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Photos from May 20, 2008:  End of first group run and everyone is still smiling!

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2008 Program and Speakers:

2008 Beginning Women’s Running Group Recap By Kelly Bails

            This year, thirty-six women registered for the Beginning Women’s Running Group.  Several other women were interested, but I had to turn them away to the large number of women who pre-registered.  We even have one person who hails all the way from Danville, California (yes, you read that right – California). She signed up to belong "in space."  To quote our California participant, she was “looking for a woman's running group that met my wishes yours was the only one I found.”  She keeps updated via email and she is doing the program on her own.  I am jealous that she has had much better weather to complete her runs.   

5/20/08 Week 1

The first meeting at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet was a lot of fun.  We had 30 new runners and 14 Second Wind mentors.  The majority of the mentors were previous Beginning Women’s Running Group participants, so I was really excited to have them back as mentors this year.

Stretching was the focus of this meeting.   We stretched as a group while I gave instructions and demonstrations on proper techniques.  Our group stretches at the beginning and end of each workout. 

            Everyone did a great job on the first run, which included 20 repeats of 1 minute of running followed by 2 minutes of walking.

5/27/08 Week 2

It was a cold and rainy night and I am impressed that 38 women showed up for the run.  Now that is dedication!

While we shivered and jumped in place trying to stay warm, Tracy Thomas, a certified personal trainer, running coach and owner of Body Mechanic Fitness, gave a very informative talk on proper running form.  Tracy showed us the proper positions for the head, body, arms, legs and feet.  She gave us a lot of things to work on, but she also said that we should just think about one thing at a time while running.

            Our group run consisted of 5 repeats of 4 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking. We worked on trying to maintain proper form during our run.

6/3/08 Week 3

We were lucky that the storms held off long enough for us to run and work on building our core strength.  Lori Ozment, a Lifestyle Specialist & Group Exercise Instructor at the Mettler Center, gave a talk on Core Body Strength.  The core muscle groups include abdominals, back, pelvic floor and hips.  Lori said we should work our core muscle groups at least twice a week to help us run stronger and better. 

            Lori had us try several core strengthening exercises and had us focus on proper body alignment.  Lori said that all core exercises should be done in a slow and controlled manner and the exercises can be finished in as little as 5 minutes a day. 

            The women are really progressing and this week we completed 4 repeats of 6 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking.

6/10/08 Week 4

We met at Body n’ Sole to hear Beth Day to explain the differences between cushioned, stability, and motion control shoes.  Beth stressed the importance of finding a pair of shoes to match your running gait, which means that you never buy running shoes based on looks.  Specialty running stores like Body n’ Sole will observe your foot type as well as your foot strike pattern in order to find you the best shoe. Contrary to popular belief, running shoes do not need to be broken in, which means you will be able to run in your new shoes immediately.  Beth said that shoes should last between 400-600 miles or six months to one year.  Beth also suggested buying a good pair of running socks that wick sweat away from your feet.   

            It was our hottest night yet for a run and we ran 3 repeats of 8 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking.

6/17/08 Week 5

            This was one of the best nights for weather.  The group completed 2 repeats of 12 minutes of running followed by 1-minute of walking.  The women ran between 2 and 2.5 miles and are well on their way to the goal of completing a 5K.

            Linnea Schweig, owner of the Fit Tek in Mahomet talked to the group about muscle balance.  She said that most of the aches and pains that we have (especially as we get older) are a result of muscle imbalance.  These aches and pains intensify with running because of all the extra pressure we are putting on our bodies.  Linn had us work through several exercises that can be done on a daily basis to improve our posture.  She had us doing standing arm circles, overhead extensions, elbow curls, and foot circles/flexes.  Linn also showed us some modified yoga stretches to help our flexibility.   She put us through quite a workout. 

6/24/08 Week 6

Yvonne Meyer, a Public Safety Officer at Parkland College and Instructor for the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) class, talked to the group about Women’s Safety.  One of the biggest things Yvonne stressed was being aware of your surroundings.  She said you should not wear headphones while running because you lose one of your key senses to danger.  For example, you can’t hear if someone/something is approaching from behind.   If you absolutely must run with headphones, you should only put in one earpiece.  Yvonne said that when someone is distracted, she makes an easy target to an attacker.  Yvonne showed us a self defense move to get out of an arm grab and what to do if attacked from behind.  Even if you missed learning these self-defense moves, you should fight back if ever attacked.  Other steps one can take to be safe include running with a buddy, wearing identification (www.roadid.com), running against traffic, and wearing reflective clothing. 

