Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating is sponsoring the Seattle Sutton's RunSRC 5k through the Starved Rock Country Marathon. It is a great opportunity for people to challenge their endurance, stamina, and strength, and best of all it is held in one of the most scenic areas of Northern Illinois and Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating’s home, Ottawa, IL.

The 5K is being held on Saturday, May 14, 2023, and registration is going on right now. Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating is proud to be sponsoring the 5K and is encouraging our customers and community to join our team. You can sign up for the 5k and be a part of a great experience while taking your health journey to the finish line.

Owner, Rene Ficek and our founder, Registered Nurse Seattle Sutton, are grateful for the opportunity to partner with a great health-minded organization and combine the value of eating a healthy, balanced diet with exercise. “We are beyond excited to partner with this great local event! It is a great opportunity to align diet and exercise in order to live our healthiest lives. We welcome all customers to participate in the run or walk event,” says Rene. Seattle, herself, will even be there to congratulate you at the finish line!

SSHE is committed to taking you from being a non-runner, sitting on the couch to finishing your first-ever 5k event! Our Couch to 5k program will help you run a 5k, improve your general fitness, help you lose weight, and lead to a long-term, healthier life. But, as with all things, having a balance of good nutrition and exercise is important!

We are here to help guide you through the process of preparing for a 5k but also encourage you to create healthy eating and exercise habits for overall good health that’ll last a lifetime. Let’s break down the basics of preparing for a 5k including what a 5k is how to train, care for your body, fuel your activity, and more.

What is a 5k?

A 5k is a great race to participate in if you are a beginner or not a regular runner. It is 3.1 miles which isn’t as daunting of a distance as a half marathon which is 13.1 miles or a full marathon which is 26.2 miles. Generally, it takes about 6-9 weeks to prepare for a 5k. Another nice thing to keep in mind is it is not required to run a 5k, if you are unable to do not care to run, you can still participate in a 5k walking the whole way.

Why Should I Consider a 5K?

It is recommended to aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week to maintain good health. Focusing on a goal can help encourage you to get in those exercise minutes. There are many health benefits associated with walking and running including:

• Reach and maintain a healthy weight (along with a healthy diet)
• Lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars levels naturally
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Improve overall energy and concentration
• Strengthen bones
• Improve sleep
• Gain confidence
• If training outside, the extra sunshine can increase your vitamin D
• Improve lung function and heart health
• And MORE!

How Do I Start?

The first step in starting anything is to set a goal and make a commitment. Put the date of the race on your calendar and then start to schedule your training sessions. Placing the days you will train and what you will do on each day on the calendar helps to ensure you do not push your training aside for other activities and stick to a schedule to get yourself best prepared. We are here to help and below you will find an example training schedule.

Remember, with any activity, you should always start slow and work at your own pace. If you have any medical conditions, it would be wise to check with your physician to make sure it is safe for you to engage in the 5k.

When starting to work toward your goal for the 5k do not feel the need to push yourself too hard or too fast. Start slowly and find a pace that is comfortable for you. If you work yourself harder than you are ready in the beginning you could set yourself up to feel burnt out or discouraged.

What Are the Training Requirements?

Many people follow a training schedule that breaks down the days, time, and distance for training in the 6-9 weeks leading up to the 5k, often coined a “Couch to 5k” or “C2K”. Most couch to 5k training schedules are tailored to beginners and can be adapted for walking or running. It is often balanced to help incorporate rest to help prevent overuse, injury, and fatigue.

Any couch to 5k program is simple to understand and is approachable for anyone who has never run before. These programs start with tiny, bite-sized running intervals that anyone can at least attempt, and there is a solid goal at the end. This plan is for beginners, and it is okay to start at the beginning. Remember, everyone has to start somewhere!

Couch to 5k programs focus on interval training. Usually, the prep for a 5k requires short sessions of walking or running a few times a week for about 30 minutes each. You will notice when looking at any couch to 5k training schedules you will find that the schedule increases the time you spend on each training session and more of a focus on increasing the time running and less time running as you get closer to race day.

It is very important to try to follow the schedule as closely as possible. This helps to make sure you give your muscles time to recover, reduce your stress levels, and help you be best prepared.

Our Healthy Tips to Get You Started:

• Fueling your body with a healthy diet will help you perform your best come race day, help prevent injuries, and more. Focus on a high-quality, whole-food diet. Order our 7-day meal plan to ensure you are getting a well-balanced diet without the stress of planning, prepping, and cooking while you’re training. Remember, if you need to talk to one of our Registered Dietitians to determine an appropriate calorie level or brainstorm ideas, you can reach out to one of the complimentary at any time.
• Remember, everyone must start somewhere! Start with a pace that you feel most comfortable with. Do not feel pressure to run for a certain amount of time. Decide what works for you and consider your goals. Listen to your body!
• Focus on the amount of time you are engaging in your walk/run instead of thinking about speed or distance.
• Incorporate regular, simple strength exercises and stretching to avoid injury. It’s a good idea to do some stretching and a simple warm-up before your daily activity.
• Invest in good running/walking shoes. One of the benefits of this type of exercise is that it doesn’t require expensive gear, but it is important to get a good pair of shoes that fit properly.
• Schedule the time for your training on your calendar.
• Ask someone to join you to help keep you accountable and help keep you motivated.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Focus on adequate water intake and replenish electrolytes with fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Reward yourself for reaching your goals, check out our list of healthy rewards.

• Once the race is over, set a new goal. Don’t retreat to old habits. Try to refrain from going from the couch to 5k and then back to the couch. Change your focus to some other type of activity you would like to try or set new goals with your walking or racing.

Need Some Inspiration?

Check out this video from one of our customers and his success with using Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating and how it helped him reach new heights with his choice of exercise, running.

Basic Training Nutrition

Like a car uses gas to run, your body burns food for energy. By focusing on adequate calories and the right fuel, you can expect better results from your training. The right food and drink can give you the energy to cross the finish line and feel your best. Check out our blog, “Best Food to Eat to Maximize Your Workouts.” It is a great resource for snacks, post-workout nutrition, and tips to keep yourself hydrated.

By signing up for the 5k and receiving convenient, nutritious meals from Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating you will find that you save time and stress while working on your goals to improve your health and challenge your fitness. We will take care of the planning, shopping, cooking, and calculating and all that is left for you to focus on is YOU! We hope to see you on race day!