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One of the most common things I hear from others when I tell them I run 5K races is, “What is it like?” The truth is, when I started this year, I had absolutely no idea what to expect during each race. To this day, every single race is different, not just because of the route and crowd, but because I am constantly learning things along the way about running, improving my gear, and so forth. I had run Color Me Rad the year before, but since that is much more of a “fun run” (and walk) for most, it was a vastly different experience than the races I have done this year. I am going to compare the FIVE 5K runs I have done so far this year, all using the same question format so that you can get an idea of just how much each race can differ and what tips I’ve brought with me along the way.
I hope you find this helpful if you’re thinking about getting into running or joining a 5K race in your area. I am the first to admit that it can be extremely intimidating, but I specifically put this together so that you can feel more confident and fearless in your ventures! Here we go…
RACE PREP FOR ALL FIVE 5K’s: This applies to every race I’ve done so far, so I’ll include this before I go into specifics on each.
- Set my clothing out the night before. From my sports bra to my pants, down to my underwear. Races start early and digging for clothing the morning of your race will annoy the hell out of you and wear you down. You can get up, grab your pile, and get dressed.
- Stop cardio 2 days before the race. Technically you shouldn’t be doing hardcore cardio and running on back-to-back days, but this is especially true if you’re running a race and want to beat your record pace. It’s best to feel rejuvenated and not terribly sore with tons of muscle fatigue on the day of your race.
- Eat a little something (but not too much). I don’t like to run my races on an empty stomach, and I know this varies from person to person. I will usually have something with protein and complex carbs in it. A piece of fruit works as well;nothing too heavy, just enough to keep your blood sugar steady during the race.
- Pick up race packets ahead of time. I personally am a planner and don’t like having to grab my race packets the morning of the race. There can be long lines and a waiting period, not to mention that many of the races are a good 15-30 minutes away from our house. If I can use that time for extra sleep, I’ll take it. Usually packet pick-up is the day before the race, and this also allows me to wear the race shirt they provide on the actual day of the race.
- Load your 5K Playlist. This is a “night before race” tradition for me because it helps me get excited about everything. I change my playlist on my phone every time and it depends on what I’m currently in the mood for. Sometimes I play rock music with blaring riffs and beats, sometimes I go with current hits, and sometimes I like to include inspirational/motivational songs. There is nothing worse than having your music suck during a race!
(in chronological order this year)
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RACE NAME: Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Run 2015
RACE REGISTRATION COST: $25 per person (included a long-sleeved shirt and coupons/goodies inside)
RACE DATE: January 24th, 2015
RACE TIME: 8:15am
MY FITNESS LEVEL/WEIGHT: The start of my journey back into running and losing weight, I was at my heaviest at the start of January. I had taken off about 5-7lbs, but I was still working at my heaviest and most physically unfit.
RACE WEATHER: Cold, breezy, and damp. The temperature was in the mid to upper 30’s and there was a chilling breeze. It had rained the night before so the streets and air were wet and damp.
RACE CROWD: Teenagers, children, parents with strollers, older people, middle-aged people, and hardcore runners. This was a mixed bag race where the people running it really varied. There were literally people from 4 to 84 years old participating in this. The overall vibe was happy and supportive with people cheering runners on.
RACE ACCOMMODATIONS (parking, snacks, etc): Cafeteria with free granola bars, bagels, water, coffee, and juices, as well as banana’s. Parking was simple and easy to access, as well as close by. All food and beverages were also available after the race for replenishment.
MY RACE GEAR: Fleece-lined athletic leggings, New Balance foam sneakers, sports bra with a long layered tank top and the race shirt provided over top. I also wore gloves to keep my hands warm and a fleece-lined headband to keep my ears covered from the cold and wind. I did not run this race with any music or my phone. I also use my Polar FT4 to track my heart rate, calories burned, and time.
RACE TERRAIN: Flat and residential. It wrapped through a nice neighborhood of homes and was quite quiet and peaceful. It contained very few hills and even those inclines were quite low. Police had roads blocked off and were directing traffic to keep every runner safe.
MY ANTHEM FOR THIS RACE (from my 5K Playlist): Nothing, because I didn’t use music or my phone during this race.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS RACE: Music is a necessity. Running this race with no music made the course seem long, dull, and uninspiring. Instead, I kept focusing on how cold it was and how long it had been since I had run before this, which was bad for my mental toughness. My other lesson was to ditch the Polar FT4 watch for races. I constantly checked my heart rate and time via my watch and became worried when I felt it was going too high or my time was too long. Checking the watch obsessively slowed me down and caused unnecessary distraction for me, so I never wore it again to a race.
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RACE NAME: Lexington Race Against Hunger (LRAH)
RACE REGISTRATION COST: $15 per person (included long-sleeved race shirt and coupons)
RACE DATE: February 28th, 2015
RACE TIME: 7:30am
MY FITNESS LEVEL/WEIGHT: About 2 months into my journey, I had taken off a solid 15lbs by this point. I was working out regularly and eating healthy. My fitness level was still not fantastic, but I was working at it.
RACE WEATHER: Cold, sunny, and windy. The temperature was in the upper 30’s and the wind was quite noticeable at this race. The sunshine helped though!
RACE CROWD: Very family friendly and community oriented. There were many children, parents with strollers, and people walking the course. There were, of course, hardcore running enthusiasts, but the crowd was very laid-back.
RACE ACCOMMODATIONS (parking, snacks, etc): Church gym which contained coffee, water, energy bars, and banana’s for free. The parking was fast and easy and right inside the church parking lot itself. Water stations were positioned at Mile 2 and Mile 3.
MY RACE GEAR: Fleece-lined athletic leggings, New Balance foam sneakers, sports bra with a long layered tank top and the race shirt provided over top. I also wore my fleece-lined headband to keep my ears covered from the cold and wind and keep my headphones in place. I ditched the Polar FT4 so I wouldn’t be tracking my heart rate and time constantly. I also brought along my phone and a music playlist with me.
RACE TERRAIN: Rolling hills mixed in with flat terrain and residential. The course went through an area of homes, so it was peaceful. Police were blocking the roads and directing traffic so it was safe. The last portion of the race was along a main highway, so one entire direction was blocked off and closed for us. The race course was not certified, however, and clocked in under 5K officially at 2.7 miles which was a bit disappointing for those of us timing ourselves.
MY ANTHEM FOR THIS RACE (from my 5K Playlist): Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, because it is such a funky song with an awesome beat to pound pavement to.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS RACE: Check if the race is a certified course, since this one was not and actually fell under the 3.1 miles (an official 5K). It was a bummer for those who were trying to compare their time to their last 5K, which I was. Also, this race handed out bibs, but not race numbers to the 5K runners because it was so laid-back. I prefer to have my own race bib number and electronic tracker on the back so that when I cross the finish line my time is recorded. This was solely offered to the 10K runners for this race, so there was a finish line clock, but you had to remember your own time when you crossed it.
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RACE NAME: YMCA of Downtown Columbia Bunny Hop 5K
RACE REGISTRATION COST: $25 per person (included short-sleeved race shirt)
RACE DATE: April 4th, 2015
RACE TIME: 8:30am
MY FITNESS LEVEL/WEIGHT: A little over 3 months into my journey, I had taken off a solid 25lbs and was feeling good. My fitness level was greatly improved.
RACE WEATHER: Rainy, damp, humid, but temperate in the 60’s. It was cloudy and there was no rain forecasted for race morning, but as soon as we started running, it started raining. The rain turned from a drizzle to a soaking rain. Throughout the 3.1 miles, it poured heavily on and off.
RACE CROWD: Fun loving community of people who were wearing bunny headbands and bunny-inspired gear. There were more running enthusiasts during this race than my other races, though there were definitely children, parents with strollers, and people who walked. It was not an intimidating crowd though at all.
RACE ACCOMMODATIONS (parking, snacks, etc): In a parking lot outside of the downtown YMCA. There was a DJ playing music, a cool backdrop to take photo’s in front of (pictured above), a woman dressed up as a bunny, and plenty of free food and drinks to choose from. There were also various vendors there promoting products. Parking was actually fairly easy, despite it being a downtown location. Our car ended up just a short 2 minute walk from the parking lot. Water stations were placed throughout the race.
MY RACE GEAR: Compression running leggings, New Balance foam sneakers, sports bra, short-sleeved YMCA race t-shirt, bunny ear clips, and a purple athletic headband to brush away sweat from my face and hold my headphones in. I also brought along my phone for music.
RACE TERRAIN: Flat and downtown area course route. This was the flattest race course we have done so far and I wish I had appreciated it more. Police were directing traffic and blocking off roads, but because this was downtown, you definitely had to be a bit more alert to keep safe. Police did stop runners to let traffic go at times, as well. The scenery was rather dull since it was downtown and there were mostly just a lot of concrete buildings, but the nice flat terrain made it more pleasant despite the soaking rain.
