Fun Runs
Submitted by MKCP on Sat, 06/21/2008 - 09:08.
Hello everyone. I am new to these forums and hope to be able to offer support and receive the same in return. At some point in my adult life, my professional life and parental responsibilities totally squeezed out any time for fitness. I was just exhausted!
But like many Mississippians, I find myself down at Walt Disney World about once a year and going through those parks for 12 hours a day will burn a lot of calories.
I found a place where other Disney fans got together and talked about their park experiences, and eventually a group of us noticed all the fun runs Disney puts on over the course of a year. I have had a bad attitude towards running, but recognize the health benefits - i just needed a little motivation! Booking a short Disney trip around a short race, followed by an after hours party in the park really sparked my interest, so I started going to the gym and walking on a treadmill.
I haven't run in years and years and went into it thinking 3.1 miles might as well be 3000 miles, but a friend told me "If you can run a mile, you can run a marathon. You just take your time and gradually increase your distance. I don't know about a marathon, but he was certainly right about 3.1 miles.
Soon, I found I could mix in some jogging and walking without too much trouble. That progressed to jogging more than walking and I entered a 5K race, completely surprising myself that I didn't do too bad and it felt good. And at the end of the race, there is much to enjoy - food and liquid refreshment!
I'm still new at this, and have only run in a couple of 5K races so far. They seem to take a break during these hottest months, but will resume again in the fall. And I'm registered to run a Disney 5K in late September!
Anyone else enjoy these short races?
Comments
update
I haven't been around these forums for awhile, but I see I haven't missed a whole lot of new posts, either. lol
The Expedition Everest Challenge was held on the last Saturday in September and the Tower of Terror 13K run was on the last Saturday in October. Both were very well presented and a whole lot of fun, as well as good exercise.
Imagine, actually being ENCOURAGED to RUN through Disney parks! lol These races may be the only opportunity to get around those parks without people bumping into your ankles with their strollers!
I noticed there weren't a whole lot of people from Mississippi participating in the races, but I encourage everyone to consider giving them a go when 2009 rolls around.
Running has kept me from adding any weight this year and even though I still eat and drink whatever I want, I've managed to lose a handful of pounds year to date.
October 5Ks
Check out the Mississippi Track Club calendar (http://mstrackclub.com/cal_frames.htm). They list some of the races in the area. The Vicksburg run is a 5-mile run, not a 5K.
5k Run Goal
Hey there MKCP, I noticed your forum post the other day and stayed fairly clear of it because running has always been something I thought of as some sort of evil torture that masochists prefer over many others, but I happened to read an article today on working up from walking to walking/running to running with the 5k goal as a good starter. With some level of uncertainty, I've set a basic goal of hitting up a 5k fun run sometime in October.
I expect this to be a little harder for me to stick with than some of my other activities because of my general sentiment toward running, but hopefully my current upbeat mode will continue (along with the weight loss and improved fitness that has fueled it) and I will be able to persevere. Anyone happen to know of any 5k fun runs that happen locally in October that I might want to check out?
My attitude was always the
My attitude was always the same as yours. What changed it was recently I got a lot of encouragement from people I considered to be fairly normal - not those die hard runners - who told me to start by walking. Hey, I can do that!
It really wasn't long before I was surprised that I could jog a little bit and I'm building up from there.
The little bit of running I do helps me keep my weight in check and I feel really good when I'm done - it gets all that pent up stress out.
I hope to see you at a race this fall.
5Ks
Check out the Mississippi Track Club calendar (http://mstrackclub.com/cal_frames.htm). They list some of the races in the area. The Vicksburg run is a 5-mile run, not a 5K.
This is probably more events
This is probably more events than you wanted to know, but here's a link to races around the state for the rest of the year:
http://www.mstrackclub.com/cal_frames.htm
Got questions?
Contact me at sandi.beason@jackson.gannett.com.
Welcome to
Welcome to GetFitMississippi.com! We've got lots of runners here. On the list of bloggers on the main page, there are two, Charles Corder and Keith Warren. You're in good company. And there are lots of short races in this area, if you want to stay closer to home. :)
Got questions?
Contact me at sandi.beason@jackson.gannett.com.
There's some good running on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, too
if you want to do some fun running in South Mississippi, check out these races also:
http://www.gulfcoastrunningclub.org/
Team SM http://www.sapphiremetropolis.com/districts/forumdisplay.php?f=107