WRAL TV

5 on Your Side producer makes a run for it

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Lori Lair

WRAL’s 5 on Your Side producer Lori Lair decided it was time to get fit, so some co-workers encouraged her to give running a try. Lori ran her first 5K on Oct. 31 in Raleigh’s Monster Dash. She shared her story on our company’s internal website, and she agreed to let me share it with you as well ...

I decided early this year that I needed to work on my fitness, so I joined the Y. I also joined a program called Fit-tastic in the spring.

Monica Laliberte actually sent me the info on it. It's sponsored by The Athlete's Foot in Cameron Village. Rex Hospital also participates. It has varying levels, and I was in their walk-to-run program.

I thought it was something I could do because it started with intervals of just running 30 seconds, then walking a minute or so.

We met twice a week at the store & had a "coach" go with us. We were also supposed to run at least one weekend day on our own.

The spring session's goal race was the Race for the Cure in June. I participated in that race, but did not run the whole thing. I did it in intervals - too hot, too hilly and I just wasn't ready.

I joined the Fall Session of Fit-tastic that began in August, with the goal race being the Monster Dash. Our group again ran intervals, but advanced much more quickly this time, and got up to running 7 x 1 for 35 minutes.

We again met twice a week, and then we did longer individual runs on the weekends to build endurance.

A couple of weeks before the race, we did a run through to see whether we could each individually find a pace where we could run the entire thing without taking walk breaks. I was able to do it, so I decided that's what I was going to do for the race.

Quite frankly, my time would have probably been better had I run intervals and taken walk breaks, but once I decided I was going to "run" the whole thing, that's what I was going to do.

Even though the program is over until spring, about six of us from our group are still getting together once a week after work to run. We don't want to lose what we've gained.

I'm also really encouraged at work by Monica & Kelcey Carlson. (They both sit near me at work). Both run a lot and are very supportive.

I can tell that though I still have a long way to go, I'm much more fit than I was eight months ago. My next goals are to get my pace up and lengthen how long/far I can run.

Thanks to Lori for this story and Jon Baker with The Athlete’s Foot for the photo.

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