MY ANTHEM FOR THIS RACE (from my 5K Playlist): Survival, by Eminem. I keep thinking of the line “This is survival of the fittest. This is do or die” during the chorus. I remember this playing as I pushed through the pouring rain, drenched.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS RACE: Appreciate a nice flat course when you have one. 3 out of the 5 races we have done so far were hilly and it took doing a heavily inclined course to appreciate it. Also, make sure you are prepared for rain, even if the forecast isn’t calling for it. We were drenched after the race and I kept my phone inside my sports bra for protection (I didn’t have my armband with me).
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RACE NAME: Jillian’s Cure Superhero 5K
RACE REGISTRATION COST: $35 per person (included coupons and a short-sleeved race shirt)
RACE DATE: April 18th, 2015
RACE TIME: 7:30am
MY FITNESS LEVEL/WEIGHT: About 3.5 months into my journey, I was feeling lighter and fitter, but had gotten pneumonia the week before. I had signed up for this race weeks earlier and wasn’t going to miss it after meeting Jillian’s mom at the Lexington Race Against Hunger 5K. I went and ran this anyway against my doctor’s wishes and my lung health. I wasn’t feeling horrible but I definitely was still only about 60-70% healed.
RACE WEATHER: Cloudy, rainy, muggy, and in the lower 60’s. It had rained heavily the night before but it didn’t rain once during the race, which was nice. The roads were slick and wet though and it was dreary and foggy.
RACE CROWD: Very family friendly and community oriented. This race was a “Superhero 5K,” for Jillian who has Optic Atrophy. Everyone wore superhero themed gear and some even dressed up in full costume. This was a smaller crowd of people, the smallest race we have done so far, but there was a great sense of community and pride in running for Jillian and her family. People were running and there were also a lot of people walking, both out of exhaustion and because they chose to walk the entire course.
RACE ACCOMMODATIONS (parking, snacks, etc): The parking was right across the street from the Municipal Building where it was held and it was simple to access. They had a silent auction going on and various vendors. They also hosted a Family Fun Day for all families that day afterward. There was Zumba and a DJ as a warm-up and they had water and banana’s afterward for free. It was a very spirited event. They also had water stations set up along the course (great for a quick sip or sip and spit to clear the thick saliva in your mouth that you get from running).
MY RACE GEAR: Superman leggings that were awesome but very sheer, so I wore a mens’ big and tall XL shirt to cover my torso and butt area. I also wore my New Balance foam sneakers, sports bra, and my trusty purple athletic headband to hold my headphones in.
RACE TERRAIN: Very hilly race along some main stretches of road and in residential areas. Police were directing traffic so it was safe for us. I was not prepared for how hilly this course was going to be and it was by far our toughest course at this point. I believe some of the inclines were equal to a 10-15 on a treadmill, and it was hard. Even my husband who runs a faster race than me said he found the hills and inclines to be difficult.
MY ANTHEM FOR THIS RACE (from my 5K Playlist): Cracks (Flux Pavillion Remix) by the Freestylers. There is something awesome about a song that has very few lyrics and mostly just an awesome trance-like dance beat to it. I can zone out and focus on the beats instead of the pain I am feeling from running.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS RACE: Don’t beat yourself up over your race time if you’re running sick or under the weather. This was my worst race time of the year, but I crossed the finish line while still fighting pneumonia. This race also taught me the importance of training for hill runs. This was an extremely hilly race and it was the first time it really dawned on me that I would need to start training specifically on inclines to build my endurance. There were times I actually felt like I was going to vomit, and I also attribute that to eating too close to the race start. This race was our first that was close to home (10-15 minutes away), so there wasn’t necessarily adequate time to digest like we had with previous races.
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RACE NAME: See Spot Run 5K for the Humane Society
RACE REGISTRATION COST: $30 per person (included an awesome athletic moisture-wicking short-sleeved race shirt and a coozy)
RACE DATE: May 16th, 2015
RACE TIME: 7:45am
MY FITNESS LEVEL/WEIGHT: At my lightest, with 40lbs lost and feeling like I have a good amount of endurance when running. Because life has been so busy, I haven’t been training as often as I would like to, but I do feel I am in the best shape I have been in, in a long time.
RACE WEATHER: Sunny, warm, and beautiful! This was perfect race weather in my opinion because it wasn’t humid and hot, but it wasn’t cold either. The temperature was around 67 degrees and it was sunny. It did get a little hot during the race when you were in the direct sunlight, but that’s spring in the south!
