Walk to Run program gets beginners on their feet

Before 2013, Clay Hansen of Sycamore wasn’t a runner. In fact, he didn’t exercise at all. Now, Hansen runs 25 miles a week and plans to run his first half marathon in April.

Hansen first started running with his daughter after they joined Walk to Run 101, a nine-week beginner training program presented by the Northern Illinois Trail Runners Organization (NITRO). The program helped him overcome the reluctance some people feel when they’re first trying to get in shape, he said.

“I was actually intimidated a bit by people who could run,” Hansen said. “But everyone with NITRO is very encouraging and supportive. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere. I think that anyone can do it. The reason it worked for me was the people involved.

“Everyone was friendly and supportive. Now I love running.”

NITRO’s president, Dale Boughton, said the running club brings together people of different running abilities and fitness levels to train and practice.

“Any kind of runner, from beginners to advanced marathon runners, can join NITRO,” Boughton said. “The club gets people running together. It’s where runners can meet other runners, talk to each other and share goals. Running in a group is more fun, and it lets us achieve our goals quicker.”

Walk to Run 101’s first group run will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 4, at the Hopkins Park Shelter in DeKalb. Three group runs are held each week: 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays starting at the Hopkins Park Shelter in DeKalb and 8:30 a.m. Saturdays starting at the Sycamore Speedway.

Registration for the program costs $30, and includes weekly guided runs, nutrition tips, 2016 NITRO membership and a t-shirt. Interested runners can register for the program at www.signmeup.com/113491 or by attending and registering during the first group run.

Walk to Run 101 begins with stretches and warm-ups, followed by short, intermittent periods of walking and jogging for 20 minutes. By the end of the nine-week program, runners will be able to run the distance of a 5K, 3.1 miles.

The program ends just in time for the eighth annual Tractor Trot 5K on Saturday, June 4, in Malta.

Anne and Dale Fluegel of Cortland joined Walk to Run 101 as a way to exercise together.

“I’ve never run any kind of marathon or race before, all I do is walk the dog,” Anne Fluegel said. “Dale used to run, but not me. I think that the program is the perfect way to get us started, so that we start slow and then gradually run longer distances. This will motivate us to get into shape together. We want to train so that we can do the Sycamore Pumpkin Run this year.”

One of NITRO’s founding members, Cheri Kranz of DeKalb, said that when she first started running, she was 40 years old and was the last person she ever thought would run. Soon after starting to run, Kranz quickly made friends and helped form the club as a way for people interested in running to get together.

“What I love about the group is the social aspect,” Kranz said. “It’s a lot of fun, and we don’t only run, we also get to socialize and eat. We have a winter banquet and a summer barbecue picnic. Running together outside is different than running on a treadmill by yourself. It’s important to have a support group, a group of like-minded individuals. Everyone is supportive, not competitive.”

Robert Meeks of DeKalb joined the Walk to Run 101 program and is looking forward to the group’s first practice. Meeks, who originally is from Jamaica, was able to come to the United States for college after receiving a track scholarship in high school.

“I’ve always loved running, but I don’t do it as much as I should anymore,” he said. “I want to get out of the house and meet people. I love that running is an individual sport, that the effort you put in is what you take out. My goal is to run a 5K, lose some weight, get fit and make some new friends. I think that this is the right program for me.”