Extra Mile Fitness in Valparaiso has a little something for everyone. Besides the great merchandise and the races, Extra Mile offers running and training programs for runners at all levels.
One of these programs is the Beginner’s Running Program. Individuals who want see what the fuss is about running but have never run before in their life can join and the trainers will work with them every step of the way. Throughout the program local and national vendors are brought in to the store. They do demonstrations, presentations and other events to aid in the training of the runners.
“I heard about it through Nicki [Caylor] from the NAC in Michigan City,” Sharon Sikorski said. “A year from now we’re doing the Disney Half Marathon so we’re training for it now. And I’d like to lose some weight. The first time I ran we had to go about 17 minutes, and that was really hard, and I had to stop a few times. But I’ve improved since then. I was able to run a 5k without stopping.”
The groups are lead by certified RRCA and USA Track and Field Coaches. They will work with runners to help them improve whether it’s someone who’s training for a half marathon or someone who has never run before in his or her life.
“I love it because they start you slow. When you start you do the first 10 minutes and you do what you can. They have different groups with different trainers –some are in the back, in the front and in the middle,” Sikorski said.
“I heard about it through other people. I wanted to join because I had never run before and I wanted to get some direction and meet other people that were at a level that I was at,” Stacy Mileski said. “It was great. They did so much educational wise, and so much to help people that don’t know how to run and they tell about all these things that you wouldn’t normally think about. So they really help to direct you through it and help you move on from walking to running.”
Mileski said with the help of the First Mile Running Program she went from not being able to run a mile to running a 5k without stopping at a 9:58 per mile pace.
The next Beginner’s Running Program begins on April 24, 2013. There will be an informational meeting at Extra Mile Fitness on April 10, 2013. This is a perfect chance to meet people and catch the running bug!
Click here to find out more about the running and training groups at Extra Mile Fitness.
For more information on Extra Mile Fitness, visit their website and check them out on Facebook.