The long-awaited finish line: insert yourself here.
First off, congrats! Signing up for a race is a huge step. You’ve made the commitment, but now you might be left wondering what to do next. (Or, said another way, you may be freaking a bit.) No worries; we have your back. Here are some suggestions for your next moves so you can get across the finish line as quickly and happily as possible.
Get a training plan. While you can maybe wing a 5K race, you need to have a plan of attack for half-marathon or 10k preparation. With your race entry to the ZOOMA 5K, 10K, or half-marathon, we are giving you innovative and unique training plans from and 10 training FAQ’s answered by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, the authors of Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother and contributing editors to Runner’s World.
Track your progress. There’s no right or wrong way to record your workouts—some old-school gals favor pen and paper, while others go digital—you can gain a lot of support and motivation by using a site like Dailymile, Runkeeper, Nikeplus, and Strands. These sites are part social media, part record keeper—so you’ll have both real supportive people and hard numbers for keeping you honest and on task.
Having a friend by your side makes the miles go *so* much faster.
Find someone to run with. It’s not a requisite to have a training partner or running group, but it sure does make the miles tick by faster. Plus, they can share insight and info with you, like the secrets of staying strong on longer runs (hint, hint: taking in calories and hydration) and staying chafe-free (BodyGlide, BodyGlide, and more BodyGlide!) Ways to find running buddies: ZOOMA Meet-up Runs; local running stores often host group runs; post a sign at your local gym; ask friends for suggestions.
Wear the right stuff. Pretty much any tee and shorts will do, but we insist you have every gal’s running BFFs—a supportive sports bra and running shoes that fit properly. Sometimes we think a bra is almost more critical because if your “girls” aren’t happy on a run, you won’t be either. Two online places to get, um, support in finding the right bra for you: the Champion Sports Bra Finder and Title Nine’s Bounce. As for shoes: prance your little tootsies down to a running specialty store. And don’t be intimidated: there’s nothing more they want more than to have another runner in the world. Somebody there there will watch you run and guide you to a perfect pair. Check out this store finder to locate a local shop.
Stay hydrated and well fueled. In the first few weeks of training, you won’t be going long enough to have to eat or drink out on your runs. But once you get up around an hour or more, you’ll need to fuel on the fly. (Actually, it’s fine to walk…) Carry water or a sport drink, calorie-free electrolyte-replacement tablets you drop into H2O) in a hand-held bottle or worn at your waist. Experiment with various gels, bars, and chews as a way to take in muscle-fueling carbohydrates on your longer runs; they’ve got a huge variety at running stores, and some at grocery stores as well.
Have training questions along the way? Contact us here with your training question, and we’ll get it answered by Dimity and Sarah.
