COVID Quarantine to 5K
If you’ve visited a state park or sporting goods store recently, you’ve likely noticed a dramatic change. State parks are packed, REI is sold out of hiking boots and kayaks, and people are rushing to find other ways to spend time and socialize outside. All it took was a global pandemic and a year of staying close to home. A 5k (3.1 mile) road race is a great introductory goal for an individual looking to partake in a fun outdoor activity that promotes health and wellness, and following a “Couch (or in this case, Quarantine) to 5k” program is a great way to ensure success when one is running their first race. This article will cover some tips one can add to their own Couch to 5k program to maintain safety and maximize fun.
For anyone looking to participate in a new physical activity, a visit to a physical therapist is an essential option as you begin. A certified physical therapist can identify asymmetries, imbalances, or potential contributors to an injury and offer solutions and strategies one can implement into their training.
The most obvious options include strengthening and mobility exercises - for good reason! The “vertical force” (think: the compression and load through your body) created with running is measured to be over twice as high compared to walking. Strengthening helps to prepare your muscles, tendons, and bones to withstand the increased force associated with running. Maintaining a healthy weight helps to manage this vertical force as well, and strengthening (i.e. weight training) helps to manage this better than long duration cardiovascular conditioning. Mobility exercises ensure your joints have the ability to move through the motion required for running.
Physical therapists are also trained to evaluate and assess ones running form. While many problems with proper form can be solved with strengthening and mobility exercises (see above), form can also be improved with video feedback, education, hands on treatment, and running specific drills. Other identified form obliquities can clue a physical therapist in on a potential injury before it becomes a limiting factor in one’s training, helping to solve a potential problem quickly and efficiently.
Physical Therapists are also experts at evaluating “where the rubber meets the road”. Some foot problems may take longer than expected to correct, especially if one’s road race is only a few weeks away! A physical therapist is the perfect person to evaluate your shoe choice to ensure proper fit and the correct “style” based on your foot alignment to ensure top performance. Many foot alignment problems can be greatly helped with orthotics, either custom made or off the shelf; the physical therapists at Health In Balance offer custom and over the counter orthotic options to help maintain the best position for your foot while running.
Outside of working with a physical therapist, technology also provides a tremendous advantage to a 5K participant. Social media websites often offer running clubs specific to your neighborhood or race. This is a great way to meet a training partner, as there is definitely “strength in numbers” or, if one is still trying to develop their relationship with running: “misery loves company!” Apps specific to 5K training or ones that outline strengthening, other fitness strategies, or tools to maintain motivation and track progress can often be found for free and come with the convenience of using your phone. Wearable fitness tracking devices also help to track mileage, heart rate, and sleep quality to ensure one’s “Couch to 5K” plan is going smoothly.
Lastly, a commonly overlooked factor when trying to ensure success with a 5K is focusing on the day of the event! While training in the weeks leading up to one’s first road race is the most important factor, managing the hours leading up to the race can provide the final competitive edge. Ensuring proper hydration is paramount and should ideally begin the night before the run – because of the short distance required for a 5K, one should consider hydrating only with water on the day of the event. Sports drinks and the associated electrolytes and sugar/sweeteners are in most cases unnecessary and commonly cause gastric distress. Go through a few key physical therapy exercises along with a short jog to create a perfect warm up to prepare oneself for the upcoming challenge. Lastly, don’t forget to prep yourself mentally! Decide on a pace and stick to it, create a mantra for yourself, and prepare a race day playlist for before or during the run to provide the extra motivation.
Running a 5K is a great introduction to a safe and fun outdoor activity to promote a healthy lifestyle. Don’t overlook those race day details and use all of the resources you can gather to gain a competitive edge. A physical therapist at Health In Balance Physical Therapy will ensure your best race training and race day performance and help you avoid injury, call 262-236-0176 now to set up an appointment.