"It is easier to quit in the beginning than in the end."
-from a Chinese fortune cookie
I have this same problem except for me it's more like the first three
miles. I now do timed intervals of 12 minutes running and 2 minutes
walking until I get into my "groove" it's worked wonders for me.
Otherwise, it's mind over matter: force yourself through it. Use
visualization exercises to help relax your muscles, therefore easing
your circulation.
Right before the 5k, run a mile. Get that first one out of the way do
that the starting line is your second mile.
Above all, advice from my favorite triathlete Bella Comerford: stay
strong, and keep SMILING!!! Who cares if you feel like you look silly,
smiling is an instant mood-booster. I've also found that when I smile,
runners, walkers, cyclists etc. are far more likely to respond with a
smile back and sometimes even a little wave. 🙂 Good luck out there!
determined said:Almost invariably, the first mile I run just kills me. I start out feeling
stiff, distracted, etc. I find myself wondering what the hell I ever saw in
running. Then by the second mile, I feel like I'm in a groove, and could go
all day. And almost always, I finish feeling fantastic, and already looking
forward to my next run... Do I need to do some sort of warm up stuff so the
first part isn't so difficult? I always start pretty slow, and it just
feels so awful.Which leads me to the next question - if you're only running a 5k, how do
you start off feeling great? I hate having 1/3 of the race feeling like
[censored]. Is there some warmup exercise to do? I thought about just jogging to
the race from my house, it's only a mile. But it'll be raining cats and
dogs tomorrow.