April 5 marks the return of the Cooper River Bridge Run, which attracts fitness enthusiasts from all over the country and around the world. Now in its 48th year and hosting a capacity of 38,500 participants, the Bridge Run is the third largest 10K event in the United States. As the race approaches, some local running clubs and groups have been offering training programs to help people prepare.
Fleet Feet, an athletic shoe wear company with four locations in the Charleston area – including Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and Summerville – hosts free weekly group runs at each store year-round. Monday Rundays, starting at 6:30 p.m., generally average around 20 runners and encompass different 3-mile routes every week. Anyone is welcome to join these “all paces, all faces” runs, regardless of age or skill level, according to Jennifer Roberts, who serves as marketing coordinator for the Charleston stores. “We just want everyone to get out and move,” she said.
Fleet Feet’s 11-week Bridge Run Training Program, designed to assist runners toward their fitness and running goals, launched in late January. Weekday evening group running sessions, which include a combination of speed workouts, form drills and hill work, are held Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Mount Pleasant and Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Summerville. Fleet Feet also hosts a 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning long run as part of the program, with a timed mile and runners of different skill levels placed into their appropriate pace group, Roberts explained. The long runs start with 3 miles, and distance is added incrementally each week.
Coaches, mentors, physical therapists and nutritionists are on hand to inform and educate runners, and clinics are provided on topics such as proper footwear, injury prevention and hydration. Unlike the Monday Rundays, the longer training runs have a few minimal requirements due to the level of difficulty involved, Roberts noted.
When assessing the benefits of training with a group compared to training solo, Roberts, who has done and enjoyed both, said it’s mainly the camaraderie, motivation and account ability aspects – but also education. “Some folks have no idea where to start,” she said.
Blue Sky Endurance, a specialty running and triathlon shop with two locations in Mount Pleasant, started its 12-week Bridge Running Training Program in early January, according to founder and owner Catherine Hollister. Participants meet on Wednesday evenings, rotating sites among the Mount Pleasant Town Hall track, the Ravenel Bridge and Hampton Park in Charleston. These sessions include 30 minutes of strength training, followed by 75 minutes of different types of race preparation, depending on the location. At the track, participants run speed intervals; at Hampton Park, they do 1-mile intervals; and, on the Ravenel Bridge, they practice hill intervals, Hollister explained.
On Saturdays at 7:30 a.m., runners meet at Blue Sky Endurance’s Coleman Boulevard store for a long run day. “Distances vary based on the experience of the runner,” said Hollister. “We do a custom plan for each runner.”
Blue Sky incorporates technology like the TrainingPeaks app to tailor plans and ensure individuals are training at the proper rate. This entails programming customized workouts into a person’s smartwatch so that runners already have their training plan and are ready to go when they arrive. Even if they must miss a week, the training is on the watch, making it personalized and accessible, said Hollister.
Certified coaches are present at each training session to guide people on aspects such as pacing and nutrition. While all skill levels are welcome, Blue Sky typically requires that a person be able to run at least a mile before beginning training.
Hollister asserted that the main benefit people get from group training is a sense of community – sharing a common goal and the accountability that comes with that. “Training during the winter is really challenging for people,” she noted. However, because they are part of a group, runners know that others expect them to be there and vice versa, which motivates them to show up even on bad weather days. If they train alone, they might skip a session when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Some of the reasons people register for the training include setting goals to achieve a personal best time or transitioning from running a 5K to a 10K – or maybe they have just moved to the area and are running the Bridge Run for the first time. “We get a little bit of everything,” shared Hollister.
For more information on the race, visit bridgerun.com.
By Colin McCandless
