first 5k...need advice

yoga and drink LOTS of water! Enjoy!

bump for later. (running my first 5k Thanksgiving day)

I would take a rest day or else go on a walk. You want to make sure you conserve energy. Don't eat or wear anything new, you want to know how your body will react.

They should provide you with pins at the race site for your bib.

Good luck!

You don't need to do anything different for dinner than you normally do. What do you normally do after a race? Generally most races will have fruit and water or something else to snack on. I wouldn't do anything too strenuous on Saturday. Maybe go for a fast walk or just rest.

There should be holes where you can pin your bib to your shirt.

I would def suggest a rest day, especially the day before a race. You want your legs to be good and strong and your muscles well rested. I usually eat pasta the night before a race (mostly because I like it, but carbs are good too!)

They give you saftey pins to attach your bib with, so don;t worry about that. After the race just make sure you hydrate, you can pretty much each whatvever you want afterwards. I also usually will eat a banana 1/2 hour before I run, to help with cramping!

Good Luck!! You will do great!

Walk the night before. Two words are the answer to eat, wear questions - NOTHING NEW

After - find some chocolate milk (if available), banana, orange, something salty

I typically walk or just do mild cross training, pilates or yoga the day before, but last time, I ran ~ 2 miles the day before and had my best race ever. You don't need to eat anything different, since you probably already do the distance while training. It's not like a marathon where you're pushing yourself far beyond your normal physical demands.

Personally, I eat like a hungry hungry hippo during an after race ceremony. I'll eat whatever they have. Bananas and granola? Ok. Donuts and brownies? Fantastic!!! And seeing other runners doing the same thing - trim, athletic girls and nicely muscled guys enjoying a donut or bag of chips - really brought it home for me that even "bad" food is ok sometimes. After the last 5k I did, which was an un-timed fun-run (with zombies!), they had sandwiches, soda, candy bars, brownies, donuts and beer! Made me wish I was a beer drinker! :drinker:

They'll have safety pins for your bib. Be sure to put it on the front. And if it's chilly and you're wearing a zip front jacket or sweatshirt, pin it on your shirt underneath, because I'm willing to bet no matter how cold it is, you'll be unzipped by the end of the race.

Everyone else seems to have answered your questions nicely. I do have one more thing to add...low fat chocolate milk is a great post-run and post-workout recovery drink. It's easily digested so it won't upset your stomach, has a decent fat/protein/carb balance, and tastes great.

After any run, I like to have a cup of chocolate milk, maybe a slice of toast with a bit of peanut butter if it's been a longer run. (6+ miles is considered long for me)

So Im running my first 5k this Sunday like I still want to exercise tomorrow (Saturday) but dont want to do too much until Im sore any suggestions? What should I eat for dinner on Saturday? After the race is the awards where many companies donated free food, what should I eat to recover? And how do I attach my bib to my shirt?

A great way to ease your mins before a race is to go out in the exact outfit you plan to wear and go for a walk and just break into a jog for a couple of minute to assure yourself you can still do it!

For dinner, the classic pasta is always a good choice. Don't haev anythng you haven't tried befrore for breakfast on eth mo

Refuel immediately after the race wit a sports drink and some balanced carbs and protein like a sandwich. Then eat whatever you want at the dinner, you'll deserve it!

To attach your bib to your shirt, use at least three safety pins (two top, one bottom) on the front. Make sure the bib's somewhere your arms won't rub.

Good luck, come back and let us know how you did! :flowerforyou: