Jump on the 5K Bandwagon

Upstate New York race season is almost upon us! Its “officially” spring (the weather here says otherwise), so that means there are tons of races coming up! Two years ago in May I ran my first 5K, the 2009 Freihofer’s Run for Women! I felt so empowered running alongside of (or behind) some of the best female runners in the world! After that race, I also fell in love with running.

If you’re thinking of jumping on the race bandwagon this year, 5Ks are the perfect distance to start with. You want to be movitaved to train for and run races this season? Here are some tips to get you going!

Slowly increase your running distance! I know when I first started running, I could only run for 10 minutes at a time, if that. And I was usually miserable–but I pushed myself, running further each time I ran. Eventually I could run for 30 minutes without stopping. If you want to increase your distance, do so slowly. Only increase your distance by 10% a week, which means if you run 8 miles total one week, only run 9 miles total the next week. You can also increase your time spent running. Say if you run for 10 minutes straight one day, the next time run for 12 minutes, and so on. Many websites offer “couch to 5K training plans” to help get you started.

Sign up for that race. Just do it–sign up for that race you want to run! It will give you the motivation to stick to your training plan, especially if you’ve already paid the entry fee!

Train with a buddy. Know someone who also wants to run that 5K you have your eyes on? Sign up for it with someone else–so you both can be motivated to train together. Or, if you have a runner friend, do some of your training runs with them so you can have someone to encourage you during your run! Running and talking with a friend makes the time pass quickly and soon your run will be over!

Don’t give up! Everyone is going to have good runs and bad runs, its just how it is. If you have a few bad runs, don’t give up! There were countless times where I just was feeling lazy and didn’t want to run–and when I did I felt like quitting. I usually forced myself to do it because I never regret working out. I always felt 100% better after I ran, even if I felt crappy during the run. Of course there are times when you shouldn’t–if you are sick or injured, but any other time I would just suck it up and get out there. In the end it was worth it.

Stick with it. Who knows–maybe you will want to run a half marathon one day. 😉

Here is a list of local 5Ks in the area that are coming up this season:

March 26 – Ice Breaker Challenge 5K Run/Walk – Corning Preserve, Albany
April 4 – Bust a Move 5K Run/Walk – Russell Sage College, Troy
April 10 – Saints Race for the Red Cross, 5K Run/Walk – The Crossings, Colonie
April 16 – St. Peter’s Keys Run 5K – Columbia Pavilion, Saratoga Springs
April 30 – Albany YMCA 5k Run/Walk & Kids Run – Washington Park, Albany
May 1 – 5K Literacy Run/Walk – Atrium, Troy, NY
May 8 – Mother’s Day 5K – Hamagrael School, Delmar
May 19 – CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge 3.5 Mile, Empire State Plaza, Albany
June 4 – Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K – Empire State Plaza, Albany
June 25 – Strides for STRIDE 5K – Corning Preserve, Albany

And there are tons more! Just google!

Are there any 5Ks you have your eyes on that you want to start training for? What are some tips you have for those wanting to get started?