Running is love/ tips for running a 5k

I talked a little about 5ks and how much I love them yesterday but I didn’t fully get into why I love them.

First off, I only do 5ks with a charity or good cause behind them. Actually, I shouldn’t say that, my second one was for the 4th of July. But the company that ran it was really big on donating to local gyms to help build them without charging the customers more for their monthly dues.

Second, it’s more of an achievement rather than “oh, I ran 3.1 miles.” There’s a reason there’s a .1 in there. It’s not just to make it an even 5k. It’s so you can say “Uhhh no, scuse me, it wasn’t just 3 miles, it was 3.1. GET IT RIGHT!” It’s something to be proud of. We keep the tshirts they give us at the event to show it off. It’s ok to feel amazing for running that much when that’s not a daily thing for you or even when it IS a daily thing for you. Most people don’t run that much.

Third, it’s a pure adrenaline rush. There’s no way you can be surrounded by that many people all pumped up and jumping around ready to run without feeding off that energy. It gives you that extra push before and during the run. It makes you become friends with random strangers. I don’t know how many sweaty backs of people I’ve patted as I ran by them saying “You’re doing an awesome job. Don’t give up.” It’s that feeling of seeing the finish line right in front of you and the person next to you and giving them that nod of “lets finish this together!”  You’re now involved in a group. You all have this run in common now. It’s like a free puppy. Take it, keep it, they love you because you ran together. And you rarely have to feed them afterwards.

Fourth, it’s a great way to do something fun and full of exercise with your friends. We all get together over food wayyyy too much. Want to go out? Sure, dinner and a movie. Lets go buy some clothes and we can get lunch afterwards. I’m having a bad day, lets get some pizza and talk about it. We’re social eaters. The more depressed we get, the more we eat in groups. How about fighting that depression with friends and exercise? How about running and then shopping for non-sweaty clothes afterwards? And if you do go out for lunch, it’s ok, BECAUSE YOU ALREADY BURNED IT OFF!

And lastly (awesome word), it’s a new experience for you. I already said its an achievement, but now you have a story to share. It’s something to talk to your friends about at work to get them motivated to move. It’s even a reason to get the day off work. How awesome are reasons to not go to work? VERY. And you come back and everyone goes “hey, how was your run?” and you get to feel amazazing. This is a very fun part of a very fun chapter in your uber awesome all about you book.

My favorite was the Firefly run. They donate to the Children’s Hospital which in turn donates to March of Dimes. I have twin boys that were born early. Even though they were born healthy, they developed a really nasty staph infection that could have killed them. Because of the march of dimes, we had the technology to not only coach me through my pregnancy with twins that I was warned would come early, but to tend to their health issues after in a way that premies could handle. Because I’m a mom of twins, I also know the horror stories that could have ended bad, but didn’t because of the March of Dimes. I will continue to run in their honor. And it’s fun to run that one because it’s at night, we all wear glow sticks, people wear costumes, and it’s fun just to go watch.

Another one I loved was my most recent. I ran the zoo run with my kids and a few of their friends from their school. While only a very small portion of it was actually through the zoo, it was still fun to run past the animals. And the greatest part was that my kids ran without me. Yes you read that right. They both ran at their own pace, knew where to meet me at the end, and no one felt like someone held them back or that they held someone back. It was a great feeling to meet up with them at the end and hear their out of breath voices non-stop talking about how many people they passed. I will regularly sign my kids up for runs with me from now on.

So how do you find these runs?

• Luke’s Locker (U.S. residents) is the best way that I know of. Most organized runs will post there at least 3 months in advance. Just click events in the upper right corner and put in your location.
• Join a run club. You can google this in your area and it should come up with some groups. You will meet with them weekly to run and they’re constantly given advertisements on local 5ks.
• Call your favorite charity and ask if they have events planned in your area that year.
• Go to a running shoe store. They should have fliers up. And on weekends they’ll have tables with local runs trying to get people to sign up and explain their charity.
• Show up at a park on the weekend and start your own.

