Posts
Running on the Cheap –
Save your money for shoes or running shorts and let’s talk about tricks for getting more miles out of your recreation budget.
Some of the best tips from our friends at Runners World include:
Local races are cheaper, sometimes offer food and are a great way to meet new running partners. The side benefits – you may be the fastest one there or for your division and this can be a prize category along with bragging rights. Always plan ahead for your race and pre-register. For big races this can save you $25 on the entry fee. If you travel to run then plan to carpool and room share with running buddies to trim costs. Pack a lunch to share and carbo load together.
Always support your local running store when you can. No shipping and the immediate gratification of having what you need and keeping a shop open near you. Ask if they’ll meet whatever catalog price you saw too – it never hurts to ask and a good business person can always find a polite way to state what they cannot do.
Volunteer at a race – often you can still run it and maybe at a reduced fee in exchange for your time. It is a fun and different way to be involved and it is what keeps area races going.
Fall is a key time for shoe models to change and whenever you see the new shoe guides hit the newsstand that means it is time to pick up whatever model you were running in for a better price as it goes off of the shelf. If you are a very common size you may need to jump on this a bit sooner to get your shoes but the pay off is worth it. They do not go bad in the box and most folks do not see a shoe size change annually. Roadrunner, REI, and zappos are all good sites for shoe sales when the style season ends.
Buying multiple pairs of shoes that work well for you does a few things. You are not pressured by style change when they phase out something that is working well for you. Secondly when you rotate shoes they last longer on account of the fact that the supportive foam (the only thing that really wears out sometimes on a shoe) has 48 hours to rebound every time you run your shoes. Getting them an air-out time and allowing foam to recover allows me to run two pair at a time, possibly 50-100 miles further than I could otherwise. Many runners benefit from this practice and it adds up over the cost of several pairs.
There is an increase in folks who run to work or run home after work and anyone who has an HR department at their workplace they should ask about any incentive that is offered for employee wellness or carbon savings. You are saving on gas or parking fees, gym membership and keeping your workplace insurance bills low so anything you can gain in reimbursement would be gravy.
Several folks have gotten a spouse, relative or buddy to run and this replaces their time at the bar or coffee stop with a cheap and healthy habit they do together.
Switch to real food. Better for you and less money too. Often times an easy grocery store substitute can replace expensive energy gels and Gatorade. Diluted fruit juice works for some folks and others just use less powder than the mix calls for (and Gatorade powder is far better and cheaper than paying for water and high fructose corn syrup) fruit leather, pretzels, honey, or any road tested thing you like is less money than a Powerbar. I am a big fan of PB&J on wheat.
Our area running clubs; Elkins Roadrunners and WV Mountain Trail Runners are very affordable ways to meet folks and their events are low budget and very fun affairs. Sometimes there will be apparel available that is great for running in and some clubs do get discounts from retailers – it pays to ask.
Your loved ones now know you are a runner so be specific when your birthday or Christmas comes and give them your shoe size and model; for what is the most costly and most often purchased item on your list.
Remember that big races are now often giving out technical fabric race shirts and these are your "two for one" deals on running apparel. When it comes to outerwear, shorts and shoes: this often remains an expensive spot in the starting runner’s budget. Remember that in days of old, wool was the original technical fiber and it still works great for everything but summer running. It is also already in the closet or at the secondhand store. I have always been a deal hound at the army/navy store for this kind of technical clothing for being outside. A funny and informative recent column sent Runners World staffers to the big box stores to shop out any clothing that looked like it would get them through weekly mileage and they only had $100 to spend for a complete outfit. Sports Authority and Amazon came up as the best bets for this shopping challenge. Two stores had brand name shoes and the shoes were similar to the manufacturer’s regular shoes with technology that was just several year older than new – yet good. Clothing from Starter, Champion, and Nike all turned out have some items that were acceptable to the testers, just simply did not last as long as what they were accustomed to. (Understand that the RW magazine editors all run in the newest free stuff to product test every month so they set the bar unfairly high.)
