5K Season Is Among Us!

Here’s 3 tips to get started

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Nah, not Christmas ya goons.

We are moving into warmer weather and the season of run.

And race shirts. You know it’s all about the tee.

You probably have a fitness bucket list - whether you are a seasoned runner or just getting started, running and finishing a 5K race is a special accomplishment.

You don’t have to go nuts and run a marathon.

Slow down, champ.

Never underestimate the amount of pride and joy you will feel when you finish the 5k race — it is something to be proud of, and many people never even give it a try.

Many people both run and walk 5K’s and while that is 100 percent fine and always deserving of pride as well, I’m going to give you the best advice based on my own personal experience to make certain you never stop running, no matter how bad you may want to stop.

Here are 3 tips to knock your first one out.

Tip # 1…

Slow Down.

I don’t care how great you may be feeling, or if you are so nervous that peeing down your leg as an adult is not as impossible as you thought — do not allow the energy you are feeling to make you feel like you have to get off to a fast start.

If you are very new to running or getting back into form, you have a very high chance of burning out, exhausting, and possibly having to walk the race if you start off too strong.

As you begin running, feel your legs moving like a machine.

Listen to your breath and your heart rate.

Get your lungs activated and working.

Enjoy the beginning of the race — that feeling of reality setting in, you’re actually doing this, and this is where you need to feel your body warm up, regardless of how much dynamic stretches and warm ups you did before the race.

The key is to stay strong mentally, and your mental psyche is connected to what your body is telling you physically.

If you start off too fast and crazy, your body is going to get mad and overworked, and then beg your mind to tell you to slow down and let it rest.

Then, at this point, you are derailing yourself both mentally and physically.

Tip # 2…

Swing and Stay Stable.

You want to feel composure and stability when you run.

The whole race, even when tired.

What does this even mean?

It means swinging your arms when you run, especially taking more note of the motion when you are halfway through the race. By activating your arms, you activate your legs, and this helps when you start feeling tired.

When you feel your body wanting to quit, move your arms more during the run, and slow your legs down just a little bit.

Not so much that you are one step from entering a jog to a walk but enough to get your arms working and then begin to pick up the pace back to where you were when your arms develop a consistent motion, and your legs can follow.

To build on the swing, do a slight lean as well, which can make the last few minutes of the run more manageable to make it to the finish line without stopping.

Tip # 3…

Don’t forget about your training plan.

Remember it the entire run.

Think about how far you have come preparing for this race, and even reflect back on when you would begin to feel tired, and the moments of training when you fought through it and prevailed to finish.

By doing this during your actual run, you are telling your mind and body to go back to that experience, and like clockwork, your nervous system will remember those rough training days and know to keep going.

Muscle and training memory take over.

Before the race, be fully aware of when you will get tired when training.

What time did this happen?

How did you feel?

What did you tell yourself to keep going?

What worked?

Being able to answer these questions are key to when you are doing the real thing, because you will remember how you persevered.

I hope these 3 tips will help you on your running journey!

Got some pre-race tips to share? Feel free to share in the comments!