I know for a lot of people, marathon runs are kind of a bucket list item. And yes, I’ve definitely been there. But to be honest, part of that for me was because frankly, I’m a little more intimidated by the idea of going fast versus going long. I think a lot of people would benefit from at least starting with trying to run a solid 5K versus finishing one, and immediately moving on. So, over on MapMyRun, I got into detail about the benefits of training to crush a 5K versus completing a marathon. At first, I bet you’re rolling your eyes—it’s like in triathlon when you say you race tris and immediately, a person will ask if you’ve done an Ironman. It’s annoying when you’re actually a really good short course triathlete! Personally, I’d rather be fast than focus on finishing a race—plus, training properly to run a legit 5K can actually be a lot healthier—and less time consuming—than marathon training, while providing even more benefits and lessening the injury risk. So take a read, and maybe rethink some of those bucket-list items!
