The Nittany Valley Running Club Information

The Nittany Valley Running Club is committed to the "development" of young and adult athletes. We've certainly covered the young athletes with our Fall Youth Cross-Country Series, Kid's Races, the Nittany Track and Field Youth Club training program, and our presence at the Youth All-Comer's Meets. And experienced runners have numerous opportunities to develop their running abilities at winter Indoor Mile Series, Thursday Track Workouts, and a panoply of races throughout the year. But the beginning adult runner needs just as much attention from the Club, and the guide presented here takes a step toward providing it. Over the next few months, we will be developing a series of web pages devoted to "Coaching". There will be articles on beginning running, training techniques, and race preparation. The pages will also have links to other sites that we think provide valuable information. Some of these articles will appear from time to time in the Newsletter. We're starting the series off with the first part of an article on starting from scratch. The second part of this article should be read after you've started the program and are on your way to running your first 5K. What Do You Want? Maybe you want to lose some weight and get in shape. Running is a great way to do both. All you have to do is start it and stick with it. Maybe some of your friends run and you'd like to join them. Maybe you've always harbored a secret dream of completing a distance race. Whenever you start any new hobby or activity, it helps to know a little about how to get started, it helps to have a goal to shoot for, but most importantly it helps to have an inkling that you might enjoy it. So remember, you can have fun, get in shape, and loose weight any number of ways. To do it through running, it helps to want to run. Before we get into the program, let's start with the caveats, health warnings, and legal disclaimers. Legal first: I and the Club are worth way less than it's worth suing over. Running is potentially hazardous to you health, especially if you are way out of shape or particularly clumsy. See a doctor and have your eyes checked first. Second, Caveats: (Runners, cover your ears! Heresy is about to be spoken!) Here it is: Some people are not meant to be runners! This is my opinion. Very overweight people should consider starting with a different exercise program. People who have tried running and hate it should accept that and move on to something they can have fun with. Fun is part of it! Third, Health: If you are over 30, have been relatively sedentary, and especially if you have current health problems, are more than a few pounds overweight, or if you are a smoker, see your doctor before starting any exercise program.