The Cape Breton Fiddlers Run and the YMCA of Cape Breton have formed a partnership to help people learn to run. The eight-week, Learn to Run program will begin on Wednesday, April 14 at 7pm at the Y on Charlotte Street in Sydney.
“The clinics are designed for beginner runners,” says Fiddlers Run Race Director, Dave Gabriel. “Whether you exercise regularly or don’t run at all, the clinics can help you get started, set your sights on a goal, and work to achieve it.”
The clinics are organized by members of the Fiddlers Run organizing committee and YMCA instructors. Over the course of the eight weeks, participants follow a walk/run program and eventually work their way up to running a 5km distance. In addition to the weekly group run, physicians and dietitians visit to discuss everything from injury prevention to proper nutrition.
“Since we began holding the Learn to Run clinics, we’ve seen close to 200 people complete the program,” says Gabriel. “People really benefit from the group atmosphere and having that support helps people stay on track.”
To demonstrate the complete extent of my dedication to bringing important lifestyle information to the What’s Goin On audience, I have registered to take part in the program and plan to report back regularly on my experience and progress. Last summer I tried my hand at teaching myself how to run a 5k and indeed came pretty close to be able to run twelve and a half laps of the 400m long track at the Bicentennial Field. Using this series of podcasts I learned how to go from a very easy walk / run program up to a 30 minute run over the course of the summer.
The podcasts helped by making it easy to keep track of when to switch between running and walking, providing encouragement and identifying when I should push a bit harder. Though the first 10 minute run in week three seemed like a big challenge, by week six and seven the twenty and twenty five minute runs were easily doable. The incremental improvements made each day quickly added up to an ability to run distances that previously seemed out of reach.
To register for the Cape Breton Fiddlers Run Learn to Run 5km program, you can call the YMCA at 562-9622 (YMCA). The cost of the eight-week program is $12 per person, which includes a t-shirt.
For more information, email erinpyke@msn.com.
Paul says
great article, looking forward to reading about your further experiences. I'm going to take a listen to that podcast, I've been hemming and hawing about starting to run for awhile, need a bit of a cardio boost for some other sports I play and this sounds like the gateway to get me started