In 2005, to show support for a co-worker’s family, my office participated in the “Swedish Summer Run,” a Seattle 5K to fight ovarian cancer. I had always hated running, but I wanted to show my support for the family, and so I talked my desk-neighbor Leslie into walking the 5K with me. Neither of us was particularly fit, but we showed up and strode along the closed Capital Hill streets on a beautiful summer morning. It was hot and we whined about that, but overall it was a fairly painless effort.
Our other friend Beth ran the 5K. I remember thinking how great it was that she could do that and how I could never run that far! But as it was, I really enjoyed the three mile walk. Even more, I loved the huge quantities of swag we all received at the finish. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was hooked.
I now believe that everyone should consider signing up for a 5K. Not a 10K or a half-marathon, but a simple 3.1 mile race. Here are my reasons why:
1. You are supporting a good cause. There are hundreds of 5K races around the county, and all of them support something good. Oh, I suppose the “Coalition of Couch Potatoes” could sponsor a 5K, but I greatly doubt it. Your entry fee goes to a good purpose and paying the fee helps commit you to show up for the race. Good thinking, race promoters!
2. You support your community. Most of these races are sponsored by local groups. You will find community leaders present and volunteers galore. Everyone there is helping a good cause and doing positive things for the community. If you’re there to race, you are too.
3. You get a free tee-shirt. Most races will provide you a tee-shirt included with your entry fee. Sometimes you can pay to upgrade to a fancier version, but a basic cotton tee is almost always included. This gives you something to wear around the house or at the gym afterward, to remind you that you did the race and how much you want to do another one. It also makes you feel a little badass when you wear it in front of people who are still saying “Oh, I could never do a 5K.” (Because you know they could if they made up their minds to do it.)
4. A 5K is very achievable. Five kilometers is the equivalent of 3.1 miles, which isn’t very long. Most of us can easily walk three miles. Could you walk a mile and a half to the store? And then walk back home? There! You can do this. And if you can walk it, maybe you could even run part (or all) of it? It’s more do-able than you might think.
5. Registering for a 5K gives you a goal to train for. Once you’ve registered, you need to know that you can do it! If you simply plan to walk the course, then start going for walks. Find a lake to walk around, map out some city streets, or just go walk for certain times. Walking a casual 15-minute mile would allow you to complete a 5K in 45-50 minutes, so if you can walk for 45-50 minutes on a hike or around the neighborhood, then you’ll be ready.
If you want to run the 5K and you’ve never run before, then you need to start running. The best approach to this I know if is the Couch to 5K (C25K) program. (There are also convenient iPhone apps to download which guide you through the C25K plan.) The program will take a non-runner to completely running a 5K in only 9 weeks. When I decided to start running, I followed this program first – then abandoned it to do my own version. Runners World and Focus-N-Fly also offer programs for a fee, if you chose to go that route. Alternatively, your local running shop may offer group training programs, like Fleet Feet in Vacaville, CA, which will allow you to run as a group under expert guidance and encouragement.
If you have already run one 5K, then registering for another gives you the opportunity to run the next one faster. The first 5K I ran, I had planned to walk and didn’t have a timing chip. At the next, I had no aspirations as to time; I just wanted to do my best. But after that? I want to see improvement on each and every race.
6. You will gain some perspective. Despite what you imagine, you will NOT be the least fit person at the event. You will NOT be the fattest person at the event. NO ONE is going to wonder what you are doing there because of how you look. When you arrive at the race, you will realize that people of all ages, sizes, fitness levels and abilities will show up at a 5K. Old ladies will walk their dachshunds. Enormous two-ton men will lumber along behind you while an 80-year-old sprints past. At one race I saw a man in a power-wheelchair leading a cow and a goat. (No kidding.) You will be proud to be healthy. You will be happy to be able to do what you are doing. You will be glad you showed up.
7. Experience group energy. Whether you run as team or an individual, there is a positive group energy that you will pick up on at the race. Everyone is a little bit excited, and that makes everyone just a little bit more excited. It’s like a zest in the air which gives you a little more “oomph” as you start your run. And if you run on a team, then everyone is your cheerleader, keeping you motivated and encouraged throughout the event.
8. You will get some vitamin D and fresh air. Running a 5K forces you to be outside. Hopefully the weather is sunny and not too warm, but if not, you will learn that a spring rain is not as frigid as you imagine and that you can manage a hot day with good hydration. One unique aspect of running a race like this is that you will get a close up look at roads and places that you might never experience otherwise. In my experience, you run a closed road which is usually covered with automobile traffic, and it has a certain peace to it that you will only find there on race days.
9. Burn some calories! During your training and during the race event yourself, you will burn a few hundred calories. This is one of my favorite features of doing a Turkey Trot, a 5K held on Thanksgiving morning. You get up early and run, which will hopefully help offset the “feast day” calories you intake at Thanksgiving Dinner later in the day. If nothing else, it relieves some guilt.
10. It’s fun to get swag after the race. Some races are better about this than others. Bigger, more urban races have lots of fun stuff – gift bags, catered meals, free beer – things like that. Smaller suburban races don’t provide as many goodies, but they cover the basics and usually are still fun to check out. Not everyone cares about swag, but I personally love getting free stuff. It’s like a reward for finishing!
11. Gain a sense of accomplishment. It doesn’t matter if you set out to walk the course, to run the course to finish, or to run the course for time: when you cross that finish line, you have finished something worthwhile. Be proud!
Are you ready to sign up for a race yet? The best single source of upcoming events that I know if is Active.com. You can plug in your zip code and find dozens of upcoming races in your area. The entire registration process is online. You can also check your local running store for upcoming races in your area; they’re sure to have an inside scoop on which race is best for beginners too.
One last thing – forgive yourself if something obstructs you from completing the race. One year I tore my gastroc (i.e., badly pulled my calf muscle) and wasn’t able to train for the Turkey Trot I had been so excited about. The next year, I was sick with a nasty flu during Thanksgiving week and couldn’t even pick up my free tee-shirt, let alone run the race. I was sad, but it couldn’t be helped. Life happens, and it can get in the way of your best laid plans. If it does, just look ahead at the calendar and find another 5K in the future. There’s always something to look forward to!
This past Saturday morning, I participated in a local 5K run. I am proud to announce that I beat my last-year’s time by five minutes exactly. (I must admit, however, that I was pushing a stroller last year, so it’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison). I ran my 5K in a very modest 37 minutes, 10 seconds, coming in 16th in my age class. I was in the top 35% of women who participated, and I’m more than happy with that. Next year, however, I’ll be even faster.
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