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Jason Pyrah, sports medicine coordinator at CoxHealth, says properly training for the sport of running is key because he says many people become discouraged soon after starting a program. That’s why Cox is offering a Total Running Program, which will include up to four clinics this year…
"What we try to do is take a comprehensive approach to running for anybody. I mean, it includes the beginning runner all the way up to the competitive runner, and, having been a runner myself, I've basically been through all those stages."
The first clinic, Saturday January 28thwill focus on cross-training and cold weather running. Dr. Shannon Woods, board-certified and fellowship-trained sports medicine physician and director of CoxHealth Sports Medicine, will talk about the various aspects of cross training…
"So many people think that you have to go out and run to be a runner, and that's not necessarily true. I mean, there's a lot of different things that you can do to get out of the weather, and, if we have cold weather, which it's been pretty mild this winter, but there's certain things you can do outside of running such as getting on a bicycle, doing some other routines in on the gym floor, doing some weight training, things like that might still allow a runner to get that training that they might not otherwise get if they thought, 'well, I can't go running because it's snowing or icing' or something like that."
Dr. Woods will also talk about injury prevention. Mark Millsap, U.S. Track and Field-certified run coach, will discuss how to properly dress for cold weather and some other things people need to keep in mind when running in winter weather.
A lecture will be held from 9 to 10 am and a lab from 10 to 11 at the CoxHealth Meyer Center. According to Pyrah, fitness experts from the Meyer Center will talk about yoga for runners, and Pyrah and other athletic trainers will demonstrate biometric exercises runners might want to include in their routines. He says the program will help people learn what they need to do to properly begin a running program or to move up…
"So many people get to the point where they're just out running and they have no idea what to do next and so that's what we're hoping to help them with--to take that next step in their training, and it may or may not involve specific exercises that day but that we can give them some direction maybe outside of that."
Those who attend the program can learn about other running clinics that will be held at Cox this year.
The clinic January 28this free. Registration is preferred, and you can register by visiting coxhealth.com and clicking on the running clinic link or by calling 269-5500 and asking for Jason Pyrah.
For KSMU News, I’m Michele Skalicky.