Got Some Running Advice?

Soooo, in two days:

1) Yes, start in the BACK of the pack. Reduces the likelihood that you’ll get run over by faster people.

2) DON’T go out to fast – resist the urge! Start slower, and you’ll be able to pass people near the end.

3) Don’t feel bad when senior citizens, people with strollers, and little kids blow right past you. I’ve had my ass kicked in races by people in all those categories.

4) If you come in last, no one shoots you. Just wear a t-shirt that says “I’m faster than anyone on a couch today!”

5) Don’t eat any fiber the morning of the race. 😉

Good luck!

Slow and steady survives the race! 🙂

Not sure where you are, but hopefully the weather is mild (cool, not cold, and low humidity). There will be drink stations at 1 and 2 miles and you should enjoy them both. 🙂

If you enjoy it, the C25K programs are great!

Try to enjoy yourself. These events are a LOT of fun!

Walk it. Loads of people walk 5ks 10ks, even marathons. (Don’t forget the water – and stretch AFTER the race or you will die the next day).

Remember, it not the winning but the taking part that counts….

And of course the fund raising if it’s for charity (I’ll give you $10).

1) run slowly. best speed is the one that allows you to chat with the lady
2) when you feel exhausted switch to fast walking until you can breathe again. Then run again

So your literally running in fear of meeting her parents? 😉

Do you have proper running shoes? If not, you probably won’t have time to properly break new shoes in, so they will likely kill your feet. Just pick your most comfy pair of sneakers.

Most important advice I can give you: Don’t forget warm-up and stretching.

If you get side stitches, it often helps to slow down and take deeper and longer breaths.

Good luck 🙂

I agree with David Mc. Walk it as fast as you can remain comfortable. You will finish in about 40 minutes and be fine. She’ll finish 15-20 minutes before you and have time to warm up the ‘rents. 🙂

Wear awesome shoes and thick socks. Tie your shoes tightly. Before you go put a wide strip of athletic tape over that spot at the top of the back of your heel just below where your Achilles tendon joins, or you may blister there.

Drink water and G2

Not running advice, but dating advice. Make sure you publicly state somewhere that you’d rather run 5 miles than spend time with her parents. That will go over well. Maybe do it on some kind of medium where you can be assured it will never, ever be forgotten, and that it’s intimately linked with your name.
🙂

I haven’t done a 5k in a while, but everyone seems spot on in saying it should take about 45 minutes to walk-of course if you try to crush the course with a speedy run it may take you 1:15:00.

Best to try and jog it at a moderate but steady pace-if you find you have lots of energy at the end you can always speed up then and finish strong, telling her folks you got bad pacing advice from Internet atheists. 🙂

The water suggestion is good as well so long as you keep your bathroom habits in mind. Likewise a good pair of undies makes a huge difference if you aren’t used to running-you can avoid both chafing and any unpleasant “bungee cord” sensations.

Again, remember that you want to be able to talk comfortably with everyone at the end of it, so pace yourself accordingly-better to be thought of as “super smart and less athletic” than “the guy who finished the race and threw up on Dad’s shoes”.

Rule of thumb for race timers is that a 5k takes 1 hour so you have plenty of time.

Now here is some advice the other forgot. I hated running but it was the only way to lose weight. So after a bit of running just for health someone convinced me to enter a 5k. Ten years later I plan my year around races and keep trying races of sillier and sillier lengths. So just be careful this can be habit forming.

Something similar happened with my boyfriend, minus the running (that’s like that thing you do with your legs when you want to get to the fridge, but really fast, right?)

I was invited to a birthday party at his parents house, but I didn’t want to meet them when a whole bunch of people were there. So the day before, his mom went out to lunch with the two of us. Can you arrange a meeting with them first?

400 mg of motrin will be your best friend. In the Navy I walked on a lightly sprained ankle thanks to 800 mg of motrin.

Don’t drink/eat a lot right before the race, even if it’s just water. Anything sloshing around in there might give you ahem, indigestion. Just have as close to normal breakfast as possible (unless it’s a ton of bacon and sausage and eggs or something) at least an hour before start so it has time to settle.

For the running, try to go slower than you think you need to. If you’re feeling good, don’t get excited…take it down a notch and run without pushing yourself. When you’re five minutes past the two mile mark, go for the gold!

A wise dwarf once said:

“The key is to keep breathing.”

I would concur.

Have fun!

So…. a special ladyfriend huh? If you run faster than her, you can shoot her at the finish and post her picture. And give her flowers!

I’ve been seeing a special ladyfriend lately.

Does this mean my daughter’s SOL? Do tell us more.

Um, I’m thinking you might want to rethink your strategy and man up, meet her parents on the sidelines awkward or not. Impression made with small awkward silence before you’re all three too busy rooting for her much better impression than making a fool out of one’s self macho tripping to avoid.

I hope that wasn’t too blunt — not really. Man up already and dive in to the parents while you have the ready made conversation starter of the race and their daughter’s part in it. Gotta say if my daughter (fat chance in hell) were running and her boyfriend wasn’t a runner, I’d be much more impressed with him chatting to me on the sidelines even if we were both shy and uneasy at first than I would be if he ran the race far behind her, obviously new and fared badly making it rather obvious that he was nervously avoiding me. I’d be thinking, geeze, I don’t bite so don’t kill yourself to avoid me.

I really think you’d get off on a much better foot with them if you just abandon the running plan, screw up your courage and deal with the parents.

Breathe deeply and often. In your nose and out your mouth… if you breathe in and out of your mouth you’ll dry out your throat and that’s awful.

Don’t be afraid to walk/run. When I run outside I rarely ever run a mile without a walking stint in the middle… and I still make an 8:30 mile pace. Give yourself time to recover.

Have fun 🙂

D’oh, misread that. 2 days huh? Well, best advice is to take it slow, start at the back, and do a run-walk cycle where you jog 3 mins and walk 1. Monitor your breathing so you inhale for 3 beats (each beat a foot-stroke) and exhaling for 2. Better start doing 4-3 or 3-3 so you can deteriorate towards the end.

If you do that, you’ll stay relaxed and comfortable and should make it to the end without puking, whining or calling an ambulance – key factors in impressing the chicks.

Good luck.

I supported a half marathon. In this support the runner left her ipod and I had to meet her during the run for the hand off. At that point I was a mile away from where I needed to be so I just ran with her for that distance.

You are talking about 3 times that distance but it’s manageable. I have jogged 3 miles without any preparation and that’s what you’re going to experience. You’ve got the carb advice, the water advice is real. You need to have been drinking enough water at least a day in advance.

Prejudging you based on your build, I don’t think you have much to worry about. Try to keep pace with someone. Count your steps or listen to music to keep in pace. You’ll want to breath on opposite legs so that you don’t feel all crampy in just one side because you always breath on your left step for example. That’s easy, just count in 3s.

Wear comfortable shoes. And give your body time to start, get tired, and then generate its real distance capable energy on the other side. You’ll probably remember the feeling from something athletic you’ve done in the past.

I’ve done the couch to 5k a few times. I used to run cross and track in high school.

Take it easy, and don’t be too proud to walk or quit. You CAN be fairly seriously injured!

I gained about 20lbs these last two years of inactivity. I figured it would slow me down, but didn’t really think about it seriously. I’m only 170/5’10”. When I ran a 5k this spring, I did some serious damage to the plantar ligaments on the bottom of my feet. Plantar Fasciitis was probably the most painful and sustained running injury I have ever experienced. I could barely walk most mornings, and I couldn’t climb stairs without help for almost a month.

Had I taken it easy on that morning, I may have gotten back into running instead of limping around all summer long.

I can help!

I am 5’8″, 160lbs, relatively fit and I played college football….5yrs ago. I have lead a very sedentary lifestyle since then. I did finish P90X about 8 months ago but have since lost all of that “fitness”.

I got into a similar situation where I had to run a 5K last weekend w/o any training or preparation. Because I am a 27 yr old, a former athlete, and somewhat competitive, I didn’t want to simply walk with the grandmas, so here are my tips.

1. Dress appropriately – This may seem understood, but not only did I get roped into a 5k, I was wearing khaki shorts, boxers, and a belt. The right clothing can help a lot.

2. Stay very well hydrated. Since you are out of shape and not accustomed to running, it will be painful and taxing.

3. Start in front of the walkers but behind the runners, set a slow pace and keep track of how far you are. When you walk, make sure you do it when you can recovery quickly (i.e. walk before you feel like you want to die, and run as soon after stopping).

4. Prepare appropriately the night before and the day of. The day before carb load and the day of stick to high energy foods.

5. Don’t over stretch. Keep your stretching light and movement oriented, 15 mins of butterflies isn’t going to help you.

BTW, I finished in 37 mins and was embarrassed. Good Luck!

This is the exact same situation I met my (now fiancees) parents!

She however was running the race for life which is a 5k raising money for cancer, but it a womens only race… so I didn’t have the “join in” escape option, I had to have the first meeting on the sidelines of a race!

Consequently I have no advice except, one foot in front of the other and breath… lots. (I think Richard Wades job is safe!)

You’re fucked! Just jog-walk it. Wear your gym outfit with athletic sneakers that aren’t too old, don’t eat too much or anything fatty beforehand, drink water, get yourself to a slow starting pen, and don’t start off too fast.

But you should keep running. Running is the best! It really doesn’t take that long to become pretty good at it.

Good shoes and great socks, if your feet are comfortable that will go a long way to making it better and prevent injury.

This is terrible advice:

400 mg of motrin will be your best friend. In the Navy I walked on a lightly sprained ankle thanks to 800 mg of motrin.

If it hurts, you need to know before you injure yourself. I’ve ignored running pain before, and I ended up limping for weeks.

Take a whole pack of bandaids, maybe some artificial skin, and a change of socks. Having water, pain relievers, and Red Bull with you might be handy too.

Walk the whole thing. You can probably get a better time by taking long strides at a walking pace than by wearing yourself out jogging. If you have anything left near the end, then consider jogging.

You can walk surprisingly quickly by leaning back a bit, throwing your foot forward aggressively, and stepping out.

