Summer 5k Racing Tips

Tips to help you adjust your expectations, while still maintaining a high effort level

Jul 08, 2022

Having just run a 5k in somewhat hot conditions, I’m well-versed in writing about performing well during warm-weather races.

I will tell you that if I had a choice between 80-degree weather or temps in the 40s, I’m always choosing 40.

But since we live in NJ and the weather does what the weather does, we can’t get away from racing 4 months out of the year - we just have to suck it up and get it done.

This post will help you run well when conditions are not ideal:

Keep the mileage high, but easy. There’s little chance that your summer race is your end-of-season goal race. It’s too hot for it to be the peak race you’re really aiming for. Keeping your mileage high trains you run fast while on tired legs, something you’ll need to do later in training. And when you stack easy miles together, you’re creating a bigger base for which you can then build higher and taller with bigger workouts. Lots of slow easy miles, coupled with a few miles at 5k pace will really boost your end-of-season goals.
Create a race plan - know that your pace will not be as fast as what you expect. I was pretty confident I could run 5:40s - and I probably could have if the race was at 6:30 am when conditions were better. But at 8 am, 6:00 pace was the same effort as 5:40s. Don’t be discouraged. Instead of worrying or focusing on pace, consider the effort level and whether that was appropriate for the race conditions.
Get decent sleep. Because you’ll want to make a summer race day a big mileage day, you’ll need to get to the course early. You can achieve this if you pack the night before.
Eat or don’t - that’s up to you. I chose not to eat because I’d rather be hungry than have food making its rounds through me during the race. If the race was longer or I was running more mileage, I might have snuck in half a bagel, but since both were manageable, I decided on no food.
Pace yourself. I knew 5:40s was about my max, but I wasn’t about to run that right off the line. Pacing yourself and being within your means is important to have a good, evenly run race.
Morning music. While I warmed up, I listened to my “Marc Mix” - the playlist has all the songs on it that I’m not afraid to sing out loud. The last song I listened to as I was starting my striders is “There Will Be Time” by Mumford and Sons. Once my striders are done, I don’t need any music. That’s a personal preference.
Cool down miles. Mileage is mileage and the more you can get in on race day, the better off you’ll be. Plus, cooling down is a great way to reflect on the race you just had.

Not every race is going to play out as you expect it to. Race conditions vary wildly during the summer as does the course in which you run. Be honest with your race expectations and adjust accordingly.

If you have questions about race strategy or are interested in working with me, send me a message. I’d love to chat with you.