Runners World polled folks on their spending habits and found that 3% folks spent less than $100/year on running. The largest group 28% spent $250-499/year on running and an almost equally large number spent more than $1000/year ( I would guess that this accounts for travel to destination events) Recent polling shows that runners spending has held pretty constant in the current climate as well. Folks have a good habit that they cannot give up and they will continue to run even if they downsize a bit.
I hope some of these ideas and tips will help get you further this year. If you have others please post them to the facebook site.
Showing posts with label fun running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun running. Show all posts
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Running Hills
Hills – Mountaineers are better runners.
“Going to the mountains is going home” – John Muir
Runners from Ohio complain about them and the Boston Marathon has the notorious “Heartbreak Hill” as part of it mythology but runners who know the benefits of running up and down hill know something – they have both the competitive and mental advantage on their competition.
This part of your running can easily comprise 35% of you total mileage & will develop your stride and physical capacity to run more easily. You’ll also never fear a racecourse - something flatlanders get chills about regularly. Again, Danny Dryer’s book CHI Running is a great resource here in dealing with hills because technique can help your newly acquired powers to get up any hill efficiently.
Flow and glide – is the earth flat? Easy question - but think about the last time you enjoyed a roller coaster, surfed a wave, rode a mountain bike or snowboard over that very non-flat planet of ours. That slowing and accelerating feeling you enjoyed can be learned and integrated into your running and while it will not be easy, you already have many of the tools to do this well. Concentrate on an easy and efficient pace going up and learn to love that fast gliding down and you’ll start to reap the physical advantage of hill running.
Physical developments – no matter how fast (or slow) you go uphill you’ll be working at a higher PE than you typically do on a training run. You will be gently adjusting your workload and this gives you better cardio capacity while building powerful hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Towards the end of a race as fatigue sets in runners may shorten their stride and lack muscle endurance to raise their knees and ankles into the next stride. Hill running build stamina in these key areas and prevents fatigue. You’ll have more power to keep running.
Hill repeats – In the same way that we are able to start running or do speed work in small doses – you can also run uphill in short bursts so as to not tire of it completely and still get most of the benefits. Folks who do not enjoy hills or feel intimidated by a hilly course will find a hill that takes one minute to run and run it at a “regular pace” (PE 4) multiple times. At the top you turn around and gently glide back down, resting as needed at the base before heading up again.
Proper form – we have discussed before that if your form suffers while doing this running then you’re not doing yourself any favors and need to slow down. You get some of the benefits from walking the hills too – find a pace you can handle – progress gradually.
Uphill - You will use your upper body more when traveling uphill. A slight lean forward would come from leaning at the ankle. Your focused breathing to power your body upward, and your arm swing – all play an important role. Think about the little engine that could. Small lean and small strides as well as a relaxed state governed by our breathing rate. You do not want to overwork your hamstrings and calves with long strides and pulling yourself up the hill. Small strides, never stepping past your hips, shoulders slightly ahead of your hips, keeps you pushing yourself up the hill in a controlled way. Take it easy and let your breathing determine your pace. Relax your legs and make sure feet are flat on the ground, heels down, and you’re not asking smaller muscles to do bigger jobs. Conserve energy and know that going uphill is always a bit slower. Pump your arms, thinking about elbows moving back, coordinated with your stride to give you extra momentum moving uphill. Your eyes look up – to the top of the hill and your long straight spine allows more air into the runner for hard work. Think about a positive mental image and know that every up has a downhill too.
Downhill – Done poorly, you’ll pound your legs, feet and lower back with 6-10x your body weight with each footfall, hammering your legs and possibly your ability to run later in the week! While not all hills are runnable, many are and you’ll get better at the “glide” skills with practice & enjoy the down without the pounding. Relaxing both physically and mentally allows you to loosen up your knees and quadriceps, give in to the speed a bit and enjoy the movement which can be much faster than you ever run on the flats. Stride, cadence, and orientation to the ground help smooth out the ride you’ve earned.
