5K Training Tips?

Hello everyone:

I started with the Couch to 5K running program from coolrunning.com two weeks ago (starting week 3 on Monday).  Today, I signed up to run a local 5K a few weeks after the end of the training period.  The race will be on Sept 26, 2009.  It will be my first race ever and I am really excited about it! 

I wanted to hear from any of you runners out there.  Any tips you care to share with a 5K beginner?  Are there things that I should keep in mind during this training period, or prepare for mentally/physically/nutrition-wise for the day of the race? 

I know the day of the race is a ways away, but I want to be in good shape to run it! And while I want this to be fun, I also want to do my best :)

Thanks in advance!!

I would say...
1) if you can, become aware of your normal running pace before you do your first race (what it feels like, how you are breathing).  Because at the race, everyone will be going out fast and you'll try to keep up with them, and then you'll end up miserable after two miles.  Or maybe that was just me at my first race :)
2) Don't try to run as fast as you can two days before the race.  Take it easy and be well rested.
3) Don't worry if you need to walk at any point during the race, lots of people do.  Start towards the back (unless you're one of those freaks who are fast even at their first race).
4) Everybody has crappy running days every once in awhile.  If you have one at any point during your training, don't sweat it.

1.  Run your race.  Don't get caught up in the mad dash at the start.

2.  Visualize your entire race before you get there.  Anticipate how you will react to challenges.

3.  Light and healthy eating and drinking a couple of days before the race.  Ideally eat breakfast 1.5 to 2 hours before your race, and eat what you normally do before your runs!

4.  Pace and time goals are OK, but PROCESS goals are better.  Things like, I'm going to run like this for the start of the race.  When I get to the first mile marker, I will pick it up a bit.  When I get to the last mile, I'm going to give it everything I got!  If I walk, I will only walk X seconds before running again, etc.

5.  You HAVE to come back and tell us about :-)

Good luck!!

Try to work in some hills during your training - either do a really hilly route once a week or pick a hill that takes you 1-2 minutes to run up and go up and gently go down it, increasing the number of times every week.  I find this has improved my running more than anything else. Also, this strengthens the muscles around your knees so you are less likely to experience some kinds of knee-related pain.

I notice during races that people seem to 'put on the brakes' on the way down a hill - practice letting gravity help you go down a hill faster.

Good luck and have fun!

Original Post by flybee:

Try to work in some hills during your training -

That's great!  I've been doing a "hilly" route since the start!  There are hardly any areas without hills around where I live -- and I kept thinking I needed to tweak it to a route without hills since I didn't want to overdo it.  I feel fine running the hills, it's just that my pace slows down A LOT... Do you think I should keep the hilly route as my norm?  Or should I only do it once a week and alternate it with an easier route the other two days?  I currently run 3 times a week, with a crosstraining day in between, and a day off on the weekends. 

Thank you everyone for your suggestions so far!!!  Looking forward to more :)  And I will, of course, come back to tell about it!

First of all, congratulations on committing to a race! I remember how exciting it felt when I registered for my first 5K too :D

My main tip for training would be to not overtrain. You'll burn yourself out, and may cause injury. I ran my first 5K with an inflamed foot because of overtraining, and then I couldn't run for a couple weeks. Take 1-4 rest days per week, depending on how you feel and progress. Listen to your body.

I'd also suggest having different types of runs during your training, especially because you have a couple months to prepare. Mix up tempo runs (steady pace ideal for the race), speed runs (similar to HIIT...mixing some slow-jogging/walking with sprinting), hill runs, and long runs (more distance but slower pace). Most runs should be tempo runs, and you shouldn't do long runs more than once per week. Mixing in and out all these different types of runs throughout your training will help you progress and be prepared.

Another training tip is to try picking up the pace in the last segment of your tempo runs, just like you'd want to do in your race.

And my one last suggestion would be to do some strength training sometimes (if you aren't already). Strengthening your abs and glutes are core for running.

I'm also going to throw out a free tool to you that has kept me comitted to running and improving: http://www.runnersworld.com ...At runnersworld, click on "Log" (you'll have to make an account). There, you can track and record all of your running and map out your routes so that you know the distances, and thus know your pace when you enter your times. I've found it incredibly helpful and motivating, and very rewarding when you realize how many miles you've ran over the months! (And that site in general has many helpful articles too btw)

Good luck, and have fun! Strive for YOUR personal best---don't compare yourself to anyone else :D

First of all, congrats on getting started- I love running, and it's one of the most rewarding activities ever. As for my tips...

1. Once you get to the distance of a 5K, train with at least a mile or so above that distance. The day of the race, you never know what's going to happen with the weather or whatever, so it's always nice to have a little more endurance that you can pick up your pace a little on race day.

2. As far as training goes, I normally take one rest day a week and alternate distance runs and speed workouts. Like.... Monday: distance. Tuesday: HIIT. Wednesday: distance with hills. Thursday: Fartlek (basically, a semi-distance workout where you randomly run at a faster pace for a minute or so at least 3-5 times during your run). etc.

3. If it's hot where you live, DON'T run at the hottest part of the day. The shade is about 10 degrees cooler than out in the sun. Even if you have to run back and forth across a rural road for shade (assuming there aren't cars), do it! It makes a huge difference.

4. Don't get discouraged, and set small goals. My first 5K I wanted to break 30, and I don't think I did, but on my second one I did. 

5. Train how the race will be. If you plan on listening to music during the race, then feel free when you run- I personally think it keeps me motivated. But when I ran cross country, we weren't allowed to during the race, so I didn't run with any.

