The 2024 Providence Marathon & Half Marathon, scheduled for May 5, was canceled, due in large part, to the Washington Bridge closure, and the disruption to vehicle and foot traffic, in and around the city.
For those intending to participate in this year’s race, the news of the cancellation was disappointing. For others, who may have been interested in running this marathon, but may not have been quite ready, this gives you a full year to properly prepare for the grueling challenge that a road race of this length presents to first timers and beginner runners.
For those people not quite ready for the starting line, this article is filled with general information to get you moving in the right direction.
Springtime is often about renewal, and with the warmer weather that the month of May brings to the region, you will find many people hitting the pavement and running, some for the very first time. Whether this activity is undertaken as a competitive sport, a form of exercise, or just a reason to get out and enjoy nature and the fresh air after a long winter, a certain amount preparation is called for.
We know that jogging or running is a great way to stay in shape and to keep your heart healthy. It also lifts your mood and boosts energy for hours after your workout, so you’ll feel fresh and more productive during the day.
It’s a nice warm day in May, you bought a comfortable new pair of running shoes, found the perfect outfit to wear, and you’re ready to go. Or, are you?
Before you take that first step, according to Runner’s World, what you need to do at the outset is to establish a sensible training plan that aligns with your present level of ability and health status, so that you not only stay injury-free, but also inspired. Afterall, if you have a bad experience of some kind, suffer pain, or hurt yourself, you may become disenchanted with the whole idea, and the next thing you know, your running shoes are in the back of the closet, and you will have missed out on the chance of making this activity an ongoing and uplifting part of a healthy lifestyle.
For some runners, it may seem like an obsession, but it’s more of a routine, a healthy one at that, like brushing your teeth. I know that you may think of combating tooth decay as a chore, but look at the results. That’s the bottom line.
“Once it’s a habit, exercise feels easier and doesn’t take as much willpower when you don’t feel like it,” Charles Duhigg, a noted journalist and author of a book about the science of habit information, famously said.
It’s all about establishing a routine that is pleasurable. Experts suggest running with friends, listening to your favorite music while you run, or choosing beautiful settings, such as a park or by the ocean, to get in your road work. These are just a few things that will help you to establish a habit that will become sustainable. And reward yourself afterward with your favorite dessert. You certainly would have earned it, and it won’t hurt you.
Walk before you run, has always been good advice, and you can follow it to your benefit when beginning a running regimen. Just walking briskly over a period of several weeks, up to two months, slowly increasing how long you’re on the road each time you go out, will give your body the chance to build strength and endurance, so that you can eventually move at a more vigorous pace.
According to a study done by Danish researchers, it is discovered that people who jog at a slow or moderate pace had the lowest rates of death, compared to those who jogged regularly and vigorously.
Once you start running, it’s not only okay to stop and take breaks when you need to, but it’s recommended. Everyone’s pace is different, but just don’t push it, and always listen to your body. The goal is to build your endurance, trying to get to a ratio where you’re jogging for twice as many minutes as you are walking. And, you want to get out as often as you can, from a couple days a week to every day, if you are able.
When you can run for a good length of time without taking a walk break, your muscles are strong, and you have increased your lung capacity, sufficient to run a 5K race.
Six months in, you’re not quite ready for a marathon, but you’re getting there. You need to continue taking it a step further to develop the endurance you need to run a 10K. Remember, 10K is only 6.2 miles, a marathon is 26.2 miles.
As you run longer and longer distances, the next challenge is picking up the pace and increasing your speed. Running faster will further improve endurance, leg strength, and lung power, and this is where you will start to develop what runners refer to as your ‘pace awareness,’ a kind of a personal speed limit. After a couple months training at this level, the 10K is in the rearview mirror, and it becomes an individual decision how much further you want to go, pushing yourself further and harder to be able to run a half marathon, and possibly a full marathon.
Just to mention some nuance points, according to Liam Cayton, a competitive triathlete who has competed in more than fifty races around the world, when jogging during the day, you should wear a lightweight, moisture-wicking and quick-dry running singlet or T-shirt, together with a pair of running shorts or leggings. He maintains that there are strong benefits to running at dusk because your body’s temperature is higher by then, and your organs and muscles are more prepared for exercise. Your performance could be better at this time of day, and you could burn more glucose. Jogging is the morning is best for those seeking to run at a slower pace, as it does not require as much energy and effort because your body is fresh and well-rested. And, if you jog on an empty stomach, you could burn fat.
Whatever your running goals, May is the perfect month to start your running program, and summertime in Rhode Island is hard to beat.
