major 5k jitters!!! hellllp :(

emmymae22

Hey y'all. So it appears that I'm running my first 5K this coming Saturday. I'm TERRIFIED. I have been exercising regularly since last summer, and for the past few months, I've been doing an hour of intense cardio 6 days a week...the problem is I was signed up for this 5K by a friend and she swears up and down we talked about it but I think she's lost her mind... so I haven't trained AT ALL. What do i do? She already paid for it for me and everything...can I even run a 5k with no training??! I mean, I do 6 hours of cardio a week but none of it is running! It's Zumba and Turbokick. I would love anyone's input. Thanks..

BrownsFan16

The key to this is just to do it - do NOT worry about your time. Do NOT worry about keeping pace with others. You should be able to do this within an 11-12 minute per mile pace if you just take your time. Three miles is a lot of you are not used to running. Cardio and running a 5K are two different things..... I did a few 5k's last year, and my times were in the 9:00-9:15 per mile pace. This year they are just over 8:00 a mile pace. And I have been running - so I would say let your goal to be just to finish. If you have to walk, do it. Nobody will care. Hydrate property before... and hopefully you have good running shoes!!! You will do fine!!

Cheval13

Hey girl, it sounds like you're pretty fit. Six hours of cardio is more than a lot of 5 K runners put in, and if your only goal is to do the race and have fun, you're fine. If you want, you can look at the couch 2 K plan and see if you can complete some of the workouts... I think a balance of running and walking for your first time will be good. Whatever you do, don't take it too seriously. Really, it's not a long distance and if you just take it easy (like I said, a few easy practice runs these next few days should be good) then you're fine. Even if you ended up walking the whole time, you won't be the only one. Just go for it!

emmymae22

Thank you guys. I'm just gonna keep reading the part that says "you'll do fine" and try to chill out. I'm so scared that I'll pass out or throw up or something. lol

tageekly

Thank you guys. I'm just gonna keep reading the part that says "you'll do fine" and try to chill out. I'm so scared that I'll pass out or throw up or something. lol

Not at all! Many people sign up and complete them for fun and exercise - and walk the whole thing. Try to get a couple runs in, even if they're short, just to get comfortable with your stride and make sure your shoes are comfortable. If you end up walking most of it, no big deal. You'll have your first one under your belt and can decide if you want to do more.

Good luck and have fun!

vanessalillian82

A friend of mine did a 12km fun run/walk that went up over a mountain range, pretty much from stone cold. He had decided he needed a wake-up call to get him motivated. He works out once or twice a week with a trainer but not so much on the cardio, and definitely no running. I don't know how much of it he actually ran, but I do know that he gave it a go, and that's the important bit. Do what you can, and try to just see it as an opportunity to exercise

Pebble321

You'll be fine!
Here's my advice:
- don't start out too fast. Accept that you aren't going to win the race, so it doesn't matter what your placing is, the important thing is to finish and to have fun. Getting sucked into a fast pack at the beginning is probably just going to leave you limping by the road at 2km!
- run slowly and take walk breaks if you need to. You aren't being sponsored by a major corporation to do this, nothing is riding on you running every step of the way. You'll see lots of people going faster and slower than you, lots of people will be walking too.
- Take a drink if they have drink stations, it's a good time for a walk break. And make sure you watch out for the discarded cups, I saw a couple of people with ankle injuries after the water stations at my race yesterday.
- Don't eat or drink anything before or during the race that you don't usually have before exercising. You don't want to be in the Portapotty queue at the 1km mark (like about 20 people I saw yesterday!


Most of all - enjoy it!

beccacarlton

Don't stress at all! 5k's are so much fun,! You'll have the competitive runners up front, average runners in middle, and walkers in the back. Run what you can and walk the rest. You'll finish long before the others!!

AmyRhubarb

I think you'll have a blast - I just ran my first 5k yesterday and it was so fun!

Great advice already posted here. I'll second the part about not getting caught up with the initial rush at the start and burn yourself out too quickly. Let people pass you and go at your own pace. Take walking breaks if you have to - no shame! Have fun!

jenniejoy07

What run are you running? I'm running the color run in chicago on saturday!

emmymae22

There is a ton of good advice here...thank you guys! And I'm running the Hospital Hill 5k in KC

AmyRhubarb

Also, check out this topic about preparing for your first race: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/279198-running-tip-so-you-are-about-to-do-your-first-race

Lots of good info there, and it covers everything from a 5k to a full marathon, but gives great info on what to expect, things to think about, etc - helped me a ton with my first race jitters!