Think about your hips, shoulders and upper body. You want your hips and pelvis level while you run. Your shoulders and upper body should stay centered over your hips. Leaning away from the hill and bracing will shift your legs forward and as they act like the brakes - you’ll transfer impact to heels, quadriceps, and your lower back. This is a time that you want to stay light and footfalls/strides will be much faster than usual.
Your cadence (number of strides per minute) will increase and those smaller steps will keep your feet under your hips and landing quickly and lightly on the ground. If you need to take longer strides as your speed increases, think about the stride getting longer in the back, or behind you, so your feet do not come past your hips and you are recruiting muscles from the posterior of the body. One item to focus on is peeling your feet off the ground from the heel. This tends to make the mid-foot land first for your next step and keeps your footsteps closer to the pelvis – reducing impact forces to your body. Another way to look at it is to lead with the toe – plantar flex the foot – toes point down as you descend and your mid-foot will hit first and quickly transition to the next step.
Safety – while accidents a few, if you start running 35% of your mileage as hills you may want to take an hour one afternoon (on a grassy slope) to think about falling properly. Cyclists do this annually and skiers do too as their falling season starts. If you practice a tuck and roll, drop a shoulder style of falling you are much more likely to avoid road rash and to stop sooner, post contact with the ground. You want to tuck things in and not splay them out – do not make tender and breakable appendages responsible for stopping your trajectory. If this practice drill sounds scary, remember to walk the steepest descents so that you are in control.
“Going to the mountains is going home” – John Muir
Runners from Ohio complain about them and the Boston Marathon has the notorious “Heartbreak Hill” as part of it mythology but runners who know the benefits of running up and down hill know something – they have both the competitive and mental advantage on their competition.
This part of your running can easily comprise 35% of you total mileage & will develop your stride and physical capacity to run more easily. You’ll also never fear a racecourse - something flatlanders get chills about regularly. Again, Danny Dryer’s book CHI Running is a great resource here in dealing with hills because technique can help your newly acquired powers to get up any hill efficiently.
Flow and glide – is the earth flat? Easy question - but think about the last time you enjoyed a roller coaster, surfed a wave, rode a mountain bike or snowboard over that very non-flat planet of ours. That slowing and accelerating feeling you enjoyed can be learned and integrated into your running and while it will not be easy, you already have many of the tools to do this well. Concentrate on an easy and efficient pace going up and learn to love that fast gliding down and you’ll start to reap the physical advantage of hill running.
Physical developments – no matter how fast (or slow) you go uphill you’ll be working at a higher PE than you typically do on a training run. You will be gently adjusting your workload and this gives you better cardio capacity while building powerful hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Towards the end of a race as fatigue sets in runners may shorten their stride and lack muscle endurance to raise their knees and ankles into the next stride. Hill running build stamina in these key areas and prevents fatigue. You’ll have more power to keep running.
Hill repeats – In the same way that we are able to start running or do speed work in small doses – you can also run uphill in short bursts so as to not tire of it completely and still get most of the benefits. Folks who do not enjoy hills or feel intimidated by a hilly course will find a hill that takes one minute to run and run it at a “regular pace” (PE 4) multiple times. At the top you turn around and gently glide back down, resting as needed at the base before heading up again.
Proper form – we have discussed before that if your form suffers while doing this running then you’re not doing yourself any favors and need to slow down. You get some of the benefits from walking the hills too – find a pace you can handle – progress gradually.
