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Run your worries away

River City Runners Club is dedicated to healthy living

May 5, 2009
News and Sentinel Half Marathon
PARKERSBURG - For many of those involved, running is a year-round rain-or-shine activity.

Chip Allman, president of the River City Runners Club, said he runs 365 days a year and has been running seriously since 1988.

"It was a health thing. I was heavier than I wanted to be. I met some people who invited me to run with them and I decided to get into it more," he said.

Allman has run in The Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon and has participated in 52 marathons as far away as Hawaii, Boston and New York. He and his wife use them as vacations and will be traveling to Fort Collins, Colo., in April for another marathon.

"I run to eat,' he said. "It allows me to eat pretty much anything I want."

Allman usually runs in evenings, but on weekends he will often run in the
mornings. He averages seven to eight miles a day, but stretches that to 18 to 20 miles on the weekends.

"A lot of people do it as a stress relief; you can really work out a lot of problems and it can give you the self-esteem of getting a workout in," Allman said. "It's kind of a sickness. If I can't run I'm in a bad mood and can't think of anything else."
Since its creation in 1981, the River City Runners Club - a local group dedicated to the benefits of walking and running as a healthy means of exercise - has worked to promote the activities to improve and increase fitness and healthy living.
The club grew from a couple of dozen members to around 450 people living throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley and beyond. Many members who have left the local area since joining the club maintain their memberships so they can receive the club newsletter.

Another area runner, Sharon Marks of Parkersburg, has been involved in running for 15 to 20 years, the last decade as a member of the club. She is serving as the vice president.

Marks said she began running as a way to maintain her weight and stay healthy. She describes herself as an early morning runner, usually getting up before dawn. That began as a necessity, but has since become a lifestyle choice.

Marks began running in the early morning about 10 years ago when she started coaching track at Jackson Junior High School, now Jackson Middle School. Due to her work and coaching schedule, she said if she didn't run in the morning, she wouldn't have time to run at all.

Now she is accustomed to getting up at 4 a.m. to run. She meets with a group of other early runners most mornings at the Parkersburg YMCA, who start from the Y at 4:30 a.m. and run to the Parkersburg Municipal Building in downtown Parkersburg and back. On the weekends, the group will often meet at City Park and run other routes.

"We sleep in (on the weekends); sometimes we don't start out until 5 (a.m.)," she said.

Once a person is accustomed to the hours, Marks said early morning running has some extra benefits. She thinks it perks her up and wakes her up in the morning, giving a good start to the day. In terms of safety, there is often little traffic on city streets at that time of the day - aside from garbage trucks and recently skunks for some reason - so it is easy to run, as well as being quiet and relaxing.

Like most serious runners, Marks is a year-round runner. During cold weather, she said the most important thing to remember is to layer clothing to keep warm. Since the face is usually left exposed, runners need to be aware and take care of it during periods of low temperatures. Runners tend to be out in rain, snow or ice.
George Angelos of Parkersburg has been running since he was in the seventh grade, about 25 years ago. He also described himself as a year-round runner, although he prefers the hot months.

"When injuries don't hinder me, I run 52 weeks a year," he said.

One of the things that makes winter running more accessible is the technology now available in terms of running apparel and materials, which can often be layered together to keep a runner safely warm even at some of the lowest temperatures.
"That's not really an issue. It's more an issue of the mind than it is an issue of the elements," he said. "The key is the first step out the door; once you get out there you're thrilled you did it."

Angelos said he knows of some people who take a break in the winter or move to indoor activities, while others like himself prefer to continue running throughout the cold season. Many of those are people who want to stay in shape and prepare for spring races and marathons.

As part of its goal to promote fitness, the club holds a runners clinic each spring from April to June, primarily aimed at beginners, and another clinic during the summer as a warmup for the Half Marathon.

Kecia Garner of Vienna is the coordinator of this year's spring clinic. She said the program will begin April 7 and run each Tuesday through June 9, meeting at 5 p.m. each week at the City Park Pavilion. The clinic will feature weekly speakers who will address a variety of issues for runners, from health to equipment and clothing.
The goal is for participants to be able to run three miles by the end of the clinic, Garner said, or two miles for youth from ages 10 to 15. The signup fee is $10 for adults and free for youth.

Anyone interested in more information can contact Garner at 304-295-0320 or by e-mail at keciagarner@hotmail.com.

Article Photos

George Angelos of Parkersburg stretches recently at City Park

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