How to run an unprepared 5k and win

Zekela

For those of you who read my post on how to run the 50k unprepared. If you prefer 5ks instead, here is how its done:
1. Eat a whole box of crispy creme donuts the night before because it tastes so good. Then when someone says to you, "why are you eating so much??"... look on them and say, "uuhhhh... carb loading... I have a race tomorrow'.
2. Find a 5k the following day and cross your fingers on the way to the race that registration isn't closed. It is easier to do an unprepared 50k since we all know that the field isn't usually full... however, since everyone is running 5ks its kind of hard to do an unprepared one.
3. If you get registered, it is just fate that you are supposed to win this thing.
4. Ask for a race map before the race... Its okay to screw up a 50k and run 4 miles over, but 5ks would be hard to do that.
5. Always remember to have fun.
6. Pray to the crispy creme gods.
7. Try and follow and stay with the leader guy and keep in mind that you had a box of crispy creme and his skinny *kitten* didn't.
8. Win the unprepared 5k!
Next posts shall be: How to run an unprepared 50 miler. ;-)

ZenInTexas

Awesome.

MinimalistShoeAddict

Awesome!

Enjoy your prize money and be sure to spend most of it on more doughnuts!

amandamurdaugh

You're simply amazing!

Zekela

Thx guys!
Couple friends requested that I say something about preparation instead:
Here goes:
1. You have to put in the work. Decide whether it is before the race or during the race. Meaning, if you don't train for it, then most of the work will be brutally done during the race and if you train for it then most of the work is done during training.
2. With that being said.. I placed in a ton of work with running at least 85 miles weekly plus cross training. Yes this is a lot of mileage and work but it allows me to run impromptu races fast and without injury. Come on... you really thought I wasn't training?? :-p
3. If you want to run a race, ensure first that you enjoy it, otherwise find another sport. My take is always to enjoy yourself.
4. I believe anybody can win a race, all you have to do is train long enough and hard enough.

jturnerx

Come on... you really thought I wasn't training?? :-p

Not for one bloody second. lol

likitisplit

You are insane! I love it!!!

Zekela

So I'm preparing for a half marathon and working on my strength now. My husband is my trainer and he is so shocked at how weak I actually am. He wanted me to leg press with one leg 60ibs! Is this normal??? This seems super human to me!

dorianaldyn

Look at you! So versatile! I wouldn't normally expect the same athlete to excel at 50k and 5k - I'm so impressed!

As for me, I don't care how much training I do, I don't think I'm ever going to win any races - but I'm fine with that. Getting a PR here and there is nice, but even that is never really a goal of mine. Mostly, I just want to stay healthy and enjoy the events I participate in. I do like to challenge myself to go farther; I guess I'm just not in any hurry! haha.

Zekela

@Dor: The 50k was impromptu... wasn't supposed to do it since the furthest race distance I ran before was a half. My first full marathon will be the Disney in January. I'm like you though, I love to run... I don't care the speed or anything else it is just so much fun. I do it for the fun first. But somehow, over a period of 15 years of running, I'm just getting faster and faster without really taking any conscious effort to notice. I first started entering races about 6 years ago when my friends after much coaxing encouraged me to do one. I just don't like the idea of paying to run when I can do it for free hahahaha! (so they paid the entry fee and I gave them the prize money in return). From there, came my husband and his friends who also think it would be cool to run races. I don't tend to compete with anyone. I used to start in the middle or towards the back in a 5k and still manage to place. I think running should be fun or any form of exercise. The minute you start taking it too seriously, the fun gets killed in my opinion.

MinimalistShoeAddict

@Dor: The 50k was impromptu... wasn't supposed to do it since the furthest race distance I ran before was a half. My first full marathon will be the Disney in January. I'm like you though, I love to run... I don't care the speed or anything else it is just so much fun. I do it for the fun first. But somehow, over a period of 15 years of running, I'm just getting faster and faster without really taking any conscious effort to notice. I first started entering races about 6 years ago when my friends after much coaxing encouraged me to do one. I just don't like the idea of paying to run when I can do it for free hahahaha! (so they paid the entry fee and I gave them the prize money in return). From there, came my husband and his friends who also think it would be cool to run races. I don't tend to compete with anyone. I used to start in the middle or towards the back in a 5k and still manage to place. I think running should be fun or any form of exercise. The minute you start taking it too seriously, the fun gets killed in my opinion.

I agree with having fun being the most important. Whenever I race I am primarily competing with myself (having a specific PR in mind that I would like to set).

That being said I think competition is also fun! I have never won a race but always compete with those around me near the finish line. Even if I was near the very back of the pack, I would still consider the last 100m of any race a sprint and my competition would be those in close proximity to me at the time.

likitisplit

@Dor: The 50k was impromptu... wasn't supposed to do it since the furthest race distance I ran before was a half. My first full marathon will be the Disney in January. I'm like you though, I love to run... I don't care the speed or anything else it is just so much fun. I do it for the fun first. But somehow, over a period of 15 years of running, I'm just getting faster and faster without really taking any conscious effort to notice. I first started entering races about 6 years ago when my friends after much coaxing encouraged me to do one. I just don't like the idea of paying to run when I can do it for free hahahaha! (so they paid the entry fee and I gave them the prize money in return). From there, came my husband and his friends who also think it would be cool to run races. I don't tend to compete with anyone. I used to start in the middle or towards the back in a 5k and still manage to place. I think running should be fun or any form of exercise. The minute you start taking it too seriously, the fun gets killed in my opinion.

I agree with having fun being the most important. Whenever I race I am primarily competing with myself (having a specific PR in mind that I would like to set).

That being said I think competition is also fun! I have never won a race but always compete with those around me near the finish line. Even if I was near the very back of the pack, I would still consider the last 100m of any race a sprint and my competition would be those in close proximity to me at the time.

Me too.

Zekela

Well my PR 5k was done because I saw a kid about 14 or 15 running really fast and I said to myself, "no way am I gonna let this little kid kick my butt"... so I ran faster and he ran faster and I ran faster... hahahaha! Then I found out that these kids are fast in races... hahaha! Only if I had known this initially, I wouldn't have bothered with him.