Running with Someone on Their First 5K

That's the crazy thing, when she stops she just stops. I'm totally not used to that, because for me I will stop running but then I could walk forever. Maybe she just needs a much slower pace. I know she is worried about being last place, but I told her since it is a running and walking event that really there isn't a danger of that. There always seem to be a couple very overweight people at these things so there is going to be someone who takes well over an hour. I'm estimating my friend could do at least 45 minutes or less.

Do you think once a week is enough training for her? Or should I try to push her to train another day on her own?

Next thing you know I'll be inspiring you to run over the internet.;)

I think I was so out of shape before that now people are like, "if she can run, I can run!" LOL, sad but probably true.

Sadly no. I am not into running. I must be getting the exercise I need at work because I am now the size I was when I was in highschool! I'll always be your cheerleader though. That's as close as I'll get.

Well, you're doing better than me if you're the size you were in high school. I weight about 50 pounds more now than I did in high school. Maybe not that bad, but it's pretty bad!

Three things have happened that Must have helped. First is a sad thing,I lost my mom.second,I stopped eating as much and as often. So instead of having two huge meals and three or four snacks,I have one huge meal and two snacks.And third,I walk more at my job and I added an extra day of work. Between all of this, I started to see my beloved clothes were too big!it has been 4 years since all this started and I am now about the size I was in highschool.But as you see I didn't plan Any of it. you are running now so you Will lose the weight,and you will have a more toned body too! and since you Want to lose the weight,it will happen faster than 4 years! don't compare yourself to anyone. You are you! Just keep running and most of all having fun and it will happen.

I don't know about that... but I have been trying to catch my mistakes early. I was disappointed when I couldn't do barefoot running. But I still learned a lot about better footstrike from that experience.

With my friend right now, my main goal is just to help her complete all these miles. She sort of thought that 3 miles was shorter than it really was.

I've heard of that program but I haven't looked into it too much.

She has plenty of free time to run three days a week, I'm just thinking she wouldn't do that much. Although honestly after all my injuries I'm not sure if I'd recommend her to start running that much. It seems like my problems started mostly after I started running 3 days a week sooner than I should have. Now that I'm alternating between cycling and running, my injuries are healing.

I'm pretty sure she'll be walking at least part of her first 5K too. On my first one I felt like walking but I just wouldn't let myself. But while she does push herself as hard as she can, she won't go beyond where it hurts like I will. I think that's why she ends up coming to a complete and total halt. But I will remind her about the importance of the cool down. That's something I tend to forget myself after races. Maybe with two of us trying to remember it will happen.:)

It's good to know that it will be possible to do this without a whole lot of preparation time. I know she was hoping to finish in the top 100 because then you get a pumpkin. But I've never even finished in the top 100 yet. If I can manage it, I will definitely give her my pumpkin. If I can't, we'll stop by some place on the way home and I will buy her one. Because I will be impressed with her even if she just finishes!

She is so scared of being last but really anything where people are allowed to walk you see some really slow people. So I think you're right, she can't possibly end up last. If she does, I can fake seeing a person way off in the distance and then tell her we better hurry to not miss the awards, lol.

Thank you so much for this excellent and very detailed advice!

I am kind of worried about that "I can't do it" attitude as you mention. Because I will push myself, but I think she isn't trying as hard as she could right now.

This week our "long" run together will be 2 miles, and so that she doesn't try to speed up (before I let her set the pace, but with me alongside so I think she felt bad and tried to speed up), I am going to take her to a looped walkway so that she can stay behind and never end up getting lost but not have to worry that she's holding me back (which I don't really mind, since it's nice to have a slow run every so often).

I'll try to get her to do some more speedwork on her own. That is a smart idea, and she'll do that too I'm sure because she loves shorter distances.

I wonder how breathing through your mouth affects your body while running? I ask only because with myself, I cannot breathe through my nose. I never have been able to. A doctor once told me if it bothered me, I could have a surgery to correct that because it's just a bone that blocks it. But I didn't really want to have surgery unless I needed it.

I'm glad to hear that you're willing to help someone else with something that benefits them so much!:P

If she is trying as hard as she can but isn't able to complete the distance then it's obviously a physical hinderance. While running alongside her don't forget to encourage her. Things like, "It's just another lap", or "You're almost done," always helps, especially when you've just started training.

As for breathing through your mouth/nose:
I've seen a lot of runners that inhale and exhale through their mouth and it's fine. It's better for you if you inhale through your nose but if you can't then you aren't missing out on a lot.

Oh, I almost forgot, when you/she is running sprints, it's best if you don't wait longer than a miunte between sprints. With too much time between sets you're body doesn't get the full benefit of each sprint.

Lastly, I'm sure you know that diet is also key when it comes to obtaining and maintaining a heightened physical state. So, don't forget to keep the carbs high. Foods like pasta, etc. always help with keeping energy up. Since complex carbohydrates are then main source of energy when performing long distance runs it's good to make sure that they included in your diet. Eating meals with high amounts of carbs the night before a run will really help as well.

Again, good luck with training your friend, from one runner to another.:D

Right now not as good as planned unfortunately. It's been rainy here and while I still ran once in the rain, she would not go for that. She told me we'd end up sick. And while obviously the rain is not what made me sick, I hate that her point is somewhat proved. I feel like I'm getting sick with something and so I've stopped doing much of anything for the past 2 days just to try my best to not end up getting completely sick. Some jerk came to work with the flu which is all well and good for him, but not so good for the rest of us. I'm trying my best to fight it off!

Provided I don't totally feel horrible on Saturday morning we may do a 2 mile run together. Well, actually the plan is that I'll do 4 miles and she'll do 2 (if she finishes early she can stretch or something, she doesn't actually take twice as long as me). I figured that if I'm alongside her, she wants to keep up and pushes too hard and then loses all of her energy. If we start at different points and just stay running on our own (it's a half mile loop course that I found), then we'll cross each others paths so I'll know she isn't lost, but she won't feel like she's slowing me down and needs to speed up.

Oh hey, I thought of you when I was at that marathon bike tour... I finished in time to see the half marathon finishers. Some guy in the top 20 was barefoot, ran it in around 1 hour and 20 minutes. Crazy! The announcer joked how he'd never get a sponsorship from Nike.

I just put my shoes on this week for my training.
I stepped on another itty shard of glass that got stuck in my foot and it took me 4 days to get it out. I need to find a track to train on barefoot I think, but it will wait until spring as it's starting to get cool here now.
I was talking to other barefooters and they were telling me pretty much to tough it out that it'll get better but I want to enjoy running, it doesn't necessarily have to be barefoot. I can't run in my vibrams though. My feet are real narrow and the toe compartments really pull apart my baby toe making it hurt. I'm back in my nike frees right now.
Tomorrows run will be 8 miles I hope. Still hoping for a half marathon in Dec.

Ouch, that sounds painful! I always want to try running barefoot on the track, but then I get grossed out because so many people spit on it. I have tried in my Vibrams though. Yeah, they do pull the toes apart and I wish the toe compartments were shorter for the little toes and longer for the big toe because I often get my toes bent back due to the weird excess. But I guess that would have to be too custom. My little toe eventually got used to it. But in the store I tried on the classics and it was horrible. Really pulled way too much. The KSOs aren't as bad on that but I'd rather have the classics.

I've been in my Nike Frees mostly but now I'm thinking of getting the New Balance 800. It's made for landing midfoot and has more cushion which my feet seem to need to do more training.

I'm somewhat thinking about doing a half marathon in January. And I'm actually crazy enough to want to do a marathon in March too! But only because I really really want to go through that course and they don't have a bike tour offered. Darn those people, lol. I am not sure I'm ready though or will be.