Uphill - You will use your upper body more when traveling uphill. A slight lean forward would come from leaning at the ankle. Your focused breathing to power your body upward, and your arm swing – all play an important role. Think about the little engine that could. Small lean and small strides as well as a relaxed state governed by our breathing rate. You do not want to overwork your hamstrings and calves with long strides and pulling yourself up the hill. Small strides, never stepping past your hips, shoulders slightly ahead of your hips, keeps you pushing yourself up the hill in a controlled way. Take it easy and let your breathing determine your pace. Relax your legs and make sure feet are flat on the ground, heels down, and you’re not asking smaller muscles to do bigger jobs. Conserve energy and know that going uphill is always a bit slower. Pump your arms, thinking about elbows moving back, coordinated with your stride to give you extra momentum moving uphill. Your eyes look up – to the top of the hill and your long straight spine allows more air into the runner for hard work. Think about a positive mental image and know that every up has a downhill too.
Downhill – Done poorly, you’ll pound your legs, feet and lower back with 6-10x your body weight with each footfall, hammering your legs and possibly your ability to run later in the week! While not all hills are runnable, many are and you’ll get better at the “glide” skills with practice & enjoy the down without the pounding. Relaxing both physically and mentally allows you to loosen up your knees and quadriceps, give in to the speed a bit and enjoy the movement which can be much faster than you ever run on the flats. Stride, cadence, and orientation to the ground help smooth out the ride you’ve earned.
Think about your hips, shoulders and upper body. You want your hips and pelvis level while you run. Your shoulders and upper body should stay centered over your hips. Leaning away from the hill and bracing will shift your legs forward and as they act like the brakes - you’ll transfer impact to heels, quadriceps, and your lower back. This is a time that you want to stay light and footfalls/strides will be much faster than usual.
Your cadence (number of strides per minute) will increase and those smaller steps will keep your feet under your hips and landing quickly and lightly on the ground. If you need to take longer strides as your speed increases, think about the stride getting longer in the back, or behind you, so your feet do not come past your hips and you are recruiting muscles from the posterior of the body. One item to focus on is peeling your feet off the ground from the heel. This tends to make the mid-foot land first for your next step and keeps your footsteps closer to the pelvis – reducing impact forces to your body. Another way to look at it is to lead with the toe – plantar flex the foot – toes point down as you descend and your mid-foot will hit first and quickly transition to the next step.
Safety – while accidents a few, if you start running 35% of your mileage as hills you may want to take an hour one afternoon (on a grassy slope) to think about falling properly. Cyclists do this annually and skiers do too as their falling season starts. If you practice a tuck and roll, drop a shoulder style of falling you are much more likely to avoid road rash and to stop sooner, post contact with the ground. You want to tuck things in and not splay them out – do not make tender and breakable appendages responsible for stopping your trajectory. If this practice drill sounds scary, remember to walk the steepest descents so that you are in control.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Benefits of exercise
Here it is in the somewhat dry parlance of the medical textbook – but clearly this is the short list:
Proven benefits of exercise (Basic Nursing Practice, Potter & Perry 6th edition, 2007)
Cardiovascular system
increased cardiac output, improved myocardial contraction; thereby strengthening cardiac muscle
Decreased resting heart rate, improved venous return
Respiratory system
Increased respiratory rate and depth, followed by a faster return to resting state.
Improved alveolar ventilation, decreased work of breathing, improved diaphragmatic excursion
Metabolic System
Increased basal metabolic rate, increased use of glucose and fatty acids, increased triglyceride breakdown
Increased gastric motility, increased production of body heat
Musculoskeletal system
Improved muscle tone, increased joint mobility, improved muscle tolerance to physical exercise.
Possible increase in muscle mass, reduced bone loss
Activity Tolerance
Improved tolerance to activity, decreased fatigue
Psychological benefits
Improved tolerance to stress, reports of “feeling better”, reports of decrease in illness (flu, colds, etc)
Here it is in the negative light: The American Cancer Society states that use of tobacco, unhealthy diet, and inadequate physical activity account for 75% of cancer cases and up to 2/3 of cancer deaths in the United States. Wow, I am glad I am supporting Lance Armstrong's foundation...
How about the idea that 3.4 million people were 5k finishers in 2007? This is a BIG group of friends that you are joining and they are all a good example of fitting it in while feeling better.
