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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 2002)
,E BATTAlu . DeU jT 601^ 7 0 , Aai j} THE BATTALION Tuesday, April 9, 2002 ife in the fast lane tudent runners enjoy camaraderie, challenges from daily runs By Lyndsey Sage THE BATTALION Josh May, a senior exercise physiology major, prepares himself rthe long run. Literally. May, a member of Aggie Roadrunners, has been active in long stance running, what he deems “the only true lifetime sport,’’ for k past 14 years. "When I was in middle school, I joined the 100 Mile Club, egoal was to run 100 miles by the end of the year. I’ve been nning ever since,” May said. “Now 1 usually run five or six ysaweek. My long runs are about seven to eight miles, and my short runs are about three to five.” In addition to his almost daily runs. May usually participates in two to three half-marathons each semester and several other road races throughout the year. May has discovered camaraderie with other runners through Aggie Roadrunners, an organization designed to promote the run ning community among A&M students and faculty. The Roadrunners hold daily runs, which usually range between three to five miles, as well as take road trips to various sponsored races. Also, the Roadrunners host an annual 5k run and 10k run. Run Thru the Vines. It is scheduled for April 13 and with more than 700 runners from across Texas, it is the pre- 10 udent Society ; will hold its ting and officer Horticulture Fore: Iding at 6:30 formation email J( fledhe@yahooj jnshine will be haw tiwje meeting at 8:j0\ lus. PHOTO BY ALISSA HOLLIMON • THE BATTALION mier run in the Brazos Valley. . Anna Rockman, a senior exercise physiology major and co-pres ident of Aggie Roadrunners, said Roadrunners is a connection for runners in the community. Although running develops a common bond among individuals and organizations, Rockman said running is an independent sport. “Because it is an independent sport, much of it is definitely men tal,” Rockman said. “If you are trained well though, then your body should feel fine and you should feel well mentally.” Rockman, who has been running for 11 years, runs two to three half-marathons in the fall and trains in the spring and summer for a triathlon, which occurs in late summer. When training for an upcoming race, Rockman said the main thing to concentrate on is progressing steadily and not overwork ing the body. “You should gradually build up, then back off a little,” Rockman said. “Slowly increase to what your goal is. Also, back off every couple of weeks to let your body recover. Typically [beginners] work out too hard at first. It’s OK to take walk breaks because your body needs to adapt. Listen to your body, regardless of what you think you can do.” May also advises aspiring runners to wear the proper kind of run ning shoe to prevent injury. Since running .is a straight-line activity, running shoes are specifically designed as a training shoe with a sole and mid-sole that absorbs energy and impact. According to May, another rule to follow is the 10 percent rule, which is not to increase your mileage by more than 10 per cent at a time. Although running can seem more of a chore than an enjoyment, as most runners admit, it can become an addiction. However, it is an addiction with positive benefits. “Running makes you feel good about your body, the way that you look and feel,” May said. “It has cardiovascular benefits and keeps up bone density, which prevents osteoporosis and other dis eases in general.” Clint Gebke, a junior information and operations management major, said running is one of those “can’t understand it looking in and can’t explain it looking out” experiences. “Running is something that grows on you. The more you do it, the more you realize how it’s changing you, almost always for the better,” Gebke said. “I gain a lot of pride from running. When I get done with a long hard run and look back at what I accomplished, it’s a feeling like no other.” See RUNNERS on page 5 ation of Texas Ai'l /lothers’ Clubs '* Annual F gie Moms 0 a from Emission isfr® n Week ents input ■ch Editor :s Editor arts Assistant Chief Director icto Editor ]io Producer io Assistant ebmaster though Fnd^J during sfj ,s A&M Unng TER: Send 3^ Allege Stat'°. at ffnaS' •thebattxon 1 “STSV -fsS DieS t 1 5 7 50fW ttlt ;ter, $!'• U/LrfraP sever, or Dreams: A Purpose? Psychological function meets philosophical ideas Coffee number six. Questia’s open 24/7. Found It fast in Paper Topic Ideas on Questia.com. Questia has over 70,000 books and journal articles. Got a paper due? Do it with Questia and you have instant access to helpful, time-saving tools and content not found anywhere else on the Internet. 24/7 * 9 out of 10 subscribers say Questia saved them time. * 8 out of 10 say they got a better grade with Questia. Isn’t it time to be smarter, faster, and done? 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