My First 5K, Running Tips, and Pumpkin Granola Bars

I ran my first 5K this Saturday!  It was a whopping 25 degrees and I was the only girl, but me and my family did it. The boys were *thrilled* but Nathan ran with me and for not training, did really well (ie finished less than a minute behind me.) It was really fun and I enjoyed it a lot. Since it wasn't very windy, it really wasn't that bad, and as long as you've got gloves and a hat, it's hard to stay cold while running.  The winner of the boys and the winner of the girls each got a turkey as a prize.

Now that I've proved to myself I really can run, I'd like to try a 10K next. My goal is six miles this week and is like to keep running throughout the winter. Icy driveways might be a problem, but we'll see! 

I'm not a runner, but I have been trying to run consistently the past couple months.  Here are some tips I've learned and picked up along the way.

1) Listen to your body!  Don't push that last half mile if something is hurting you.  It's your body's way of letting you know something is up, so don't ignore it.  That extra three minutes of running won't help you in the next couple weeks if you injure something.  On the flip side, if you're feeling good and pumped, push that extra mile.  Don't limit how far you can run by how far you think you can run.  Sometimes your body will surprise you.  Sometimes it won't.  Listen to it.

2) Set reasonable goals.  I needed to do some research on running before I set my goals.  Don't set them so high that they're almost impossible because that just leads to discouragement.  It didn't take me very long to get started running longer distance, but it has taken me a while to add several miles to the original distance.  I had some unreasonable goals in the beginning, but I've been working on them.  I tried running certain distances and certain minutes and I found minutes worked better in the beginning and distances works better now. 

3) Invest in a good pair of shoes.  Shoes don't make you a runner, but they sure make it more comfortable - thus, they help you become a better runner. And since you're running to keep your body healthy, investing in good shoes helps prevent injury (which would negate keeping your body healthy;)

4) Listen to something while running.  I time my miles by how many songs it takes me to run them.  They're fun to listen to and motivating.  I also love getting my worship time in while running.  Sometimes I prefer radio theater and those are great, too.  The only exception to this is in earlier in the morning.  Before I ran, I walked, usually every morning.  In the late winter, early spring, the sun doesn't rise that early and walking down our pretty long driveway in the dark, listening to intense audiobooks - bad, bad, bad combo.  However (I digress), music is great help while running!

5) Pretend you are racing someone and that they are always just beating you.  If you're competitive, this is a good one. It keeps me on pace and guarantees I don't slack off. (Refer to point number one though - be wise!)

6) Stay relaxed.  Don't tense up.  You'll just get hurt and I'm speaking from experience:)

7) Get accountability.  I run for volleyball, so practices and games are my accountability and they are very motivating.  If you don't have that sort of goal, get a person to keep you on track.

8) Find a time that gets the most of your.  I stink at running in the morning.  It's just ugly and leaves me feeling defeated (ie, I can't believe those two miles kicked my tail like that!)  I run best between 3-5 in the afternoon and so, obviously, that is my favorite time to run because I can run the best then.

9) Have fun!  Sounds easy ... it isn't always. Run for the right reasons with the right attitude.

10) Let me hear your thoughts!  Do you run?  If so, what are your tips for running?

Also, make sure you've got energy for your run.  Here is one of my favorite granola bar recipes.  I've been trying to get the texture right for a really long time. More often than not, mine are too wet and aren't firm enough to hold unless refrigerated and even then, they've been ultra soft. These on the other hand, although refrigerated, are firm like real bars!  The flavors are nicely balanced and there isn't a dominant one. It isn't too nutty or pumpkin-y, just very fall-ish (spell check hates me right now)

Pumpkin Cranberry Walnut Granola Bars
Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Yield: 4-6 bars

2/3 cup walnuts
2/3 cup oats
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Grind oats and walnuts in a food processor until fine. Add cranberries and pulse 4-5 times. Add pumpkin, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice and pulse until mixture pulls into a ball. Press into a small pan and refrigerate for several hours. Cut and enjoy!

Related recipes:

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

Almond Joy Energy Bites

Caramel Apple Granola