First 5K This Weekend!

udallmom101
udallmom101 Posts: 564 Member
edited September 25 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello! I am doing my very first 5K this Saturday, April 2nd. Does anyone have any tips for me. I don't expect the greatest time, but when I usually do a 5K in my exercise it is taking me around 50 minutes. With the point of nonexercise I was at a year ago, that is amazing for me! I am mainly just looking to finish the 5K intact! Any good advice on what to do the day before, as far as dinner. And what about breakfast that morning. The race starts at 10am, but I have to check in at 830am. Thank you for the help!

Replies

  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
    *BUMP*

    I have my very first 5K on 4/30 so I'm definitely interested in any tips.

    Good luck!!
  • sanren79
    sanren79 Posts: 21 Member
    I just did this same post 2 weeks ago and I got some great replies...my only thing to add is make sure to bring an Ipod or something along those line if you are alone. Oh and breakfast, eat light and don't try anything new.
  • Nichole1981
    Nichole1981 Posts: 65 Member
    Congrats on your first 5K!!! I did my first 5K race this past September and now I am training for a 1/2 marathon in May. My advise would be to not do anything new the day of the race. Eat what you usually do before a run and wear the running gear that you have been running in during your training. Good luck and enjoy your run!! :happy:

    Oh yeah...when you start the run don't start out too fast. You will want to because you will be excited but then you will burn out. So try to start running at the pace you usually do. If you are a slow runner do not line up close to the start line....that is where the fast runners are.....hang back with runners that you think will be at your pace. Also, if you decided you need to walk during the race move over to the side so faster people running can get around you. If you do wear an Ipod keep the music low so you can hear the other runners around you.

    GOOD LUCK!!!!
  • beckystephens
    beckystephens Posts: 117 Member
    Best tip i can give as ive done a ton - dont go for speed for ur first mile. Dont try to keep up with the starting line sprint. If you do, you will get tired super quick. Save your energy for the last mile :)

    Good luck on your first 5k. They are addictive!!!!
  • momofcole
    momofcole Posts: 18
    I ran my first 5K almost 3 years ago now (wow!) and I remember being so nervous! It turned out to be not as big a deal as I thought, I don't know what I was so worried about -- it was really fun and I was so proud of myself!
    You don't need any special eating or anything, especially the night before. Be sure you do eat enough the morning of. I'd just eat what you normally do for breakfast (especially if it's when you'd normally be working out/running). I like to eat a banana and a luna bar before a 5K. And some water. I don't like to eat an hour before I run.
    Also if you're clueless like I was-- the race # goes on the front!! lol I had no idea if it went on the front or back my first time.

    Good luck!!! It is a great accomplishment.
  • LMac423
    LMac423 Posts: 82
    Hi!

    That's wonderful! Great to see another runner on here! =)

    As far as dinner goes, I always go by the rule nothing out of the ordinary. If you were doing a super long endurance race, I'd say carbload. With a 5k though, you can get away with just your normal dinner .... not a lot of grease or anything like that though, will make your stomach crazy the next day. Breakfast, go with something light...banana and peanut butter, some toast and peanut butter. Rule of thumb normally is carb and protein or some sort. I usually do a carnation instant breakfast because I tend to get a crazy stomach during my races. Make sure after you eat something about the same to refuel...carb + protein.

    Bottom line, don't get too tied up in your adrenaline becuase you don't want to go out too fast and use up everything you have within the first mile. Start in the middle to back of the pack and do what you know - RUN!
    Good luck and if you need any other tips, send me a message!

    Oh, and HAVE FUN! =)
  • RMX983
    RMX983 Posts: 34
    You will probably see a slight improvement on your time because of the adrenaline. So that's always fun! I'd say for your first one to just go out there and have fun. Show up early so you aren't rushing. Don't try any new clothes, shoes, or accessories. Have fun.
  • lulutm
    lulutm Posts: 57
    Train as normal this week, then the day before your race, REST and STRETCH! That is all!

    Your legs will thank you for the rest and you'll be stretched and ready to go. Also, I would suggest minimal food and water the morning of, to avoid cramping. I always buy a packet of GU Chomps from my local Academy sports, and eat 1/2 the packet 30 minutes before the race. They have electorlytes and amino acids and give me just the boost I need to make it through!
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Congrats! Best tip is to go into it with a positive attiude, pace yourself really well early on and take it slow, stop to get water at the half-way point if there's a water station and give yourself a little break, and make sure that you have enough energy in the tank at the end to really feel good about your finish!

