Running is a sport for anyone and everyone. People in every country of all ages love running. It is a sport where everyone is welcome and can excel if they are committed. Running can do the body wonders. Not only will you be able to reach peak physical condition through running, but it also helps you sleep better at night, and even manage stress levels.
Bryan Health’s annual 5k/10k held each fall is quickly becoming one of Lincoln’s largest races with more than 1,000 participants each year. Race day is filled with activities and fellowship for runners of all levels and is combined with a special message of physical and mental well being.
Listen in as Lori Borer, owner of Lincoln’s Red Dirt Running Company, discusses the many health benefits of running, and how it truly be for everyone!
Selected Podcast
Running: The Sport for Everyone!
Featured Speaker:
Lori Borer, Red Dirt Running Company
Lori Borer is the owner of Lincoln’s Red Dirt Running Company. Transcription:
Running: The Sport for Everyone!
Melanie Cole (Host): Bryan Health hosts a community run every October to further their commitment to wellness and mental health. For more information about this event, go to Bryanhealth.org/run. This special podcast series is brought to you by Bryan Health and the Kim Foundation. Some people feel that running is intimidating but once you learn the basics, it’s really so easy for everyone to do. My guest today is Lori Borer. She’s the owner of Lincoln’s Red Dirt Running Company. Welcome to the show, Lori. So, how can running be truly for anyone when some people are so intimidated by the fact of running, they’re just scared to even get started?
Lori Borer (Guest): Right. Well, first off, thanks for having me. That’s a great question, and that’s something that we’ve seen in the store here so much. I wish, in my name, if I could, take “running” out of it, honestly, because running is truly for everyone more for any lifestyle that you have and that you hold, and any age. If you look around, I would say, a lot of the customers that we have that come in the store, are of middle-age and that are just starting to get into running. And whether it be--I would say, a lot of it is stems from, their kids starting to run at an earlier age or get involved in different runs. If you look around at a run calendar within your community there’s, typically, literally three to 10, 5K races every weekend. And most of them--and this is a trend that we’re seeing also--are all for different fund, whether it be charities or to promote someone that’s needing a little extra money if they’re going through something and that’s helping people to get involved, whether to run or walk that race. I think that’s why we’re seeing more people get involved and start running or walking and realize that they are able to do it--no matter what your age or whatever fitness level you’re at, you’re able to participate in that.
Melanie: And the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run is an event for runners but also for walkers all ages and all abilities levels, yes?
Lori: Yes.
Melanie: So, you don’t have to be a runner to enter the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run?
Lori: That’s correct, absolutely not. No, they do a great job of encouraging everyone to be a part of their race no matter your fitness level, no matter where--if you have trained or not, you can always go walk this race. And they, obviously, support a great organization as well as within the Bryan Health Community and just overall health in general and they do a good job of promoting that to everyone--all families basically. No matter your age or fitness level.
Melanie: And if someone does want to start running, what do you advise them to do to get ready for something like the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run? If they want to run this, how do they get started, how do they get out there and get going right off the bat?
Lori: Sure. The Bryan Health Capital City Classic, they have a 5K, a one mile kids run, and 15K, new this year. And to get started, basically, if you’re completely new to running, I always encourage people to start with a run-walk program, and start by just walking, and then build yourself into running. In Lincoln, there are many, many opportunities in different places that you can join--a particular training class or you can go to like our store or any other, so there are many other opportunities to talk to us and get an idea of what it takes to get started into the fitness of running and walking, and how to start and how soon to jump up your mileage--things like that. There are many resources out there to help you get started. You definitely want to start with a run/walking approach to it.
Melanie: What do you tell people about equipment and gear? If they want to get started running, do they need a lot of expensive equipment? What about shoes?
Lori: Sure. Well, that’s something I definitely know a lot about. To get started with running, I mean, really the only thing you truly need is a good pair of running shoes. Something that we offer here at Red Dirt is we do a fit process. So, we have you come in, we do a scan of the bottom of your feet, look at the shoes on your feet, and look at your arches, the width of your feet and your pressure points. Then, we have them jump on a treadmill for 10-15 seconds and look at the way you strike the ground. That’s a huge part of making sure you’re in the correct shoe for your foot type and the way that you strike the ground. Other than that, honestly just to get started, that would be the most essential part. As far as clothing and things like that, you literally put a t-shirt and shorts on and you could be out the door and go. So, it’s really not an expensive sport to get into, which is a beautiful thing as well.
