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Want to Run a 5k - 70 Years Old
by Karin
I am not a runner but in excellent shape. Would like to do a 5k race. I'm female and 70 years old. I walk the treadmill at 4.5 an hour and do Pilates. I am 5'5 and weigh 130 lbs. How do I get there?
 Answer by Dominique: Hi there, Thank you for your question about running a 5k. It sounds like you are keeping in shape with your walking and Pilates. They are both great ways to stay healthy and happy. With that background, running a 5k should be doable, eventhough you are not my youngest visitor! When you start to run, without a background in sports that involve running, it is best to take a run/walk approach. Next time you jump on the treadmill, add in a few 1 minute runs in your treadmill walk. The following workout, see if you can do a few 1 minute runs and a few 2 minute runs. And just go from there. You can create your own schedule or you can use one of my Beginner Running Programs. When preparing for a 5k, I would use Beginners Running Program 3. It takes you all the way to 30 minutes of non-stop running in 12 weeks. When you are able to run 30 minutes non-stop, you are probably covering 5k, or getting pretty close. This program has had hundreds of happy users. And, even if you don't use it to the letter, study it for a while and see how it follows a very simple principle: a slow, but steady build-up in the time spent running. Use this same approach, do your workouts consistently for the next three months and I'd be surprised if you hadn't been able to make significant improvement. With regards to running on the treadmill: do keep in mind that treadmill running is easier than running on the road. You could end up very disappointed if you only run on the treadmill, then do a 5k race and find that you can't push yourself forward. I would advise to also do some outdoor workouts, weather permitting. And do your treadmill workouts at an incline, to better simulate outdoor running. When running your 5k race, don't worry about your speed, or that others are faster and those kind of worries. In the bigger "fun runs" there are always walkers, slow walkers etc. People of all walks of life sign up for these things. You have got the very fast young runners who run it in 13-16 minutes, to your average Joe (or Jane!) who runs it in 25-35 minutes, to the walkers who can take more than 60 minutes. So, don't worry about being last, the great thing about joining in a race is that you are not so much competing with others, than that you are competing with yourself. Oh, and as a final note, do keep in mind that when embarking on a more strenuous fitness regime a visit to a doctor for a general check-up is warranted. Hope this helps. This post has become way longer than what I was intending for, hope I didn't ramble on too much! Best of luck. Kind regards, Dominique Subscribe to the Best Running
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