First 5K!

[Mr. Imperial]

Today I ran my first 5K! Since starting the Couch-to-5K training program, I feel like my wife and I have come a long way! I didn't finish as fast as I would've liked, but I did meet my three primary goals:

1. Finish
2. Don't die
3. Don't walk

So I guess I should be pretty happy!

Were any of you Rochester-area people in the Lilac Festival 5K or 10K today? If so, congrats!

 

[gobeavs]

Congrats bro!

Keep on truckin.

 

[dklaiman]

Great job. For your first one, accomplishing goal #2 is really all you need.

 

[Sullybob]

Congratulations.

Are you planning to run more 5k's? Maybe a 10k?

 

[Mr. Imperial]

Congratulations.

Are you planning to run more 5k's? Maybe a 10k?

Absolutely. My wife has officially labeled me as an "adrenalin junky" now. I promised her that we'd run our first 5K together, but after that she's on her own . We'll be heading off on various trips for the next couple weeks, but then we start training for a 10K. Not sure which one yet, but we will definitely try to find another 5K to do before the summer's over. I know most of them are for good causes, but running races can get almost absurdly expensive! (But who am I to talk, the guy using fancy soaps, creams, brushes, aftershaves, etc... )

 

[Sullybob]

Absolutely. My wife has officially labeled me as an "adrenalin junky" now. I promised her that we'd run our first 5K together, but after that she's on her own . We'll be heading off on various trips for the next couple weeks, but then we start training for a 10K. Not sure which one yet, but we will definitely try to find another 5K to do before the summer's over. I know most of them are for good causes, but running races can get almost absurdly expensive! (But who am I to talk, the guy using fancy soaps, creams, brushes, aftershaves, etc... )

I haven't run in any races in years but I always really liked getting the t-shirt.

 

[Will P.C.]

Congrats- this is a great accomplishment

Should I look out for you at the next Atlanta Marathon

 

[rm71]

Congrats!

 

[Shave A Buck]

Running is addictive, keep going and reap the benefits.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Be sure to read up on proper running technique (body alignment, foot strike position, etc.) More than half of all runners get injured every year, mostly due to bad body mechanics. There's no excuse for shin splints or plantar fasciitis, those are completely preventable injuries!

 

[KeNd0]

Congrats! Fun and addicting isn`t it?

 

[Mr. Imperial]

Be sure to read up on proper running technique (body alignment, foot strike position, etc.) More than half of all runners get injured every year, mostly due to bad body mechanics. There's no excuse for shin splints or plantar fasciitis, those are completely preventable injuries!

A great deal of research goes into pretty much everything I do/buy, so I'm constantly reading on the subject (and trying to steer clear of new "stuff" to buy). It also helps that I had an experienced runner ease me into the activity, so from the start I feel like I've been pretty well-prepared. Keep the arms low, don't strike the heel, STRETCH, etc. .

But I am ALWAYS open to new tips!

 

[tg16]

This is great. Congratulations to you! What was your time and what shoes did you wear?

Have you discovered that running is like wet shaving in that you will end up with more than one pair of shes?

 

[Go West Young Man]

But I am ALWAYS open to new tips!

You covered the bases pretty well! Off the top of my head, I'd add-
Keep your feet below your hips, don't extend your leg out in front of your body. Take short smooth strides, not long loping ones. Speed up by taking more steps, not longer ones. REST.

 

[Mr. Imperial]

This is great. Congratulations to you! What was your time and what shoes did you wear?

Have you discovered that running is like wet shaving in that you will end up with more than one pair of shes?

I know I shouldn't be embarrassed with my time, but there was really no excuse for me to finish over 30:00. Final time was 32:43. Timing was a bit sketchy, though, since I'm assuming they start everyone at the same time, whether you're at the front of the pack or the back of the pack. Doesn't seem very fair to me, though I realize it would only have made about a 15-second difference. On our training runs we averaged around a 9:45 mile, so I'm not entirely sure what happened. My wife's stomach was sloshing a bit, so we probably unknowingly slowed down quite a bit so she didn't end up cramping or something. I was more of the "C'mon honey, you can do it!" and she was more "Not if you don't want me to puke!" I must give her full credit, though; she kicked my *** the entire time we were training.