With the smallest of doses; 2mile x 3weekly workouts has been shown to reduce the risks for men – in the key areas that negatively impact quality of life. Heart disease, cholesterol, adult onset diabetes, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can all be problems as we age and studies have shown that running positively impacts all of these areas – no matter your speed. How many things in life do you actually get an effort grade for?!
While everyone has heard of snake oil - something that cures everything – but running has evidence to support positive impacts in the areas of weight control, increased self esteem, stress relief, improved immune function, increased bone mass, and improved lung capacity.
Is there a reason that I should not do this? YES…
If you are a smoker, already have unregulated high cholesterol levels, uncontrolled high blood pressure, are getting off the couch with no prior exercise history, are classified as obese with a BMI over 30, have diabetes, extreme stress levels, or consume alcohol; more than 2 drinks/day (male) or 1 drink /day (female). Where do these risk factors leave you? At your doctor’s office with a physical and telling him A) what you want to do and B) why do you want to do it C) How you plan to get there. I am not suggesting that you cannot run but if you fall into the above caution categories you will need to control or manage some of the variables first and start of more slowly - then move into a running program. We will still be here to welcome you when you are ready. We want you to run, safely.
In order to do this and make a decent splash – one that you’ll be proud of – we need to follow a few important steps.
Have the courage to show up and start something new, you are already good at that, so congratulations!
Select a race, a distance goal and why you want to do that, because your rationale will guide this whole process and carry you when the day is not going too well.
Schedule your workouts with a calendar, a log book, your PDA but have a plan so you know where you’ll be and can build solid habits
Get proper shoes and advice about footwear
Find training partners who you can share with – our safe learning environment is good for that too.
Find safe places to run. We will have a lot of tools for this in coming weeks.
Progress gradually, it is easy to say and tough to do in a western culture but we are here to teach you that too much too soon injuries are the most common type of all and we are trying to protect you from yourself!
Cross train, strengthen, stretch. You will be able to run the rest of your life you play your cards right and yet it is crazy to put all of your eggs in one basket too. You’ll not be able to run everyday either so you need a regular outlet, preferable one that works muscles differently than your running. You should strengthen your muscles for running to prevent injury and stretch these muscles post workout. Long fibers relax and rebuild faster and are more receptive to glycogen. Take care of you and you will be happier, longer.
Do not play medic or self diagnose. Listen carefully to your body and it is useful to record the results. When you need help see your health care provider right away and be an informed consumer of service with your research and your record of progress or problems.
Get ready for some fun and to develop lifelong habits for a better you. That is our top objective. We’ll teach a seminar the third Wednesday of each month, run together once a week and follow an exercise plan at least four days a week. Along the way you can read about running, ask questions, listen to a topic on group run each week, and find a lot of people and tip to help you along the way.
The journey of a lifetime begins with the single step right? The longitudinal study done at Tufts University has shown that over 30 years the folks who had greater chance of illness, the folks with joint problems, and the folks who actually did not live as long – were those who did not have a cardiovascular fitness plan. The ones who did nothing - so you are on the right track and you can do this with a bit of help, and it should be a great ride.
I love the quote that says “While it may not add years to my life, running will add life to my years.”
Proven benefits of exercise (Basic Nursing Practice, Potter & Perry 6th edition, 2007)
Cardiovascular system
increased cardiac output, improved myocardial contraction; thereby strengthening cardiac muscle
Decreased resting heart rate, improved venous return
Respiratory system
Increased respiratory rate and depth, followed by a faster return to resting state.
Improved alveolar ventilation, decreased work of breathing, improved diaphragmatic excursion
Metabolic System
Increased basal metabolic rate, increased use of glucose and fatty acids, increased triglyceride breakdown
Increased gastric motility, increased production of body heat
Musculoskeletal system
Improved muscle tone, increased joint mobility, improved muscle tolerance to physical exercise.