RACE CROWD: Very family and pet friendly with a healthy mix of hardcore runners and leisurely walkers. Dogs were invited to attend this event and run or walk the 5K with their owners, so there were many, many dogs there. There were also children, strollers, hardcore runners, and people who came just to walk the entire route and enjoy themselves. There was a 12K (which is a brand new race length and route for this area), so the hardcore runners were mostly a part of that group, which started 15 minutes before we did.
RACE ACCOMMODATIONS (parking, snacks, etc): The accommodations were in a park right in the downtown area. The park is big and set sort of in the middle of a residential and downtown area. The parking was probably the “worst” for this event, and even then, it wasn’t awful. We did spend about 10 minutes trying to find a spot to parallel park in along the street, but once we found it, it was only a 5 minute walk to the race start. Free coozies, bagels, fruit, juice, coffee, and water were offered both before and after the race. There were also many vendors set up, including a local brewery that offered a small sampling of beer after the race (super awesome!). Water stations were set in 2 places throughout the course. After the race, there was an awesome gathering of dog lovers, dogs, vendors, and runners who were talking, sharing stories, and meeting one another. I met another awesome woman at this race, Kristine, whom I shared my personal story with.
MY RACE GEAR: Capri athletic leggings, sports bra, tunic athletic tank top, Brooks Glycerin 12 sneakers, and my purple calf compression sleeves. I also used my purple headband to keep sweat from rolling down my face, and new Yurbuds headphones (from Target), which are awesome for tiny ears like I have. Regular earbuds never stay in my ears, and these stayed in the entire time. Also, I finally remembered to bring along my armband for my phone!
RACE TERRAIN: Moderate to extreme elevations. When we first pulled up to the park, my heart sank because I saw how insanely inclined the roads were. This course was the most difficult one we have done this year because the elevations were plentiful and they were steep. Going uphill was difficult of course, but going downhill carefully was also just as important because one wrong step and you would have seriously injured yourself. The race itself was both residential and along a main highway. There was a heavy police presence for blocking off roads and directing traffic, so I felt like this one was extremely safe and accommodating, despite spanning along a large stretch of a major 4-lane highway. In general, there were more hills than not, so it was our most “mountainous” race by far. It has inspired me to start hill training!
MY ANTHEM FOR THIS RACE (from my 5K Playlist): Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. It has that awesome driving drum beat and riff to it, and the lyrics are all “BEAST MODE” inspiring.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS RACE: Calf sleeves rock. Seriously. I bought those calf sleeves from Target because I feel that the way my foot is shaped causes me to overuse my calf muscles when running. As a result, they get extremely sore quickly. They not only helped my calves to feel less sore, but they helped with circulation in my lower legs and really held everything taut for a much cleaner run. I highly recommend this piece of gear if you have calf soreness. Also, remember to bring your armband for your phone with you to races! I was happy I finally remembered to bring it for this race because it made me feel less weighed down. Lastly, the most important thing this race taught me is that I need to HILL TRAIN desperately. If I want to beat my PR (personal record), I’m going to have to get used to the fact that I live in a hilly area of South Carolina and most races will probably have hills. I’m currently working on this!
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Our next race is this coming Saturday, May 30th 2015. It’s the most local race we will have done and is practically right down the road from our house. I’m looking forward to it, but I have already checked the elevations from the course map and it looks like we are in for another hill-tastic race. Hill training is my next big personal goal.
Remember, everyone has had to start somewhere when it comes to running. The people running 5 minute miles were once slower runners. Whether your goal is to lose weight, take up a new hobby, get rid of stress, donate to charity, or become a better, faster runner, it’s going to take time and training to do so. All of the races I’ve been to this year have had the same things in common: charitable people, community minded runners, and encouraging personalities. Everyone is typically so focused on their own running and getting through their own mental and physical toughness that they won’t notice if you’re moving slow. I’ve never felt like anyone was judging me or laughing at me during any of these races…not even once. In fact, every race has had people cheering on the sidelines, yelling things like “You got this!” and “Almost at the finish line!” We’ve had people tell us “Congratulations!” afterward as well. It’s a truly uplifting community of people and if it’s something you’re considering doing, the best thing to do is to just go for it.
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I hope I’ve been able to help some of you who may wonder what a 5K race is like and many of the common questions people ask me about them. Hopefully you can learn from my own mistakes and tips and tricks above, as well. Happy running!