JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
A running club for people who “hate to run” is gaining
traction at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.
The “Runners-Haters” Club, also known as the RHC, is still
in its infancy, but it’s drawn the interest of more than 200 active-duty
members and civilian employees throughout the JBSA location.
It’s not what Tech. Sgt. Winsome Culley, Air Force Personnel
Center NCO in charge of retirements, expected when he first sent out an email
to AFPC team members two months ago looking for people to join the club, but
he’s more than pleasantly surprised.
“I wanted to get a small group together,” he said. “I
expected a small response, but on the first day I had 138 hits, so I knew it
would be bigger than I thought.”
Culley’s email set the tone, asking recipients if they hate
running, but know it’s good for them – or their job security – and want to make
it less painful.
“How about starting from scratch with others like you who
hate to run just as much? In a team atmosphere!” he said.
Culley said the brisk response prompted him to reach out to
Karl Leonard, JBSA-Randolph Human Performance Resource Center exercise
physiologist, whose gait analyses have helped hundreds of Airmen and civilians
achieve proper running technique at JBSA and at Altus Air Force Base, Okla.,
where he was previously employed.
“I realized that maybe we have a fitness opportunity that is
capturing a larger audience than I expected,” Culley said.
Culley is also seeking coaches to assume leadership roles
within the RHC so that running groups can be created within the club. Physical
training leaders and anyone with a current love for running are prospective
candidates.
“Every group ideally should have five or six runners per
coach – the smaller, the better,” Leonard said. “That way the runners will get
more attention and will be able to absorb more information.”
One of the fledgling club’s first activities was a briefing
Dec. 4 in Fleenor Auditorium that was highlighted by a motivational address
from Steve Brown, University of Texas at San Antonio running coach. More than
60 prospective club members and coaches attended the session.
Culley said one of the club’s concepts is to “train the
trainers.”
“Mr. Leonard trains the coaches, and our training is
continuous, based on the needs of the HRC,” he said. “We will provide weekly
feedback to Mr. Leonard.”
In addition, Leonard is developing a standardized training
regimen for the runners, Culley said.
“I imagine the training will be upgraded in phases based on
the progression of our runners,” he said. “An example is a webinar that we
offered to all of JBSA-Randolph Dec. 11. The webinar covered everything the
interested runners need to know about the program and information covered
during our coaches’ briefing.”
Leonard said the program “starts with the basics of
running.”
“It helps those who haven’t been running, starting those
individuals from scratch,” he said. “It gets people to enjoy running by
teaching them the proper steps mechanically and building the proper aerobic
foundation for building stamina and endurance using a heart-rate monitor.
“Most people associate running with pain and agony,” Leonard
said. “I’m teaching the opposite. Our goal is to make running more enjoyable.”
Leonard said he has been helping runners since 2006 with his
gait analyses.
“At Altus, 1,000 people were assessed with great success,”
he said. “It helped Airmen’s careers and cut health care costs. Many Airmen
were able to get off profile with just one or two visits.
“I came here in 2013 and picked up where I left off at
Altus,” Leonard said.
In addition to training coaches, Leonard will be available
to help runners, Culley said.
“He also briefed everyone during the webinar on the
essentials of running and the mandatory items need to get started,” he said.
Plans call for running groups to meet in the morning, at
lunchtime or in the evening two days a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays. They will
also run on Saturdays with runners in the San Antonio community.
Culley said those who wish to join the club will require a
metronome, a heart-rate monitor and the proper footwear for running. They will
also need to fill out a medical questionnaire to see if there any health
concerns.
“We want to take people who hate to run and turn them into
individuals who love to run,” he said.
For more information, call 565-2327.