run your first 5k with these simple steps
You’ve signed up for that first 5k race or a virtual 5k challenge during lockdown. You’ve started raising money for charity. Everyone is looking at you with expectation. You are terrified.
You haven’t run a single step since you left school 10 years ago and even then, you used to skip gym class whenever you could. Running just isn’t your thing. Why did you agree to this in the first place?? It’s all for a good cause and you desperately want to do your bit.
But how on earth are you going to run 5k when you can barely run to the corner of the street? 5k seems like an awful long way.
The truth is, 5k is an awful long way if you don’t prepare yourself for it first. If you bury your head in the sand and rock up to the race on the day having done no training, that 5k race is going to be one of the least enjoyable experiences of your life. You will probably hate running forever and never, ever sign up again, regardless of how good the cause is. Your legs will hurt, your lungs will hurt, your feet will hurt.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
There are 4 simple steps you can follow to make sure that the 5k race is an enjoyable and enriching experience. If you follow these 4 simple steps, you will be excited for race day. You will stand on that start line full of confidence, in the knowledge that you can run 5k. You will run 5k. You will run 5k with your head held high and you will raise money for an amazing charity. When you cross the finish line, you will feel empowered. And you will be desperate to sign up for your next 5k or dare I say it – 10k race.
Step 1: TAKE THAT FIRST STEP It sounds simple and that’s because it is. You will never get anywhere unless you actually get out that door, close it behind you, and take that first step. The first step is often the toughest. Not physically, but mentally. The first time you run, it really doesn’t matter how far or how fast you run – it’s just a case of getting out the door and taking those initial steps.
Step 2: PLAN To do this right, you’re going to need to start running 3 times per week. That may sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The first thing you need to do is identify 3x 30 minute slots in your whole week. It doesn’t matter what time of day – just so long as it fits with your work/life schedule. Leave at least 1 day between each slot so your body has time to recover. It could be before work, super early, lunchtime, straight after work, in the evening or at the weekend. But it’s just 3x 30 minutes. That’s hardly any time out of your week.
Step 3: BUILD UP GRADUALLY Do not (like so many other runners before you have done and many more after you will do) go out and try to run 5k tomorrow. It is really important from a physical and a mental point of view to build yourself up to the 5k gradually. This means that the first time you go out, you will alternate running for 30 seconds with walking for 30 seconds and build things from there.
Step 4: RUN SLOWLY Another common mistake that most runners and particularly new runners make is thinking they have to beat their previous time, every time. You get far more benefit from running slowly the majority of the time – the science proves it. As a beginner, it is so important to take things easy. Where you might be able to run fast for 30 seconds, if you try to keep running fast all the time, it will make the workouts so tough and increase your chances of giving up. Start as you mean to go on and run every session at a nice easy pace, even if it’s just for 30 seconds of running. It also makes running so much more enjoyable!
Get started with conquering your first 5k today!
Download or stream a free getting started 14 day audio plan by clicking on the link below. Plug your headphones in and follow the instructions! It could not be simpler!