Melanie: Now what about a person’s mental health in a positive way? How can running and exercise affect that and help them to really get that good mental health?
Lori: Yes. That is a huge part of running and being fit and getting active and I think why people are learning to really love this sport of running and walking and just being active overall. Running has been proven to help in a number of ways as far as just a person’s mental health. No matter where you are in life or what you have going on, I think everyone could use just a little bit of stress-relief, and that’s exactly what running and just being active can do for you. And, I would say at a fairly cheap cost, which is a great thing. It can help boost your positive thoughts and just give you a clear mind when you’re done running or when you’re out running--sometimes that’s my best time of doing all my thinking. It can boost your self-esteem, your confidence level. As you’re starting to get more fit and more active, you meet friends, and you start feeling better about yourself. It gets you outside and so you may join a running group or get outside and just be able to enjoy the elements little bit more and feel better about not being cooped up inside all the time. You’re also always inspiring to others as you get going. You never thought maybe you would ever start running or walking. You’re going to inspire your family and your friends and encourage them to get going and let them know that they can start up any time as well, and it’s very doable. It’s also proven to…I know it’s an improvement to health in the workforce. There are many work--companies and different businesses--that now encourage their employees to go out for that 10 or 15 minute walk just to stimulate their brainpower and their productivity within the workforce. So, honestly, I could go on and on about the benefits of just being active and running and walking.
Melanie: So, in the spirit of running being not just a sport for the elite but really for everyone, do you even recommend that an older person can get involved in running if they’ve never been a runner before? How do they avoid injury? Can they do a shuffle run? Do they have to do this full-on jogging run? How can they get started?
Lori: I think the best approach for someone like that that is a little bit older but wanting to get active and get moving is to definitely probably first get in touch with their doctor and with their care provider and visit with them and tell them that they’re wanting to do a little bit more and get involved with the running and walking. Then, from there, obviously, get the right gear as far as shoes and make sure they’re good on that end. And then, start slowly. Visit with a professional or someone as far as, like at a running store like, we provide here at Red Dirt, on how to get started and the best approach to take and what commitment as far as time each day they should commit to. And then, another huge approach I would take along with running or walking is cross-training, and making sure they aren’t just running or walking but also doing some other type of activity to counteract up the other muscles that they won't be using just to stay healthy and keep everything balanced out as they get going in their body. It just helps prevent injures overall. But, definitely still doable for anyone at any age, if you approach it in the right way.
Melanie: Lori, when do you want people to stretch? If they’re getting ready to go out on a training run, do you like them to stretch before, during, after or all three?
Lori: You know, absolutely, usually what we have here in our training classes, we have them go out for a half mile or a mile jog, and then come back to us, and that’s typically when we stretch our muscles, once they’re warmed up a little bit. And then, of course, after our workouts, we will have them stretch one more time and just make sure everything is nice and loosened up. So, definitely don’t want to stretch cold muscles so that’s why we do that first half mile to a mile warm up and then we’ll do some stretching and then do our workout. And then, after our cool down, we’ll stretch one more time.
Melanie: So, give us your best advice about running and everyone getting involved in the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run. Just tell everybody what you want them to know.
Lori: Yes. My best advice would be to not be afraid to sign up, I guess, and to sign up and know that they’re doing something for themselves, and it will lead to something that I think they would be surprised with. I know many people that come into my store, they want to--the question we get asked is, “How do we stay motivated?” And a great way to stay motivated is to sign up for some races and to continually keep yourself excited about the next event that you have coming up because that’s where people tend to get lost is that they don’t have something to look forward to. That’s just our nature. That’s just how we’re wired. So, my advice would be to reach out to different organizations or stores like myself where we can give them different information on different events coming up like the Bryan Health Run that they have. The beautiful thing about the Bryan Health Run is they are supporting a local business here in Lincoln and they’re going to learn some valuable things in this. They’ll learn different ways to keep themselves healthy. Bryan does a fantastic job of offering so many different outlets to keep them overall healthy. So, this run would be a great opportunity to get started. It’s in the fall here going into the winter when people tend to not want to get outside. So, this is a good time to get themselves going and get excited for the winter month coming up. So, that would be my advice for anyone thinking about doing this race or getting moving again is to get involved and get signed up for a local race in our community. It would be a good thing, I think.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. You’re listening to Bryan Health Radio and if you’d like to learn more about healthy living, you can go to bryanhealth.org. That’s bryanhealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Running: The Sport for Everyone!
