My first 5K!

bobbiebearden
bobbiebearden Posts: 32
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all! I am going to be participating in my first ever 5K this weekend. My question, and I know it might seem silly, is what do I wear?! I've been doing C25K on the treadmill, and probably did myself a disservice not running outside... It's supposed to be pretty chilly Saturday morning, but I know I will warm up as I run, so yeah, what should I wear? Thanks for any advice :)

Replies

  • 86_Ohms
    86_Ohms Posts: 253 Member
    My first 5k, it was 20 degrees outside with a 10MPH wind making it feel 14 degrees. It's going to be rough, as I too did only treadmill before hand.

    There's a good amount of work out clothes out there, but if you have anything that helps with ward off wind and isn't too heavy is a good idea.

    And it might be a good idea to take pseudoephed and some type of nasal spray before hand as your nostrils might go crazy.

    Good luck

    Also, not sure if this helps. Should of read it before mine:
    http://www.active.com/running/Articles/What-to-Do-Before-Your-5K
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    You're not going to want to wear anything too different from what you've already been wearing. Trying to put on new clothes that you've never run in may end up with you uncomfortable and/or with chafing happening during the race.

    Take a look at what you've already been wearing and put together an outfit from that. Also check with your race guidelines and see if there will be a bag drop off before the start of the race. Then you could bring a light coat to stay warm for a bit before the race before you get yourself warmed up, and then you will have it after the race for when your body cools back down.

    But general rules for any race - never do anything the night before or morning of the race that you haven't done already while preparing for the race. For you, honestly, this may also mean the shock of running on pavement vs the treadmill. Most treadmills have a built in "shock" system that allows for lower impact on your joints as you run. So running on the unforgiving pavement may cause you some discomfort, slower pacing, and possibly soreness after.

    Also, since you have only run with a treadmill telling you how fast you are going, be careful not to outpace yourself. The first time I ran outside after running on a treadmill only for four months I started running at what felt like how fast I was on the treadmill. Then felt like I was dying after only a minute or so. A couple more attempts at that and I pulled out my phone and loaded up my RunKeeper app for the first time. I discovered that while I'd been running at a 10 minute mile pace on the treadmill, when I was running outside, I was running at a less than 8 minute per mile pace, which is why I was burning out so fast. Once I slowed down and found my pace, everything was fine. But it took me a few weeks of running outside to be able to drop into that pace without checking my app. So be wary of your body and if you might be pushing yourself too hard (or overcompensating and not running fast enough).

    And have fun. I hate running, but I love races. They were the only thing that kept me running for as long as I did.
  • WAMarathoner
    WAMarathoner Posts: 44
    I tend to go light, even when it's cold. You are absolutely right - you will warm up. However, my wife tends to be more affected by temp. She usually starts with an outer layer (sweatshirt or light jacket) that she can take off and tie around her waist after awhile. Underneath, ideally, a long sleeve tech shirt (not cotton, as this will hold the moisture as you sweat, and then get very cold).

    Good for you & good luck!
  • amymichelle1226
    amymichelle1226 Posts: 150 Member
    I'm doing my 2nd 5k this weekend (the first was in September). I think I'm going to wear pants (or capris) and a long sleeve shirt, it's supposed to be in the low 40's.
  • smom21g
    smom21g Posts: 10 Member
    I recently did my first 5K too, it was this past Saturday. I was told to dress like it was 20 degrees warmer. I haven't ran outside since the beginning of October and I was worried on how I was going to do. I wore running capris and a tshirt (I was still quite warm during the run). It was windy! The run felt a lot more difficult than it did on the treadmill, but I told myself not to stop (I really wanted to). I wasn't prepared for the wind at all and we were running towards it. I ran 3.1 miles 3x before participating in the 5k, on the treadmill best time was a little over 35 minutes. I completed the 5K in 32.59.3. I was shocked!
  • bobbiebearden
    bobbiebearden Posts: 32
    Thanks everybody for your the advice! And also the article on active.com was helpful :) I am nervous, and not sure I will be able to run the whole thing (just finished week 5 of 9 on C25K), but I'm also excited!

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