What you need
for Get up to Five

We are getting close to the beginning of our training together.
Here's a quick list of the key things that you need to bring to the sessions:

shoes

Shoes

Your shoes are the runner’s tool of trade. If it's been a while since you have changed your training shoes here are a couple of checks you can do to see if they will still be ok:

Twist your shoes from top to bottom, they should feel firm. If they twist easily they may not have enough support.
If your soles are worn down it's a good sign that they need replacing.
If it's been years since you have bought a pair of training shoes, now is a good time to invest in a new pair.
If you are going to get a new pair go to Shoe Clinic to get a foot analysis done, they will then make sure you get a pair that suits your unique foot shape. Spend a few days wearing you new shoes in by wearing them around the house or any time you are going to be on your feet.
If you have had problems in the past or feel you need to see a podiatrist we highly recommend the team at Feet in Motion (Christchurch) and Capital Sports Medicine (Wellington). They know their stuff when it comes to all things to do with feet!

We can’t stress enough how important important this is!

Training Gear

While we hope the weather gods deliver beautiful sunny days for every session we have to be prepared for all different types of weather. Here is a list of the training gear you will need:

A towel or mat for the body weight circuit exercises, some of which are done on the ground.
Head lamp for the dark mornings and evenings*
While it's ok to train in normal clothes, having some clothes that are designed for sports training will help to keep you warm and comfortable when you are running. These don't have to be expensive, just look for sports fabric and warm layers.
Be safe be seen, bright coloured clothing will help you have visibility to others.
We will be training in all types of weather so a good wind breaker/training jacket will come in handy. Beanie and gloves, sun visor - be prepared for any weather!
It's a good idea to have warm clothes in the car for straight after training.

* During the autumn and winter months when the mornings and evenings are dark, this is a “must have” item due to safety reasons, we need you to see - but also to be seen!

Other Items

There are just a couple more things that you will need for training success:

Because we'll be doing a combination of timed walking and running you will need to have a watch. This can be a cheap one, all you need is the stopwatch function on it.*
*Many of our runners use their phones as their timing devices, if you choose to do this we recommend getting an armband holder (to reduce the risk of dropping and screen breakages! and also to help with good running posture).
Always bring a full water bottle to every session.
Sometimes the team will go for coffee on Saturday's so make sure you bring some money so you can tell your stories and have a goss ;o)

That's pretty much all you'll need over the next couple months. It's not long now and you'll be taking the first step towards running 5km, bring it on!