This week’s group run included a 20 minute run, a 1-minute walk, and a 10 minute run.  This group is really making progress.

7/01/08 Week 7

            In January 2007, I started seeing a massage therapist because of leg pain.  I was amazed at how much that one massage improved my soreness.  Since that time, I have made getting a massage a regular part of my training plan and I have remained injury free.  Recently my chiropractor told me that I need to get a massage every two weeks to loosen up my hips.  I thought wow – now my doctor is telling me to get a massage – I have to tell the running group.  I asked my massage therapist to give a talk on the benefits of massage therapy. 

            Jill Bradshaw, a licensed massage therapist and owner of Balance Day Spa in Mahomet talked to the group about massage therapy.  Jill explained that there are two main types of massages: Swedish and Deep Tissue.  A Swedish massage is a type of relaxation massage and Deep Tissue massage is more of a therapeutic massage.  Some of the benefits of massage therapy for athletes include improved blood flow, weak/tight muscles are stretched, joint flexibility is increased, and recovery from strenuous workouts is improved by 60%.  Jill said that you should get a massage as soon as possible after a big event and always take the next day off from strenuous workouts.  Jill also stressed the importance of drinking a lot of water after a massage to get the toxins that were broken up out of your system.  Jill said that no matter where you get a massage, your therapist should be licensed by the state and you should always feel comfortable with your therapist.  Even though a massage feels like a special treat, it really should be an integral part of your training plan.

This week’s group run included a 26 minute run, a 1-minute walk, and a 4 minute run.  Next week is the final long run of 30 minutes.

7/08/08 Week 8

Joe and I headed over to Lake of the Woods at 5:20 p.m. to get a run in before our group meeting at 6:30.  Shortly into our run we had to stop because of the lightning.   Joe and I decided to hang out in the shelter to see if anyone would arrive.  As we sat on the metal tables, the shelter started flooding, the lightning lit up the sky, and we decided it probably wasn't a good idea to stay any longer.  At 6:25 we headed home.  I was so disappointed that we couldn't do the last group run together. 

The talk that was rained out was on race tips and etiquette.  Joe had me email the group the following tips.  On race morning, eat a light meal a couple of hours before the start of the race and give yourself plenty of time for bathroom breaks.  Wear a shirt that you have been wearing on your training runs and pin your race number to the front of your shirt so that the volunteers at the finish line can see your number and remove the results tab.  At the start you should line up in the middle of the pack and in front of the walkers.  During the race you want to maintain an even pace.  It is okay to walk during the race, so take walk breaks as needed.   If you need to stop for water, grab a cup from a volunteer and move to the side of the road to drink.  Smile as you cross the finish line and give yourself a pat on the back for finishing your first 5K.

7/12/08 Goal Race: Fisher Fair 5K

            Joe and I were really worried about the weather as we drove to the Fisher 5K race.  The sky darkened, the rain was coming down sideways, and it was lightning.  I thought the race would be cancelled.  Despite the weather, 15 women from the running group and a few of the mentors arrived for the race.  The race director decided to postpone the race by 30 minutes.  Looking outside at the gusting wind and heavy rain, I still thought the race would be cancelled.  While the lightning had stopped, I was sure we would be running in awful weather.   To my amazement, the sky cleared and the rain stopped right as we walked outside for the start of the race.  It turned out to be a great morning for the race.  After I crossed the finish line, I cheered everyone of the women through the chute.  I think I was just as excited watching each woman finish as the women were excited to reach their goal.  Two of the women won age group awards and two others won door prizes.  You wouldn’t believe how much we cheered for the age group winners.  It was a really fun morning and I am so proud of how much each woman has accomplished in the eight weeks. 

This is the fifth time I have coordinated this program.  Once again, I must emphasize that one of the main reasons this program is successful is due to the mentors who showed up each week to run with the new runners, answer questions and provide encouragement.  I can’t possibly mention everyone who participated or helped out, but I want to say congratulations to the women who completed the program and a special thank-you to all the speakers and mentors.