Hanover
With a new coach and loftier goals — along with some first-timers — the program designed to prepare beginner runners for a 5-kilometer road race in 10 weeks has assembled an autumn training regimen for the first time.
Each of the last two springs, Upper Valley Running Club co-founder Kim Sheffield has coached Couch-to-5K, preparing 30-plus novices for the Red, White and Blue 5K in Lebanon on the Fourth of July as part of a partnership between UVRC and the Lebanon Department of Recreation and Parks.
With Sheffield currently stationed at her second home in Florida, 25-year-old Hanover resident Mary Peters is leading this fall’s edition, with assistance from the program’s more experienced participants. The goal this time: readying for the Zack’s Place Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day in Woodstock.
The latest Couch-to-5K has 34 registered participants — similar to the spring — who train together on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings in Lebanon and Hanover, respectively.
“It’s a really impressive group because they’re all self-motivated,” said Peters. “They all signed up on their own and they’re committed to becoming better runners.”
Inspired by the guidelines of No Boundaries, a national beginner program, Couch-to-5K progresses runners through intervals combining running with walking. Different groupings have higher or lower levels of intensity, with some graduating to the more vigorous groups as they feel more comfortable and their bodies adjust to increased cardiovascular activity.
“One group might start out with (several intervals of) one minute of running and two minutes of walking, so they’re actually walking more than running,” Peters explained during last Tuesday’s outing. “The idea is to eventually get to where they’re doing 2½ minutes of running and two minutes of walking, and doing that 5-6 times through, and going from there.”
As intended, most in the group had little-to-no experience running — and little-to-no motivation to pursue it — before discovering Couch-to-5K. Some still loathe the idea of pushing themselves as they anticipate training, and there are at least a few no-shows each outing. More than 20 of the 34 were present last Tuesday for Couch-to-5K’s 6 p.m. training session at the Hanover High School track.
“It can be hard to show up for the group, especially when you’re tired at the end of the day,” said Robin Lyman, 31. “I was talked into doing it by friends back in the spring, and they stopped doing it after three weeks. I stuck with it, but it’s still a challenge.”
Lyman finished the Red, White and Blue 5K — her first-ever road race — in 37 minutes, 22 seconds. Her goal is for a better time in Woodstock, even though it’s a hillier course.
“The thing to remember is that even if you don’t think you’re a runner, you can still do this,” Lyman said. “Even if you don’t think you can run, you can do this program.”
Janet Morgan, of Lebanon, is literally following the footsteps of her husband, Chuck, who took up running for the first time a few years ago and is so into it now that he ran seven of the nine Western New Hampshire Trail Running Series events this year. Though he can hardly be considered a beginner any longer, Chuck Morgan participates in Couch-to-5K to help stay in shape and encourage his wife.
“Coming here is something I still dread all day long,” Janet Morgan said. “I’m a much better walker than runner, but I’ve gotten a lot better. This program has made running easier because you’re not going too fast all at once.”
Couch-to-5K’s participants are clearly impelled by one another’s company, and socializing is an important aspect of their training and progress.
Sometimes it’s just about letting loose and being a little silly. During a break from the running/walking intervals on Tuesday, the group performed stretching exercises in a circle and Peters asked everyone to announce their least favorite foods. Okra, shellfish and sausage were among the items that elicited further conversation.
Back on the track, participants found running buddies to catch up with when they weren’t catching their breaths.
Russia native Natalia May was delighted to hear another European accent when she met Ulla Falkenberg, originally of Denmark, at Couch-to-5K.
“When I first moved here, some people at work were training for a half marathon and it was like, ‘Who are you people?’ ” May said. “It’s like they’re superhumans and you don’t think you could ever do it. But coming here I’ve been motivated by the people, and it’s a good way to decompress, talk to people about your families and your lives while running.”
Naturally, the health benefits are also measurable. Angie Hinton, a member since the first edition in spring 2015, is a diabetic who said her blood sugar levels have dramatically improved since then.
Lyman, in her second go-round, has gotten thumbs-up reports during recent monthly visits with her doctor and her dietician, while Amber O’Leary, 29, said it’s helped her get in shape after giving birth seven months ago.
The Zack’s Place Turkey Trot is now a little over six weeks away, and it appears this Couch-to-5K group will be ready.
“They’ve been eager to learn and very receptive,” Peters said. “They’ve stuck with it. It was very humid the first week, and now we’ve had some chilly mornings on Saturdays. They’ve found it in themselves to keep going.”
Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3225.