Training for a 5K in June

chemteacher1987

Hi everyone.

I am in the process of training for a 5K. I do some cardio (can't wait to take it outside, once it get a little warmer) and I also am lifting weights. I split up the weight lifting into muscle groups. I am training on the elliptical and the indoor track.

I was just wondering if there were any other things that I should be doing, besides the obvious of eating right and working towards becoming a stronger runner?

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks!

lulukittie

The elliptical is fine for cross-training, but it won't help your running. I would recommend following a program like "Couch to 5K" or one of Hal Higdon's beginner plans.

boatsie77

Ditto on getting a "training plan" for your running workouts--building up your endurance and speed as you progress to the run. Make sure you are strengthening your core to help with form and breathing.

Ensure your shoes, socks & clothing that you will wear to the race are "tried and true" before the race.

Make sure you don't overtrain...running tears down your muscles--proper rest is needed to build them up. Take care of your legs and feet by doing warmup before and proper stretching after.

There is a ton of info on the web about 5ks before, during and after--take time and do some Googling.

My #1 priority is not how fast I can run, but to ensure I just show up for the race...that means I take extra take care to avoid injuries at all cost--even making sure I do my final toenail clipping a week in advance of the race just incase. Hand-in-hand with that, I make sure I lay out my race gear the day before race (with a checklist) and wake up in enough time to get to the race an hour ahead of the start. Once there I get in line for the toilet. You can't finish a race unless you start...simple, but something lots of folks fail to consider in their training program. One can waste months of training and $$ race fees just by underestimating traffic and parking problems.