Possible increase in muscle mass, reduced bone loss
Activity Tolerance
Improved tolerance to activity, decreased fatigue
Psychological benefits
Improved tolerance to stress, reports of “feeling better”, reports of decrease in illness (flu, colds, etc)
Here it is in the negative light: The American Cancer Society states that use of tobacco, unhealthy diet, and inadequate physical activity account for 75% of cancer cases and up to 2/3 of cancer deaths in the United States. Wow, I am glad I am supporting Lance Armstrong's foundation...
How about the idea that 3.4 million people were 5k finishers in 2007? This is a BIG group of friends that you are joining and they are all a good example of fitting it in while feeling better.
With the smallest of doses; 2mile x 3weekly workouts has been shown to reduce the risks for men – in the key areas that negatively impact quality of life. Heart disease, cholesterol, adult onset diabetes, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can all be problems as we age and studies have shown that running positively impacts all of these areas – no matter your speed. How many things in life do you actually get an effort grade for?!
While everyone has heard of snake oil - something that cures everything – but running has evidence to support positive impacts in the areas of weight control, increased self esteem, stress relief, improved immune function, increased bone mass, and improved lung capacity.
Is there a reason that I should not do this? YES…
If you are a smoker, already have unregulated high cholesterol levels, uncontrolled high blood pressure, are getting off the couch with no prior exercise history, are classified as obese with a BMI over 30, have diabetes, extreme stress levels, or consume alcohol; more than 2 drinks/day (male) or 1 drink /day (female). Where do these risk factors leave you? At your doctor’s office with a physical and telling him A) what you want to do and B) why do you want to do it C) How you plan to get there. I am not suggesting that you cannot run but if you fall into the above caution categories you will need to control or manage some of the variables first and start of more slowly - then move into a running program. We will still be here to welcome you when you are ready. We want you to run, safely.
In order to do this and make a decent splash – one that you’ll be proud of – we need to follow a few important steps.
Have the courage to show up and start something new, you are already good at that, so congratulations!
Select a race, a distance goal and why you want to do that, because your rationale will guide this whole process and carry you when the day is not going too well.
Schedule your workouts with a calendar, a log book, your PDA but have a plan so you know where you’ll be and can build solid habits
Get proper shoes and advice about footwear
Find training partners who you can share with – our safe learning environment is good for that too.
Find safe places to run. We will have a lot of tools for this in coming weeks.
Progress gradually, it is easy to say and tough to do in a western culture but we are here to teach you that too much too soon injuries are the most common type of all and we are trying to protect you from yourself!
Cross train, strengthen, stretch. You will be able to run the rest of your life you play your cards right and yet it is crazy to put all of your eggs in one basket too. You’ll not be able to run everyday either so you need a regular outlet, preferable one that works muscles differently than your running. You should strengthen your muscles for running to prevent injury and stretch these muscles post workout. Long fibers relax and rebuild faster and are more receptive to glycogen. Take care of you and you will be happier, longer.
Do not play medic or self diagnose. Listen carefully to your body and it is useful to record the results. When you need help see your health care provider right away and be an informed consumer of service with your research and your record of progress or problems.
Get ready for some fun and to develop lifelong habits for a better you. That is our top objective. We’ll teach a seminar the third Wednesday of each month, run together once a week and follow an exercise plan at least four days a week. Along the way you can read about running, ask questions, listen to a topic on group run each week, and find a lot of people and tip to help you along the way.
The journey of a lifetime begins with the single step right? The longitudinal study done at Tufts University has shown that over 30 years the folks who had greater chance of illness, the folks with joint problems, and the folks who actually did not live as long – were those who did not have a cardiovascular fitness plan. The ones who did nothing - so you are on the right track and you can do this with a bit of help, and it should be a great ride.
I love the quote that says “While it may not add years to my life, running will add life to my years.”
Monday, May 17, 2010
The 2010 Learn To Run class starts this week
Here is the press release, which would explain this site to anyone who happened to stumble across us, and most of our visitors - I'd think - are here because they are already students enrolled in class. Please join us if you have not already - or refer someone that you'd like to run with!
