Each year, herds of runners lace up their shoes and compete in races such as the Boston Marathon, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, or the famed New York Marathon. Indianapolis, an amateur sports capitol, boasts the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, Monumental Mile and The Color Run.
Running a marathon, half marathon or 5K may seem daunting, but for those who wish to participate, preparation is the key to crossing the finish line.
Following are some tips to train for a successful race.
Define your purpose
Decide your motivation to get in shape and keep your training regular and consistent. The difference between exercising and training for an event is that every workout is purposeful when training and you’re less likely to miss a session if you have a target ahead.
Grab a buddy
If you haven’t exercised in a while or you have any health problems, get the green light from your doctor to lace up your running shoes. Then phone a friend. Training for and competing in an event like a 5K is more fun with a partner. Plus, you’re more likely to stick with your training if you’ve got someone else to work out with. If you can’t convince a buddy to join you, search the Internet for running clubs in your area.
Get your gear
Apparel essentials include: a supportive pair of fitted running shoes, technical-wicking socks, and a sport watch. Sure, there are lots of fun toys you can purchase along the way, but the best place to start your journey is to get professionally fitted at a local running specialty store. Stride for stride, they will support you to the finish line.
Shop at the end of the day when your feet are slightly swollen from the day’s activities— and be prepared to try on several pair. The shoes should feel comfortable. Also, use your new running shoes only for workouts to avoid wearing them down more quickly and aim to replace them every 350-500 miles. Mark the date purchased on the side of the shoe box to keep tabs on the life of the shoes.
Get started…slowly
Start from where you are, rather than where you want to be. Running too much too soon is the No. 1 reason most newbie runners quit.
If you are new to running, begin with sprinkling in running with mostly walking. This allows your body, mind and spirit time to adapt to the demands of running and it makes for a very enjoyable running experience. (It will also allow you to run a bit farther.)
Always begin with a walking warm-up of five minutes to prepare your body for the run ahead. Finish with a walking cool down to bring your body back to reality.
Devise a Training program
Now that you’ve gotten going, create and maintain a training program. Three days a week, do a run-walk combo, alternating between running and walking segments to build up your endurance. If you have a watch with a timer or stopwatch function, use it to mark your intervals. Don’t worry about speed. That will come with time.
A couple days a week, do cross-training activities such as cycling, swimming or yoga to allow your body to adapt and recover run to run. Do strength training to help reduce injuries.
Get some rest
Remember to take off two days a week completely to give your body time to rest and recover for your next workouts. Training is a process that includes strategically-placed workouts and rest days to allow your body to be stimulated by the activity and then recover during the rest.
You are what you eat
Your workouts are fueled by the food you eat every day. Keep a log of what you consume daily and it will give you a better perspective of what goes into your system.
If you are having trouble dropping the weight you wanted to lose, or just not feeling strong while running, it just might have something to do with how you fuel your body day to day. Eat smaller, more frequent meals well balanced with fruits, veggies, lean protein and even fats too. Skipping meals is the quickest way to gain weight and decrease the impact of your next workout.
Sources: Shape.com; active.com; today.com.
