Practice Sessions

What can you expect at a Cancer to 5K practice?

Our practices are designed to be motivational, help our survivors achieve their goals, and to help create a community of support!

Most practices last between 45 minutes and 1 hour (this includes time for warm up stretches). Weekday practices take less than an hour and have shorter workouts. Weekend practices have longer workouts and sometimes last slightly longer than an hour.

Below is a look at what you can expect from a typical practice.

Dedication circle at the Cancer to 5K goal race in Cary, North Carolina.

Dedication Circle

We start each practice with the Dedication Circle. We join hands and dedicate our practice to someone or something. It’s a chance for us to reflect and remind ourselves why we are here working towards our goals together.

Dynamic Stretching

At the beginning of each practice, we complete dynamic stretches as a team. Dynamic stretching is an active movement or series of movements that warm up our muscles and joints and prepare our body to perform. In addition to loosening up muscles, these stretches increase blood flow and ultimately assist in a more successful workout and recovery. Click here to learn more about our stretching routine.

Why do we stretch? Stretching is a good pre-walk-jog-run routine prevents injury and also prepares you psychologically for your training session to come. 

Cancer to 5K stretching before practice with survivors, volunteer sherpas, and coaches.
Finishing practice with Cancer to 5K survivors, volunteers, and coaches in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Workout Instructions

Coaches will review the workout plan with survivors and volunteers and answer any questions regarding the workout for the day. Typically, this involves either a distance, time, or effort goal (on a scale of 1-10). We will explain these in more detail and ensure the workout insturctions are taylored to each survivors’ goals for the season.

Completing the Workout

Survivors will be paired with volunteer (sherpas) and coaches to complete the workout in a manner consistent with the survivor’s goals for the season. Volunteers and coaches will remain paired with survivors throughout the practice and no one will dropped.

Cancer to 5K survivors and volunteers and coaches running the goal race and nearing the finish line in Durham, North Carolina!
Cancer survivors and volunteer sherpas after our first practice for Cancer to 5K in Raleigh, North Carolina.

End of Practice and Announcements

After the workout, we will conclude with announcements and reminders for the next practice. Occasionally, we will schedule an optional team gathering after practice for brunch or dinner. Coaches will remain on-site until the last group returns from their workout.

Ulman Foundation's Cancer to 5K Raleigh North Carolina

Questions?

Cancer to 5K is a program within the Ulman Foundation. The Ulman Foundation is a Baltimore, MD based 501(c)(3) non-profit whose goal is to change lives by creating support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer across the United States.