Run your first 5-K

from runnersworld.com

Advice for the runner looking to become a racer. For one brief moment, probably while endorphins were still pumping through your body after a good run, you flirted with the idea of doing a marathon. Then the endorphins disappeared and the reality of training for four months and trying to squeeze in a handful of three- to four-hour long runs set in. Fair enough. How about a 5-K instead?

It's the perfect distance: 3.1 miles require relatively little buildup, the training doesn't take over your life, and the race is over fairly quickly. More