Melanie Cole (Host): Bryan Health hosts a community run every October to further their commitment to wellness and mental health. For more information about this event, go to Bryanhealth.org/run. This special podcast series is brought to you by Bryan Health and the Kim Foundation. Some people feel that running is intimidating but once you learn the basics, it’s really so easy for everyone to do. My guest today is Lori Borer. She’s the owner of Lincoln’s Red Dirt Running Company. Welcome to the show, Lori. So, how can running be truly for anyone when some people are so intimidated by the fact of running, they’re just scared to even get started?
Lori Borer (Guest): Right. Well, first off, thanks for having me. That’s a great question, and that’s something that we’ve seen in the store here so much. I wish, in my name, if I could, take “running” out of it, honestly, because running is truly for everyone more for any lifestyle that you have and that you hold, and any age. If you look around, I would say, a lot of the customers that we have that come in the store, are of middle-age and that are just starting to get into running. And whether it be--I would say, a lot of it is stems from, their kids starting to run at an earlier age or get involved in different runs. If you look around at a run calendar within your community there’s, typically, literally three to 10, 5K races every weekend. And most of them--and this is a trend that we’re seeing also--are all for different fund, whether it be charities or to promote someone that’s needing a little extra money if they’re going through something and that’s helping people to get involved, whether to run or walk that race. I think that’s why we’re seeing more people get involved and start running or walking and realize that they are able to do it--no matter what your age or whatever fitness level you’re at, you’re able to participate in that.
Melanie: And the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run is an event for runners but also for walkers all ages and all abilities levels, yes?
Lori: Yes.
Melanie: So, you don’t have to be a runner to enter the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run?
Lori: That’s correct, absolutely not. No, they do a great job of encouraging everyone to be a part of their race no matter your fitness level, no matter where--if you have trained or not, you can always go walk this race. And they, obviously, support a great organization as well as within the Bryan Health Community and just overall health in general and they do a good job of promoting that to everyone--all families basically. No matter your age or fitness level.
Melanie: And if someone does want to start running, what do you advise them to do to get ready for something like the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run? If they want to run this, how do they get started, how do they get out there and get going right off the bat?
Lori: Sure. The Bryan Health Capital City Classic, they have a 5K, a one mile kids run, and 15K, new this year. And to get started, basically, if you’re completely new to running, I always encourage people to start with a run-walk program, and start by just walking, and then build yourself into running. In Lincoln, there are many, many opportunities in different places that you can join--a particular training class or you can go to like our store or any other, so there are many other opportunities to talk to us and get an idea of what it takes to get started into the fitness of running and walking, and how to start and how soon to jump up your mileage--things like that. There are many resources out there to help you get started. You definitely want to start with a run/walking approach to it.
Melanie: What do you tell people about equipment and gear? If they want to get started running, do they need a lot of expensive equipment? What about shoes?
Lori: Sure. Well, that’s something I definitely know a lot about. To get started with running, I mean, really the only thing you truly need is a good pair of running shoes. Something that we offer here at Red Dirt is we do a fit process. So, we have you come in, we do a scan of the bottom of your feet, look at the shoes on your feet, and look at your arches, the width of your feet and your pressure points. Then, we have them jump on a treadmill for 10-15 seconds and look at the way you strike the ground. That’s a huge part of making sure you’re in the correct shoe for your foot type and the way that you strike the ground. Other than that, honestly just to get started, that would be the most essential part. As far as clothing and things like that, you literally put a t-shirt and shorts on and you could be out the door and go. So, it’s really not an expensive sport to get into, which is a beautiful thing as well.
Melanie: Now what about a person’s mental health in a positive way? How can running and exercise affect that and help them to really get that good mental health?