I don't run every day at the moment, so the shoe thing hasn't really hit. I understand it's good to have a couple pairs to let a pair rest for a day or so, sort of like nice dress shoes, but right now I'm just lucky to have one nice pair of running shoes - Mizuno Wave Inspire 5's. Very comfortable, nice roomy toebox.

You covered the bases pretty well! Off the top of my head, I'd add-
Keep your feet below your hips, don't extend your leg out in front of your body. Take short smooth strides, not long loping ones. Speed up by taking more steps, not longer ones. REST.

Striding can be tough, because sometimes it feels much better toward the end to lengthen the stride. However, I find that it just tires the legs out quicker. Plus, I've found that taking too long a stride promotes heel-striking.

I think one of the hardest things to continually remind myself is to keep my core tight and straight, and my shoulders loose. I can always tell when I'm getting really fatigued because my arms start swinging in front of my body, screwing up my core and consequently bending my neck in weird directions.

What are your thoughts on breathing techniques? I don't really have to worry about the "breathe in every 3, out every 3" or what have you, since I seem to have no problems with control; I'm wondering more about mouth vs. nose. I was taught to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, and it seems to be working pretty well. Hurts like hell in cold weather, though.

 

[azmark]

What are your thoughts on breathing techniques? I don't really have to worry about the "breathe in every 3, out every 3" or what have you, since I seem to have no problems with control; I'm wondering more about mouth vs. nose. I was taught to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, and it seems to be working pretty well. Hurts like hell in cold weather, though.

The debate over breathing is like the debate about finishing hones. A lot of ways work, just as long as your comfortable. In sprint races, if you're really racing it, breathing is practice. It is very difficult to worry about breathing let alone control it in sprints. A way I use to use breathing was always through both mouth and nose to take in as much oxygen in longer races. As races progressed I would say my ABC's and measure how I was exhaling. A good rule of thumb I always used was try to talk normally (this being long races, not sprints), breathing should not be adding to your fatigue.

About the cold, I'd rather run in 100 weather than the cold. It's hard to gauge your caloric burn because you don't feel it but I feel my body is exerting more energy to keep warm. So breathing is hard but it can be controlled if you're acclimated.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Today I ran my first 5K! Since starting the Couch-to-5K training program, I feel like my wife and I have come a long way! I didn't finish as fast as I would've liked, but I did meet my three primary goals:

1. Finish
2. Don't die
3. Don't walk

So I guess I should be pretty happy!

Were any of you Rochester-area people in the Lilac Festival 5K or 10K today? If so, congrats!

#2 is the most impressive.

Congrats on finishing the first of many.

As a road race veteran let me offer some tips on what race descriptions mean:

Rolling Hills: Mostly uphill, with a few small downhills.

Moderately Hilly: You're probably going to die.

Challenging Hills: You're going to wish you were dead.

 

[Mr. Imperial]

A way I use to use breathing was always through both mouth and nose to take in as much oxygen in longer races. As races progressed I would say my ABC's and measure how I was exhaling. A good rule of thumb I always used was try to talk normally (this being long races, not sprints), breathing should not be adding to your fatigue.

This is one thing that's great about running with a partner. We've been taught that you should ultimately be able to hold a conversation while running without running out of breath/becoming overly fatigued. I will try the ABC thing the next time I run by myself. That sounds interesting.

#2 is the most impressive.

Congrats on finishing the first of many.

As a road race veteran let me offer some tips on what race descriptions mean:

Rolling Hills: Mostly uphill, with a few small downhills.

Moderately Hilly: You're probably going to die.

Challenging Hills: You're going to wish you were dead.

Thanks! Those race descriptions sound like trail descriptions I encountered while hiking in New Zealand. I now know that "reasonably undulating hills" = "You better be in damn good shape to even attempt this" .

 

[dklaiman]

About the cold, I'd rather run in 100 weather than the cold.

That has to be an environmental acclimation going on. Living in MN, I have no problem running as long as the ambient temperature is above zero F or the windchill is above -10. Over 80 and I'm dying.

 

[azmark]

That has to be an environmental acclimation going on. Living in MN, I have no problem running as long as the ambient temperature is above zero F or the windchill is above -10. Over 80 and I'm dying.

I guess running in AZ in August isn't a good comparison.