Achieve your first 5km run with Tim Runs the World!

Hey Fitstoppers!

‍

My name is Tim Franklin and I am a Fitstopper for life. I have been a member of Fitstop since 2018 and love the benefits of the training and the community. I have been a runner and run coach for about 15 years and love combining my running training with my strength work to get the best out of me.

‍

You may have also heard that I am about to take on a challenge of running around the world. A 26,232km journey kicking off on the 3rd of December; this means a marathon and a half every day. You can follow this journey @timmyrfranklin.

‍

Why Running?

‍

At Fitstop we believe in a holistic approach to health and fitness. Lift, Perform, Condition and Sweat sessions provide you with the foundations of strength, metabolic conditioning and endurance for you to develop and improve your fitness levels and performance across both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems.

‍

BUT, as you know, at Fitstop we believe in training to be fit for life both inside AND outside of the gym. Running is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to measure your aerobic capacity and improve your cardiovascular fitness. Cardiovascular (or aerobic) fitness is extremely important in terms of overall health, preventing certain diseases and giving you the ability to live a long, happy life.

‍

Running can be for everyone!

‍

Running can be for ALL humans of ALL ages and all abilities – from experienced to newbies, we have got you covered! Just because your body isn’t designed to power through a marathon, hit a 4-minute km or run 10 seconds for 100m without breaking a sweat, it doesn’t mean you’re not a runner. And it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. As long as you are ready to give it a go — you can run.

Remember to set realistic expectations for yourself. Don’t run too fast or too far when you’re starting out - just set the goal to run, and celebrate that win!

Hitting your stride takes time and practice—and just how much time and practice is different for everyone. So don’t get caught up in comparing yourself to others. If it takes you a bit longer or is a bit harder for you than it is for someone else, so what? Run your own race!

‍

So, HOW do I work to complete my first 5km run?

‍

If a 5km run is a bit daunting for you, try breaking the full distance down into smaller, more manageable chunks and increase these overtime. To get started, begin with a gradual training program that combines walking and running intervals. Aim for short bursts of jogging followed by longer periods of brisk walking to build your endurance. As you progress, increase the amount of time you spend running and decrease the walking intervals. Remember to listen to your body, and don't push yourself too hard too quickly to avoid injury.

REMINDER - everyone started somewhere. If 5km takes to 25 minutes or 60 minutes, it doesn't matter to us! What does matter to us is that you gave it a go and stepped outside of your comfort zone for the betterment of your health and fitness.

‍

It’s time to get into it!

‍

Everyone’s schedule will look a little different, but I recommend structuring your training week to include your run session on a Sunday or pick a day that allows you to have enough recovery before and after your last Fitstop session for the week.

‍

Side note: Running with friends can make it more fun AND it can make you run that little bit faster! Try and book in your running sessions with someone from your amazing community!

‍

I cannot wait to see you all out there running!

‍

Timmy

‍

Hear more about Timmy's story

‍