If you've recently got into running, you'll understand how much of a goal running your first 5K is. It's what you strive to achieve from the minute your feet first hit the ground. But there'll eventually come a time where you'll think "yes, I can do this, I'm going to finally give 5km a try", although it can seem like a daunting feat, it's definitely something you can do, even if you have to take a few breaks in between :)
So if you haven't run a 5K before and you're hoping to tick that milestone off your list, then I thought I'd offer a few helpful hints and tips. I can't even tell you how many I have run now in 18 months, but like with anyone, it took a lot of drive, determination and a fair few injuries to get to that point in the first place, so I'm in no way bragging or belittling your smaller goals in anyway. Everyone has to start somewhere and everyone will get there at their own pace.
With that being said, here are my tips for running your first 5K, no matter what level you're at - enjoy!
Do some planning ahead
This might sound silly, but you need to make sure you're as comfortable as possible while you run your 5K. For me, this means wearing the right gear for the weather. With that in mind, I'll always check the forecast the night before to determine how dry it's going to be, how warm it'll be and even down to how strong the wind is going to be. All of those factors can help you to determine what to wear.
For example, if it's going to rain, I'll either schedule my run for another time, when it's not raining, or wear a cap and some light clothing. If it's going to be warm and sunny, I'll wear leggings made out of a lighter material, a tank top or razor back vest and I'll even rub in some quick-dry sun cream for good measure. If it's going to be windy, I forgo the headphones and will look to wear windproof clothing. If it's cold, then I'll wear a layers and ankle-length leggings for good measure.
Once you've worked out what the weather is doing, then plan what you're going to wear and lay it all out in preparation the night before you want to run your 5K. This will save time, allowing you more of a chance to limber up and stretch properly to avoid any injuries.
Make sure your breathing is controlled
Taking deep breaths, right from the pit of your tummy, will help to keep your breathing regulated. What you don't want is for you to start experiencing stitch half way through as it can be quite crippling for some people. If you find that your breathing is becoming faster or if you can't get enough air in for your liking, slow down and take longer breaths, if you can. What you don't want to do is completely stop as you want to keep your legs moving for as long as possible.
Don't focus on your speed
It can be easy to look at overall pace and speed when you go for your first 5K; "how quick can I do this?", "I wonder how long it'll take me to do it" etc, etc. You don't want to think about speed at this point in time. Instead, be the tortoise and not the hare. You're looking solely at running a long distance rather than seeing how fast it can be done.
Take each kilometre as it comes and don't even think about the time it takes you initially because that doesn't really matter. The fact is, you'd have run a solid 5km and that's all that matters right now. As you do more of them, only then can you start to look at improving your speed, if you like.
Take breaks if you need to
Never think that you can't take a short break when you go out running. Whether you're suffering cramp, have stitch, need to catch a breath or walk out that old injury, it's important that you allow yourself a small amount of recovery time while you're out on the road. It's important that you don't see it as a failure because the very fact you're out there running a 5K in the first place is a huge achievement in itself.
If you do need to take a break, make sure you keep moving in some way or another, whether that be a short, 30 second walk to cool off or a simple jog n the spot at the traffic lights, just keep moving because it's easy for your muscles to tighten up if you just come to a complete stop. But don't let this put you off taking short breaks when you need to, this is important, especially if you're new to the game!
***
I hope you found this blog post useful. Let me know how your first 5K went in the comments below and I'll see you again very soon with a brand new article!
***
WHERE TO FIND ME
PREVIOUS BLOG POST
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Comments
Post a Comment