Signed up for a 5K - Need support - I'm doubting myself! :(

First of all, what sort of 5K have you signed up for? Is it a "fun run"/themed 5K? Mud run? Company-sponsored? More serious than these?

What are your goals? It sounds like you just want to cross the finish line. Do you want to do so without walking? Within a given time limit?

What 5K training program are you using?

What have you been doing for training?
Personally, I've found the C25K (Couch to 5K) app pretty effective.
It eases you into running farther and longer with the ultimate goal of finishing a 5K in about 30 minutes.
BTW, good job taking that first step and actually signing up for it. Concentrate more on the fun of doing it and the accomplishment of finishing it rather than stressing over whether or not you can actually do it.
You can do it, and you'll do great!

I agree with the others who replied! You are going to run into all kids of people at a 5K. Some run the whole time quickly, some run slowly and some walk more than they run. That is all ok. I am running a 5K in June after not really running at all for a little over a year so I feel like I am starting at square one. I personally do not follow the couch to 5K plan well, but I just run and push myself a little harder each time. Like, the other day, I was running and wanted to quit, but was like "You need to make it to the next stop sign. This is where you started walking last time. Push a little harder." I ran to the next stop sign, but now I know I can do it and will push harder next time even if it is just a few steps. You can totally do this!! Have fun with it!

I do a company-sponsored 5K every year, and if yours is anything like mine, you probably don't need to stress out too much. People of all ability levels participate; some folks walk the whole thing, and on the other end of the spectrum, we had one guy last year who ran the entire course twice before most people finished their first lap. I think he ended up running a 15K when all was said and done.

There's good advice here. Just slow down, don't stress out, and keep training. You have plenty of time.

If you find yourself starting strong, but slowing down/walking later on, it's important to learn to pace yourself at the beginning. I often go too fast for the first mile and end up burning out about halfway through. I just started running outside again, thanks to the unseasonably warm weather, and I had completely forgotten what my usual pace felt like.

If you find yourself with sideaches or ab cramps, spend some time working your core muscles. I hate planks, but I do them because I know they help me run farther.

3 months is more than enough time to train for a 5k. The thing with training on your own is that no one is going to hold you accountable. No one is standing beside you telling you to finish or do one more interval.

I trained for my first 5k in two weeks. I had never run before and it was incredibly hard. After that 5k I kept at it and I'm running a 1/2 marathon soon. You will be amazed at what your body can do with motivation.

"If you ask yourself if you can give more, the answer is almost always YES."

You can do this. Last September I ran one, having only run the distance a handful of times in the weeks before. I actually did one a year before that, but made every mistake in the book, including taking a wrong turn, so I don't really count it. I LOVE the C25K app, I used the same one. My goals for the 5K I did were based on the one I blew - run the whole thing, do it in under 40 mins and not come in dead last (my subdivision sponsors it, so it's not the usual big one - last year had about 180 people).

For me it's more of a mind game than a physical one. I talked myself into running it all the way, even if I had to slow down to a speed I could easily walk faster than. In the weeks before I had been in the 37 min range so I was happy with the time.

This time I knew the course ahead of time, I walk/run most of it normally anyway and I went and checked out the parts I hadn't been on. It was also done by a different company and they were much better with the markers and having people at each turn/corner etc. I ignored all the people running past me in the beginning and just went for it, reminding myself that it was only 37 mins or so, that I was doing 11:30 min miles and that it would be over soon. Keep an eye on your pace/time/speed, at one point I looked at mine and was running 7.5 mph! I slowed that down immediately. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement and overdo it like I did the first time. Last year I found I used it to light a fire under me and do better. I ended up running the whole thing in 36:17 and not being last. It was the fastest I had done.

Since then I've been in the 10 min range and even got under a 10 min mile three times. I've got the date for the next one written down so I know to schedule myself off and I'm looking forward to it. It's a great feeling when you pass the finish line, it's worth all the stress beforehand. Have fun with it.