Week 0 - What to expect
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Welcome to Day 1 of the 10 Week ‘Novice to 5k’ Foundation Running Programme. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to read through your Welcome Pack, but if you haven’t yet, take some time to do this over the next few days as it provides some helpful information about the app and your programme.
This blog will provide a brief outline of what you can expect over the coming weeks.
This is Week 0. It is a ‘Preparation Week’ where you can familiarise yourself with our app and get yourself set up for the weeks ahead. We’ll provide blogs and information on the kit you’ll require (very little), how your sessions will be scheduled, and perhaps most importantly, the belief and mindset to know that you can go from ‘non-runner’ to ‘5k runner’ in 10 weeks!
How are the sessions structured?
Each session will start with a warm-up at home to prepare your muscles and your mind for the workout ahead. We’ll then head outside where the main part of your session will begin. Via our app, you’ll be guided through a combination of gentle running intervals dispersed with periods of walking. You’ll always finish with a walk which will be the first part of your ‘cool down’. This walking is important as it will allow your breathing and heart rate to return back to normal. It will also prevent ‘venous pooling’. During your runs your heart is working hard to pump blood to the muscles which need it most. Stopping all of a sudden can lead to blood pooling in the veins and may cause dizziness. You’ll then head back home to finish the session and lengthen tight muscles with a 5 minute lower body stretch. Each session will last for 30-45 minutes in total and as the weeks go on, we’ll gradually increase your running times and distances to ensure you are constantly progressing in a structured manner. As long as you follow the programme, you’ll be cruising towards your 5k target.
We will finish the week each Sunday with a more comprehensive stretch routine which will help your body recover and prepare you for the next step (although feel free to go through the lower body stretch routine whenever you feel you need to). The programme will culminate in a 5k run which you will complete on Saturday of your final week. We will be going through the process of choosing a location for this over the next few days.
Commencing any new fitness regime can be daunting, so at the end of this preparation week we’ll suggest going for a brisk walk and planning your route for the first session next Monday.
The next 10 weeks are going to be challenging and you may come across obstacles which will attempt to throw you off track. Try as much as you can to stick to the programme. It’s tried and tested but your body has to adapt to the times you are running for and the increasing distances. Although we often don’t feel like it, humans are born to run. Good luck with the programme, we’ll be with you all the way.