Health & Fitness

Monday, October 22, 2012

My First 5k

This past weekend I participated in my first 5K-- The Chicago Monster Dash! I had a blast and wanted to share some tips for completing your first 5K.

1.  Train: I did not train nearly as hard as I should have in running, but I recently joined a gym doing group fitness classes that helped increase my endurance. I told myself before the race that if I can do an intense cardio workout without stopping for an hour, I can run this thing!

2.  Sign up for a race that has a fun element: I love the race options these days-- dressing up in funny costumes, obstacles in the mud, and being doused with colors! These give the workouts something extra special to look forward to, as opposed to fearing the run itself.

Our Toy Story Theme

Beth- our team captain!

3. Have Fun! Enjoy the encouraging atmosphere and the sense of accomplishment when you are done! There is nothing more rewarding.

Exhaustion but satisfaction at the finish line

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Training for my first 5K race!

My apologies for not adhering to my start-of-the-week post to lessen some of the Monday blues, but yesterday was Labor Day and I doubted there were blues in sight!  

One always feels more beautiful when they are healthy and physically fit.  I’m really not great at adhering to a regular gym routine—my workout preference includes hiking, biking, swimming, or any other sort of nature activity.  For the cold winter months, I prefer fun indoor classes like Zumba or Yoga. 

In order to push myself to stick to a workout, I’ve signed up for my first ever 5K on October 21!  I’m excited to participate in the Chicago Monster Dash and dress in a “toys” theme with a group of friends.  I’m now forced to stick to a running routine, so I’m not straggling behind during the race.  It is energizing me to not dare skip a workout.  It will be very exciting when I cross that finish line!  On top of the exercise, I’ve been hydrating more frequently and eating healthier, because it helps my runs.  

I found this routine that I’ve been trying to stick to, in order to train with ease:

Please send along any first 5k tips you may have!  Wish me luck!!