My First 5K

I signed up for my first 5K, I have not trained for this at all, it is also a walk so I can walk. My DH has never done it too but he jogs, and we just wanted to challenge ourselves. I have a few questions.

What should I eat for breakfast?
How long should I stretch?
How do I store my personal belongings?
What should I wear?

Thanks!!!

Re: My First 5K

A couple questions--when and where is the race? Are you planning to train for it? Training will depend on how much time you have until race day.

Breakfast--everyone has different methods but the key is eating early enough before the race. I can't run unless I've digested for an hour and I can't have a bowl of cereal before a race, I wouldn't be able to keep it down . I run long distances so I probably wouldn't have a big breakfast (possibly just eat a granola bar) for a 5K but you won't want anything that will give you heartburn or make you burp up too much! When I'm doing long runs (anything over 6 miles) I eat a bagel an hour before. I used to do oatmeal before races/runs and I got sick of it. Every runner I know does something different so you need to figure out what works best for you.

There is different schools of thought on stretching but my coaches advises no stretch before hand, stretch a lot after. If you are not running/walking for long periods of time now and then do a 5K, you'll be sore. You should make sure to spend 15-20 minutes stretching out your muscles after the race. You may be limping for a few days after the race but don't give up! I used to limp around after 3 miles and today I can run a half marathon and feel fine the next day It gets better!

Most races have a bag check for personal belongings. I usually bag check a small wallet, phone, something to change into, a snack etc. in a bag. Anything you need during race should be on your person!

You need to dress for the temperature of the race but dri fit clothing are always your best bet. I was looking for a good website for this and found this blog--its pretty accurate for me.

http://runeatrepeat.com/2013/12/16/winter-runninghow-to-dress-at-different-temperatures/