Top Tips for 5k and Marathon Running

At Enrich, we have a some core philosophies about well-being.

Wellness is holistic, it affects the body, the mind and the soul and can be integrated through so many daily experiences.

Well-being is about accessible and sustainable lifestyle choices that create positivity and contentment. It is about being well, being grateful, being joyful and living your best life in a way that works for you.

Today, as part of our Enrich wellness speaker series at Microsoft we welcomed Dwayne and Karl from the Inner City Running Club (ICRC) to speak to us about how movement is not all about sacrifice, pain, suffering and total discipline but it is about life purpose, it is about personal values, community and fun. The ICRC firmly believe in the power and benefits of movement and are so passionate about getting everyone they meet to integrate movement into their lives.

So often we all get caught up in the procedures, the plan and the end goal. The guys at the ICRC believe in all of this too and have given us some great tips for completing their Covid to 5K plan and how to prepare for a global marathon. But they also gave us so much more.

If you missed the live event, here are some of the key points from today. I hope you enjoy these and get as much benefit from them  as we did.

When it comes to training for your first ever 5k, they guys believe if you follow some simple steps and top tips you too can achieve anything.

First up, set a goal  -  you need to have a target. Name it and put a date on it. Sign a contract with yourself … “I will be able to walk, run/walk or run a 5k in 30 days. Dwayne and Karl recommend setting a goal with a relatively short but sustainable end date. They spoke about how mindset is as important as physical ability. From a physically technical perspective begin with the 2:1 ratio. Trust your instincts, test your own limits and use the 2:1 ratio. Simply put, this means running for 20 seconds: walking for 10 seconds and build this up for 1km, keep going until for feel ready and then try run for 30 seconds and walk for 15. Gradually, at a pace that works for you, build up to running for 1km, walking for 500m and keep going using the 2:1 until you til hit that 5k mark. As your fitness, stamina and self belief build up, then you can work up to doing the 5km with little or no breaks.

Karl explained it as increasing your challenge by about 10-15% each week. To add to this, Dwayne highlighted the importance of community. Community is at the heart of everything the ICRC stands for and having that community to support you, motivate you, keep your accountable and make it fun is the absolute key to success.

When you become a member of the ICRC the guys keep variety of the fore of the agenda, building in weekly Saturday morning coffee catch ups, ice pop parties, pizza soirees and a Whatsapp group where the craic is mighty.  As Dwayne says; “if you are not smiling, what's the point “.

Throughout everything they do at the ICRC, from annual awards for the most inspirational member to organising races and global marathon trips, the guys have a firm belief in the power of support and encouragement and the sense of empowerment  and motivation it brings.

When it comes to preparing for a global marathon the guys have lived through the practical experiences of this and shared some of their great top tips with us today. Here is some of the invaluable information we garnered:

• The perfect arrival time is two days ahead of the big event. One day and they felt some members were a little tired and the temptation to explore a new city had them clocking up 30,000 steps before the race even began. Three days and they had lost a little bit of the adrenaline pumping energy before the big day, so there we have it… two days is just right.

• Always pack your runners and race kit in your hand luggage. No kits means no race and as they guys said the last thing you want to do is try and break in a new pair of runners the day of a marathon.

• Bring your own nutritional supplements and specific food brands that work for you on your travels.

• Trial and error -  test out different fuelling options over the course of your training plan, everyone is different. Find the foods and eating schedules that work for you and bring some mindful awareness to your digestive patterns.

• Don’t change anything in advance of the big race. “Whatever has worked keep doing it, whatever didn’t work don’t even think about it and anything you never tried before, park it until you get home”.

• Find out the time of the marathon well in advance and build your training schedule around this. If the marathon is an early morning one, over the course of your 16 week training plan, plan to train in the mornings so your circadian rhythm and body are aligned with the challenge ahead. Also consider time zone changes here too.

• If you are doing a marathon is a warm climate do some heat cardio sessions and training in advance of the race. Build them in to your weekly plan and begin the habit of heart rate monitor training. Work towards staying in the green zone during your training sessions.

• As you follow your 16 week training plan, tick off each activity each day. Believe in the plan and know that when you follow the plan you are safe, you are ready. The self-belief and security that the training plan gives you is what you will draw on when those pre-marathon nerves kick in. According to Dwayne and Karl mindset is as important as physical ability. According to the guys you know you have all you need to get you to the 32k mark and then everything else after this become unknown territory. This is where you have to dig deep, believe in how far you have come, all you have achieved to get you to here and know you can do this. It is not always about speed but about finishing what you started.

• Do it as a group. As we saw throughout the entire session today the guy’s purpose and passion is the power of community. When you hit that wall, look around, know you are not alone. Take a moment and reflect on how far you have come in your journey. From where you started to where you are now, you should be so proud of what you have achieved. Then begin to pull inspiration from others, look around and be proud of the others who are with you. Think about what words of encouragement you would give to them and then give them to yourself. Support them, encourage them and be so grateful for the togetherness this event has brought”. Bask in the support of your community.

Some of the most powerful and inspiration aspects of the talk today included the guys sense of purpose and passion for people and their well-being. They care, they take time to get to know the personalities of each and every member. They consider how best to support, encourage and motivate them and they excel in helping those who need moments of compassion and space and those who need some extra competition and accountability.

They have such a firm belief that respect is both earned and given and the success of their community is based on fun, variety and accessibility. In between the discipline, the training schedules, the hot yoga mobility sessions and waking up at dawn there are group sea dips, pizzas, friendships and a welcome like no other I have seen in a club.

Here at Enrich, we were honoured to have Dwayne and Karl from the ICRC join us today and share their technical expertise, earned wisdom and passion for joyful movement.

Remember, just like life it is not a sprint but a marathon and in those hard moments just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

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