Want to try a 5K? Hints for aging women ...
I am a physical fitness enthusiast, especially since our Baker family is growing. Daughter Kirstin is pregnant with twin girls, and this "Nana" wants to be an active, effective part of their lives.
Not to mention the lives of the other seven grandchildren.
I've been working out regularly for almost 15 years but I have noticed some changes are needed to meet goals, despite one's age. Suggestions for 5K aspirants out there:
1. Pay attention to the quality of your shoes. I now buy Hokas, which can be pricey. They are perfect for those of us who have wide feet and high arches. I also buy Brooks.
2. The type of stockings is also important. To be sure, most of us never paid attention to quality fitness sox. In my 30's, 40's and 50's, almost any old brand would work for what I was doing.
That is a thing of the past.
A couple of years ago -- when COVID-19 was raging -- I somehow injured the bottom of both feet. I tried getting my steps in my Crocs, on a treadmill, and that worked okay. But the pain was horrible and I quit when both husband Steve and I both tested positive for the virus. I took a couple days off before starting up again.
It was quite clear I needed to pay much more attention to my feet.
These days I buy brand-name sox, like Bombas, SmartWool and Balega. On days I do a 5K, I put on the SmartWool anklets as well as shorter styles from Bomba or Balega. Both feel great inside the Hoka shoes!
3. Keep the shoes up-to-date. This topic is like stockings -- we used to keep the same pair of "tennis shoes" for a year or more and think nothing about it. I'm now buying new shoes twice a year for the 5K events.
This month I'll buy a new pair of shoes, add it to the pair I bought in January, and move the older pair to be used when working in the yard. That means that I'll lose my old pair of Brooks in a few weeks.
4. Check the Cornbelt Running Club website for an event. It's right here.
5. Start practicing. I first ran 3.1 miles (the 5K distance) on a treadmill. After identifying an event, I contact organizers to learn the route. It is best to run or walk the exact route you'd do on the day of the event.
6. Know your clothes. You want comfortable running shorts. I also wear an Iowa State T-back shirt which wicks out the sweat. I don a visor and also carry my phone and car keys in a device that fits around my hips.
6. Pay attention on the 5K event day. I suggest you get to the venue about an hour, or more, ahead of kickoff. I arrived pretty early and easily found a good parking place at my last 5K in downtown Davenport. I listened to the radio for a while and read the newspaper online. I located a restroom about 30 minutes before the start.
7. I ran and walked a little while and sipped some water before it began.
8. Runners started getting organized and I started in about halfway through that pack. Many people passed me when the "GO!" signal sounded. It took forever (for nervous me) to get to the half-way mark where officials offered water and encouragement. By that time I really wanted a drink of water so it was very welcome.
9. On the last half of the event I tried to calm myself while running/jogging. I passed a couple of folks and thought I saw the finish line ahead, but no. It was a bunch of boats in white covers. I was able to keep up the pace and even had a kick at the end, passing a younger runner.
10. I finished in about 40 minutes. That's not too bad but I'm aiming to make it into a few minutes faster next time. Maybe 38 minutes?
11. This interest in 5K events started during the pandemic. My first one was last June and I did write a blog about it. In 2021 I participated in two 5K events and the two-mile version of the Quad-City Times Bix 7. That's roughly what I hope to do in 2022.
12. Part of my reason for this activity is to keep up with grandchildren. When I ask granddaughter Myla --now 3.5 years old -- if she wants to walk around the block, she usually agrees. But she sets off running and it's all I can do to keep up with the kiddo. She might stop and pick up a stick, or some such, but generally she runs around a block, about 1/4 of a mile. I'm not kidding!
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