Runners Finding Their Stride With Reston Program

Whether you are an advanced runner training for a marathon or a beginner getting motivated to start exercising,  Potomac River Running  offers programs that can help.

The running training programs kick off in Reston this week with Running 101 and Running 201 classes.

The 101 clinic meets twice a week for eight weeks on Tuesdays and Thursday at 9:45-10:45 a.m. or 6:30-7:30 p.m. Participants spend part of the time running, and the remainder focusing on other topics, such as stretching, nutrition, and form.

The course is designed to ultimately help participants finish a 5K race. If a runner can already run five miles without stopping or can run a mile in nine minutes or faster, they are advised to take the Running 201 clinic.

Running 201, which meets Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., is focused on training intermediate runners who are trying to improve their speed and performance at 5K/10K races or to plan for a longer event, says Cathy Pugsley, a co-owner of the local store chain.

Pugsley said that people of all ages and fitness levels take the classes for a variety of reasons.

"There is nobody not good enough, or not fast enough, to belong," she said. "Just about everyone is insecure about their running ability."

Students stick with the classes because they learn new things, meet other like- minded people, improve their overall fitness level, and achieve goals such as participating in races, said Pugsley. The 101 class is so popular that attendees often repeat it.

Reston resident Justin Green has taken the class so many times over the last three years he says he has lost track.

"It's not the kind of class where you graduate," he says. Mr. Green says he has learned something new each class, from pacing, to how to run uphill, to mental strategies for racing.

Pugsley says running is appealing to many people because they are competing against themselves to improve time and set new goals.

"Everyone can always make progress," she said.

Potomac River Running also runs a Youth Track Program for grade-school and middle-school  runners at South Lakes High School on Sundays through Nov. 4. It also offers a distance training program and an occasional hour-long Running Fundamentals clnic at the store.

The cost for the Running 101 and Running 201 courses is $129 for new registrants, and $99 for repeat customers. All classes meet at the Reston store. Registration for the classes is still open.