Have you ever thought of doing a 5K, 10k, half-marathon or full-marathon? 

The first race I ever did was with the American Stroke Association.  I had gotten a postcard in the mail to train and raise money for the organization.  I was not a runner and had not exercised consistently in a while, yet I was so drawn to doing this.  

After hearing two stroke survivors talk about their experience of having just finished a full marathon (one of them was 82 years old), I figured that if they could do it, I, being able-bodied, could too.  So on January 15, 2006, after 7 hours of running and walking and running and walking, I finished a full marathon. 

Since 2006, I have completed numerous half-marathons, mostly by walking 15-16 minute miles, as I have mentored and trained others to finish their first race.  I have since organized a group of friends who, for the past 5 years have been getting together every Saturday morning to train for half-marathons, our favorite distance. It also happens to be the most popular distance of races in the United States.

Now is a great time to plan and train for a fall or winter race.  You can start with a 5K (3.1 miles), a 10K (6.2 miles), a half-marathon (13.1 miles) or a full marathon (26.2 miles). Search online for races in your area, contact charity organizations or visit a local running store, they may even have a training program you can participate in.  You can also find training schedules online.

If you live in Northern California and would like to train with my group or meet up at a race in the area, just leave me a comment below.

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis