<p>Nrdsb4, Congratulations on signing yourself up for this race, and taking your training so seriously. You’re going to do fine, just keep checking in here so you’ll stay accountable!</p>
<p>And that leads to my advice:</p>
<p>Training partners: they’re the best thing going. If you don’t train with someone now, keep your eyes open for someone who is on the same trajectory as you: a beginner, who is highly motivated. If you can find someone who you’re committed to meeting for your runs, you will be so much less likely to skip them. Also, a training partner who is fun to talk with can keep your mind from starting up the negative self-talk. I recommend someone with lots of gossip/juicy stories.</p>
<p>The first two minutes: I’m a lifelong runner, and I’ve noticed in the last few years, the first 1/2 mile (4-5 minutes or so) just doesn’t feel that great if I go out too fast. If I take it easy and work to “negative split”- run faster at the end of my workout than at the beginning, I feel much better. If you start using a heart rate monitor, you can ease into your pace without spiking your heartrate. I was shocked to see my heart rate pop over 200 when I ran up a steep hill the beginning of a run last summer. Not good. Take it easy at first, always.</p>
<p>Buy Runner’s World: This magazine always has lots of encouraging articles for beginners as well as everyone else. Their website is also full of information, forums, blogs, and so on. I always feel inspired after I get my fix of RW. I used to feel intimidated by this mag and thought is was for “real” runners. You are now a real runner. You are entitled to read this.</p>
<p>Best wishes, and continue to tell us how you’re doing!</p>
<p>I can’t be sure from the OP what the max distance is that you’ve ever covered in training. Or how often you do your three sets of 8/2. My guess is that you’re coming up a bit short of the 5K mark in your 30 minute workouts.</p>
<p>If this is roughly the case, you should be aware that you ought to back off from your training pace about 25% or so…at least for the first 2/3 of your race. Its very common in first time racers to trash themselves in the euphoria/adrenaline rush of the first part of the race. The interest rate charged on oxygen debt is extremely high. You have some optimal pace that you can hold for the race, that will result in your own fastest time. For every 10 seconds per mile that you start out faster than that, you’ll pay it back in that latter part of the race about 2-4 times over…plus it will be physically unpleasant. </p>
<p>After you hit the halfway point in the race, you can let yourself go at whatever pace you feel happy with. Your body will essentially self regulate at that point, and you won’t have enough adrenaline or nervous energy to permit you to run faster than optimal pace. For the first mile especially, you should have the feeling that you could and should be running faster. Just don’t do it.</p>
<p>Good for you Nrdsb4! I have been a runner since middle school. Never very good, but here I am, pushing 49 and still at it! My advice is to just keep going. I truly believe that my life-long habit has really staved off the aging process for me. I currently run no more than 15-20 miles/week. Sometimes a lot less, and for certain periods in my life not much at all. On the days where I don’t feel up to it, I just make myself start. Usually on a bad day, I will do 1.5 - 2 miles. Again, not much but enough to keep me in decent shape especially for my age. </p>
<p>I run in the morning before work and drink a cup of coffee and have some sort of bar about 1 hour before I start. Works for me. I need to eat something or else I feel sick. You will figure out what works for you.</p>
<p>Again, good for you. The sense of accomplishment you will feel when you are done with that race will be worth all the misery. I promise! : )</p>
<p>For most people only a month of training is way too little time preparing for even a 5K. If you are not in super shape and have to walk some during the June 5K that is ok and understandable; just make sure you save a little juice for the end of the race and run near the finish line and edge somebody out in a blaze of speed and to look good for the cameras!</p>
<p>Your first goal for the race should always be to finish, not a time. And, yes, walking is an option. In fact, in my one and only ultramarathon, we were told to walk the hills, so I did. And I finished (I did the 50K, not the 50-miler). And, trust me, I’ll never do one of those again. :D</p>
<p>Yes, I believe you are right about that. I need to drive the route I’ve covered and see how far I’m getting in 30 minutes. I’ve got four weeks left to train. While it would be nice to finish in a certain time (I’ve not determined what I think would be a good time, though), I’m thinking my goal is just to finish the race and not feel trashed afterwards. Then, the next goal would be to finish a 5K in X time.</p>
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<p>Even lacking experience, I was kind of mulling over the actual race day and thinking I needed to start very conservatively, and then if I still have the energy towards the latter part of the race, I could maybe turn it on a little bit and have a fun finish where I was actually running vs. jogging and feel the “thrill of victory” at the finish. Hee hee.</p>
<p>Because this race is part of the Austin LGBT Pride weekend, I think there will be a fair amount of fanfare and fun. I’m hoping to get carried along with the spirit of the crowd, and both of my daughters will be there to run it with me.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the encouragement and good advice.</p>
<p>I’m actually already a few weeks into the training. It’s a total of 8 weeks to prepare. Although I’m not a runner, I have been working out for years and hope that at least I have the minimum fitness foundation (although I sure didn’t feel that way yesterday, lol). I think the key as you stated is not to get carried away at the beginning and focus not on speed but on keeping it manageable. I like your idea of “edging someone out” at the end, lol.</p>
<p>^^^^^Thanks, dadx, I think that is certainly a possibility. My D1 has some kind of iPod app (I think) where she can set it to her training pace, and the music keeps that beat? You could set it a tad slower on race day to keep yourself in check if I have this right. Have I imagined that? Anyone familiar with it?</p>
<p>Too, if you’re going to pick someone off at the finish line, try to get someone your own age, otherwise you look kinda stupid running down a 6 or 85 year old! </p>
<p>I think you might be getting a little too technical worrying about ipods and heart monitors–your heart will be beating so loud you won’t be able to hear music on ipod anyway, and you don’t need a heart monitor to remind you to slow down or pace yourself–your body will do just fine all by itself letting you know if you are going too hard. Double knot your shoelaces!</p>
<p>If you’re dead serious about running after this race is over, I highly recommend getting a Garmin. It will tell you your pace, heart rate, time elapsed, etc. Great for training, and for race day, once you know what your pace should be, and are comfortable using it. Mother’s Day is coming up, and it’s a gadget that some guy might really like to shop for…</p>
<p>I agree with the others, though. Pacing on your first 5K isn’t that important- just do your best, have fun, and set a goal for the next one!</p>
<p>All I know, is that everyone (except the most serious, well trained runners) ALWAYS start off faster then they should or think they are going. You get so caught up in those first moments, you think you are crawling along but discover your first mile time was blazing.
So, no matter how slow you think you are going in the beginning - it will be plenty fast.</p>
<p>My suggestion for the heart monitor was more for training. It is helpful in terms of improving, but it is also just fun. Based on the advice from some veterans here (riverrunner - MOWC), I bought DH a Garmin and he loves it! </p>
<p>By the way - as someone who DH has a defib, I want his cardiology nurse to “over think” things! Good trait for you to have.</p>
<p>Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.</p>
<p>Yes, the Gmaps Pedometer. Love that. Go ahead and give it a shot. If you are cutting through parks you can just use the straight line option to get distance without a road involved.</p>
<p>Oh, we run down younger and older folks all the time (and vice versa). When the guys lose to a woman they call it getting “chicked”. When the young guys lose to a master’s runner they call it getting “geezered”.</p>
<p>Nrdsb4, did you run today? Please check in and tell us how you’re doing. We’re your virtual running group now, and we want to hear all the details…</p>
(and we pay the price)</p>