Running 5K: The Beginning

I’m running 5K in the Bridge to Brisbane on the 2nd September this year.  Go me.  I’ve worked on my fitness in the last 6 months but running 5K is another level. I haven’t run that far since high school!

I need to plan out goals for this type of thing so I don’t burn out too quickly.  This post is about who I’m running for and what I plan to do for the next 2 months (and I’ll let you know how I’m going every couple of weeks).

Planning

I need to work out where to invest time into training and also find a route to run.

Time

I currently exercise on Monday and Wednesday (and I bring my son with me).  I’m adding 2 to 3 one hour runs each week, on Friday when my son is at Kindy, and then I’ll do one on the weekend when my husband is home.

Route

My husband and I mapped out a route which takes me on a bike/walking track, a quite road and finishing off on a main road with a large footpath. It’s a very hilly route so it gives me a great work out.  Every couple of weeks, I plan to drive to a long bike track so I can run on a relatively flat surface for the same distance because I doubt I will be able to run the entire route I have mapped because there are too many hills.  The route is approximately 6 kilometers long and it’s beautiful! It’s lovely to be out and about in my own area, finding places I didn’t know existed.

The kids

My children and husband will be doing the Bridge to Brisbane too: walking the 5Ks.  I want to include my children as much as I can in my training too, so on the weekends when I run, I’ll take one of my older kids with me and they will ride their bike.  My eldest came with me on my recent walk/run and she loved it.

{My daughter riding just ahead of me on the bike track}

Tracking Tools

To track my progress, I’m using the Cyclemeter iPhone app. It’s not free, but it has brilliant features. A free app with similar features is the Map My Run.

I’ve done the route three times now, and walked quickly the majority of the way, interspersing with some jogging to challenge myself. I want to get familiar with the route in the first week or two, and hopefully cut the time each time.

First 3 runs

Couch to 5K

I have the Couch to 5K program as a standby if I need some guidance but I want to see how my progress goes with the plan I have first.

Who I’m running for

As a World Vision Blog Ambassador, I wanted to use this opportunity to do good through my blog. You can read more about my role as an ambassador in this post: Looking Beyond.  My heart goes out to those in the the food crisis in Africa, especially after following my fellow ambassador Eden’s trip to Niger and sitting in on Tim Costello’s Live Chat, so the money I raise will go to this project.

Support me

If you want to support me on this venture, even just $1 — I’m sure I can get to the target if many give a dollar — head over to the official fundraising page here: Bridge to Brisbane Kelly Burstow Fundraising Page.  I would love your support…it will motivate me so much!

It feels good to have a goal, and I’m excited about running this race, and perhaps losing a few kilos in the progress!

More

My Training Times Page