Happy Runners before the Race
On Sunday, October 3, approximately 40 Fleet Feet Davis runners ran in the Urban Cow Half-Marathon in Sacramento. Over the past 9-weeks these runners participated in Fleet Feet’s Fall Half-Marathon Training Program. This program was supported by Nike and is designed for beginning and intermediate runners looking to run their first half-marathon or improve their time from a previous race.
Ladies ready to dominate the race!
The group met every Tuesday evening for speed work and Saturday morning for long runs. Tuesday night workouts included drills and pace-work at the UC Davis track or hill repeats on Davis’ famous “Mount Poleline.” After the workouts, runners gathered at the store to learn about nutrition and hydration, stretching, or other tid-bits of running information. Saturday morning workouts saw the runners pounding the streets of Davis from the intersection of Pedrick Road and Russell to the El Macero Golf Course, and everywhere in between.
Some of the men ready to run 13.1!
For some of the runners, each week was a new accomplishment, as they completed mileage longer than what they had ever run in the past. For others, each week was a new race with themselves, as they looked to better their pace and improve their performance. The runners enjoyed the camaraderie of running with a group, and found that not only were they getting stronger and running further, but they were making new friends along the way.
Raise your hands if you are having fun!
When race-day arrived, the weather was perfect for running, and the participants left Land Park at 7:45am for a 13.1 mile tour of Sacramento. The course took them through Land Park, along the Sacramento River, and into South Sacramento. The race finished back in Land Park. The course was full of spectators, bands, friends, and family, providing encouragement along the way. For some the race was a nice way to spend a Sunday morning, for others it was a chance to accomplish a personal goal. Whatever the reason, these training group participants have now accomplished something that less than 1% of people in the world have done: run 13.1 miles at one time.
Runners at mile 12.3 - less than one mile to go!
Here at Fleet Feet we are thrilled to be able to help people accomplish their fitness goals, and there is nothing more enjoyable than seeing runners complete their first (or fiftieth) half-marathon. It was great to be able to stand on the course, camera in hand, taking pictures of the runners as they went by.
All smiles on their way to the finish!
What’s next for these runners? Many of them are continuing on with our training groups and training to run the California International Marathon in Sacramento on December 5th. Others are training for shorter distances to maintain their fitness and plan on joining us again for another training group.
Fleet Feet Davis offers training programs for beginning runners through marathon in women’s-only and coed groups. For more information on our training programs visit our website at http://www.fleetfeetdavis.com/come-run-with-us-0 or email Chrissie Jackura, our training group coordinator, at chrissie@fleetfeetdavis.com.
Comments are closed.