6. Practice different kinds of runs. Try a really long, flat run and some hilly ones in the same week. My coach had us train on this incredibly difficult hill so when race day came, we laughed at how small the course ones were in comparison and ran up when everybody else was walking. That said, don't try to win the race on a hill- conserve your energy! 

That's all I've got for now- good luck!

Wow!  Amazing replies so far!  Thank you all for being so kind in responding thoroughly and thoughtfully!  I am even more excited about it now that I feel I have such good advice and support from you all.

THANK YOU!!  (and keep 'em coming!)

Bumping this to ask a new question:

I just finished Week 9 of Couch to 5K but I still have a few weeks until my race (Sept. 26). I've been doing really well, and have included a lot of the suggestions that were offered in your responses into my training.

My question, however, is how should I run these next few weeks?  Should I continue running 5K for 3 or 4 days a week, but incorporating different types of runs (speed, Fartlek)?  Or am I getting to "sophisticated" for my own good? 

So far I have just been running the 5K straight, always following the same route in my neighborhood.  It has one long hill in the middle of the run, that is about .8 mile.  So I haven't really done "hill runs" in the sense that I don't run up a hill and then down it, then up again.  I have, however, worked on improving my pace for the last few weeks, so I guess I've been running tempo runs?  (I'm a little confused with the terminology).  I can currently run a 10 minute mile and I am very in-tune with my pace.  

I don't know if I should sustain the running as I've been doing it until the race and then focus on incorporating different runs/change up my routes after the 5K, or whether I should start doing that these next few weeks, before the race.  I am lucky that the race course also has one long hill as I recently found out, so I've been training appropriately for what I'll encounter, I believe. I've also worked on picking up my pace toward the end - something that I have found to be quite hard, but I keep trying :)

So, any suggestions?  I want to do my best, but I also want to keep my goals realistic.   

One last thing: I know I shouldn't run up until the day of the race, but can I cross-train up to the day of the race, or should I just keep the activity light (go for long walks, hiking and the like)?

Thank you all in advance!

I would start adding distance and/or speed training.

Repeat the last two weeks of the plan.  Then go look at the 5K plans on Higdon's or Galloway's sites and do the final week taper before the race.

I wouldn't do anything the day before your race.  If you want to do light cross training during the week of, I think that is OK.

BTW:  You can get sophisticated with speed/hill work for your second or third 5K :)

Original Post by wesmckean:

Repeat the last two weeks of the plan.  Then go look at the 5K plans on Higdon's or Galloway's sites and do the final week taper before the race.

I wouldn't do anything the day before your race.  If you want to do light cross training during the week of, I think that is OK.

BTW:  You can get sophisticated with speed/hill work for your second or third 5K :)

Thank you, that sounds like really sensible advice, and kind of where I was headed, since I feel it might be foolish and asking for trouble to push myself too much before the race.  My goal is to simply finish, after all! :)

Thanks again, Wes. 

I did my first 5k recently (August 15).  Well, technically, I did a sprint triathlon (with a 5k run at the end of it), and then the next weekend I did a 5k race by itself.

For the triathlon, I did a swim on the Monday, a 5k run on the Wednesday, and a short light bike ride on the Friday.  I stopped my weight training that week entirely.  The race was on the Sunday, and I can't blame my results on the training I did the week before.  My legs were well rested by the Sunday.

For the 5k race, I think I ran on the Tuesday and Friday (5k on Tuesday, and I think 3k on Friday), and the race was on the Sunday again.  If you're going to do cross training, I'd avoid doing things to your legs (i.e. swimming or something).  I ended up doing the 5k race almost 4 minutes faster than my fastest 5k training run.

I found it really really handy to have something that can help you set your pace.  I use the Nike+ wristband or iPod Nano add-on.  It tells you how far you've gone, the time spent running, and your current pace.  I KNOW it's not as accurate as a GPS based unit would be, but it's also only $70 or so.  If nothing else, it's fairly consistent especially when you're running on similar terrain.

The way I use it is to help keep my pace under control at the begining of the race (or my regular runs), as I have a tendancy to go out too strong at the start.  Then towards the middle/end, I use it to help push myself to the pace I'm trying to achieve.  And then I try to make sure my average pace for the each run is gradually increasing.

Oh, and I've done most of my training schedules through clinics at a local running equipment place, and the "Learn To Run" (the one I took) and 5k clinics both do no hills, speedwork, fartleks, tempo runs, or anything.  Just build up your distance and endurance.  I'm now taking the 10k clinic, and in week 5, we're doing our first hill set.  Towards the end we start doing tempo runs. And you're at about the same pace I was when I was ready to run the 5k race.

And I would advise doing some long slow runs more towards the 6k or a little more range, even if you do them with walking breaks.  In fact, I'm still doing my long slow distances on a 10&1 interval.  I think my longest run before the races was 8k

Clint

HELLO everyone!!  I DID IT!!  I wanted to come post here first and tell you all a BIG THANK YOU for all the wonderful training tips! 

I ran my 5K this morning, and did it in 31:33 !!!  I was so proud of myself, not just to have finished, but to have stuck SO closely to my 10 minute mile pace :)  The course had a few steep hills, but I was very well prepared thanks to all the great advice I had (and the fact that I trained hills!)  I cannot begin to express how I feel after today.  It is a wonderful feeling to know that I have accomplished something I never thought possible - to run this race!

Thank you all once again for the advice and encouragement!  I feel stronger and more fit than I have ever before in my life - and have become a total nut for running.  As a matter of fact, I have just registered for my 2nd 5K at the end of October!

Good for you, I hope it was a cool race tee shirt!