Wish me luck - any advice?
 

I'm running my first official 5K on Saturday. I am excited and nervous. I mostly want to be able to complete the whole thing with no walking and I also really don't want to come in last!!

Anyone have any advice for me?

Good luck. Just do your best. You are already a winner ....129 pounds lost !!!!

Cherry, i just copied my response to another person looking for advice about first race........

do exactlyy what you do to warm up in trraining, or you could try doing strides, 10 minutes or so, before the race starts--> Do you have a goal pace? If so, than jog a little to get the blood flowing, then do 10-30 sec striders, lets make them AT your goal pace, kwim? that way, when the gun goes off, your body will already be "adjusted to your goal pace" and you wont go out too fast, or too slow. do 3-7 striders (sets, whatever) as close to race time as you can--> (after you jog/stretch do dynamic mobility movements, whatever). DO NOT GO OUT TOO FAST WHEN THE GUN GOES OFF. Everyone else will go out too fast and willbe DYING less than a mile into it. You will be passing them by, one by one for sure, if you go at YOUR pace right from the start, and dont get caught up in the excitement and mob mentality. SInce you arent "racing" or trying to run at Threshold or anything, theres really no need for anything more than that, heck, you dont even have to do any of that! It just helps if you ARE trying ti hit a particular pace.... you an fall right into it if your body is warmed up to that pace

*****MOST IMPORTANT****** Get THEE to the Porta-Potty AS SOON AS YOU GET THERE. I dot know how "big" the race is, but if were talking hundreds to thousands...... you have to get in line for the bathroom the minute you get there, and then, if you still have time, get back in line and go agai...... of course, its only a 5K so you wont be out much more than 30 minutes or so? DO you get...ehem.... runners trots at all? #2 issues when running? Get it out of your system before the gun goes off, bringing me back to GEt in Line For the Porta Potty, ASAP. If its a HUGE race, it wouldnt hurt to bring extra TP.

No need to carb load the day/night before. No need to do ANYTHING different than you normally do. f you normally eat before you run, than eat before the race. If you dont normally eat b4 you run, then DONT before the race.

thats really about it, for a 5K. and you already know dont do/wear anything new on race day, and dont forget to hit "Start" on your Garmin, or watch if you use one Have fun

PS
e Last thing to add:
If its chilly in the morning where you are, then its a great Idea, (for races) to go to Goodwilll and get a few "throwaway" sweatshirts/gloves.... supercheap, and you just take em off right before the gun goes off, throw em to the side, and usually they will be picked up by race volunteers and donated to HOmeless shelters and such....... You dont want to overdress just cuz its chilly when you are standing around.. you will pay for that later during the run if you wear too much.....

Thanks for the advice, mkroyer! I just got back from the race. I was able to run the whole thing and I didn't come in last - yay! My time pretty much sucked - 35:15 - so that was pretty disappointing, but I was glad to just complete it. I found it fun to run with others, as well.

cherrypie-Good for you!!! Yay!!

The time doesn't matter for the first one. Just think that this will always be your number to improve upon. I think it's terrific that you ran the entire thing. When I ran my first 5k, that was my only goal, to keep running, no matter what my time was. It's a great goal, and you DID IT!!!

congratulations!