5 things I’ve recently learned to prepare for my first 5K
So I’m doing it. After being asked to do a 5K and immediately saying NO, I’ve changed my mind and now I am doing it. I am not completely new to races. I actually completed a half marathon years ago and told myself I’d never do that again and needless to say….I didn’t. The 5K I signed up for is in July so I have about 2.5 months to prepare. To say that I am nervous about is really an understatement LOL! I start sweating every time I think about it lol! Even with the nerves, I’m excited to do it.
Once I decided I was going to do it, I dove into researching all the things to help me prepare. Sometimes that can be overwhelming but the information I found was really all the same and its helped me feel more comfortable while training. Now I’m no expert, and I’m only sharing what I have recently learned, so don’t go running a race until you do your own research okay. Lets get into it…
1 | shoes matter
A week before I wanted to start training, I found a local store that has a foot scanner. I wanted to have my feet scanned to helped me get fitted for shoes that would be best for my feet. This was like the number 1 tip that most websites recommended. I have never had my feet scanned but it was really nothing to it. You just stood on a machine and it did its thing analyzing my feet. After the scan, the sales associate that was helping me grabbed 5-6 pairs of shoes for me to try on. Once they were on, I got on the treadmill they had in the store just to walk and really get a feel for the shoes. I tried on a few nice ones but the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20 (I have a different colorway) felt amazing on my feet so I got a pair of those. I can really tell a difference in the shoes compared to others shoes I have. My foot really feel supported and that the most important thing.
2 | follow a training plan
Many people recommend following a training plan. Mixing in intervals, long runs, and rest days are key. I found a few plans on Pinterest but when I trained for my half marathon (many, many moons ago), I remember using the Couch to 5K app and loving it. It slowly gets you comfortable running with intervals and I loved that. I decided to try that again but after week 2, you have to sign up to get full access to the plan. I don’t remember the paid option when I last used it, but I get it. It’s a popular app and I can see them expanding to add paid features. With that being said, I’m not ready to pay for a training plan so I’m following along with the Nike Rub Club 5K program and also use Strava. My husband uses Strava and likes it.
update : I’m currently on Week 3 of training and I am thinking about signing up for the Couch to 5K program lol. It was so easy and perfect for me the free week I was able to do and because I’m literally getting off the couch to run this 5K, I think I need to just sign up and do it the program. I’ll let you know if I do, but tip 2: follow a plan.
3 | go slow
Another top tip from avid runners. This tip is key for me because it’s just something about running that always makes me feel anxious. I’ve been training for 2 weeks now and I have been going SLOW! The last thing I want to do is get injured, or do too much too fast and get discouraged. I’m not jogging for a long distance now but I’m looking forward to continue working my endurance up slowly. I’m sure my form and breathing will get better as well! From Week 1 to now…I’m excited for the slow pace and gradual improvements I’m noticing.
4 | rest & hydrate
Including these two together because they just go hand in hand. These two are also struggle areas for me at the moment. My daily water intake needs help! I’ll be the first to say it. I’m under 60oz daily and know I have to do better because I have to be hydrated whether I’m racing or not. And rest….I aim for 10:30 but 11:30 creeps up so quickly!! So these are my NEED TO DO tips and I will be working on them.
5 | don’t compare
This tip came from my amazing husband. This past weekend I was sharing with him my thought process for the 5K and he really gave me a new perspective and way to think about the race. At some point (in my dive to learn everything), I started following a lot of runner accounts on Instagram and I started to compare my mile times to people theirs. This weekend I started feeling like I’d bitten off more than I was ready for and talked to him about it. He gave me great advice and encouraged me to stop looking people running right now. My motivation at this very early stage needs to be on me and making those slow improvements with each training run. Simple but the right words I needed to hear (he said some other stuff too lol). The next day I was able to shave 4 seconds off my time. Gradual improvements friends.
So….don’t compare yourself to others. It’s you against you.
Well thats all friends. Those are the 5 things that I recently learned to help me prepare for my 5K. If you run races, I’d love to know other tips or things that you think will be helpful. My goal is to run the whole race and finish. Wish me luck friends and stay tuned for updates.
Until next time,
Blessings
