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There’s nothing better than fall running — the leaves, the crisp air. This is your reward for slogging through summer’s heat and humidity. Race directors know it, too, which is why there are so many fall races on the calendar. Whether it’s for a 5K or a half-marathon, now is a good time to register for a short or medium-length race and start preparing.
Training for these distances is a more manageable commitment than getting ready for a marathon. You’re less likely to get hurt, and you can often run the race and return home with energy left over. That may be why the half marathon is runners’ favorite distance event, followed by the 5K and the 10K, according to Running USA’s 2023 Race Trends survey.
You’ll still want to arrive at the starting line prepared. Here are all the pieces you need to make an upcoming race not just achievable, but enjoyable.
Your 5K and 10K Workout Plan
If you run regularly, you might be fit enough already to make it through a 5K, or 3.1 miles. Either way, you’ll enjoy the experience more with some race-specific training — doubly so for a 10K.
Neely Spence Gracey, one of the country’s best 5,000-meter runners and a running coach based in Boulder, Colo., said that a four-week plan was sufficient for a 5K, “but eight weeks is a better length of time, especially if you have a time goal in mind.”
Plan to run three times a week. For a 10K, you’ll want to add in a fourth day if possible, and train for six to 10 weeks, depending on your experience and fitness level.
“You don’t really need to worry about anything longer than three miles as your longest run with a 5K,” Ms. Spence Gracey advised. For a 10K, getting to five or six miles a couple of times ahead of the race will serve you well.
Your Half-Marathon Workout Plan
For a half-marathon — 13.1 miles — plan to invest 10 to 12 weeks in training. You should also incorporate a weekly long run, starting with around six miles, assuming you have been running about three times a week for the past few months. Eventually work up to a long run of 12 miles a couple weeks before the race.
Plan to train four days per week, building to weekday runs in the range of four to seven miles. If you have a goal pace in mind, practice running short segments at that pace within your long run, as you would for a marathon.
Then take a full week to 10 days to taper. This means cutting your training volume back by about 50 percent in that final week, but also keeping in shorter bouts of intensity. This will help your legs stay accustomed to faster paces, while also allowing them to recover.
Power and Speed
No matter what race you’ve signed up for, strength training can reduce your risk of injury. Strength sessions twice a week should be enough, Ms. Spence Gracey said. “Try adding these sessions on days you’re not running, aiming for 20 to 30 minutes of basic moves,” she added.
If you don’t have access to a gym, body weight exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups and core work can go a long way toward building a durable body.
If you have a time goal, add in some “baby speedwork,” Ms. Spence Grace recommended. After a warm up of one or two easy miles, try alternating sets of 20 seconds of hard running (about 90 percent of your maximum effort) with 40 seconds at an easy pace, six times through. Or consider hill repeats of 20 to 30 seconds running up a hill, followed by a jog down, repeating six times and working up to 10 over the course of your training.
Your Nutrition and Health
For 5K training, you don’t need to do much more than stick to a healthy diet — but make sure you head out for runs with something in your stomach. “This could be a handful of grapes or a granola bar,” said Nancy Clark, a sports dietitian in Newton Heights, Mass., and the author of “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook.”
For longer distances, especially the half-marathon, consider eating something more substantial beforehand, like a bagel with peanut butter or oatmeal and a banana. Think simple carbohydrates that deliver energy with little chance for upsetting your stomach.
If your long runs start going over an hour, consider adding some calories while training. “Depending on your size and how intensely you’re running, aim for about 100 to 300 calories every 30 minutes after an hour,” Ms. Clark said. “Experiment in training to figure out what foods work and which don’t.”
Hydration doesn’t tend to be much of an issue until you get to 10-mile or half-marathon races. “Try to learn your sweat rate in training and make sure you’re replenishing, especially if you are a heavy sweater,” Ms. Clark recommended. And if you’re worried about electrolyte replacement, don’t be, Ms. Clark said, as that’s only an issue if you’re running more than three hours.
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