It’s not too soon to start your training. If you are a veteran runner, you know what your program is but to some of you out there, running your first 5K might be a daunting thought. If you’ve never run a race before, now is the time to start thinking about it. Running your first 5K with no preparation will be frustrating and you’ll be VERY sore the next day. Start slowly, listen to your body, stay hydrated and allow plenty of rest.
Many people like to start out with a ‘walk to run’ program. As with any program, make sure you’re healthy enough to tackle it, get medical clearance from your provider. Next, get the right shoes. Ill-fitting shoes will just cause injuries. Many stores will help you evaluate your foot and your stride so that you can choose just the right type and brand to keep you healthy.
As with any exercise, warm up for 5-10 minutes. Get your muscles loose. Then, just walk…but speed up for a minute or two every 6-7 minutes. Get your heart rate a little elevated, and then slow down again. Try this for the first couple of work outs. It’s winter, so you can easily do this on a treadmill at your local gym. Try this three times a week for the first couple of weeks. Make it interesting by adding a few slight hills on the incline button.
Once you’re comfortable with this regimen, try a light jog for one or two minutes every 6 minutes. Do this three times a week and try to stay on the treadmill for as close to 30 minutes as you can without feeling pain or discomfort. Good luck and stay tuned for more information!
You’ve got four months until the Susan McDaniel Run for Lovelane….you can do it.
- Register today and make a commitment to yourself that you will participate in the race.
- Create your online fundraising page and email it out to everyone you know. You won’t back if all of your friends are supporting your run.
- Even better, get a couple of your friends to train with you and register to run themselves. You can have a fundraising competition among yourselves!
- Before you know it you’ll have raised over $500 in pledges……..that will just make you run even faster!
- Remember that each dollar you raise helps the very special students at Lovelane continue to receive the therapy they need and so richly deserve.
