I’m going to be running a 5K soon!
It’s time to start dabbling in the world of running races again! My last race was a 5K, a turkey trot on Thanksgiving 2014. Then, my back went out. Thankfully I was not training for Boston this winter because I wasn’t able to run again until about a month and a half ago. Although I did not choose to take a break from running I think my body is happy about the forced break.
Now that I am finally getting back at it I am ready to try out racing again. It will all start next weekend with a trail 5K on Mother’s Day. I’ll be running the Dirty 5K which is part of the Western New Hampshire Trail Race series. This is a low key trail race down in Hanover, NH. The description of the course is, “wide packed trails in with open fields and some mellow single track.” I am excited to race a 5K to get in a little speedwork but have no time expectations. I am going to run and hope my body will continue to cooperate. As I have been getting older (older means better right?!?) I am starting to feel more unsure about whether my body will cooperate with me when I race. I am sure once I get this race under my belt my anxiety about re-injuring myself will disappear.
Running a 5K is a completely different beast from running a marathon. A 5K can be painful in a different way than a marathon because as your as you run the lactic acid begins to flood your muscles and your lungs begin to “burn” as you approach your anaerobic threshold. Running a 5K race brings me back to the dreaded erg test (2000 meters of all out rowing) that was a part of our crew team training. An erg test was a test of sheer will and determination, to push as hard as possible for a maximum effort. At the end we would practically fall off the ergs, muscles cramping, legs, arms, back and lungs screaming. 5K races are a necessary evil for picking up speed as a distance runner so I always try to add in at least a few per racing season. This one will be the perfect way to get started!
What do you like the most about running a 5K? What do you like the least about running a 5K?
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5ks are hard! You’re stressing your body to the max. In many ways they’re the toughest distance to race. On the bright side, they’re over a lot faster than marathons 🙂
Good luck and welcome back to racing!
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Super excited for you! I know you will rock it in a skirt of course. I am running my first race in a long time too next week. Because doesn’t everyone take a 3 month break and then run a Ragnar?!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Simply Ancient Grains-Cookbook Review