March 29, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

Whether you’ve never run a 5K or you live for them, one of the season’s first runs is just about a month away.

The GreatLIFE 5K will be from 9 to 11 a.m. April 29 at Cherry Rock Park.

Registration is $25 for GreatLIFE members, and you’ll receive a race shirt if you sign up through the GreatLIFE app or email [email protected] by April 15.

And the GreatLIFE team is here to help you get ready – literally every step of the way.

“The most important way to know you are going to succeed is to know if you have put in enough training for the event,” said Isaac Woods, GreatLIFE fitness professional and nutrition coach. “This would include being consistent with your training and not skipping workouts and also continually pushing yourself to run for that extra minute or that extra half-mile or whatever it may be.”

We caught up with Woods to learn more about the path forward to a successful 5K.

With about a month to go before the GreatLIFE 5K, is there enough time to get yourself in gear? How do you recommend people assess where they’re at?

That varies depending on the person. Differences such as personal mindset, past experiences with endurance training and goals/reasons for racing can all have large differences on the outcome of a client’s results. Luckily enough, there a few different tests that I can walk a person through to see how “in shape” they are. Before getting into those tests, it is important to understand that when it comes to endurance races, we most often track our cardiovascular and respiratory systems. So when I put people through these tests, I look at each of those factors.

What kinds of test can help assess that readiness?

A simple test that can be done on your own is called the Rockport 1-mile walk test. To do this test, you simply need a timer, knowledge of how to test your pulse or a smart watch that can accurately give you a heart rate measuring. With that, you walk a mile as fast as you can without jogging. With the mile time and your heart rate measurement immediately taken after finishing your mile, you enter some basic information into an equation to get a VO2 Max calculation. This number can be compared to normative values to determine what shape a person is in and how they can be properly trained to get ready for a race. This link will walk you through the assessment: verywellfit.com.

However, for anyone who has been away from any sort of endurance training for an extended period of time, I would highly recommend getting on a treadmill or sidewalk and just focus on walking for a brief period of time or distance that they slowly work on increasing over time.

What are some of the steps to keep in mind in preparing for a 5K? Obviously, everyone is different, but what are some benchmarks to consider from a fitness standpoint? What should you be able to do or build up to in order to have a good experience with a 5K?

When it comes to endurance races, I find that the most difficult part for individuals is the mental fortitude that it requires to get through a race. Although a typical 5K will only last between 30 and 40 minutes, for a novice runner there are a million thoughts running through your head during that time. So I always tell my clients to be positive with themselves and distract their minds as best they can throughout the ordeal.

One of the most important concepts to grasp is the idea that it is OK to walk in the middle of a run. When going out for a run, you will not always feel 100 percent, so the best we can do is listen to our bodies and know when we are pushing ourselves too hard, but at the same time have a balance to know if we aren’t pushing ourselves enough.

How about nutritionally? What diet adjustments might you want to make preparing for a 5K, both leading up to it and then before the actual event?

When it comes to nutrition, unless there are other goals attached to your 5K, such as weight loss, I would not focus on changing too much. Most of the time if people are consistent with their training, just by increasing their calorie expenditure during the day through exercise they may lose some weight in the process.

When it comes to what to eat on race day, I would think about eating a carbohydrate-dense meal a few hours before the race but not any later. By eating a few hours before the exercise, it will ensure that there are important carbohydrates in your blood to fuel your body for the race but not enough still in your stomach to make it upset during the race.

As soon as a race starts to go out over the course of two or three hours, you may need to talk about supplements to take during the race due to low blood sugar levels or depleted glycogen stores, but for a 5K there is no need to worry.

Can anyone prepare to run a 5K? Any age or fitness level? What has your experience been in helping people prepare for these? Have you had people come in a little unsure and then be able to do it?

I do believe that anyone is capable of running a 5K if they devote the time needed to train for it. Although more inexperienced runners or older individuals may need a longer period of time to train and get ready, anyone is capable of completing a 5K.

Tell us a little about the GreatLIFE 5K. Is this a good option for anyone, regardless of whether you’ve done a 5K before?

I think the GreatLIFE 5K is a fantastic option for people who are looking to try out a 5K race or who are looking for a fun race with a community of like-minded people. Our 5K is hosted at Cherry Rock Park near downtown, and the course is relatively flat and would be great option for inexperienced runners.

GreatLIFE also is in the process of starting a “Race Team” as we build a community of runners and triathletes in the Sioux Falls metro area. It’s a relatively new initiative, so we’re hoping to build a group of individuals who have a passion for endurance sports and enjoy the community of others who share that same passion. Our goal is to use that community to host different seminars related to endurance sports, such as nutrition, gear, training, tactics and much more.

How can people learn more or get in touch with you?

Email me at [email protected], or call or text 605-496-3631.