Preparing for a 5K Race

So you've just signed up for a 5K? If it's your first, you're probably nervous about the race and what you need to do to prepare. I recently completed my first 5K earlier this month, so I've done plenty of research.

Long enough to be challenging for a new runner, but short enough to not require long-term training, the 5K (equivalent to 3.1 miles) is one of the most popular road running races. Whether you're a new running hoping to reach a milestone in your fitness goals or a marathon runner looking for a fun short "training" run, a 5K is a great race for people of all ages and abilities.

I'm a mild asthmatic, so running was never fun for me. It fact, it was brutal. But recent changes in my fitness routines and determination on my part allowed me to tack "runner" onto my description. I had been running a couple miles pretty consistently, but I wanted to up my game. What better way than to sign up for a 5K? I was pretty nervous about the race, but I found a lot of things that helped.

First off, if you are not running outdoors, start doing so. Running on a treadmill is much different than running outdoors. Outside, you have to deal with air resistance, wind, hills, uneven terrain, and other people. It's not as simple as dialing a speed and running for 3.1 miles. I would recommend running outdoors once a week at the minimum. If you can't run outdoors, start adding inclines to your treadmill runs. 1 - 2% should mimic air resistance.

Now's a good time to pick up a heartrate monitor and using it. It gives you a good idea how fast your heart is pumping when you're running a certain speed. This is critical if you want to maintain a speed during your race outdoors. Of course, this means you have to train on a predeterined route or on the treadmill to figure out what heartrate ranges are for what speeds. I trained with a heartrate monitor for two weeks before the race.

Start recording how your times and splits for your runs, especially your 5K training runs. Three miles isn't that long, so you're probably going to run this 2 - 3 times a week. Lots of opportunity to work on being faster. Depending on how early you start prepping for the race, aim to shave seconds off of your miles, not minutes. Be realistic about your goal.

Ideally, aim to have three running workouts per week. One speed session, where you do intervals of running above a 5K pace with breaks of walking/jogging. One distance session, where you would run as long as you can. If you can run double the distance of the race, regardless of the time, then running half would be easy. You should always do one session of actual race distance for timing purposes. If you run outdoors, aim to finish the last 200 - 400m at a faster pace or a sprint if you can. This will prep you for the finish.

If you can't run 5K yet, Google "couch to 5K". There's a lot of programs out that that will take you from zero running to running 3.1 miles in about three months. Nice and easy. Most of the time, running is not really about physical ability (there's training involved, of course), but more about mental fortitude. Let's not make any excuses; running hurts. It's not like lifting weights, where you get breaks every set. It's constant exertion. Running is painful meditation. It requires a good amount of focus and mental strength for you to block out the discomfort and continue. Now I'm not talking about pain as in injury pain, but you should get the drift. Stop if it is pain that indicates and injury.

Training and preparation is over. Now it's nearly race time. Before the race, look up averages for 5K finishing times. Figure out where you fall and aim to line up where you think you would fit. Usually 5Ks are small and they don't really start in waves, but you don't want to start at the front of the pack if you really belong in the middle. You don't want to feel discouraged with all the faster runners passing you. On the other hand, don't put yourself in the back if you are faster. Fighting to make your way to the front can be tiring.

About fifteen minutes before the start, warm up. Run an easy quarter mile, stretch, hydrate. You want to be ready to run at your racing pace right at the start. As you line up, breathe. Relax. The fun part starts soon.

Once the race starts, find a competitor. Silently pick a person that seems to be running your pace. Now stick to them and make sure they don't get too far away. If they wind up being to slow, pass them and move on to the next. Too fast? Let up and find someone closer to your pace. Chances are, having this person next to or slightly in front of you will motivate you to run a little bit faster and a little bit harder. I cut nearly two minutes off my best time during a race because of this. Focus on your breathing and your pace and run. It'll be over before you know it.  Remember to push for that last sprint at the end!

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