Community Corner
Nine Weeks to Your First 5K
Forget about walking. With proper training, you can run an entire 5K race!
On April 23, approximately nine weeks from Saturday, walkers and runners will lace up their training shoes and hit the pavement at the Big Bunny Fun Run in Cupertino.
Join countless others in our community for an event that celebrates fun, fitness and family. No matter your fitness level, there is something for everyone at the Big Bunny Fun Run. The more competitive athlete will find the 5K run a challenge, while others will enjoy the leisurely paced 2.5K walk. Children will have a blast participating in the kids run, where everyone is a winner.
If you’ve always dreamed of participating in (and actually running) a 5K but are not sure how to approach the fine art of training, put your doubts aside and follow my beginners schedule, which will get you to the finish line with a smile on your face and injury free (hopefully). If you think that running “races” is for runners exclusively, you are wrong. Every year, thousands of men, women and children of all ages and abilities participate and walk their way to the 5K mile marker.
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Now, it’s your opportunity to do the same. The organizers of the Big Bunny Fun Run 5K encourage walkers to participate in its event. Last year, more than 600 people registered for the event, many of them walkers. Its goal is to create a positive, healthy, and connected community through health and fitness.
There’s only one catch—you have to put in the work. Don’t worry if you come down with the flu, have a family emergency, or just don’t feel like running; it’s OK to take a few days off running (in the case of the flu), but don’t assume that you will finish strong if you haphazardly approach your training and make excuses every other week.
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I’ve put this training plan together for an average person with a busy life, who would like to run from start to finish of a 5K race. This schedule entails only four days a week of walking or running—three runs, and a weekend long walk. Be sure to set aside some time for stretching after your workouts. This schedule starts on Monday, Feb. 21, and continues for nine weeks.
Keep it fresh and frequently change the paths you choose. If you are in a time crunch, work out in your neighborhood or on a treadmill, but if you have a little extra time to spare, venture out to De Anza College or
To find out more about the event or to register go to Cupertino.org.
9 Weeks to Your First 5K Training Schedule:
Week
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
1.5 mile run
Rest
1.5 mile run
Rest
1.5 mile run
Rest
30 min walk
2
1.5 mile run
Rest
1.5 mile run
Rest
1.5 mile run
Rest
40 min walk
3
1.75 mile run
Rest
1.5 mile run
Rest
1.75 mile run
Rest
50 min walk
4
2 mile run
Rest
1.5 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
60 min walk
5
2.25 mile run
Rest
1.5 mile run
Rest
2.25 mile run
Rest
60 min walk
6
2.5 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
2.5 mile run
Rest
60 min walk
7
2.75 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
2.75 mile run
Rest
60 min walk
8
3 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
60 min walk
9
3 mile run
Rest
2 mile run
Rest
3 mile run
Rest
5K Race
