Our 5k run is just over three weeks away. Needless to say, I’m getting nervous as the time approaches. My goal is just to finish the race. I know that I may not be running the entire time. That’s okay though. I’m much further along than I ever have been.
My approach has been to run a set time and include intervals of running that I gradually increase. I hadn’t made it to 5k within that time, but I know it’s ambitious for a beginning runner like me. Today, I ran/walked a 5k. My time wasn’t stellar at 51:40, but now I have a baseline. I have a date goal and a time to beat next time I do a trial run.
It’s been a learning experience. I have caught myself being too lax. A five mile walk is nothing to us on the weekend. There are some nice trails in the area that we walk. And yes, walking on asphalt is a world of difference between walking on a treadmill. The endurance part is pretty similar; it is the effect on your legs that will throw you.
I’m going to do something that I’ve never tried before. I’m going to follow a carb-loading diet the week before the run. I figure that using my body’s physiology to work with the run may just pay off. Mayo Clinic has a nice to follow.
I’m really excited about making the commitment. I know the health benefits of improving my cardiovascular fitness will make all of my efforts worthwhile.
While winter may impact your running, there is certainly no shortage of high intensity workouts to add to your exercise regime. Take snowshoeing, for example.
