City of Fredericton - Walk to Run Summer 2007
When the summer nights begin to cool as the season heads toward fall, it is time to reflect on the summer that was and acknowledge the achievements of a group of City of Fredericton employees who didn't hide from the sweltering summer heat, they were running for joy in it.
The City of Fredericton Walk to Run group, spearheaded by their fearless leader Kathy Edwards, recently completed their 13 week walk to run program. Kathy, who, began running with a Walk to Run program in March 2006, has recently ran the 10km in the Fredericton Marathon and the 5km UNB Race Against the Reds. In her first experience as the group leader she had only one individual stick through it to the end. This year however, her group size has increased to a steady contingent of 10 runners who make the weekly lunch hour run times. The group met twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays to run together, and each individual member was responsible for one weekend run on their own, for a total of three times per week.
Almost all of the participants mention the early struggles of transitioning from walking to running at a steady clip. Candice McIntyre notes that the transition was "easier than I thought" she said. "I can't believe that we went from 2 minutes and thinking how hard that was, to running a full 30 minutes in such a short amount of time. It's really amazing". Others noted that the first couple of weeks were the hardest, but stuck with it although at times there was a desire to quit. The main key for success noted by the group was motivation to stick with it. All of the participants had some form of motivation that kept them focused on the goal. Deb Yeomans' hobby is show dogs. "I show dogs and it is a sport that required physical activity that I found to be a struggle at times" she says "I have found that this program has helped me a lot in this respect. I retire in 3 years and I want to be able to continue on with my sport".
One common theme noted by participants in the Walk to Run program was the overall feeling of accomplishment that came with the transition from walking to running. All of the participants have noticed different things that have changed in their lifestyle. Elaine Doucette notes that the biggest reward of the program is the "feeling of accomplishment. When I look back at how out of shape I was and the fact that I can now run for over 30 minutes without a break is amazing. I must say I feel great and have more energy". Sherie Desaulniers knows the benefits of the Walk to Run program are much deeper than personal accomplishment. "The benefits of this program for me is that I am diabetic and on insulin. I have been having trouble regulating my sugars and now they are close to being what they should be".
While most of the thanks for the program was directed toward Kathy Edwards who "cracked the whip" to keep everyone motivated, Kathy notes that the feelings were reciprocated. "For myself training people brought a tremendous amount of satisfaction. To see the faces of the people I worked with, to feel so proud of them and sense their own personal satisfaction was all worth it in the end".
For more information on getting involved in the Walk to Run program please contact the City of Fredericton Community Services Department by phone at 460-2230 or by email.
