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" If you&amp;#039;ve ever had a friend or family member run a 5-K race, you might have wondered: How did they manage to keep going 3.1 miles? It might seem like a long way at first, but a 5-K race is doable for just about anybody\u2014and you can start training for one in your early teens,&amp;quot; says Charlie Hanley, running coach personal trainer at CLAY gym in New York City. &amp;quot;The idea is to forget about speed and distance, and at first, just focus at on staying on your feet for about 15 minutes at a time, three times a week.&amp;quot;  To help get you motivated, Hanley recommends choosing a race in your area (you can also check out Runner&amp;#039;s World&amp;#039;s Race Finder for options) and making sure that you have at least six weeks to train. &amp;quot;You can get prepared for a race more quickly, but this is a pretty comfortable schedule,&amp;quot; he says.  Each week for the next six leading up to your race, you&amp;#039;ll be doing the following kind of runs: 1. Maintenance (M): A medium-time run, where you go at an easy, comfortable pace (you should be able to chat with a friend). Schedule this for Tuesdays. 2. Speedwork (S): A medium-time run where you do short a several 1 minute &amp;quot;mini sprints&amp;quot; during your workout. Schedule this for Thursdays.  3. Long-Distance (L): A longer run where you go at an easy, comfortable pace. Schedule this for Saturday or Sunday. The first week that you run, all three workouts (Speed, Maintenance and Long-Distance) should take you about 15 minutes. &amp;quot;During your speed workout, you&amp;#039;ll do an easy warm up jog for about five minutes, then pick up the pace\u2014somewhere between a sprint and a hard jog\u2014for one minute,&amp;quot; says Hanley. &amp;quot;Slow back down for a minute, then pick up the pace again.&amp;quot; You should do three 1-minute sprints within your 15 minute workout. During the second week, you&amp;#039;ll spend 20 minutes each on each running workout (and do 4 x 1 minutes sprints during your fast run). Here&amp;#039;s how the rest of the weeks will play out:  Week 3: M = 20 minutes S = 20 minutes (with 5 x 1 minute sprints) L = 25 minutes Week 4: M = 25 minutes S = 20 minutes (with 6 x 1 minute sprints) L = 30 minutes Week 5: M = 30 minutes S = 20 minutes (with 7 x 1 minute sprints) L = 40 minutes Week 6M = 30 minutes S = 20 minutes (with 7 x 1 minute sprints) L = 40 minutes On the week of your race, you can run one 30 minute maintenance\u2014but then don&amp;#039;t do anything else.  *** What to Eat Before the Race While its important to have breakfast before your race, keep it simple: &amp;quot;A nutrition bar and a glass of water would be perfect,&amp;quot; says Hanley. &amp;quot;If you can, try to stop drinking two hours before you run\u2014or you might need to stop to use the bathroom during the 5-K.&amp;quot;  He suggests practicing your eating and drinking routine on your long run training days, so you know how your body feels and what your comfortable with. Dos and Don&amp;#039;ts of Running Gear &amp;quot;Get a good pair of running shoes to start with,&amp;quot; recommends Hanley. &amp;quot;Go to a place where they really check your foot and make sure you&amp;#039;re wearing a properly fitting,s supportive pair.&amp;quot; You can get easily get injuries if the shoes you&amp;#039;re running in are old and don&amp;#039;t have good cushioning or support.  If running in the summer, wear very lightweight breathable clothes\u2014and don&amp;#039;t forget to add sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/health/fitness/advice/a14138/run-a-5-k-race/>