5K vs Half Marathon?

At Cardio High we have quite a few clients who are training to run the Boston Marathon or a half marathon this Spring. We admire their determination and respect their goals, as some of them are running to raise money for causes that need funding.

But from a health perspective, we try to encourage clients to aim for goals related to running a shorter distance… at a faster pace. Training for a 5k reduces the wear and tear on your knees, hips and other joints that receive a pounding when you take on long training runs.

Yes, we’ve read books like Born to Run that imply humans were designed to run long distances, even in their bare feet. And as we glance around our studio, we see a few people who do seem to be built for long runs. But most of us are going to have fewer injuries if we stick to shorter training runs and focus goals on improving speed.

We recommend running a 5k at some point in the spring, and then trying another in the fall to see if a faster time can be achieved in a couple of months.

For the spring we recommend the Moody Street 5k in Waltham.

For the fall we recommend Paddy’s 3 mile run in West Newton.

And here’s a track to add to your running playlist: The Finish Line.

-Mark G.