The 5K: Then and Now

Tomorrow I will once again be running the Damon Runyon 5K at Yankee Stadium. While I am still far from a runner, I am more confident in my ability to run 3.1 miles than I was last year. I don’t know much about running but I did learn from the mistakes I made last year.

the Training
2011: I ran on the treadmill and only the treadmill. Big mistake. The second the race began last year I realized I had no idea how to pace myself since I always relied on the treadmill’s speed to guide me. I did not have a training plan either, I simply tried to walk/run a couple of days a week and prove to myself that I could keep moving for 3.1 miles

2012: I’ve been running both on the treadmill, on my high school’s track and mainly outside in my neighborhood. I have learned how to pace myself and maintain a running state for 30 minutes. I used the couch to 5k training plan via the get running app.

this has been a hugeeee help and I cannot recommend it enough to 5K-ers. It slowly works up your running endurance week by week. I especially love the app because I can still listen to music on my iPod while hearing the commands of when to walk and run.

I am honestly amazed that I can now run 30 minutes without stopping. I never thought that was possible

The Shoes

2011: The sneakers I trained in were not the sneakers I raced in. Big mistake. I was caught in a bit of a pickle last year because I am very strict about wearing my “gym shoes” indoors and only indoors. I didn’t want to wear them for the outside race, so I wore an old pair of sneakers from high school. This wasn’t such a comfy decision.

2012: I went to a running store to have my foot fitted for running shoes specific to my needs. I’ve been wearing them for all my runs ever since and LOVE my new brooks.

The Music

2011: I listened to American Idiot broadway cast recordings and more American Idiot for all my running needs. That is actually how I paced myself– when the music was fast I ran fast, when the music was slow I walked. While I have approximately 20 variations of American Idiot on Broadway (yes, I am obsessed) this got boring fast, but I couldn’t imagine running to any other music since I had such a pattern with American Idiot

2012: I switch up my playlist daily. My playlists have consisted of a bunch of songs that I am currently loving or that pump me up

 

My theory is have 2 or 3 songs that are guaranteed an energy boost in between some filler songs. For example, whenever Favorite Son or LA X comes on I find myself pushing harder and running a little bit faster. When I’ve been making playlists I put a lot of extra songs in between the “guaranteed energy” ones so I can switch it up depending on my mood. 

 

Ultimately my attitude and goals are different this year. I’ve been training hard all summer and amazing myself with what I can achieve thanks to a little bit of training. While Sunday may be the actual race, I feel like I’ve already accomplished the goals I was going for. Never in my life did I think I could run steadily for 30 minutes. That to me is far more thrilling than whatever amount of time it takes me to cross the finish line