How to run a 5km!! 🏃🏿♂️🏃🏻♀️
How many times a week. 🧐
Why warm Up. 🔥
How to mentally prepare. 😅
Setting goals 📈
Developing the addiction! 🏃🏻♀️
I love the idea of charity marathons as they meet a lot of our core needs – health, connection, achievement, love, contribution, adventure – and all for a very worthy cause.
But what if you’ve never run a marathon before? How on earth do you get started?
In this post we are going to cover key tips on how to physically and mentally prepare for a run.
How many times a week should you train?
Look at your lifestyle. Pick the amount of days a week you can realistically afford to run.
Consider the time not the distance as time fits easier into your weekly schedule.
There is no golden time that you need to abide by. You need to pick a time that suits you, one that’s convenient and doesn’t get in the way of your stronger priorities. Otherwise you won’t keep it up.
This is about developing a habit.
If you decide you can only dedicate an hour to training, break that hour down. Spend 10 minutes at the beginning doing activation warm ups, 40 minutes running (40minutes may be broken down into walking & running if you are a beginner ) and then 10 minutes for cool down/stretches at the end.
Why should you do a warm up?
Lower back pain…
This is very common for runners, especially if you are someone who sits all day. This is because your core is turned off and your hips become tight.
The following video is a sample warm that you can include as part of your training:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IREDK0Cv1w4&t=19s
What should you do to mentally prepare?
After your first run, take some time to analyse the good and the bad. Do it while you are refueling.
What went well?
(I lasted longer than I thought I could. It felt amazing moving my body.)
What did you struggle with?
(I couldn’t run up that hill.)
Write them down and create your own personal mantra.
Keep it brief - a short, memorable phrase.
It can be motivational – ‘I can do this, I am strong’.
Or instructional – ‘Run tall, chest open’.
Look at what got you through the successful parts of your run, what did you think about? Why are you doing this? What motivates you?
You can be adaptable. Split the race in different pieces and have a different mantra for each section.
For example, at the beginning when everyone starts running, you can have a mantra that distracts you from the other runners. Something to help you focus on keeping your own pace, e.g “I run my own race, steady pace.”
How should I set running goals?
Make sure your goals are realistic.
Do not create goals that are do or die, “I will reach this time or I will fail”. This is unsustainable and puts you under too much pressure.
Set multiple goals and have flexibility within those goals.
Dream goal - conditions are perfect, you’re feeling your best, hit your target time, hydrated well.
Happy goal – finished the race, had a great day but didn’t hit your target.
Medium goal – this is the bare minimum goal, e.g. walked for most of it but still got past the finish line.
If you hit a struggle you won't think, "my dream goal is out the window there's not point going on", because you have another goal to fall back on and you stay motivated to keep going.
You can still walk away feeling like you achieved something.
You don’t even need to have goals. At the end of the day this is a fun day in support of a great cause like you would running within a charity 5km for example. Just showing up is a success in itself.
How can I become addicted to running?
Why do people get addicted to chocolate, crisps, alcohol or T.V? Because they enjoy it, right?
It’s pleasurable and they want to keep feeling that pleasure. So how do you become one of those people who finds running pleasurable?
First, stop and smell the roses. Don’t wish for it to be over.
Do you remember running as a child? You weren’t thinking ok just five more minutes. You ran because you were dying to get out, because you wanted to PLAY. Running is still playtime. Don’t make it a chore. Don’t do it for the PBs or the body image.
Listen to your body and stop if you need to WITHOUT being hard on yourself for it.
Slow down and enjoy the scenery. Or run fast because your imagining a dinosaur is chasing you.
Breathe. Take in your surroundings.
Take note of the weather and how it feels on your skin. Give yourself some love. Appreciate your accomplishments and SMILE!
Make sure you have fun because if you don’t, you’ll never want to do it again.
To sign up for the fundraiser next week, click on this link for more information:
https://www.cancer.ie/get-involved/fundraise/challenge-yourself/colour-dash#sthash.fUZDW5DY.nVB7qKP4.dpbs
If you do decide to give running a try for the first time, please let me know. I would love to hear how you get on.
Till next week, happy training,
Ciara & Larry
Unit 13 Fitness
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