5k Run Preparation?

I'm not sure what changes you can make in such a short time other than just try to get some running in for your cardio sessions. It's a different kind of cardio than rowing or elliptical.

A Color Run is a non-timed fun run where you run/walk through stations and get colored powder sprayed/thrown on you. They encourage you to wear white and by the time you're done you look like a tie dyed skittle! I'm doing one with my husband and 7 year old son on Sept 29th and really looking forward to the experience!

Just go for runs - swap out whatever your usual cardio is for a run a couple times a week.

You don't need any kind of serious training for a 5k, unless you're trying to beat a personal record or something. The color runs are especially just for fun - people on the 'sidelines' throw colored powder at the runners as they pass, and it's basically a big running party. Very few of them have timing systems.

A lot of people simply walk in the Color Runs, so I wouldn't worry too much. They are mostly for fun - I'm betting you will LOVE it!


<<< -- profile pic was at my first Color Run

Hi,

I recently hit almost all of my fitness goals and on my last 5 lbs of weight loss (it's hard!)

My best friend invited me to run a 5k "color race" (huh?) with her the first week of october (october 8)

I have 18% BF +/- 2%, 5'10" weight 143 and I strength train 3x/ week, cardio 6 times a week (usually eliptical or rowing)

Question: What changes should I make between now and October 8 to run this 5k, if any. What is a "color race" ? She said it's common but I have no idea what she means.

I will use the google, but wanted to come here first and open up a discussion about how to prepare....

Regarding a "color" race or any themed 5K, don't expect a true 5K/race experience. It is really more of a social gathering/production with a handful of people actually running while dodging large (large) families, strollers, wagons etc. The one I did had us "running" through stockyards/fairgrounds and was pretty awful lol. Do it, have fun, and then come back and do a "regular" 5K that has a normal amount of people attending.

Actually, imagine jogging up and down the fire lane of Wal-Mart. That's a color run.

Start running! Outside if possible as that will be more like the actual race. When I prepped for a 5K I first mapped out a full 5K distance (with my car using the mile tracker thingy) so I knew the full distance I needed to run. I started with running half that distance for the first week and then 3/4 of the full distance for the 2nd week so that by week 3 I was running the full 5K. I ran it at least 3 times a week.

Color run usually means you will be "hit" with colored paints as you run and in the end looked like a messed up rainbow Might be more like colored powders versus paints - but you get the idea.

Have fun!

When I switched from the elliptical to running outside for some of my cardio, I found two issues arose:

1. my Achilles tendons are tighter than I realized. The elliptical doesn't stretch them out as much unless you've been good about using an incline setting (I tended to use resistence more)

2. I have a bit of "Morton's neuroma" in my right foot. I hadn't noticed this on the elliptical because of how it removes the impact on your feet. the condition was amplified and became noticeable once I started landing mid-foot during my runs.

Both of these problems are typical of high heel shoe wearers -- the bad things we do to ourself in the name of fashion!!

The other thing that I've heard impacts people when switching to running is pronation/supination and knee strain but luckily neither of those was an problem for me.

Basically, I would suggest some runs outside over the next couple weeks so that you identify any issues that might arise ahead of time and don't ruin your fun on the day of event.