AMYCHRISTIAN
Off the Couch
Beginner running program aims to get you to the finish line Jenafer McCauley likes to begin each No Boundaries information session with a joke. “I say, ‘So who here is a runner?’ and then I hope nobody raises their hands because then I say, ‘Good. You’re in the right place,’” she laughs. The intent behind the joke is to make attendees more comfortable, since No Boundaries is a couch to 5K program. Fleet Feet, a North Augusta running store that Jenafer owns with her husband Michael, has held six 5K training programs, and the next one starts on February 11. “It’s such a great program because it’s really for anybody,” she explains. “We kind of break it out for all levels of runners and walkers and do it over 12 weeks. It’s a very gradual walk-run program. We’ve had people complete the program as young as 8 or 9, and we had a lady who’s 62 who finished it.” Those who join the program receive a 12-week training plan, meet with the group three times during the week and more. Each Saturday’s training session
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is followed by a clinic on topics such as form, nutrition and hydration. At the end of the program, participants complete a local 5K (3.1 mile) race. And though those interested can sign up online, McCauley encourages anyone who has doubts to attend an information meeting. “I really try to encourage people to
they’ll get a little bit of a boost from an unexpected source. “The best part of doing it as a group is the accountability and the encouragement,” she says. “You know that if you don’t come to a run, somebody’s going to check on you. It really helps get people through the whole program.”
she says of those who drop out. “For the most part, most people finish.” The No Boundaries program has grown in the area, and McCauley says that corporate programs are also available. They recently completed their first corporate program at Plant Vogtle. It has also spawned 10K and half-marathon training programs, so most people stick with running even after the program is over. “We have people who’ve gone on to do 10Ks, several have joined the Augusta Striders [running club] and one lady met her new husband, so it’s a pretty life-changing experience for most people,” she says. “And I love the comeback stories. Several people just finished the half-marathon group and some of them started in the 5K group, so that was huge.”
come to an information session so we can try to break down those barriers,” she says. Once people begin to believe that they can cover the distance, McCauley says
McCauley said that the program averages 25-30 participants each session and that 90 percent of those who sign up make it to the finish line. “And usually, it’s a scheduling thing,”
No Boundaries Couch to 5K Information Sessions: January 23, 6 p.m.; February 6, 6 p.m.; February 9, 6 p.m.; Kickoff: February 11 $85
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