I am a runner. I’ve always been a runner. I started running in grade school and fell in love with it. I will do lots of different kinds of physical activity to stay in shape but running has always been my go to. It helps with stress and keeps me in shape. I recommend running to many people to help aid in their healing and overall health. The most common thing I hear when I recommend running is a laugh and “I’m not a runner! I couldn’t run 2 minutes if I tried!”. The response that I give in return is that everyone, barring physical barriers and limitations, can do a 5k. The human body is built for endurance. There are few animals on this planet that have the innate ability to continuously move their body for long periods of time. Humans have this ability. Even when we are completely out of shape we still can go for long periods without rest. How many times have you been shopping at Christmas and walking around the shops for hours on end? How many times have you been at work and on your feet going from one place to another? If you were to add up all those steps you’d realize that it’s quite the distance that you’ve covered. I’m sure you have heard the recommendation of doing 10000 steps per day. Did you know that 10000 steps for the average person equates to about 5 miles or 8km? Everyone should be walking a minimum of 8km per day. The muscles of the body can easily perform that distance for even the average out of shape Canadian.
Now, you’re wondering how long it will take to complete a 5k? The average walking pace would take you 1 hour to complete it. The average running pace would take you 30mins. My recommendation for anyone thinking of taking on the challenge of completing a 5k race is to start off by walking the distance. Walk it several times so you get a sense of how your body responds and then slowly add some running into the mix. Run for 2 mins and walk for 5-10 mins (or however long it takes for you to recover). Slowly increase that time from 2 mins of running up to 10 mins of continuous running. Once you can run for 10 mins consecutively then you’re essentially there. It won’t take long to complete an entire 5k while running. The honest truth in this though is that you really don’t ever need to complete a 5k running the entire distance. In fact many people running 5k races will do a run/walk combo. But once you’ve mastered the 5k distance then look to the 10k distance.
I’ve helped many people through this couch to 5k training program. The honest truth is that I could write a book on how to properly train for it. In fact many people HAVE written books on this subject. If you want my coaching on this matter come in and talk with me. I will never charge you for the training and it will help enhance your overall health and wellness. So, look at the calendar for a 5k race to join and circle it. You’ve got this!
At Kramp Chiropractic we are always aligning you to optimal health!
