8 Training Tips For Your First 5K or 10K Race

One of the many positive things we have seen during this period of COVID-19 has been the number of people exercising throughout our communities. Walkers and runners are out in force in neighborhoods, some doing so for the first time. We will come out of this and racing will start again at some point. For those of you who want to expand your conditioning to the point of racing in a local 5K or 10K, we have dusted off this blog by Norman Blair of Jus’ Running in Asheville to help you on your journey.

8 Training Tips For Your First 5K or 10K

Tip #1 – Shoes: Running is an inexpensive activity/sport compared to other endeavors. However, the one thing that you must have is a good pair of shoes for training. Be prepared to spend in the $100-140 range for a good pair of shoes. The correct pair of shoes will save you discomfort and injury. Stay local and buy your shoes at a specialty running store, where they will put you in the shoe that fits your body and goals.

Tip #2 – Apparel: Stay away from cotton fabric and wear items that will wick away moisture. Buy loose fitting clothes, including socks, with the main fabric being polyester. Should you chafe there are products such as Bodyglide that will help provide some relief.

Editors Note: Retail running stores are operating differently in our COVID-19 world. Many are open for pickup only, including Jus’ Running. We advise you contact them directly on their current store policy

Tip #3 – Your Training Program: Make sure that you have plenty of weeks to prepare for your effort. This will lower the possibility of injury and keep your discomfort reasonable. However, be prepared to be sore at times. As you adapt to your training your body will adapt to the workload. It takes 4-6 weeks for acclimation to new activities

Tip #4 – Support: Ideally you will have a group or several individual training partners to keep you on the path to your goal. These people will provide motivation, accountability, inspiration, and help with commitment so you will stay on your plan.

Editors Note: If you are running or walking with a partner, please make sure you follow social distancing guidelines as well as those specific restrictions of your local jurisdiction and state.

Tip #5 – Perception: Don’t worry about how you think you are perceived when you start. Every runner was a beginning runner once. Walk when you need to and run as much as your body and mind will allow you. Over time, the running will overtake the walking periods and eventually you will be running your full exercise periods.

Tip #6 – Sleep: Make sure that you’re getting your full complement of rest. You need this to recover and keep adapting to your regimen not to mention eliminating becoming cranky. Your family will appreciate it.

Tip #7 – Food and Hydration: Clean up your diet. It’s as simple as reduced portions, drinking one soft drink per day instead of three, and eliminate wasted calories from ingredients like sugar. Drink water as needed but not just water. You lose a lot of minerals while exercising so mix in the sports drink of your choosing. Make sure that you are getting the minerals that you need in these, though, and not a lot of calories. Be careful with the glasses of water that are recommended per day. These need to match your physical size and needs. There have been as many issues with over-hydration as there are with under-hydration.

Tip #8 – Enjoyment: Enjoy the journey to your new physical level of fitness. Runners have great camaraderie, whether it is your training partners or just someone you bump into on a run or in a race. Running is a great stress reliever, self esteem builder, and body image changer. So reap the benefits by sticking to your plan and running your race.


About Glory Hound Events

Glory Hound Events was started in 2006, initially managing the historic Bele Chere 5K. Shortly after that first year the Lake Logan Triathlon was introduced and eventually became a part of the Lake Logan Multisport Festival. Glory Hound Events is now the largest endurance event management company in the Western North Carolina region, producing an average of twelve events annually. In addition to producing its own events and those for a variety of clients, Glory Hound Events offers consulting services for events outside of Western North Carolina looking to take theirs to the next level.