    As for fueling/preparation... For a 5K, whatever you normally do for you runs should suffice. Don't try anything new. Eat a normal breakfast, if there's a big lag between breakfast and the start of the race have a banana 45 mins out from the start time. Make sure you're good and hydrated. And wear your normal running clothes - nothing fancy :happy:

    Have fun!!
  • getsveltEagain
    getsveltEagain Posts: 1,063 Member
    Here are my helpful suggestions:

    You will want to Carb load the night before... nothing overboard, just like pasta.
    Get plenty of sleep. You will want it!
    Eat what you normally eat before running, don't try anything new or that your body would not be use to.
    Make sure that you stay hydrated.
    The iPod is a great suggestion! It will be your friend ;)
    After the race, stay moving even if you don't want to... it will help with the soreness.

    YOU CAN DO IT!
  • LMac423
    LMac423 Posts: 82
    Oh and just like momofcole said, race number on the front...everyone can pick out a noob when the number is on the back of them! =)
  • momofcole
    momofcole Posts: 18
    oh yeah the no sprinting is good advice! I got tired out on my first one (also made the mistake of signing up for a REALLY hilly one!) It's okay to walk when you need to- don't wait until you are totally shot or you won't be able to pick back up and run again.. just do what you normally do in your training! And then push yourself at the end.
    I am STILL 3 years later trying to get under 30 minutes. Was 2 seconds over once! :( It's good to set mini goals to keep up with this though.
  • Wow! I will be doing my first this yr too! Good luck with ur run. It doesn't matter what place you finish... what matters is that you finish :)
  • anzura
    anzura Posts: 171
    This is a classic from the Running Ahead forums. It's always referred to when someone asks just what you asked. Enjoy!!


    JK's Race Advice:

    Here’s a long and exhaustive (but not complete) list of some of the important stuff nobody ever told me (and that I later wished they had), in completely random order, provided for absolutely no reason at all:

    1: Get there early. However early you were planning to get there, get there a half hour before that. Nothing sucks worse than getting there at the last minute. Add another 15 minutes if you haven't pre-registered. Get there early and you can meet people, scope the course, find the bathrooms, run a warm-up, etc. It's supposed to be fun - and stress ain't fun.

    2: Take toilet paper. Seriously. If you don't need it, fine. If you do, you'll thank me. As a bonus, it can make you popular, once the TP runs out. No joke.

    3: Speaking of which - get to the bathrooms/porta-a-potties early. As soon as you get your number. No guarantees you'll get the chance much later. Quit laughing. This bathroom stuff is probably the most valuable advice you can get. Ignore it and you'll learn the hard way. Having to poop for 5 miles is only funny when it happens to somebody else.

    4: Start farther back in the pack than you think you need to (especially if they're using chip timing). It's way, way more fun to pass people than to be passed. (See the threads on the timing chips for a ridiculous amount of info on the subject).

    5: If you care about your time, wear a watch, and time yourself. Remember to hit it once you reach the start, and when you cross the end. Seems obvious, right? Don't forget. If there aren't chips, it's the only way to guarantee an accurate time, at least for your own records. Have a rough idea how fast you want to be going at each mile marker. If you're way fast, slow down, etc. Again, it's more fun to be speeding up in the last mile than to be a participant in the ever popular Slow Trudge of Death. Then again, if you're slow but hurting, don't race to beat the watch. Have fun, and forget your time during the race - you can obsess about it later.

    6: If you do wear a watch, make sure you're not looking down at it when you cross the finish line. Practice finding the button without looking. Trust me - everyone ruins their finish photo doing this. Look up and smile. Bonus points for triumphant hand raises and/or obscene gestures.

    7: In case the above wasn't clear enough - start slow. No, even slower. Especially in your first race. There will be a lot of people around you who will set their own personal bests in the 800 meters once the race starts. These are the people you'll be smiling at in 4 or 5 miles as you pass them. Try not to laugh at them. It's mean. But if they’re puking and fainting, get video. Post it on You Tube. That’s always fun.

    8: If there's a timing chip, secure it as much as you want. Plenty of loops. Two plastic thingies. If you've never seen one and have no clue what I'm babbling about, ask a volunteer to help you. They charge you money if those things fall off. Plus, it's always fun to make getting the chip a challenge for the volunteer at the end. They love that.

