Introduction
Athletics is a very popular sport since it stands distinctly from other sports like football, basketball, table tennis, hockey, golf or even swimming. It involves aspects like walking, jumping, and running in the form of cross-country running, race walking, road running, and track-and-field running. Athletics has become a resourceful sport in different countries due to the image it creates and the revenue earned from it.
Many have taken it as a profession and earn their living primarily from athletics, for example, the athletes, the athletic director, and other staff concerned with the running of athletic programs at different levels while others take it as a form of relaxation and physical exercise that helps to keep the body fit and healthy.
A 5k race is essential and gives runners especially those doing it for their first time a nice experience as it offers motivation and helps the runners enjoy all the aspects in the race and also enhances speed in future races. This paper discusses my experience in a 5k race from preparation, actual running, and even after the race giving the practical significance of the experience in my life in general.
Preparation for the Race
Just like any other aspect of life, running requires preparation so as to make the exercise a success. Being my first 5k race, I had a lot of anxiety and needed a lot of training and preparation to make sure that I gave it my best and win in the competition. It was a relay and I had to be cooperative with my team members who were my workmates. Running requires some inner motivation and training since not everyone can run. It may be very intimidating especially for a person who is doing it for the first time due to the challenges associated with it, for example, fatigue and injuries.
Prior preparation is very essential to ensure that the body is used to the practice of running and one can therefore run comfortably. Two months prior to the actual exercise, I took the initiative of getting a medical clearance from my doctor to ensure that am fit to participate in the race without health complications since it is important to always maintain good health. I also had to identify the appropriate shoes for my foot type to ensure that I am comfortable when running and to avoid unnecessary injuries that could interfere with the process of running.
This is done by visiting experts in the running field who stock sports shoes, giving the right information after which the appropriate shoes are provided. Warm-ups are very essential for example walking for some minutes prior to running. During my first week of practice, I had three sessions of walking for 6 minutes and jogging for 1 minute and three sessions of 5minutes walking and 2minutes jogging; week three involved four sessions of walking for 3 minutes and jogging for 4 minutes, and walking for 2 minutes and jogging for 5 minutes four times during the fourth week.
During the fifth week, I had four sessions three times, 2 minutes walking and 5 minutes jogging while I walked for 2 minutes and jogged for 9 minutes thrice on the sixth week. I had four sessions of walking for 1 minute and jogging for 11 minutes thrice during my seventh week. It was after the practice that I could now be able to run for twenty minutes at the beginning of the eighth week and thirty consecutive minutes towards the end of the week. I continued doing this four times a week and realized that things were becoming easier and that my endurance and fitness improved day after day making me more suited for the 5k race.
Running the 5k Race
The training part of the running process helped me so much as my body was now used to and I had the stamina and fitness it takes to run the 5k race. I ran the 5k in a relay with other four workmates. Having done the training together although with some discrepancies in approaches due to our differences in strength and determination, we were able to take the third position and we were not happy about the results bearing in mind that we had the chance of becoming the winner. It was after the race that we learned that we could have adhered to some of the tips that aid in proper running, for example, looking ahead while running to ensure safety, avoiding landing on the toes or heels but landing on the midfoot, keeping hands at waist level and relaxing them, maintaining the right posture, avoiding too much bouncing that uses a lot of energy and keeping the shoulders in a relaxed state (Herreros, 2003).
After The Race; Lessons Learnt
After the race, there were different views on what happened and everyone tried to evaluate why we performed that way. At some point, it was viewed as a good attempt as it was our first time but to some people being the first time did not justify the poor performance. I learned that preparation especially for the first timers is the most crucial part of the running process and should therefore be taken very seriously as it determines the success or failure of the activity. It is not good to ignore the simple things involved in the preparation and training as it is their combination that brings the end result. Rest is essential since it enhances recovery and helps prevent injuries through muscle building and repair. A comfortable pace is also recommended as long as the targeted mileage is covered to avoid straining of the body muscles. Other exercises apart from running and jogging for instance swimming are vital to reduce monotony while at the same time relaxing the body.
It is also advisable to warm up before running and cool down after running. I also learned that a run-walk method of preparation is good to start with as beginners usually do not have the stamina to run throughout without breaks and to increase running time gradually while reducing the walking time. Controlling the breathing while running is essential and one should make sure the breathing is not heavy and can allow talking while running. It is important to reduce the workload of training a week before the actual race so as to increase the peak by loosening the legs for the race day.
Resting and stretching the body muscles the day before race is crucial and drinking plenty of water on the day before the race and after the race is good to avoid dehydration of the body. One should wear the appropriate shoes, pay attention to pains in the body to sense signs of adverse injury and wear right clothing, not too much or too little for the weather to ensure one is comfortable and not in danger of developing weather related illness. One should also train moderately and avoid being overconfident and bear in mind that the competitors have also undergone some training (Earl, 2005).
In every aspect of life, it is important to pay attention to all issues however simple they may seem to be. Preparation is essential in any activity as the effort put in determines the result. Teamwork is a good skill to be adopted as it is through the combination of ideas and efforts that overall success is achieved, for instance, if all my team members had proper training, we would have been able to secure a second or even the first position.
Conclusion
It is evident that there has been an increased interest and participation in athletics and sports. Athletics has become the most attractive activity because of its simplicity nature and use of inexpensive equipment among other factors. The 5k offers a good chance for the beginners and tests the speed and strength of runners that have been in existence so it should never be under-emphasized. It has also proved to be essential in building the speed for long-distance runners. It emphasizes on the need to balance mileage and speed in running and the importance of adequate training that ensures that the runners’ bodies adapt well to the strenuous exercise of running and in the long run perform well.
Reference List
Earl, W.F. (2005). The Complete Guide to Running: How to Be a Champion from 9 to 90. New York: Meyer & Meyer Verlag.
Herreros, M. (2003). Running in Florida: A Practical Guide for Runners in the Sunshine State. New York: Pineapple Press Inc.