Don’t underestimate senior citizens. Many of them are retired. Meaning they can run as often as they like. I have met senior citizens who blow away most of the younger folks at these things.

I did a 5K without training once…and maybe, like me, you’ll have a nice police officer who’s following the last runner (me) offer to covertly give you a ride in his squad for a while. (Yeah, that really happened).

Hurry out to the running store and get some fancy running shoes ($200). Get a snazzy ‘professional’ running outfit with a reversible matching jacket ($250). Wash & dry the shoes and outfit 5 times in the washing machine. Borrow a friend’s car ($25) and park it 1/2 mile from the starting line on Saturday. On race day if the pack is big enough, you will not be able to start jogging until the first 1/4 mile. You will probably reach the parked car after only 1/4 mile of jogging. Whip your jacket off, turn it to the other side, cover your number, and find the car. Go have a triple venti mocha java frappe and wait 20 minutes ($7.50). Drive to the finish line, uncover your number and sneak back onto the course. Impressing your ladyfriend’s parents: priceless.

Yup, Kate advice is pretty awesome

may i add, if your going to run, get some good running shoe and don’t be a shame if you have to stop and walk for couple seconds to catch your breath

For the love of FSM, do not wear boxer shorts if you plan to jog even a small part of the race. Also, a 5k in my neighborhood? I may have to get in on this.

It might also be prudent to NOT practice. A blister today could be agony by Sunday.

If you make yourself sore, you don’t have time to recover and the amount you will improve by practice is likely to be small.

I am reminded of the joke about the favorite in the eating contest who came last that day.

“What happened?”
“I don’t know. I did great in rehearsal.”

Get a cold.

Wow! Lots of great and funny advice here! What a profitable post!

One request, if you do cramp up or get a bad blister, don’t make any God-related exclamatory remarks. I’d hate for them to appear on YouTube!

Just kidding and good luck! Enjoy! I do my best thinking while out on a jog.

Ok, everyone else is going for the during advice, so I’ll leave it with even if you walk it, you’re still not on the sidelines wondering what to say to her parents… so there’s that.

The next day you will be sore.
The day after that, you will probably feel like someone took a Louisville slugger to you. That’s DOMS. (delayed onset muscle soreness) Ibuprofen and topical creams with salicylic acid should help. And remember not to whine or your girlfriend will make fun of you. 😉

Hemant, what the heck is the matter with you?

She’s a special ladyfriend and you have this ideal opportunity to impress her parents, by meeting them on the sidelines and cheering their daughter along with a really clever sign. While you all wait, looking for her, you’ll have a nice amount of time to charm them with the excellent ability that you have, conversation, instead of making a fool of yourself and possibly injuring yourself by trying an ability at which you definitely do not excell, running.

Imagine the scene: She’s finished the run an hour before you and she’s waiting with her parents, reassuring them that you’ll be along any minute, while she’s secretly worried that you either dropped out completely or are in the hospital. Her parents keep up an encouraging front for her sake, but they’re also wondering what kind of goofball would do a 5-K run with no practice or experience at all, and make them all wait so long for a first meeting. You finally come limping along, dragging one dead leg like Boris Karloff in “The Mummy,” covered with sweat, pale even with your skin, and so out of breath that you can barely say “hi” to her and her parents. The meeting is wisely cut very short by the dad saying “Well you two must be very tired, so we’ll be seeing you sometime. Uh, nice to meet you, Helmut.”

Great first impression.

Get over your anxiety and do what you do so well, meet people and effortlessly get them to like you.

Damn, we’re one day apart. I’m walking in the AIDs walk tomorrow, I would’ve liked to meet you.

Too bad you’re an atheist. That means in more ways than one, you don’t have a prayer.

Hehe it’ll be FINE. At worst, you’ll have to walk part of it.

I’ll make sure your funeral doesn’t have any religious connotations.

Oh, what guys will do for women… 😉

Just let us know what hospital to send the flowers and cards to. Hopefully they’ll let you blog from the ICU.

Agree with Joseph on the nipple front, although I tend to go for Vaseline. Greased nipples are a priority :). Although for 3 miles it shouldn’t be a problem.

As there’s so much good advice here, I thought I’d give you some bad:

1. The night before, try getting as little sleep as possible. Oddly, this should give you more energy. Counter intuitive, but clever.

2. Wear loose fitting shorts and no underpants.

3. Drink a bottle of whiskey an hour before the race.

4. Try running the race whilst holding your breath.

5. Scream unintelligible obscenities as you run along. This will put your fellow competitors at ease.

6. When you finish, pretend that you have won and treat everyone else as your inferior.

7. Defecate on the road in view of everyone, including small children. Quote the Bible, and then leave.

Hemant,

Just found your time posted online. Congratulations on finishing your first 5k!

I also ran my first 5k this weekend and took advice from several of the comments here. Thanks everyone.

You’ll be fine. Just BE SURE to drink enough water! If you end up liking running visit my blog! My most recent post is actually about runners and hydration.

My Blog

Or even if you don’t like it, it never hurts to sound “in the know” to a lady friend!