    9: Run a warm-up mile or two. I know - you're thinking you're already running a long way, why run farther? Because you'll probably ignore the above and start out too fast, and you'll be glad you were warmed up ahead of time, especially if it’s cold out. At least jog a little.

    10: While you're warming up - since you have plenty of time - play around with where you like to wear your race bib (the number they give you). Personally, I hate wearing it on my shirt, and it took me a while to figure that out. So I stick it on my thigh. No, not in the meat of my thigh, cuz that would hurt. On my shorts. Maybe you’ll like the opposite. I know it seems silly, but after an hour of running anything that annoys you at the start can become really irritating.

    11: At the water stops, head for the last cups not the first – and if you’re walking while you drink, get over to the right before you start. So people don’t throw things at you.

    12: Walk while you drink. Even if you weren’t planning on walking, the 20 (or, say, 17) seconds it takes is worth it to actually drink rather than wear the water. And you’ll run faster later. Passing the people too cool to walk is once again one of the more pleasurable moments in the race. (Ask Trent.)

    13: Ditto to the above if you are intentionally taking walking breaks. Get to the right. Be polite. At the very least, don’t be yakking with your four friends all running shoulder-to-shoulder and then come to simultaneous stops. If you do this, people will throw heavier things. Sharp things, too.

    14: If you listen to your iPod, keep it low enough so you can hear what’s going on around you. Or expect more heavy and sharp things to be tossed in your direction. Of course, it’s runners doing the throwing, and they’re generally weak and pasty … so don’t worry too much.

    15: Figure out a good running “play list” for your iPod and use it. You do not want to be searching through Air Supply’s Greatest Hits for a song that actually has a beat you can run to. Trust me on this one. Grooving to “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” will not boost your adrenaline. Oh – and how do I know the name of an Air Supply song? Easy. I asked Trent and Scout. They’re fabulous.

    16: If somebody else breaks rule 14, elbow them sharply if they won’t get out of your way. And curse them out, too. Don’t worry – they can’t hear you, remember?

    17: Don’t listen to your iPod. Or at least consider not listening to it.

    18: Do nothing new on race day. I mean nothing. No new shoes. No new clothes. No super duper new technique you read on a message board. And above all else, no new food. (But again, if you ignore this, get video when you’re heaving your guts out. Become a You Tube star. Be my hero.)

    19: Don’t eat too much on race morning. Don’t eat nothing either. A banana and a bagel. Toast and one cup of coffee. Some orange juice. Stuff like that. But a double Grand Slam at Denny’s with a side of biscuits and gravy? Not so much. Well, unless you really want to be popular on You Tube. Because as everyone knows, if you can get it coming out of both ends, your legend will last for years – especially if it’s on film.

    20: Bring some warm clothes you can strip off right before the race and put back on right after the race.

    21: Bring a crew. Which usually means a spouse. Or a kid. Or a pal. Dogs are nice, but not as helpful. It’s always handy to be able to have someone to toss stuff to once you realize you don’t need it. Like a hat or gloves or sunglasses. Or your iPod.

    22: If you take your cell phone with you on the race, people like me will be laughing at you. If you actually answer it, expect more of those sharp and heavy but weakly thrown object to come flying in your direction. (One exception: if you happen to be the race director of the race in which you’re currently running. Otherwise, you’re just an uber-dork who needs to have a cellphoneectomy).

    23: If you have no crew (that’s your hubby), and no clue what you’re doing with extra stuff, either take cheap stuff, or at least put your name in it somewhere. Or just have a rich spouse. Both are fine. The point is that at mile 4.5, if you’re over-heated enough, you may be tossing that sweatshirt away, no matter how much you spent on it.

    24: Do not wear the t-shirt you just got at registration. Don’t do it. Just say no. Don’t ask why. Just don’t. If you break both this rule and rule 22, you’ll be declared the largest geek in the universe, and the world will end. Who needs that?

    25: Under dress on cold days. No, don’t be semi-nude – but be cold at the starting line. If you’re warm at the starting line, you’re wearing way too much. You’ll be plenty warm soon enough. If it’s above say 55 degrees, come as close to being naked as possible. I’d suggest nudity on warm days, but there are some support issues involved.

    26: Bring beer.

    27: Bring me a beer.

    28. Have fun but run hard. It’s a race. Make it hurt. If you puke at the end, people will clap. Okay, I’ll clap. But puking is good. Runners dig all biological functions.

    29: Try and go easy in the first half and run hard in the second. Races tend to be faster when your pace is even throughout or slightly faster in the second half. And as aforementioned, you’ll get a huge kick in mile 5 out of passing all the dorks who sprinted away from you at the starting line.

