My First 5-k and a few questions!
SweatpantsRebellion
Posts: 754 Member
My first 5k was yesterday. It was freaking awesome! I loved it. The energy of raceday is amazing! My PR was beyond what I thought I could hope for. My goal was sub-40. I thought that was reasonable considering my 3 mile training runs were all around 39 or 40 minutes. My finishing time? 35:45...I about died (in a good way) when I saw the clock as I ran in to the finish!
I did push pretty hard. I know - don't go out too fast. It's rule #1, 2, and 3 of racing...lol. I might have went out too fast. That being said, my second half was faster than my first and I finished strong. So I'm not sure that I did. I will say that even though I wore my HRM I completely ignored it for the most part. I was definitely running over 85% a good part of the race. Towards the end I had to force myself to slow a few times and I noticed that my HRM was probably around 95 - 100% max during those times I felt my body telling me to slow down a bit. When I came to a sudden stop at the end so that the race official could place a medal around my neck, I felt like I was going to vomit. I mean, seriously, I clamped my mouth tight so that I wouldn't lose it. I did not end up vomiting. I walked around a long time before daring to sit down. But today I feel fine. I can tell that my legs worked harder yesterday, but definitely feel pretty recovered. So even though my HRM was "off the chart", what do you think? Do you think I should've held back a tad more than I did? Do you follow a rule of thumb with your HRM during races? I know I'm totally overanalyzing this, but I want to make sure that I don't hurt myself when I do longer distances.
Also, I did break one rule - don't try anything new. I didn't really think about it. They were offering pre race coffee -so I had half a cup of coffee. That being said, I've never drank coffee in the morning before a run - only after. So I wonder if that's part of why my heart rate was super high. Also, I wonder if that improved my performance. Do you guys drink coffee before running? Does it have any affect on performance?
I did push pretty hard. I know - don't go out too fast. It's rule #1, 2, and 3 of racing...lol. I might have went out too fast. That being said, my second half was faster than my first and I finished strong. So I'm not sure that I did. I will say that even though I wore my HRM I completely ignored it for the most part. I was definitely running over 85% a good part of the race. Towards the end I had to force myself to slow a few times and I noticed that my HRM was probably around 95 - 100% max during those times I felt my body telling me to slow down a bit. When I came to a sudden stop at the end so that the race official could place a medal around my neck, I felt like I was going to vomit. I mean, seriously, I clamped my mouth tight so that I wouldn't lose it. I did not end up vomiting. I walked around a long time before daring to sit down. But today I feel fine. I can tell that my legs worked harder yesterday, but definitely feel pretty recovered. So even though my HRM was "off the chart", what do you think? Do you think I should've held back a tad more than I did? Do you follow a rule of thumb with your HRM during races? I know I'm totally overanalyzing this, but I want to make sure that I don't hurt myself when I do longer distances.
Also, I did break one rule - don't try anything new. I didn't really think about it. They were offering pre race coffee -so I had half a cup of coffee. That being said, I've never drank coffee in the morning before a run - only after. So I wonder if that's part of why my heart rate was super high. Also, I wonder if that improved my performance. Do you guys drink coffee before running? Does it have any affect on performance?
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Replies
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So even though my HRM was "off the chart", what do you think? Do you think I should've held back a tad more than I did? Do you follow a rule of thumb with your HRM during races? I know I'm totally overanalyzing this, but I want to make sure that I don't hurt myself when I do longer distances.
It is a 5k race - you should be near your max the majority of the time. Just how it is.
You woudn't run a HM that way0 -
The coffee probably helped a little. Mostly its the adrenaline and endorphins rushing through your body. I would say your heart rate being up was okay. As long as you weren't in pain or really having a hard time breathing, you're okay. And don't worry, a lot of runners throw up during and after races! Congrats on your time!0
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Thanks for the replies! Being a new runner I want to of course push myself, but also want to make sure that I'm not pushing too hard. That being said, I don't think my body would let me overdo it during the race anyways. I could tell when my breathing changed and I needed to slow a bit. I wonder if the HRM is more helpful during the longer distance races. For the 5k it was easier to go by feel.0
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Great job on the accomplishment of your first 5k!0
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I think 5ks are great! Everyone is usually so positive. You get to see lots of kids and dogs, so its always a great feeling. I usually drink half a 5 hour energy before every race. Not sure if it helps the run or not, but it does help me wake up. The one thing I hate about races is they always start so early on the weekend! I'm not a morning person, so I need the extra boast.
Congrats on your 5k!0 -
When I exercise, my HR seems to always be up in the max range, even if I don't really feel like I'm getting a real workout yet. In talking to a trainer, it was explained to me that the charts are guidelines, not hard core rules. So, it may be that for a similar weight, size, age female, I am pushing their max, but for me it is actually the target zone. I say all of this after being checked and cleared by my doctor.
Other than that, great job on your first 5K! I find when I am actually running a 5K, I go faster than normal because of the atmosphere and the excitement. I don't necessarily mean to, and I do listen to my body and slow down when needed. After the first 5K, the rest are a breeze. If and when I do my first half-marathon, I am sure I will be more conscience of my rate because I definitely want to cross that finish upright!
Happy running!0 -
Way to go! My first 5K running was also on Saturday. I did 32:46. I ate a peanut butter sandwich made with nature honey pb on 2 slices of whole white grain bread! I did better than I expected too! I think the atomshpere has a lot to do with it. It was great to see my husband and daughter cheering for me as I crossed the finish line!0
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Anytime is coffee time for me. It's not great to come to a sudden stop afterwards. Try to walk it out a little and cool down before you completely stop. That may help things.0
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Congrats on finishing your first 5K!! :drinker:
I wouldn't worry so much about your HRM during a race. I know my heart rate is all over the place when I run a race because of the adrenaline of the race, passing people, different courses (hills and such), and of course, my big push to the finish line.
Just run so you are comfortably pushing yourself, not straining. And if it feels like you are straining, just back off a bit. Everyone tends to run quite a bit faster during the race. And you did awesome!! :flowerforyou:0 -
Great job blowing your goal out of the water!
I don't think you need to worry about if you pushed it too hard. I don't even wear a monitor when I run a race because it beeps at me telling me I am over my max heart rate almost the whole duration. I was really nauseous after my first 5k in the beginning of may. I pushed really hard for a 26:45. My first race was a 10k the week before that and I ran a 59:45 to wich I wasnt sick afterwards. That was more my average, everyday pace. Thats probably why I felt better.
If you are use to running 3 miles a couple times a week, you are probably okay running a little faster on a race day. Also, I drink coffee (2-3 ish cups) almost every morning before I run. I love my coffee. It Gives me a good kick and no let down.
Everyone is different. If you feel generally okay after pushing yourself harder, you should try making that your pace in your everyday running. Sometimes all we need is a race to inspire us to quicken our pace a little:happy:
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Thank you for the replies. Once I warmed up I'm sure I was close to my max most of the race, so now I know that's normal! And good to know that if I had puked that would have been within the realm of normal...lol!
Bassbonebabe - I don't use the charts. I did use some formulas based on my resting heart rate, so I think the numbers are somewhat accurate anyways.
It'll be interesting to see if my HRM is more helpful when I do my seven mile race.0 -
Congrats on your first 5K, great finishing time! It's not really surprising that your heart rate would be high for a 5K - they're pretty intense races.
You realize, of course, that you're hooked now!
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Great job! I'm training to run my first 5K (Oct 2012) and then on to a Half Marathon (Feb 2013). Keep up the great work!!0
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