Space is limited so contact Bob Boyd at 272-1770 or bobboydfl@gmail.com

The Florida Striders are going to hold a class for runners! The class will begin at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Mar. 19th and continue each Wednesday for 10 weeks (until 5/21/08). Bob Boyd will be the coach. The class will be held at the St. Johns Country Day School track, on Doctors Lake Dr. in Orange Park, about 2.5 miles from Kingsley. Track lights will be used. You will learn how to train so that you enjoy your runs, avoid injury, set goals, develop your own training plan, and, it bears repeating, ENJOY running. The cost is $30 ($15 for current Striders,) which includes Strider membership for a full year, a Strider T-Shirt, and a class T-shirt. Please ask about the discount for couples or families. Space is limited and you must pre-register with Bob Boyd at BobBoydFL@gmail.com or 272-1770. We want to make sure that you have good running shoes and are medically cleared by your physician to begin training BEFORE the class starts. If you have any questions, even if it is just about where to get those very important running shoes that are right for you, please contact Bob. We will have a good time together, learn the things that will make a real difference in your enjoyment of the sport of running, and get in better shape in the process. If you aren't having fun running you are not doing it right!

We will meet every Wednesday at the St. Johns Country Day School Track for 10 weeks starting Mar. 19, 2008 and ending May 21, 2008, from 6:30 to about 7:45 p.m. If you follow the training plan that is provided, you will be able to complete the 5k distance by the end of the course. Our class will run the Memorial Day 5K on 5/26 as our graduation race. We can accommodate all fitness levels - nobody is too slow or too fast. For those who are already running 25 miles a week or more and are feeling the need for more speed, we will have a group focused on your needs as well, led by John Metzgar.

Each session will start with a warm-up, and light stretching. We will cover helpful training information or have a guest speaker for about 10 to 15 minutes and then our workout, a cool down and stretches. It is important to warm up before stretching. If you come late, please warm-up with a fast paced walk (two laps) before you start stretching or running and then just jump in with the group.

The goal of this group is: (1) have fun (2) improve fitness and (3) complete a 5K. In order to do this it is important that you run a minimum of 3 days a week and for best results, 4 days a week. The closer you follow the training plan handout the easier it will be for you to complete the 5K. There is also a training log included with the handout you will receive.

What to bring to running class: water bottle, sports drink (optional), towel, sports watch (optional) with stop watch feature for keeping track of running time.

What to wear: comfortable running attire. Synthetic fabrics are recommended over cotton. Fast drying cool materials such as Coolmax are recommended.

Running shoes: if you do not have running shoes, I recommend going to a specialty store and getting some advice. We recommend 1st Place Sports. Wear your old shoes to the store and tell them that you are in this running class. You will get a 10% discount and, more importantly, a good fit that meets your needs.

Download Registration Form/Waiver