We just had our first annual Willamette Valley Wine Country Run on May 17 this year! It was a half marathon, 10K and 5K and it was an absolute pleasure to host. As this is an annual run, we wanted to provide you with some training tips for next year.
Ten Wine Country Run Training Tips
1. Give yourself time to ramp up and train. We all live busy lives and it can be hard to train for a run. Try scheduling at least three runs per week and dedicate each run to a specific skill. For example, your first run can be at an easy pace, the second at a higher tempo, and the third can focus on sustaining the run for a longer time. This will let you get in your training without it completely overwhelming your schedule.
2. Buy perfect shoes and socks. Running longer distances can do a number on your feet. Be sure to get them the right shoes and wear socks that don’t slowly come off your foot as you run (we’ve all been there). It’s better to wear something that looks casual but is comfortable than to get some stylin’ gear that you can’t stand to train in.
3. Get excited about running! Sometimes running can seem like way too much work. Perhaps you’re just having a terrible day. Maybe all you want to do is sit back with a glass of wine. Instead of downing the bottle, try getting in your run first. Grab your favorite running tunes, think about that bottle of wine (or another post-run reward) and get those feet moving!
4. Find out what works for you. When you start training, you will probably get a ton of advice from other runners. This advice may be fantastic – or it may not be the right advice for you. Try out things that you think will work and ignore everything that either won’t work or sounds too overwhelming to do. Don’t worry, you don’t have to juice every day or run twenty miles each morning to get in shape for our wine country run next year!
5. Don’t overtrain. This is another reason to start training early. You can get into the perfect running shape by taking on the challenge slowly and steadily. In the end, you’ll win the race!
6. Pace yourself as you run. Even a 5k run requires a lot of endurance, so add this into your training and pace yourself. There’s no need for you to sprint the entire distance.
7. Warm up. Don’t start your run cold. It is uncomfortable and can make the going pretty rough. Give yourself a few minutes of walk time or jog time before heading into your run.
8. Don’t only run. Do some low impact exercise like yoga, swimming or Pilates on off days.
9. Remember to rest. Rest days are important. Be sure to take off rest days and actually rest. Grab a bottle of wine and a good book. Go out with friends. Meditate. Rest.
10. Stay calm. A wine country run is a pretty calm activity. You have nothing to worry about at these runs except having tons of fun. So, stay calm and train on!
We look forward to seeing you at the run next year!
