12 Aug Preparing for Your First 5K Race
Running your first 5K is a big deal! You’ve decided you want to complete a race, you’ve registered and now it’s time to prepare. But where do you start?
This blog is your all-inclusive guide on how to prepare for your first 5K race. We’ll cover everything you need to know about fueling, training and recovery to get you to the finish line feeling great!
Let’s dive in!
Step 1: FUEL
As a runner, a proper nutrition strategy is key to performing your best. Adequate fueling will ensure that your body has enough energy to get you through your training, and last the whole run on race day! Not eating properly can negatively impact your training quality, body composition and lead to a decline in performance. What’s more, if you want to continue to build on your skills and grow as a runner, eventually tackling longer distances then this is the perfect time to start refining your nutrition strategy!
How do you know if you’re underfueling? Check out the blog post below!
6 Signs You Might Be Underfueling as a Runner
What should I eat and when?
Proper fueling as a runner begins before each training session. Avoid getting into a habit of doing a lot of fasted workouts, especially if you have your sights set on doing longer races down the road, where fueling will be a MUST.
What you eat before a workout will depend a little bit on how much time you have between your meal and heading out for your run.
For example…
If you’ve got 1-2 hours before your run, have a snack or smaller meal that includes mostly carbs and a little bit of protein. Something like a PB&J sandwich, crackers with cheese or some Greek yogurt with fruit and granola are great options.
If you’re shorter on time, you may just want to focus on quick digesting carbohydrates such as fruit, crackers or pretzels.
As a general rule, the closer to your run, the more easily digestible carbs you’ll need!
After training, aim to eat something within an hour of your workout and include both protein and carbohydrates. The protein will aid in recovery by helping rebuild and repair muscles, and the carbs will replenish your muscle glycogen (energy) stores. Examples of this include a turkey sandwich, hummus with edamame and pretzels or a high protein smoothie.
When planning meals, all the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fats) are necessary for optimal performance and recovery, however carbs and protein are the most important surrounding exercise.
What about my other meals throughout the day?
My favorite resource for runners are called The Athlete’s Plates. These are simple visual tools that can help you create balanced meals based on your training schedule. Depending on your training volume and intensity, your nutrition needs change!
The Athlete’s Plates act as a guide to help adjust your nutrition needs for your daily training volume. As you prepare for your first 5K, most of your days will be considered ‘easy’. This isn’t because the workouts are easy, because they aren’t! Rather, its about the length of time you’re going to be spending running, compared to someone who is preparing for a longer race distance.
Carbohydrates are our body’s primary fuel source that gives us the energy we need to complete our runs. If we’re underfueling, our body will turn to muscle as an energy source, which over time will lead to muscle loss. So getting enough carbohydrates prior to a run will ensure that muscle isn’t being used as energy.
So what exactly should you eat before your actual race?
What you eat prior to your race is going to affect your performance! However because of the shorter time and distance of a 5K race, you won’t need to do any carbohydrate loading in advance. If you’ve been properly fueling during your training, then you should have everything you need to have your best race.
On race day, make sure you give yourself enough time to eat breakfast. An hour or two before your race, eat one of your normal pre-run meals. Ideally this will include foods high in carbohydrates, but may also include a little bit of protein, such as toast with an egg and fruit, a bowl of oatmeal, or fruit topped with a few spoons of greek yogurt.
Then about 30 minutes before your race, take a few sips of a sports drink to top up your body’s fuel stores.
Stick to what works.
Now is the time for you to learn the golden rule of running “Nothing new on race day!”
The morning of your race is not the time to switch up what you regularly eat before you run. New foods plus a bit of race-day jitters can lead to annoying digestive issues that can really ruin your race day experience.
If you regularly experience GI issues while running, you’re not alone! These symptoms are actually fairly common in runners. Learn what causes GI troubles and how to deal with them by checking out the blog below.
How to Stop GI Issues From Hurting Your Running
Don’t forget about hydration
Dehydration is a serious problem that can derail your performance. Make sure you’re staying hydrated the days leading up to the race. This can be achieved by drinking water with meals and in small volumes throughout the day.
You’ll want to make sure you’re hydrating during your race as well. Take a few sips of water every 15 minutes rather than drinking large amounts all at once as this will be much easier on your GI system. Additional fluids may be needed in certain situations like if it happens to be a hot or humid day.
Now that you’ve learnt all about how to fuel for your race, you’re ready to move on to step 2!
Step 2: TRAIN
Training for a 5K race can look a bit different depending on your running experience. You may either be (a) a brand new runner building up their mileage to a 5K race for the very first time. Or, (b) an experienced runner with a goal of improving their 5K race time.
For this blog we’ll be focusing on new runners who are building up to their first 5K distance. There are a number of different “Couch to 5K” style training programs out there (like this one from Runner’s World) that will guide you through slowly increasing your time spent running week by week. You may want to incorporate a walk/run structure into your plan (or even use a walk/run approach on race day!), or you may have a goal of running the whole distance. What’s important here is setting a realistic goal that you can achieve in the time you have to train.
