Area club offers
entry tips into the world of running
By Todd Spellman - Lincoln Daily News |
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[February 27, 2016]
By February, many of the New Year's
fitness resolvers have either done well with their commitment to
positive change or their lofty goals are now shipwrecked on the
rocks of fast food and muscle strain. If you are struggling with
your resolution or if you are just one of the many who will start
"next week", then the Lincoln Area Running Club (LARC) has some help
to offer. The group is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization through the
Road Runners Club of America.
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 Rick Hoefle is a board member of the LARC and serves as its
Director of Activities according to their website at
http://runninglincoln.webs.com. His passion for running
bubbled as he talked about his experience with the club. "Running
becomes addictive", he mused as he described the beginning running
program the group offered a couple years ago. It was organized as a
class for “non-athletes” to get into running and provide the
necessary help to get them started on the right foot.
Hoefle encourages new runners that a good place to start is with one
of several "couch to 5K" programs available on the internet or as a
smartphone app. One such program, called "Get Running" available on
iOS, will start the novice off with eight rounds of running for one
minute, alternating with 1.5 minutes of walking. This ramps up
through nine weeks until the new runner is out for 30 minutes
straight. This a common and very gradual program for initiate
runners to get going without over exerting themselves too quickly,
creating a sustainable track they can stick with.
Fortunately for new runners, the equipment doesn’t require a big
initial investment. You don’t have to go get the best new running
shoes available and drop a couple hundred dollars for a lot of
flash. It is best however to get the right shoe for your feet. If
you have a pair of nice, light joggers that haven’t seen very many
miles, then by all means give them a try and be sensitive to how
your feet feel the day after your run. Some shoes offer more support
for people who tend to walk/run on the inside of their foot. Others
do the opposite and are more supportive for outside of the foot
walker/runners. Finding a shoe with the proper support for your
stride is critical to keeping your feet healthy.
Running shoes also tend to break down over time and use. According
to Dr. Kathleen Weber, a doctor at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush in
Chicago, the supportive midsole of your shoes has about 300-400
miles of usefulness. So if you’re not sure how long you’ve had them
or if they are showing some wear on the insert or the sole, best to
get a new pair before you get started to avoid potential injury.
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Running apps for your smartphone are a good way to track your
progress and distances. There are many options, both free and paid,
that use the internal GPS capabilities of nearly all smartphones.
They track your distance, average speed, calories consumed and other
metrics. Several have a social media connections to share with
friends and get encouragement from others who couldn’t make the run
with you.
The Lincoln Area Running Club could also serve as your inspiration
and support as they continue to meet weekly on Tuesday nights to go
for group runs. Starting at Anytime Fitness, they set off and will
get in several miles. Hoefle explained, "Our runners want to see
others excel and succeed. No one gets left behind." Hoefle added
that it is convenient too that Tuesday is a great time to finish a
run at one of several local restaurants offering dollar tacos.
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