Some quick advice

• Most 5k sign ups are closed 3 days before the event. Especially if it’s a big charity. They do this because most likely they will have shirt orders, they need to print up your number, they can only have a certain amount of runners, they need to know how many volunteers they need to sign up, they’re going to try to offer water and/or granola bars at the end so people don’t pass out, and they have to let the police department know about how many people will be attending. I’ve only seen a few that have same day registration.
• Bring your own water and it doesn’t have to be fancy. The most important part is that you stay hydrated. Just because there’s a water post in the middle of the run doesn’t mean you can get through the crowd to get some or that you’re even going to see it. Bring a water bottle. If you’re that worried about electrolytes, keep a gatorade in your car or something, but try to keep the water bottle as thin as you can. That way it’s easier to grip. The fatter the bottle (most gatorade or powerade bottles are fat) the more likely you are to drink it just to get rid of it. Then you sweat more at the beginning of the run and don’t have anything for after.
• Let the fanny pack come out of the closet. The less you have in your hands the better. You will need chapstick, your car keys, and an emergency number in there. I would advise putting your license in it as well. You may need it for getting your packet before the race and just in case you’re hurt, they know who you are. I have one that’s a little longer and very elasticky for the bag so it sits next to my hip and you really can’t see it.
• If you are bringing a phone or ipod or something with music on it and earphones, run the cord under your shirt. The way I do it is plug my earbuds into my phone, let my phone slide under my shirt and catch it at the bottom, and tuck my phone into my fannypack (most running pants don’t have pockets). If I don’t have my fannypack or pockets I run the cord under my collar and through the sleeve of the hand I’m going to hold the phone in. Earbud chords are ANNOYING when you’re running. They get tangled up and they’re just not good news. Not to mention someone else can get hit or tangled in your cords also.
• Don’t be the jerk who throws your water cup way far away from the water stations. The people who work these runs are volunteers. They don’t get paid to be your overworked mom. Try to get it as close to the garbage boxes as you can. And the people handing out the water are volunteers also. Say thank you. In fact, say thank you to all of the volunteers. They didn’t have to be there that day. Without them, you wouldn’t have a run.
• Don’t buy running shoes the day before. It would be better for you to run in your dance shoes or skate shoes or even your work shoes (not heels) than to run in a new pair of shoes. By the first mile, your feet will hate you.
• See if there is a website to keep up with when they post chip times or pictures of the event. Most runs will have a facebook page now. Or you can keep up with it on their main website where you signed up.
• If you are running with your kids, give them firm details on where to meet up if you get separated. Chances are you WILL get separated. If they’re not old enough to understand, they should be in a stroller. It’s easier to see a stroller than a young child when you’re running and wanting to pass out. Another choice is to go to the back of the crowd before the race and stay to the far right during the race. But even if you think you have a tight grip on your kid, you could still get separated, so make a meeting point. A road sign, an advertisement tent, somewhere they won’t get run over. Point out the places they can find an officer, even introduce them to a staff member that you know will be there during the run. If you can walk the course before the run, do it. That way they know where to go.
• Watch out for little kids.
• Walk if you need to. No one is there to judge you. There will always be a person who comes over the line last. Unless you’re over 80, in a wheelchair, in a costume, or dead, that last place person probably won’t be you. And even if it was you, who cares? There are people at the event not even running so you already know you beat them.
• Don’t assume you’re going to get your best time just because you’ve been practicing. Not all 5ks are sent out in heats (groups that go in order of a projected finish time). And even if you do get sent out in heats, you never know if you will get stuck in a clump. Walkers who walk in the middle or walk in groups slow EVERYONE down and you never know when they’re going to start walking. It’s also like watching pack animals. You never know when someone is going to jump to the right or left. It could be right in front of you. There’s too many things out there that may slow you down. Get over it, there’s nothing you can do about it. But you can do something for others: If you’re going to walk, move to the outside of the pack, either far left or far right, mostly to the right.
• Dress according to the weather plus or minus 10 degrees. You’re exercising, duh. It gets hot inside your body. You’ll get sweaty. If it’s warm outside you’re going to be hotter than you’d thought you would get. If it’s cold outside, your sweat will be like ice. In the event of cold weather, wear long sleeves, long windproof pants, socks to your knees, gloves, and a jacket that you can take off if you start to get warm. But on your face, be prepared to keep it warm. Sweat can ruin any run if it gets cold.
• Smile for the camera. People look really funny when they look like they’re about to die. Try your best at a smile. The cameras that post the best pictures are big and very easy to see.
• Double knot your laces. It’s a tripping hazard and you will be annoyed by people who constantly repeat that you need to tie your laces. I’ve even tripped on other peoples laces. For my safety, tie your laces twice. PLEASE.
• Don’t bring your dog if it says no animals or if your dog is not trained to run in groups. If your dog sniffs everyone, he will trip someone up. And people who run aren’t always the nicest if you trip them. It kind of hurts them. So don’t be the jerk who brought his dog and put the run on the news as the biggest 5k pile up ever where 34 people, 2 strollers, 5 squirrels, and one dog was hurt in the process. You may end up getting fed to rabid squirrels.
• Have fun. Have lots of fun. Don’t forget how awesome you are.