How often to run
While training for your first 5K, plan to run 3-4 days per week. Again, depending on your current fitness level and goals you may be able (and want to) run more, but you’ll also want to make time for strength training and a rest day or two each week!
You have to slow down in order to speed up
One of the most common mistakes new runners make is trying to complete every training run as fast as they possibly can. Even very experienced runners make this mistake too!
Instead, we want to focus on running slower, so that we can build up our body’s endurance. This is called our ‘aerobic base’. Having a well-developed aerobic base will make it much easier to run faster for longer down the road.
So, the majority of the time you spend running each week should be slow, or within what we call your ‘easy zone’. This can generally be identified by heart rate (less than 75% of your maximum heart rate), or a pace where you can still carry on a bit of a conversation.
If even your slowest running pace causes your heart rate to climb above this 75% threshold, a walk/run program would be a great way to start building up your fitness and endurance.
For your first 5K race, building up your endurance to be able to run the whole race without stopping might be your goal, which is great! If this is the case, focus on increasing your time spent running and time on your feet at this slow or easy pace (or increasing your run intervals on a walk/run plan) before adding in any harder speed work. Save that for your next training cycle!
Learn more about the importance of easy running and how it will help make you faster in the long run here Easy Running: Why You Need to Run Slow if You Want to Run Fast
Include regular strength training
Strength training should be a core component of your running plans, right from your very first 5K race! The benefits of strength training for your running include:
- Reduced injury risk
- Better running mechanics, form, and stride
- Better endurance
- Better power and strength
Plan to strength train 2-3 times per week. These workouts can be scheduled on your running days (after you run), or on your non-running days.
Learn more about strength training and how it supports your running here Strength Training for Runners
Step 3: RECOVER
Recovery is often overlooked, but is essential for optimal results. Many people believe that fitness is improved and muscles are built during training, but the reality is that these adaptations occur after. This is why it’s extremely important to have a proper recovery strategy that includes refueling, rehydrating, and rest.
What should I eat after my race?
Post run nutrition is just as important as pre run nutrition! Aim to eat something within an hour of your race that includes both carbohydrates and protein. The carbs help to replenish your glycogen stores (the type of sugar that we store in our muscles for energy), and the protein will help rebuild and repair muscles, and reduce muscle soreness.
Include at least 20 gram of protein and 50-100 grams of carbs in your post run meal or snack. This can look like a turkey, chicken or tuna sandwich, pasta with meat sauce, or a high protein energy bar.
If you’re looking for meal or snack ideas specific for runners, click here to get a copy of my Free Fueling Guide for Runners!
Don’t forget about hydration…again!
When we run, we lose a lot of fluid through sweat and it’s important to replace what was lost. Aim to drink at least 16oz (2 cups) of water right after your run. For a 5k run, electrolyte replacement is likely not necessary as you aren’t sweating for a prolonged period of time. Plain old water will be enough to rehydrate!
Make sure to get enough rest.
Sleep is one thing that we could all get more of. It is a critical part of the recovery process that is needed for our bodies to recover from training demands. This is the time when we produce growth hormone which stimulates muscle growth and repairs damaged muscle tissue. If you experience low energy levels or mental and physical fatigue, it may be a sign that you need more sleep! Aim to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
To step up your recovery game, have a plan that includes things you should be doing after EVERY run to ensure optimal recovery. For more recovery tips, check out my blog below.
The bottom line
Preparing for your first 5k race doesn’t need to be complicated or overwhelming. But, you do need a plan! If you have a solid nutrition, training and recovery strategy, I have no doubt that you’ll reach your goals.
You have all the tools you need to perform your best, now go get started!
Do you need some help with your nutrition or training plan to improve your race times and body composition? Click here to learn more how you can work with me!
TRAINING FOR YOUR FIRST 5K FAQ
Do I need to carb load before my race?
There’s no need to carb load for a 5K run. This length of run isn’t long enough for carb loading to be beneficial. With a proper nutrition plan, you’ll have enough fuel for your run without needing to carb load in advance.
Do I need to fuel during my race?
When exercising for one hour or less, no additional fuel is needed. As long as you had a good meal ahead of time and have a plan for your post race snack, you’ll be adequately nourished for your race.
Do I need an electrolyte replacement?
Sports drinks or electrolyte replacement drinks are generally not necessary for a 5k race. However, in certain situations you may benefit from drinking one. This includes if you’ll be running for longer than 1 hour, in very hot/humid conditions, or if you’re a ‘salty’ sweater. Read more about hydration below.
Sports Drinks vs Water: Which Suits shout Hydration Needs Best?
How do I avoid GI issues when running a race?
There could be a few reasons why you’re experiencing GI issues when running. Try avoiding foods high in protein, fibre and fat before running to help manage digestive issues and stick to what you know works for you. Race day is not the time to experiment! To learn more, read my blog post below.
How to Stop GI Issues from Hurting Your Running
Is strength training necessary for runners?
Yes! Strength training is key to becoming a better running and improving your PRs. Learn more about the benefits of strength training for runners in the blog post below.
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