I am doing a 5k this weekend, my first....any advise?

sanren79

I am doing a 5k this weekend, my first....any advise?

micklepickle61

First, Congratulations.

I think the best advice I could give you is to have fun. Don't worry about how fast you are or in which position you finish.

Get to the race site plenty early so you can figure out where every thing is, register and have to time to warm up.
Start at the back of the pack and don't worry about how fast anyone is running.
Start out slow, at a pace you know you will be able to complete the course with then increase your pace according to how good you feel toward the end of the course.
You may have a tendancy to want to chase people that are ahead of you. Try to avoid that. Run your race at a pace that is comfortable for you.
Stick around for a while afterward. Drink a water or sport drink, have a bagel. Enjoy the atmosphere and the sense of accomplishment.
Let us all know how it went with a race report that includes all the details.

Good luck

Mike

aschultz9

I agree with everything Mike said. Going out too fast is easy to do, you're all pumped with adrenaline and tend to want to keep up with people. Starting out it may not feel too fast, but you may not be able to sustain it. Go out easy and finish strong! Enjoy the post race rush..best part about it and what keeps me going back for more! Good Luck and Congrats!

LuckyLeprechaun

make sure you wear comfortable shoes that you're used to running in. Race day is the worst day for a new pair.

Take pictures!

When my hair was long, I hated a sweaty ponytail flopping against my neck. two ponytails fixes this annoying issue.

Have lots of fun

tamiller93

I agree with the other posts. Save that adrenaline for later in the race. You'll be sorry if you burst out of the starting line and are fatigued 3/4 way through the race. Not a good thing. I always have my iPod going, and I am in my own little world. I am only concerned with beating my own record from my prior race. I cannot think about all the other runners who are so far ahead of me. Just do your own thing and don't worry about anyone else. Oh, and HAVE FUN!

Good luck to you.

backinthenines

First and foremost have fun. :flowerforyou:

Don't try anything new on race day... no experimenting with food or new shoes!!

Start in the pack where you expect to finish. If you're running "to get round" don't start at the front because you'll aggravate the fast club runners who are racing for points and it's just bad race etiquette.

Don't go off too fast at the start. It's easy to get swept away and suffer for it a mile later. Run your race and pace it well.

Remember to smile for you finish line photo! :bigsmile: