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Hi Mike,

I know you're the fitness Guru and I should have asked you this first but I need your expertise!

I'm doing a 5km run in two months and I have NO idea really how to prepare. I haven't done regular exercise in four and a half years, at least, since I left school and walking up three flights of stairs makes me breathless.

Worst comes to worst, you can walk this thing but I want to run for at least some of it. I am about 150 pounds (or 10 stone to me) and 5'5. I'm 21 and need all the advice I can get about training, the diet you need while training and anything else that could be considered vital information. I can't stress this enough, I need to know everything you know about this!!

I'm so sorry, I know this is a huge task for you, but I really would appreciate your help.

Vikki

Vikki Vikki Vikki *tisk tisk* ;-)

5k is a pretty long run. You're going to have to do a whole lot of work if you want to do decent on this event and 2 months is not really a good window of time to prepare but you can still make great improvements.

Let's start out slow- something like a test jog for 1/4 mile. See what time it takes you to run 1/4 mile and if you are struggling for air or feel pretty good after it. If you can complete the 1/4 mile in about 3-5 minutes and feel pretty good at its completion then we're on a pretty good track.

Realistically- you aren't going to be able to train for 2 months given the condition you are telling me you are in and be expected to run a 5k marathon. You can't train like an Olympic runner- you have to train like a beginner and do what you can. Try for like 2k of nonstop running and walk the rest or if you feel good then continue for as long as you can. Combining short distance sprinting with longer distance light jogging is great for conditioning and even better if you are able to run in sand. Nothing too complex and more is not always better.

Breathing is extremely important with running and try to get yourself used to taking big breaths in through the nose and out the mouth every about 25-30 feet.

Now as far as your diet, if I am not mistaken you are a vegetarian. Continue going the way you are going now with that just try to eat a little bit cleaner and try to bring in some more breads/pasta/potatoes for energy needs. The day before your marathon try and eat around 100-150g of carbs and before your actual run try and have something light like a dry piece of toast and some fruit for a quick energy source.

Nice and easy and just focus on the small goals and use it as a building block for another time in the future when you want to enter another event and you have plenty of time to condition and have built a good foundation.

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(Rating: 5) Thanks Mike! Can't believe you remembered I'm a veggie! Nice! Thankfully although it's called Race For Life, it's not really considered a race. It's a sponsored run all over the UK to raise money for cancer research and just completing it is considered an achievement (and certainly will be for me!!)

Thanks for the advice and I will try to do all of that. Will let you know on the Mod Board how I do after the big day!

Thanks again.
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