Fall will soon be here and that means it’s the perfect time of year to tackle a road race. Whether you want to run or to walk, autumn is the optimal time to get outdoors and achieve that burn while taking in Massachusetts’ beautiful foliage. Best part of all, local events are taking place every week that are sure to motivate you to get outside and conquer your fitness goals.
Newcomers may be nervous about running, but with the motivation to succeed and the proper training anyone can reach their goal in two months time. The key to success is to begin a gradual program integrating walking and jogging into your daily activities. Ideally, you should build three 20- to 30-minute sessions into your regime on nonconsecutive days. This is a non-intimidating way to prepare for a race and it’s a way to get physically active so you can improve your day-to-day lifestyle and health.
Check out the following plan, adapted from The Couch-to-5K® Running Plan, that lets your body adjust to the basics of running, by preventing overtraining or injury.
Week One
For the first week, begin each session with a warm-up by walking at a brisk pace. Then, begin a jog-walk, alternating jogging for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds until you repeat this pattern for 20 minutes.
Week Two
After your warm-up walk, switch between 90-second jogs and two minutes of walking until you reach 20 minutes.
Week Three
Your workouts will be 30 minutes long. After the warm-up walk, you will repeat this pattern twice: 90 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking followed by three minutes of jogging and three minutes of walking.
Week Four
Now that you’ve mastered an equal amount of jogging and walking, week four begins to flip the routine to include more jogging to walking. After your five-minute warm-up walk, jog for three minutes before walking for 90 seconds, then jog for five minutes before walking for two-and-a-half minutes, then jog for three minutes before walking for 90 seconds and finish your workout with a five-minute jog.
Week Five
On day one of your week-five training alternate between five-minute jogs to three-minute walks, repeating this three times. For day two, jog for eight minutes, walk for five, then jog for eight again. On your third day, you’re ready to try jogging for 20 minutes after your five-minute walk.
Week Six
Repeat the fifth week’s plan by adding an extra three to five minutes to your jogs.
Weeks Seven, Eight & Nine
Now, you’re ready to jog for 25 minutes after your five-minute warm-up walk. The next week, jog for 28 minutes, and by week nine, you can jog your full 30 minutes.
Put Your Feet to the Test
Now that you’re ready, it’s time to try out an actual road race or charity walk. RunningInTheUSA.com is a great resource that lists all of the nearby events. There are a plethora of races here in Central and Eastern Massachusetts that will let you put your hard work to use while boosting your spirit.
Here is a sampling of some local options—all for a good cause:
Saturday, Aug. 27—Jamie Fund 5K Road Race & Walk in Mansfield to benefit the more than 700 children with special needs in the Mansfield school system (www.thejamiefund.org).
Saturday, Sept. 10—Progeria Research Foundation’s International Road Race for Research, offering a 5K Road Race and a two-mile fun run/walk. Proceeds from this event go toward finding a cure and effective treatment for Progeria and its aging-related disorders (www.firstgiving.com).
Sunday, Sept. 18—1st Annual Run, Walk, Wag in North Brookfield to raise money for the Second Chance Animal Shelter; the options are a two-mile run/walk, and a five or 10K—and you can bring your furry friends along (www.secondchanceanimals.org).
Sunday, Sept. 25—The Free to Breathe 5K Fun Run/Walk in Chelmsford is a fundraising event for lung cancer research and awareness (www.FreeToBreathe.org).
A little motivation and commitment can go a long way. Getting out to jog in the fresh air will improve your overall health in no time. Supporting a foundation like these is just an added benefit.
By Lauren Kaminski
