Angela St.Aubin said:I am running my first 5K event next month. It is a fundraiser for a local
group.
I am beginning to worry that I have gotten in over my head.
If your event is anything like ours, it should be a lot of fun,
hopefully with lots of people - and many will be running slow and/or
walking.
Quoted message said:
I am not in great shape, but I am active.
I swim twice a week and play volleyball once a week and try to be active in
between.
I enjoy jogging, but have a hard time regulating my breathing and end up
walking a lot.
Use the "talk test" - run at an effort level where you can conduct a
conversation.
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The even I am doing is laid back, so you dont have to run the whole time or
anything, but I dont even know how long it would take to walk.jog or run
5Ks.
How far (distance and time) are your present run / walks and how are you
training? That would give a clue. FWIW, our back of the packs, including
myself, tend to be in the 40-50 min range, but many people might finish
in the 20-30 min range, some faster. You have several weeks to train in
yet, and that will give you a better idea on hydration, clothes, time,
pacing, etc.
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I also have some questions about clothing and stuff....
I am not going to bring water on the course, as they said they will have
water along the way, but should i try to drink a lot right before and during
or wait til I am done to go nuts on the water? I guess I am worried i will
have to go to the bathroom before I am done. (again, partially due to my not
knowing how long it will take)
I would hydrate well before, including the day before. If it's hot and
you sweat a lot, you might want to take a bottle of water or sports
drink with you. Although if they have aid stations, then you may not
need it.
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Should I eat a big breakfast before for fuel, or will that make me
uncomfortable? The race is at 10:30 or so.
If you eat it early enough, it might not be too big a deal. I usually
eat more the night before, then usual sized breakfast (maybe a little
larger) the day of the race - finishing about 3 hr before race start. I
may top off with a power bar in the last hour.
On at least one of your runs, test your fueling and hydration plans to
see if they work or need fine tuning. This includes eating that way the
night before as well as that morning, then start running at 10:30 am.
That will give you a chance to test your plan - which likely may be your
own thoughts or a combination of your own and ideas you get here.
Everyone is different.
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I am a larger person, so chaffing can be an issue. I plan to wear spandex
type shorts under my running shorts, but would it be better to wear
underwear too, or not? (sorry, i am sure this sounds rather silly).
Depends on what you've got for layers. If the spandex has seams up the
center, I'd wear something under it - or something different. (don't ask
me why fitness shorts had the seam in the wrong dang place, but I
haven't worn them since one really short test run) Test them while
running, preferably while running 5k/3mi.
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I just want to push myself and finish to prove that I can do it. I worry a
bit about my breathing, as I huff and puff,
everyone huffs and puffs in 5k's 🙂. Slow down, try to hold a
conversation. If you run too hard too early, you may burn out before the
end. But if slow down, you can go the whole distance, frequently faster.
Quoted message said:but I think I can finish if I
try hard and focus.
Thanks for all your tips,
Good luck, have fun, and let us know how your training and race go.
Dot
--
"running is a mysterious journey that we take not just to beat other
people or to stay in reasonable physical shape - but to find out more
about ourselves" - Owen Anderson
