01-25-24

22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY January 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountyweekly.com health & fitness four-to-six-mile range—a lot for a new runner—organizers happily offer suggestions for shorter routes. And you don’t even have to run—Cole of WNLR says there’s often a walking cohort at the group’s Saturday meetups. Beth Scrutton, Mindy Day and Kevin Yarbrough all say they weren’t regular runners before joining the Fleet Feet pub run in June of last year, but they were already hanging out regularly on Mondays, and wanted to get into it. Day’s brother, a runner, suggested joining a run club as a way to start. The months of regular miles have made an impact—Scrutton and Day ran their first 10K race last year. “Now we’re planning for our first half marathon,” Scrutton says. If you do have experience running, the group atmosphere can help push you to faster paces. On a recent Wednesday Night Laundry Runners outing, during an extraordinarily well-timed break in the rain, first-time WNLRer Caitlin Duenow says she sought out a run club to join in order to help her train harder. “I just need to push myself,” Duenow says, after revealing that she’s run 13 marathons. “If I go running by myself, I don’t push myself.” Run clubs are an informal way to do that, but they can be an introduction to more formal options, like the paid training programs offered by Fleet Feet Monterey. “We don’t necessarily offer a training program, but what we do try to offer is the community, the connection,” Cole says. “So if you do want to participate in a very structured training program, by running with us you will come across the Fleet Feet people. We want to continue to be the anchor group for all things running in the area.”after the run, the Fleet Feet group congregates back at Fieldwork for a beer and some endorphin-fueled conversation; OtherRunners does the same at Other Brother (runners receive $1 off beers as an incentive). WNLR celebrates New Runner Wednesday—the first Wednesday of each month—with pizza. Relaxing near the firepits at Fieldwork, Scrutton, Day and Yarbrough agree that the accountability factor of showing up to an organized event is what keeps them on the run. But if that’s the stick there’s also a carrot. “Ending at this nice beer garden is good too,” Scrutton says. Fleet Feet Monterey Pub Runs meet at 6pm Mondays at Fieldwork Brewing, 560 Munras Ave., Monterey. More at fleetfeet.com/s/monterey. Wednesday Night Laundry Runners meets at 5:30pm Wednesdays, Lucky’s parking lot, Pacific Grove. wnlr.org. OtherRunners meets at 6pm Wednesdays, Other Brother Beer Co., 877 Broadway Ave., Seaside. instagram. com/otherrunnersrunclub. “if i go running by myself, i don’t push myself.” One need not be an accomplished runner to join a run club. The idea is that runners set their own pace and distance, and will likely find someone else in the group with similar goals. DANIEL DREIFUSS Parks Make Life Better! Programs for All Ages (831) 646-3866 • monterey.org/rec P AND MUCH MORE! school P Adult & Senior Programs P Youth Soccer League mnastics P Youth Dance Classes hool Break Camps P Adult Softball & Baseball Leagues Parks Make Life Better! rograms for All Ages (831) 646-3866 • monterey.org/rec P AND MUCH MORE! l P Adult & Senior Programs P Youth Soccer League cs P Youth Dance Classes eak Camps P Adult Softball & Baseball Leagues Parks Make Life Better! Programs for All Ages (831) 646-3866 • monterey.org/rec P AND MUCH MORE! Preschool P Adult & Senior Programs P Youth Soccer League Gymnastics P Youth Dance Classes School Break Camps P Adult Softball & Baseball Leagues Parks Make Life Better! Programs for All Ages (831) 646-3866 • monterey.org/rec P AND MUCH MORE! P Preschool P Adult & Senior Programs P Youth Soccer League P Gymnastics P Youth Dance Classes P School Break Camps P Adult Softball & Baseball Leagues l Ages P AND MUCH MORE! P Youth Soccer League agues l Ages P AND MUCH MORE! P Youth Soccer League agues l Ages P AND MUCH MORE! P Youth Soccer League agues l Ages P AND MUCH MORE! P Youth Soccer League agues l Ages P AND MUCH MORE! P Youth Soccer League agues l Ages P AND MUCH MORE! P Youth Soccer League agues l Ages P AND MUCH MORE! P Youth Soccer League agues PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES AND MUCH MORE Preschool Gymnastics School Break Camps Adult & Senior Programs Adult Softball Leagues Youth Dance Classes Youth Field Sports Programs

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