Band On The Run

Clinics help women put best foot forward

STAFF PHOTO SAMANTHA BAKER 
• @NWASAMANTHA 
Kathryn Wishard, Bentonville/Rogers clinic director, talks to program participants earlier this week at Memorial Park in Bentonville during a pre-meeting for the Woman Can Run/Walk in Bentonville/Rogers. The Bentonville/Rogers clinic begins Monday.

STAFF PHOTO SAMANTHA BAKER • @NWASAMANTHA Kathryn Wishard, Bentonville/Rogers clinic director, talks to program participants earlier this week at Memorial Park in Bentonville during a pre-meeting for the Woman Can Run/Walk in Bentonville/Rogers. The Bentonville/Rogers clinic begins Monday.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Jennifer Kelley of Bella Vista had never run before.

Two years ago, she decided that she "wanted to get in shape and live a better lifestyle." She heard about clinics that help women learn how to run and walk, so she decided to take part in a Bentonville/Rogers clinic.

Go & Do

Bentonville/Rogers

Women Can Run/Walk Clinic

When: Begins at 6 p.m. Monday; regular meeting times will then be 2 p.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Thursdays through May 10

Where: Memorial Park for Sunday meetings and Tiger Track on Tiger Boulevard for Thursday sessions, both in Bentonville

Cost: Clinic is free; 5K on May 10 in Conway is $25

Information: 501-626-6600 or [email protected]

More NWA Clinics

• 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Vandergriff Elementary School track in Fayetteville

• 3:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays (beginning/advanced walkers), 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (beginning runners), 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and 1:30 p.m. Saturday (advanced runners) at Bella Vista Lake in Bella Vista

• 4:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (beginning walkers) and 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (advanced walkers) at Blowing Springs Park in Bella Vista

• 7 a.m. Mondays and Fridays (beginning/advanced walkers) and 8:45 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays (health challenged) in the Highlands in Bella Vista

• 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (advanced walkers) at Branchwood Recreation Center in Bella Vista

• 1:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays (advanced walkers) and 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m. Fridays (health challenged) at the pavilion at Tanyard Creek Nature Trail in Bella Vista

• 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (advanced walkers) at the pavilion at Loch Lomond Sports Park in Bella Vista

• 4:30 p.m. Mondays and 10:45 a.m. Thursdays (beginning/advanced walkers) at 29 Penzance Drive in Bella Vista

• 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 a.m. Saturdays (advanced walkers) at Metfield Clubhouse in Bella Vista

Information: womenrunarkansas.net.

In Fayetteville, contact Jennifer Luttrell at 502-1020 or [email protected]. For Bella Vista locations, contact Dani Maloy at 876-1824 or danitamaloy@sbcglob… or Carol Johnson at 318-538-8338 or [email protected].

Now, she has participated in one marathon and four half-marathons.

Kelley, 46, says she does not believe she would have signed up for the marathon if she had not gone through the Women Can Run/Walk Clinic, a free 10-week workshop for women beginning the week of March 2 throughout the state. The events are presented by Women Run Arkansas.

"Over a 10-week period, we prepare them to do a 5K," said Kathryn Wishard, director of the Bentonville/Rogers clinic, adding it's a good start for women who have always wanted to run. This spring's 5K is May 10 in Conway. Participation is optional, but she said most women choose to join the other women from clinics around the state for the race.

Wishard, 56, was a clinic director in Bryant for six years, and this is her third year in the volunteer position in Bentonville/Rogers. She is also a certified coach through Road Runners Club of America.

There are currently almost 100 women signed up for the Bentonville/Rogers locations, Wishard said.

"In past years, my youngest was 6 years old, and my oldest that year was 92," she said.

Women can register before or during the first class and beyond.

Wishard said her clinic meets for one hour twice a week, and she encourages participants to also work out one day on their own. There are groups of walkers, beginning runners, intermediate runners and advanced runners. Clinic leaders work with each group and do run-and-walk intervals with each set of ladies.

Some leaders started out as participants in the clinic and have become leaders to pass on the knowledge they've gained. Kelley was a leader for the beginning runner group at last year's clinic in Bentonville/Rogers, and now she is co-director with Wishard.

When the leader runs, her group knows that they are supposed to run, and when she walks, they will walk, Wishard said.

"We increase the run time and decrease their walk time over the 10-week period," she said.

In the walking group, participants work on their walking speed, Wishard said. They speed up and slow down their pace during their exercise time.

The clinic session begins with light upper body stretching and then a 5-minute warm-up walk. Each leader then takes her group and does run and walk intervals for 30 minutes. Wishard said the first week of clinic, one group may run for only 30 seconds and walk for 31/2 minutes in intervals for 30 minutes.

"Some of them struggle just on 30 seconds," she said.

At the end of the session, the entire group of women gathers to talk about upcoming clinics and do more stretches, Wishard said. Kelley added they also talk about the proper way to stretch, the correct shoes to wear and certain clothes to choose for running.

Wishard said the clinic starts out slowly to make sure no one is intimidated.

"I always tell them it's not about crossing the finish line first. It's about crossing the finish line and looking back where you were when you started," she said.

Kelley said being in the clinic helps "you realize you're not alone."

"It gives you the extra support and encouragement to start signing up for the different races," Kelley said.

Wishard tells the women in her clinic each year how she started running. In 2004, she was asked to be on a relay team for the Little Rock Marathon. She was "in no kind of shape to do anything like that at all."

"I finally agreed to do it and was miserable when I finished. I was sick at my stomach."

However, when she saw the wheelchair participants doing 26 miles while she was struggling to finish 7 miles, she made a promise to herself to do a full marathon the next year. She was inspired, she said, by her brother, who was injured in a hay baling accident and is now in a wheelchair.

"The next year, which was 2005, I did my very first marathon, and (for) 2015, I am preparing for my 25th marathon," Wishard said.

"I felt 110 percent better finishing that marathon at 26 miles than I did the year before doing 7," she added.

It was all about training, and that is the basis for this clinic and 5K. She tells the women that she is not a fast runner and never will be, adding that she gets the same medals as others; it just takes her a little longer to get there.

"I tell them just don't ever give up," she said. "My satisfaction comes from seeing those ladies cross that finish line that didn't think they could do it."

Kelley said the clinic is a fun way to get women "out there moving and thinking about their health and lifestyle."

"You're never too old. If I can do it, trust me, anybody can do it."

NAN Life on 02/26/2014