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| Wellness Coordinator Becky Kreiger will coach the Couch to Turkey Trot team this year. |
Porteter County Parks and Recreation is once again offering people the opportunity to get in shape while enjoying the camaraderie of a group and preparing to participate in a 5K. The Couch to Turkey Trot will help people train for the Turkey Trot 5K, which will take place on Thursday, Nov. 22, in Valparaiso.
No prior running experience is necessary to participate. The team will meet every Thursday from Sept. 27 to Nov. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Sunset Hill Farm County Park. The cost of the program is $50, and includes race registration and a T-shirt.
No prior running experience is necessary to participate. The team will meet every Thursday from Sept. 27 to Nov. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Sunset Hill Farm County Park. The cost of the program is $50, and includes race registration and a T-shirt.
Porter County Parks and Recreation Wellness Coordinator Becky Kreiger will lead the team and offer personalized training programs to help ensure success. She recently answered some questions about what people can expect if they participate in Couch to Turkey Trot. To register for the program, you can call Becky at 219-465-3686 or e-mail her at bkreiger@porterco.org.
Can you describe the program?
Couch to Turkey Trot is an 8-week progressive program that guides a person who is unable to run a 5K through a personalized training program that prepares them to participate in a 5K. During each week of training, the run times get longer and the walk times become shorter. There are four “run” workouts each week, two days of cross training and a day off. The program is also supplemented with stretching and ab strengthening – good core muscles help with running form.
What would you tell someone who is unsure or nervous about participating in C2TT?
I would tell them that everyone is always nervous when trying something new. I certainly was when I began running in 2009. However, the more you plug away at it, the more confidence you will gain.
My favorite John Bingham quote is “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” And I think that it says a lot. It takes guts to try something new, and doing something outside of your comfort zone takes courage.
How do you provide guidance for people throughout the week to make sure they stick with it?
Each participant will be given a packet that details the workouts week by week. I will also be emailing everyone weekly with inspiration, and will also be available for participants to contact whenever needed for questions and concerns if they have them.
As someone who has run 5Ks, and longer races like the Chicago Marathon, what makes running and competing (either against yourself or someone else) so rewarding?
The rewarding part is seeing what your body – both physically and mentally – is capable of doing. I used to track every run and my times, but I had to stop. I became too competitive with myself and began to beat myself up for not running as fast as I had before, and running was no longer fun.
Now when I run – I just run. I do like to have an idea of the times, I just don’t log them and compare from week to week. When I run 5Ks, as long as I finish in under 30 minutes and in the middle of my age group, I am happy, because my age group is very competitive (and I’m at the upper end of my age group, too).
Valpo and Northwest Indiana also has such a wonderful running community that is very supportive and a rewarding thing to be a part of. I have made many new friends through running and the running community.
What kind of differences can people expect to see in their fitness, confidence and motivation after they have completed the program?
They will notice that their stamina has increased, hopefully will notice a change (for the better) in their sleeping and hopefully notice that their pants are a bit looser and some new muscle definition – all great motivators.
I know that with running – personally speaking – I have gained much more confidence in myself and what I am able to do. Even if I have slacked (and sometimes life does get in the way) in my running – the first few runs when back in the game are tough, but then it all seems to meld together again and it’s like I never slacked – and that then is great motivation. And hopefully after completing the program, the participants will want to stick with being healthy. It doesn’t have to be running – it can be walking, aerobics, swimming, weight training – just doing things to make themselves healthier.
How does this program cater to all ability levels?
The program starts out with 30 seconds of running followed by 2 minutes of walking to ease participants into running. If participants are having trouble one week, the program can be individually tailored to allow them to have more time during one of the weeks. I don’t expect participants to run 7-minute miles (I can’t even run a 7-minute mile). The important thing for them to remember is that they are doing something to make themselves healthier (and happier) in the long run.
There is no shame in taking walk breaks when running. I took many walk breaks when training for the Chicago Marathon last year and many walk breaks during the marathon itself. Walking actually gives your body a break and then you are able to keep going.
