5k Training Fun

CAN YOU DO THIS? How long before you can do a run? 10 WEEKS? (Some Say 9 weeks) (and others follow 13 weeks)
But the point is-can yo do this? YES. If I can, you can. And I did. And I keep doing it. and so can you.
We all have a starting point-with me it was my son’s impish grin that burrowed deep into my heart with his message “do it mom”. And so I started. What will bring you to the “running table”? …. want to lose weight? relieve stress? quit smoking? feel better? to race 5k, 10k or eventually a half or whole marathon? to give you a new interest in recreation, like doing a season of racing, so you can combine travelling abroad with races in other countries? to catch the wave of a new and fun way to travel and sight see by taking in races in your destination countries? could you support causes near and dear to your heart if you trained to run? do you wan to be sexier? meet people? keep that promise or New Year’s resolution? Or simply to be kind to yourself and pay some attention to yourself – which, by the way, you deserve.

Doesn’t really matter what your burning reason is, doesn’t matter what tips the scales, as long as there is a reason compelling enough for you to give it a try. Even if you’ve done it in the past and not stayed with it…. we all have baggage and “reasons for not”…

We’ve learned a bit about getting out that start shute to run, these last few years. And I promise that, if you get yourself to the “start line”, the fun and excitement and the whole experience of running will take it from there… you’ll keep going.

Does it matter the number of weeks before you run 5K for the first time? No. Not really. Some plans promise you’ll do it in 9 weeks. And you can. Others say 10 weeks is more realistic. And for you it may be. As long as you follow one programme, stick to it and make sure you DO run your 5k before the end of the training…
I followed a 13-week walk/run programme, did a 5K in the last quarter of the training, and then finished the programme, at which time I toed up for my first ever 10k – and loved it…. it was my son who “got me” to the start line, and the race, itself that kept my interest in coming back for more.

I can show you how to get access to varying training programmes, so you can pick one that seems to “talk” to you. Not all do. I found this. You HAVE to be comfortable with your training. You spend a lot of time in the company of the training you do … so, like with people, it goes down a whole lot better if you like it!

A word of caution here. You may be enthusiastic about running, especially if it opens up new doors of fun and opportunity for you. BUT be warned. Do the training, as it is laid out. Do not compress it. Do not skip ahead hoping to complete your training in less weeks than it is intended to take. WHY? Well, there is good reason. When you first look over your training plan, whether you follow a 9 week or 10 week or 13 week, you may think it looks too easy. Or you may wonder what walking has to do with running. The answer is that your bones, your ligaments, your tendons and your muscles require a very slow and gradual buildup to activity. This is particularly true if your bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles haven’t seen much action for a while. Walking is vital, it helps prepare them for the stress of running. So DON’T jump ahead. In the case of learning to run, “slower is faster”, meaning stick to your plan even if it seems too slow at the outset. In the long run, it will get you to your goals, to your first 5k or 10 k, faster… and healthier.

And, one more idea at the outset. What about training with a buddy? or a group? Both are great ideas. Not necessities for everybody, but helpful for some. Training with others, whether a buddy you go with every time or a group you join up with once a week, helps you keep committed, helps you BE there every time, and gives you an opportunity to chat with others about their running issues. And socializing, associating running with the social, helps keep you coming back. So, if you have the opportunity, go for it. Groups usually have at least a few of the more-experienced in their numbers, and this can help you get questions answered, learn how to focus on both time and distance you cover (some group runs do exactly this).

Personally, I spend a lot of time training on my own; I’ve started to develop judgement about selecting/ designing my own training programmes. On my own, I can flex my time, be singularly minded about what it is I WILL accomplish during any one session, and talk to myself-without distraction. Occasionally my brother will train with me, and he adds other dimensions to my running. Everybody runs different – he focuses a lot on time for distance, from his first step out the door to his last; I tend to focus on WHAT I must do this session, no matter how long it takes… but more on this another time, and I’ll also tell you, then, about a local group I finally joined to train with once a week – sometimes.

I found the advice and “nurturing” two women in what is really a timeless article worthwhile. This is from Mahwah and these ladies are doing a high level of mentoring for the town’s new crop of 5k wanna-bes.. And to think, after just a few short seasons, these women, who were once the ones shaking in their shoes as they faced their first ever training session, were actually training for half marathons when this little article was written about them … you can check it out here ….
Two women from Mahwah are beacons for 5K runners

Link:
http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/other_health/118727949_Two_women_from_Mahwah_are_beacons_for_5K_runners.html

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