me. It is has been quite a literal translation. I'm gearing up for this guy at the end of January...
http://warriordash.com/

Anyone else here ever done this race?
I have a feeling that this might be popular with this forum...

Toasted678 said:

Couch to 5K has been great for me. It is has been quite a literal translation. I'm gearing up for this guy at the end of January...
http://warriordash.com/

Anyone else here ever done this race?
I have a feeling that this might be popular with this forum...

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I have a friend who has done this twice now. He is a two-time Ironman finisher and got his butt-kicked the first time around. He did much better on the second go-around. I think there was a pacing issue on the first try...

Good luck!

One little item that has helped me tremendously is Jeff Galloway's Run Walk Run vibrating time. I think there are other versions of it.

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/detail.aspx?ID=49

Because of all my time constraints, I have to run at night and usually in the dark and this thing really helped me when I had to alternate running and walking in any of these programs. Even during the day, I was checking a watch all the time and this I just clip on my shorts, and I program it for whatever intervals I am doing.

[url said:

http://warriordash.com/[/url]

Anyone else here ever done this race?
:

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This race is run in my area. I was thinking about doing it next year.

Any tips for what to eat the night before or the morning of the race. The race starts at 9am.

Gustav said:

Any tips for what to eat the night before or the morning of the race. The race starts at 9am.

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Pasta. Spaghetti is great.

Eat a tums just before the run, regardless what you eat.

Pace pace pace. Do yourself a favor and start slow. Save your sprinting for the end, if you have anything left.

Gustav said:

Any tips for what to eat the night before or the morning of the race. The race starts at 9am.

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Yeah, as passedpawn said, pasta is perfect. Have a beer, too. Plenty of carbs. But don't go nuts. It's great you're doing a 5K, but it's not such a long distance that you need to load up on carbs.

You'll have plenty of energy with just a regular not-too-nutty diet. As in, eat healthy and limit sweets.

Good luck.

Pasta and plenty of water the day before.

On the day of bananas are always good.

Well the transition from treadmill in the gym to pounding the ground in the great outdoors was a little disheartening. My first attempt had me at a pace that was too fast in the beginning and I had a time of 30:44. My second attempt was on the actual course. I started out with a slower pace but it may have still been too much and my time was 29:17. During both runs I had to actually slow to a walk for about 15 yards or so. I seem to be having trouble setting a pace. I guess that comes with time.

To go from that to meeting your goal in the space of a week is pretty good, Gustav - you're doing really well there.

I'm coming back from an achilles rupture that saw me on my arse for six months, and I only got the green light to start running again about three weeks ago. I FINALLY hit 5k on the treadmill today for the first time in 32 minutes.

But point being, progress is progress. Don't get disheartened about not blowing the doors off immediately.

My suggestions:

Train on the surface that you will be running on. Treadmills are good and all, but your body needs to get used to running on asphalt.

Hydration (water, not beer, ha) should be a daily focus. Not just before/after your runs, but every day you need to be drinking lots of water.

No new foods/drinks on race day. The time when you are training is when you figure out what works best for your body. If you haven't tried eating or drinking something and then running, DON'T try it on race day. Your body might not react well to it.

Stretching is soooooOOOOOoooOOOOoo important after any kind of workout. Running in particular can be hard on your body, so you need to take care of it. Not stretching is a great way to send yourself straight towards an injury (trust me, I know). Also, invest in a foam roller and use that to work out tightness in your muscles. Listen to what your body is telling you (if you are tired, sore, etc. then take a day off -- it will not hurt you!), and abide by that.

Runnersworld.com...look for their training plan computer. It allows you to enter what you're running now, what you want to run, and the date of the run and it will put a training schedule together for you.

Remember the 10% rule - don't increase your mileage by more than 10% a week. You risk injury if you do more. I increase 10% for two weeks and then reduce 10% in the third week.
Also - if you run on a different surface to what you normally train on you also risk injury.
Get the injury seen to straight away by a physio/biokinetisist.
Remember R.I.C.E for injury treatment : Rest Ice Compression Elevation
There are only two types of runners : those who have injuries and those waiting to get injured.

Results are in - 32.10. I came in 401 out of 948 entrants. Start was a little jammed up.The guy who won ran it in around 16 minutes.
After researching this a bit, it's amazing how mant 5k runs are in my area. Thing is they aren't all list on one site. There's about three or four websites and each one may list different races. I went to the local runners store (Aardvark) and ordered up some Saucony shoes. People there really know thier stuff.

Thanks to everyone who gave advice!

Gustav said:

Results are in - 32.10. I came in 401 out of 948 entrants. Start was a little jammed up.The guy who won ran it in around 16 minutes.
After researching this a bit, it's amazing how mant 5k runs are in my area. Thing is they aren't all list on one site. There's about three or four websites and each one may list different races. I went to the local runners store (Aardvark) and ordered up some Saucony shoes. People there really know thier stuff.

Thanks to everyone who gave advice!

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Where are you in PA? There are tons of 5k/10k runs, and a lot of them are for great causes. My reserve battery "hosts" an annual Wounded Warrior Run in Reading. The Susan Komen run in Philly is one I usually run with the wife, sister-in-law and father-in-law. There are some great trail/mud runs that are more entertaining for how dirty you get rather than running for time.

Gustav said:

Results are in - 32.10. I came in 401 out of 948 entrants. Start was a little jammed up.The guy who won ran it in around 16 minutes.
After researching this a bit, it's amazing how mant 5k runs are in my area. Thing is they aren't all list on one site. There's about three or four websites and each one may list different races. I went to the local runners store (Aardvark) and ordered up some Saucony shoes. People there really know thier stuff.

Thanks to everyone who gave advice!

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Check out active.com (no affiliation.) There is a search function that allows you to find "Things to do near you" and if you search for 5k, you'll turn up ALOT of stuff I imagine, and there are usually links to the organizers website. Personally I'm looking to do a 1/2 marathon by next spring, full marathon bu next fall, and an ultra of some sort by the following summer- those are my training goals at least!

jtkratzer said:

Where are you in PA?.

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I live in the heart and soul of the Lehigh Valley - Bethlehem,Pennsylvania!

There's also a Victory run at the brewery which will be my first 5k next spring

Gustav said:

I live in the heart and soul of the Lehigh Valley - Bethlehem,Pennsylvania!

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Are you in the LVHB?

lustreking said:

Are you in the LVHB?

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Well.......I've only been to one meeting. I do know a few people there.

Gustav, just saw this. Very solid time for your first 5k! Congratulations. I have been running for about two years now and i am trying to get up the nerve to enter a race.