One night, my friend and I randomly thought we should sign up for a 5K near our hometown. However, we are both not runners, and have never ran anything over a mile and a half. In our heads, it shouldn’t be that bad if so many people do it, and if we needed to then we could always walk part of it (which is exactly what we did).
Here are a few things I did to prepare, and some that I wish I had known.
1. Crafting the perfect Playlist
Okay, so I feel this is a tip that comes from everyone that runs, but it really does make a difference. Usually when I go to the gym, I shuffle random songs and whatever pops up is what I listen to. However, the night before, I crafted the most perfect playlist that would make me run for longer and make it much more enjoyable. Most of it did contain songs from the Hamilton soundtrack, but whatever songs you love should make you keep running and feeling motivated. Personally, I think “Non-Stop” from Hamilton is an elite running song, so just give it a try.
2. Intervals
As I mentioned before, you do not have to run the entire thing. What was most helpful for me was running for a period of time, walking, and then repeating. This is a tip that comes from many runners, whether it is for training or during a race. Don’t feel inclined to do more than your body can.
3. Stretching
This might be a given, but this step is actually overlooked by a lot of people. You always see runners stretching in all sorts of ways, so I would recommend looking up some basic stretches and doing them each day leading up to the race. As we know, it helps prevent injury, and the worst thing ever in my opinion, shin splints. Having stretched before this 5K was a game changer and allowed me to run longer than I thought I could. Here are some easy stretches for running!
4. clothing
The day of my 5K was about 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit, so wearing warm clothing was crucial in my case. To keep my body warm, I wore an athletic zip-up with a crewneck on top and leggings. However, I wished I had brought gloves and one of those ear warmer headbands since it was freezing cold outside. Just make sure to check the weather and bring everything you could possibly need to feel as comfortable as possible. Overpacking is okay!
5. energy
In order to keep my energy up, I drank a Bloom energy drink beforehand, and slept a lot the night before. You don’t need to drink energy drinks all the time when you run, but the caffeine was much needed for me as it was so early in the morning.
Also, to train, I would do longer sessions of cardio at the gym for an hour. Whether that be solely on the treadmill or in addition to the stair master and elliptical. I wanted to build my stamina and endurance so I wouldn’t be winded, and I did end up noticing a substantial difference from when we first signed up to the actual race itself. I never ended up running 5K beforehand, so this race was my first ever time.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I think these tips were crucial in helping me run this 5K. I am thankful that I went through with it and was able to try something I have never done before. It was a really fun experience, from the people cheering everyone on, to being able to meet up with one of my old high school teachers. I am planning on doing another one within the next couple of months, with some more friends and hopefully a shorter time. This next one I will train more for!