Sue Gillispie
Elkins YMCA
304-636-4515
memberservices@elkinsymca.org
Set Your Sights on a New Goal for Autumn - Learn to Run at the Elkins/Randolph County YMCA
(Elkins, WV April 30, 2010) We all know how to run from something - but now you can get help with running towards your health and wellness goals. The Elkins/Randolph County YMCA is offering a 20-week “learn to run” program that will lead you through a training plan to help prepare you for one of the area’s upcoming autumn races.
This program, designed for all levels of runners, will answer your questions about running, help you find your pace, team you up with people to run with, as well as outline a training plan focused on injury prevention and fun. Participants will chose their target training distance whether it is a beginner distance, a 5K race or even a half marathon.
The program will meet for weekly group runs on Saturdays and on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:45 p.m. for a coaching seminar.
Carl Bolyard will instruct the group. A runner since High School and an experiential educator for fifteen years, Carl had no aspirations to enter a race until autumn of 2007 when he used his first marathon to kick start his running program and began really enjoying the regular benefits of running again. Drawing upon advice from Tom Holland, Bart Yasso, Dean Karnazes and others, he believes in a simple low mileage plan that is focused on injury prevention and directed by the individual’s goals.
The class fee of $100.00 for YMCA members and $110.00 for non-members includes the cost of the class textbook and training materials, advice and fitness planning each week and running plans that will be tailored to the individual’s fitness history. All revenue after expenses will be donated to the Randolph County Girls on the Run program.
Advance registration is required. Participants should visit the YMCA to complete an enrollment form.
The Elkins/Randolph County YMCA was established in 1908. The YMCA is dedicated to improving the lives of men, women, and children in the region through quality programs, classes, and activities. Financial assistance is available based on household income and family size.
The YMCA is located at 400 Davis Avenue and can be reached at 304-636-4515. Visit the Elkins YMCA on the web at www.elkinsymca.com
Sue Gillispie
Elkins YMCA
304-636-4515
memberservices@elkinsymca.org
Set Your Sights on a New Goal for Autumn - Learn to Run at the Elkins/Randolph County YMCA
(Elkins, WV April 30, 2010) We all know how to run from something - but now you can get help with running towards your health and wellness goals. The Elkins/Randolph County YMCA is offering a 20-week “learn to run” program that will lead you through a training plan to help prepare you for one of the area’s upcoming autumn races.
This program, designed for all levels of runners, will answer your questions about running, help you find your pace, team you up with people to run with, as well as outline a training plan focused on injury prevention and fun. Participants will chose their target training distance whether it is a beginner distance, a 5K race or even a half marathon.
The program will meet for weekly group runs on Saturdays and on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:45 p.m. for a coaching seminar.
Carl Bolyard will instruct the group. A runner since High School and an experiential educator for fifteen years, Carl had no aspirations to enter a race until autumn of 2007 when he used his first marathon to kick start his running program and began really enjoying the regular benefits of running again. Drawing upon advice from Tom Holland, Bart Yasso, Dean Karnazes and others, he believes in a simple low mileage plan that is focused on injury prevention and directed by the individual’s goals.
The class fee of $100.00 for YMCA members and $110.00 for non-members includes the cost of the class textbook and training materials, advice and fitness planning each week and running plans that will be tailored to the individual’s fitness history. All revenue after expenses will be donated to the Randolph County Girls on the Run program.
Advance registration is required. Participants should visit the YMCA to complete an enrollment form.
The Elkins/Randolph County YMCA was established in 1908. The YMCA is dedicated to improving the lives of men, women, and children in the region through quality programs, classes, and activities. Financial assistance is available based on household income and family size.
The YMCA is located at 400 Davis Avenue and can be reached at 304-636-4515. Visit the Elkins YMCA on the web at www.elkinsymca.com
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