    30: Even if you walked and jogged the whole way, sprint the last 100 yards. Why? Cuz it’s fun. And your race picture (assuming somebody takes one) will be much cooler. Then it can become a nice avatar to impress your online friends.

    31: If the event is big enough for spectators, wear something with your name on your shirt, in very big letters. It gets you personalized cheers. No kidding. Remember this for your first marathon. Hearing “Go, Jake, you sexy stud!” is way, way better than “you can do it, unknown dude …”

    32: If the race has a course map, check it out ahead of time. Know where the hills are. It can be really nice knowing what’s coming next. Rounding a corner and finding an unexpected steep hill is depressing. Also, for more bonus points, you can use the info to your advantage: when a big hill’s coming, tell the dork with the cell phone that he should sprint on ahead since there’s a big downhill around the next turn. Good times.

    33: At the start of the race, if they’re organized enough to have a color guard and somebody sing the national anthem, stand still for a minute and enjoy the morning. Consider even taking your hat off. If you’re really radical, put your hand on your heart. But please don’t yak in a loud voice about what happened on American Idol last night. Sorry. Pet peeve. Don’t mind me.

    34: At the end of the race – stick around. Cheer on the slower people. And no matter how slow you are, odds are somebody’s slower. Odds are a lot of people are slower. If you run sub-1:10, there maybe be hundreds of people slower than you. Hang out and support them. With beer in hand and video camera at the ready. It can be the best part.


    There. That should get you started. I’m sure I’m forgetting plenty.

    Oh – and the coolest of all possible things, at the start of the race, is to line up at the very start, and then when you hear the gun – sprint forward as fast as you can, and scream “I’m winning!” at the top of your lungs. It’s a classic. People love that.*


    * Just Kidding. Don’t really do that. Or if you do – say it with me – make sure somebody gets it on film. Cuz that’d be really funny
  • UpToAnyCool
    UpToAnyCool Posts: 1,673
    I did Couch to 5K last summer and ran my first race this past February (4 miler - close to a 5K)!

    Some of these are repeats:
    - Don't try anything 'new' in terms of foods (don't have the morning of your race be the first time you try Gu, etc.).
    - Remember to bring some extra safety pins. I didn't know that your 'baggage check' is one of the rip off tickets on your Tyvek bib. You'll need a pin for each corner of your number/bib, but also one to pin your bag check to your stuff.
    - Make sure you know exactly where to go - I followed others dressed for running into the park, only to find that I they had taken the shortcut since they were in the starting corral! I was in the very last corral and ended up walking another 15 mins to get to it - almost didn't get there in time!

    Adrenaline will SO improve your time - or at least if you are a nervous-type person like I am!
    I was not typically breaking a 10min mile before my first race. It was cold, I was so nervous, I even broke a 9 min mile - :laugh: :noway: - unheard of for me and I haven't done it again since!! Maybe at the next one...

    This last one is the most obvious, but BE SURE TO REALLY ENJOY IT. This should be FUN - it's your first race!
    There might be course photographers - I was huffing and puffing in all of the photos that were taken!! I'm not a narcissist, but i would have liked to have had one nice (= smiling, not winded!!) momento from my first race!
  • UpToAnyCool
    UpToAnyCool Posts: 1,673
    This is a classic from the Running Ahead forums. It's always referred to when someone asks just what you asked. Enjoy!!


    JK's Race Advice:

    25: Under dress on cold days. No, don’t be semi-nude – but be cold at the starting line. If you’re warm at the starting line, you’re wearing way too much. You’ll be plenty warm soon enough. If it’s above say 55 degrees, come as close to being naked as possible. I’d suggest nudity on warm days, but there are some support issues involved.

    26: Bring beer.



    Those were good ones!

    #25 will greatly improve your time, particularly if it's still freezing temperatures outside!

    Wish I had thought of 26!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I did my first 5k, but second race, on Saturday. Great time. :smile:

    What really, really helped me was a pocket of Jelly Beans. Every two songs on my MP3 player, I popped a bean or two. It kept me from feeling parched.

    Be careful about your undies. I had on a pair that gave me the WORST wedgie in the entire world. After the first mile or so, I forgot about it, but it was VERY distracting to start.

    Same goes for bras. If you're not wearing a sports bra (I don't, since I'm not well endowed) at very least wear a racerback so your straps don't slip off your shoulders.
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