5k Training Fun

This is addressed to beginning runners – information about how to become fit. When we see people running, it looks so very easy. But when we do it ourselves, it isn’t quite as easy. And if you go too hard at it, too soon, you could get injured.

My first goal when I was starting was “don’t get hurt”. period. It took me several months in the gym (“pre running”) and several more months out, before I ran my first race, a 10K event.

Running was that tangible thing in my life about getting more fit. I could feel my progress as breathing came easier; and I could see the results in terms of resculpting my body. I ate more and better and I slept better.
Before my first race, I followed a 13-week plan – to the letter – which days were “on” and which were “off”, amount of time on each day, run or walk in each time interval. Totally. Warm up, cool down. And I wrestled with former “touchy” muscles, joints etc. And the s l o w 13-week approach allowed enough time to work through all these, injury-free.

Before my first 10K, I stood in the middle of the road, shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of other runners, and stretched and warmed up. and warmed up. and warmed up. Anytime you’re starting with 10’s of thousands of people, you wait around.
After this first 10K run, I went to the medical area and got ice to put on a knee that had come to appreciate cold after a run. And that was that. One race down, and a lifetime of races to go.
And because I did all this without getting hurt, I was encouraged to continue running.

What I learned training for this first run. And this applies equally to 5K as to 10K and other distances –
1. to maintain or improve fitness all you need is one hour 3 or 4 times a week. (before you dismiss this as “too simple”, let me say, it is not (to me anyway). Just think about those 3 or 4 hours a week – check how you’re going to carve out this time, etc.

2. get enough rest – this varies for everybody. Your body will know if you don’t. Don’t “cheat” here. Do do get enough rest for you – your body will tell you what you need – if you’ll listen.

3. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Pay attention to aches and pains. Try cross training until you don’t feel these any more. Don’t keep pounding what already hurts.

4. Cross training is good. I must admit, I have not mastered this – yet. This is my area for improvement. The logic of cross training appeals to me – spread around the parts of your body and the types of things you are doing; this means moderation for your body’s parts. But actually doing this, I do not find so easy, because I did not have this built into my training programme. I wish cross training had been specifically written in; then I would be better at it. Well, we’ll get going on this one.

5. If you do cross train, say for a few days, and then go back to your running, go back where you left off. No need to go backwards. DO NOT skip ahead. Just go back to where you were.

Training your brain to let you do these things was my biggest challenge. I think we all want to “do just a bit more” than we can or should. And this is a NO. Just stick to the programme.

That will be coming along soon in this writing.