You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Ok...so I decided to put my name forward for a run in aid of Ronald McDonald Charities with a group of people from work...didn't realise it was on the 8th May...just 3 weeks today.
It's 10k fun/mud type run...I just though I mountain bike and train at the gym it'll be fine...went out for my first run today and it's just not where's fitness lies! Last time I ran was school cross county...I was about 14 some 20 years ago!
Any advice...train daily...every other day? Train up until the day before or a few days rest before event?
I really have no idea I just know the 5 k I ran tonight was tough!
It's 6 miles, walk it if you have too. Plenty of stretching before and after.
Good charity, had a stay in the Bristol one while our boy was pretty ill a few years back.
You will be fine. Try to strengthen your legs and increase cardio and running time. My 10K is May 1st.
Think of it as only two three mile runs 🙂
Cheers...yes charity is very good, we've already donated time to help just trying to fund raise now...I know I can walk it with ease as I walk a fair bit but running is just...well harder!
Should I train daily or every other day...should I focus on going further slow or faster over the 5k?
DON'T train every day!!!!
Running is my nemesis (doing London marathon next Sunday!) and the biggest cause of injury seems to be doing too much too soon! I know you only have three weeks, but if you could bash out a 5km today you aren't that bad! As someone above said, maybe run/walk (9min run/1min walk) and do maybe two runs a week between now and then! It hurting on the day is better than panicking and trying to do loads and injuring yourself for ages! I did this last year before London (and had to defer my place) and couldn't run for 6 months with an achilles problem I picked up trying to do a bit too much!
Cheers...I'll take it 'steady'!
17days + rest period before event.
Start with another 5k tomorrow (Tuesday), take it easy and pace yourself - think 35min total time.
Then do another 5K a few days afterwards, then every 3rd day just add a kilometre.
The key is to taking it at a pace you can manage without being in bits a couple of days later. You'll know how badly you'll be suffering based on your weekend run. Tuesday might be difficult for you!
Running only hurts the first 2 or 3 times. Listen to. Your legs and stop if sore, get 3 or 4 runs in over 2 weeks, you'll be fine!
Take a bike?
I had something similar where I was arguing about whether racing made you fitter and woke up with a hangover and a solo entry to a 24 hour bike race 8 weeks later. 🙁
1st training ride I broke my wrist so couldn't ride for 8 weeks. Cut the cast off myself on the start line of the race.
A sports psychologist gave me some good advice though. Break the race into stages - race to the next corner, race to the top of the hill, race to to next...
Lots of small and manageable sections. That actually helped quite a lot.
if you havent run for a long time, how are your legs today? wait and see how they are tomorrow.
if you havent already over done it, you have time to run every 2nd or 3rd day, either increase the distance a little at a time, or increase your pace...
You'll be fine, but yeah running uses your legs totally differently to cycling. I did 1.5 miles or so on Saturday evening, first tentative steps towards maybe doing a marathon late summer/early autumn, and whilst my cycling fitness is good, 10 minute miling for that distance left me with sore legs until yesterday evening.
I know from experience that if I can get out 1-2 times a week I can avoid having *sore* legs and get to the point where they just get tired as they do with cycling. You have plenty of time to work up to 10k. If it's muddy it'll be more fun so even if it's harder/takes longer it won't be as mentally tough as just pounding the miles on pavement.
Oh and I got up from 4 mile runs to a half marathon in 3 weeks, after deciding a month prior to it I had better get training, then being ill all of the first weekend I'd planned to get a longer run in. Listen to your legs though, I didn't and got a slight injury I tried to run through which could've scuppered my ability to even walk 13 miles!
Have you got, or can you borrow, a gps (iPhone app would do) so you will know where you are on the road during the 10k? Makes it much easier when you know what's coming.
I also wouldn't worry, just go slow, there will be people who will walk the distance if it's a mass charity thing.
Pointless trying to set any targets with such a short time to do it in. Try running 30mins fast, rest day, 45 mins slower pace, rest day, 60 mins very slow and repeat up until the Wednesday before then just do 20-30min slow runs to keep yourself lose.
Trying and enjoy the run rather busting a gut to burn yourself out and end up walking the last KMs
It's like taking a test you are unprepared for, time to start cramming, do as much as you possibly can for the next 3 weeks. On the night before the event you want to get in a multipack of red bull and stay up all night running, just to get yourself as prepared as you can be for the big day.
"It's 10k fun/mud type run"
I did a the XRunner mud run at the weekend. There was not much running involved due to the mud. If mud is a major factor then pounding the streets is probably not necessary. More details as to the nature of the race will be a big help.