Lori: Yes. That is a huge part of running and being fit and getting active and I think why people are learning to really love this sport of running and walking and just being active overall. Running has been proven to help in a number of ways as far as just a person’s mental health. No matter where you are in life or what you have going on, I think everyone could use just a little bit of stress-relief, and that’s exactly what running and just being active can do for you. And, I would say at a fairly cheap cost, which is a great thing. It can help boost your positive thoughts and just give you a clear mind when you’re done running or when you’re out running--sometimes that’s my best time of doing all my thinking. It can boost your self-esteem, your confidence level. As you’re starting to get more fit and more active, you meet friends, and you start feeling better about yourself. It gets you outside and so you may join a running group or get outside and just be able to enjoy the elements little bit more and feel better about not being cooped up inside all the time. You’re also always inspiring to others as you get going. You never thought maybe you would ever start running or walking. You’re going to inspire your family and your friends and encourage them to get going and let them know that they can start up any time as well, and it’s very doable. It’s also proven to…I know it’s an improvement to health in the workforce. There are many work--companies and different businesses--that now encourage their employees to go out for that 10 or 15 minute walk just to stimulate their brainpower and their productivity within the workforce. So, honestly, I could go on and on about the benefits of just being active and running and walking.
Melanie: So, in the spirit of running being not just a sport for the elite but really for everyone, do you even recommend that an older person can get involved in running if they’ve never been a runner before? How do they avoid injury? Can they do a shuffle run? Do they have to do this full-on jogging run? How can they get started?
Lori: I think the best approach for someone like that that is a little bit older but wanting to get active and get moving is to definitely probably first get in touch with their doctor and with their care provider and visit with them and tell them that they’re wanting to do a little bit more and get involved with the running and walking. Then, from there, obviously, get the right gear as far as shoes and make sure they’re good on that end. And then, start slowly. Visit with a professional or someone as far as, like at a running store like, we provide here at Red Dirt, on how to get started and the best approach to take and what commitment as far as time each day they should commit to. And then, another huge approach I would take along with running or walking is cross-training, and making sure they aren’t just running or walking but also doing some other type of activity to counteract up the other muscles that they won't be using just to stay healthy and keep everything balanced out as they get going in their body. It just helps prevent injures overall. But, definitely still doable for anyone at any age, if you approach it in the right way.
Melanie: Lori, when do you want people to stretch? If they’re getting ready to go out on a training run, do you like them to stretch before, during, after or all three?
Lori: You know, absolutely, usually what we have here in our training classes, we have them go out for a half mile or a mile jog, and then come back to us, and that’s typically when we stretch our muscles, once they’re warmed up a little bit. And then, of course, after our workouts, we will have them stretch one more time and just make sure everything is nice and loosened up. So, definitely don’t want to stretch cold muscles so that’s why we do that first half mile to a mile warm up and then we’ll do some stretching and then do our workout. And then, after our cool down, we’ll stretch one more time.
Melanie: So, give us your best advice about running and everyone getting involved in the Bryan Health Capital City Classic Run. Just tell everybody what you want them to know.
Lori: Yes. My best advice would be to not be afraid to sign up, I guess, and to sign up and know that they’re doing something for themselves, and it will lead to something that I think they would be surprised with. I know many people that come into my store, they want to--the question we get asked is, “How do we stay motivated?” And a great way to stay motivated is to sign up for some races and to continually keep yourself excited about the next event that you have coming up because that’s where people tend to get lost is that they don’t have something to look forward to. That’s just our nature. That’s just how we’re wired. So, my advice would be to reach out to different organizations or stores like myself where we can give them different information on different events coming up like the Bryan Health Run that they have. The beautiful thing about the Bryan Health Run is they are supporting a local business here in Lincoln and they’re going to learn some valuable things in this. They’ll learn different ways to keep themselves healthy. Bryan does a fantastic job of offering so many different outlets to keep them overall healthy. So, this run would be a great opportunity to get started. It’s in the fall here going into the winter when people tend to not want to get outside. So, this is a good time to get themselves going and get excited for the winter month coming up. So, that would be my advice for anyone thinking about doing this race or getting moving again is to get involved and get signed up for a local race in our community. It would be a good thing, I think.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. You’re listening to Bryan Health Radio and if you’d like to learn more about healthy living, you can go to bryanhealth.org. That’s bryanhealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.