Take it from a walk to a run with Fleet Feet

The first steps on a new exercise program can be the hardest to take when one tries to go it alone. The loneliness of the long-distance runner isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Many beginning runners find trouble with consistent motivation and a lack of direction.

Joining a group or pairing up with a buddy helps make those challenges rewarding and fun.

“We hear from a lot of people who say they just don’t know how to start,” says Nancy Ullrich-Merrill, co-owner of Fleet Feet, a running specialty shop which is about to start its third year of beginning running classes called “No Boundaries.”

“With No Boundaries we give them a starting point — repeat efforts consisting of a one-minute run followed by a two minute walk. And we give them a finishing point — the Coeur d’Alene Marathon’s 5K run at the end of May.”

For many the end is really just the beginning. No Boundaries graduates from the past two years are this year training for 10Ks, half-marathons and triathlons. They have made the switch to a healthy lifestyle.

The key to success for many was the group dynamic.

“Misery loves company,” Ullrich-Merrill jokes. “It gave them a support group, a structure, and they held each other accountable.”

Think of it as a support system.

Sharing the fitness journey with others provides an outlet to express the inevitable ups and downs along the way. And chatting with a partner helps the minutes and miles fly by.

Scheduling an exercise date with a workout partner helps when motivation is lacking. There may be times you won’t want to roll out of bed early or put off dinner for another hour after work to satisfy your own fitness goals, but chances are you’ll keep a promise to a friend to show up and not leave them waiting somewhere thinking you’re a slacker.

“You don’t want to let them down,” says Ullrich-Merrill. “Of course, once you get started you’re glad you did and you’re thankful for the extra little push it took to get you there.”

Sharing company on the run is also a good way to monitor your effort.

While gadgets like heart rate monitors can be useful to help keep your pace at a manageable level, an equally useful indicator many coaches rely on is whether you can maintain a conversational pace. If you don’t have to gasp between breaths to fill in your friend on what happened at work or which team is ahead on “The Biggest Loser,” you’re effort is probably just right.

The advantage of a group is there’s strength in numbers.

It can be difficult for one or two friends to stay on the same page when it comes to a fitness plan. People progress at different rates. Perhaps one gets injured, or goes on vacation, or has to attend a kid’s soccer game. Or maybe he or she just turns out to be a flake.

“Joining a group is a great way to get started,” Ullrich-Merrill says. “It’s also a great way to keep going.”

To find out more, call Fleet Feet at 765-7604.