Novice runners ready to go the extra mile
It started with a finish line at 5K, now group is eyeing the marathon
Mara Demirdjian gets excited when talking about her love of running. How excited? This is how she described her first runner’s high:
“I got this tingling all over,” she said. “Then I started smiling, which turned into laughing, even though it was pouring rain. I felt so good. I was having a runner’s orgasm.”
If that’s not reason enough to lace up your running shoes, I’m not sure what is. Except perhaps this story of a group of novice runners who have set their sights on completing either a half or full marathon only 18 months after pulling on a pair of running tights for the first time.
“I’d never run before in my life,” Vasso Kasdaglis said of her first attempt at hitting the pavement. “I can laugh now, but during those first two minutes of running I thought I was going to die.”
The instigator of this torture was Sari Klein, a veteran runner and fitness trainer. Wanting to share her passion for running with others, she started a club at the Tennis 13 sports centre and promptly went about recruiting her first group of would-be runners.
“The goal was to run 5K without stopping,” said Klein. “But they didn’t want to stop there. They went on to 10K and then did a 10K race. Now almost all of them have signed up for the Ottawa half or full marathon.”
“Without Sari, I don’t think I would have stuck with it,” said Maria Poulios, whose sentiments were echoed by all members of her original running group. They credit Klein not just with their success, but with creating friendships that have weathered a lot of running miles.
These five novice runners have become enamoured with the sport and with the sense of accomplishment that comes from achieving their goals. For a group that doesn’t mince words when describing the discomfort of their first run, they can’t mask the pride in their voice when recounting what it felt like to finish their first 5K without stopping and of pinning on their first race bib at a local 10K.
“I’ve seen people change, physically and mentally, right in front of me,” said Nicole Leger. “That’s really cool.”
The recipe for learning to love any kind of physical pursuit isn’t hard to replicate. Just follow the tried and true steps toward success that Klein orchestrated to perfec- tion: Set an achievable goal, follow a well laid-out plan, celebrate your accomplishments — repeat.
Throw in a support team that not only runs together but also keeps each other motivated and there’s no limit to what can be accomplished.
“We don’t accept negativity,” Demirdjian said. “And we kick each other’s asses when we need to.”
So successful was this pilot group that Klein has repeated the formula several times, adding more and more runners to the ranks of those who wax poetic about the joys of donning their gear and heading out the door.
As for the specifics of going from non-runner to signing up for the Ottawa Race Weekend, Klein has broken it down into a series of phases.
Phase 1 is a six-week course for beginners that starts with a series of short run/walk intervals and ends with 30 minutes of non-stop running. To make it easier on both her and the runners, the 5K group begins on treadmills, which not only allows runners of different speeds to stay under Klein’s watchful eye, but removes the possibility of weather and poor running conditions getting in the way of crucial training miles.
Phases 2 and 3 involve eight and 10K as respective goals, with participants slowly gaining endurance and confidence in their running and fitness. Each phase includes strength training, stretching protocols and advice from a nutritionist on how to fuel a running lifestyle.
As for the marathon hopes of Klein’s first graduating class, they are all getting ready to amp up their spring training in anticipation of the May event.
“I’m so psyched,” said Demirdjian, who is making 42K her goal. “I want it bad.”
Leger is just as determined, though a little less confident in her ability to cross the finish line at 21K.
“I’m terrified,” she said of the task ahead of her.
But it’s that tinge of fear — mixed with an equal amount of excitement and an “I think I can” attitude — that is the benchmark of a runner.
Dangle the carrot, and any runner worth their salt will work like heck until they catch it.
But that’s not the only mark of a runner.
There’s also the love of what it feels like on days when running goes well and the world and its troubles fade away.
“Running came at a time in my life when I needed that distraction, that stress relief,” said Demirdjian. “And for that, I thank Sari. She saved my life.”