Running your first race

I was speaking to a friend who told me she recently started running, and she hadn’t started before because she didn’t think she would be able to do it. When I asked why she felt that way, she said, “I felt like it was beyond my ability. It seemed impossible to me.” Another friend has told me several times that she wants to do a 5k race, (3.1 miles), but when I suggest races we can do, she always has a reason why she cannot do it. I think she is afraid of failure, but the fastest way to make the impossible, possible, is to do it. I know if more people took a chance and saw what a race was like, more people would be hooked on them.

Running is more than a great physical activity. It can help combat eating disorders because it is something you can control and that will help you with a positive body image. It has been shown to help with depression and anxiety because you can set goals, see progress, and gain confidence. Running is healing. Running races also offers you more on the list of why to run. When you do a race you will learn more about the sport, you will hear inspiring stories, and you will be introduced to an amazing community of people. My best friends were people I met at races.

Fear of the unknown might be holding many people back, so I am going to tell you what to expect, how to prepare, and how to complete a 5k, 10k, half-marathon, marathon, and an ultra. There are several other distances, but these are the most common.

The 5K

What to expect

A 5k is a race that covers 3.1 miles. You can run it, walk it, or do a combination of both. To find a race, you can search online at www.active.com, https://runningintheusa.com/race/overview, https://runsignup.com/, or search through google. Register for a race and on race day you will receive a bib with a timing chip that will time you on your run. When you arrive, you will see that there are people of all different fitness levels and ages.

How to prepare

To prepare physically, start running for a minute, then walking for a minute, and keep doing that for about twenty minutes. Each day, see if you can run more than you walk, but don’t overdo it. You want to work up to at least three miles of walking or running. Do some work on your core by doing sit-ups and push-ups, and other…