S P O R T I N G W O M E N
The Family That Plays Together
by Kelly Carr
fter a 20-year break from running, Goochland local Helen
A
Murphy never dreamed she’d be able to cross the finish
line at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k. Like most, she
doubted her ability to get back to the fitness level she had
enjoyed in the past.
“I just wasn’t sure about running,” Helen admits. “I didn’t
know if I could make it past mile one, let alone mile 6.2.”
But at the urging of her husband, Doug, and with the support of the
Goochland YMCA Training Team, she not only made that dream a reality
but enabled her family to join her journey as well.
“My sons and I had no idea Doug was going to sign our entire family
up for the program, but he bought us all shoes and said he’d paid the
money for the program, so we were doing it together!”
The YMCA 10k Training Team is a program designed to help
participants meet their fitness goals while training for the Ukrop’s Monument
Avenue 10k. Offered at 14 different YMCA branches, it provides a format
for walkers and novice and intermediate runners to complete a 10-week
training program and lay the groundwork for a regular routine of physical
fitness.
Thanks to the support provided in the group atmosphere, Doug had
experienced great success as a Training Team member the year before
and wanted his family to share in it.
“We got so much out of this experience as a family,” says Helen.
“We all lost weight, got fit and enjoyed the time together on the
Saturday morning runs. Thanks to the YMCA 10k Training Team
program, we’ve changed our lifestyle for the better. I tell all my friends
to give it a try. I know they can do it, and their lives will be better
for it!”
“The Murphy family is a wonderful example of the positive changes
that can result from participating in the 10k training team,” says Kelly
Browning, the head coach for their training team. “It has been such
a pleasure to see their confidence grow and their passion for running
develop, as they now train for races throughout the year.”
Kelly contends that when families train with the team, they not only
benefit individually from a more active lifestyle, they spend more time
together doing something that they all enjoy. “It’s stories like this that
make being a part of this program so rewarding,” she says.
The 2010 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k will be held on March
27, with the Training Teams kicking off on January 16. Registration
for both opens December 1. For more information, please visit www.
sportsbackers.org. V
V
Kelly Carr is the Training Team coordinator at Sports Backers and is also a coach
for the 10k Training Team at the Shady Grove YMCA.
www
•
myVmagazine.com
Vmagazine for women
• DECEMBER 2009
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