Geist Half Marathon & 5K

We train walkers and runners of all ages and fitness levels for the Geist Half Marathon! Our program starts at the Fort Benjamin Harrison YMCA on Tuesday evening, January 8, 2008 at 6:15 p.m. Cecil Whitaker and Lesley Stoeffler are the trainers. Our sessions are held Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Please go to www.indyymca.org for more information. We will meet on Tuesday evenings at 6:15 p.m. with guest speakers on various topics including:

Running & Walking Gear – cold weather wear and the right shoes for you and the way you run/walk

Chiropractic – stretches to use to prevent and repair injured joints and muscles. How to use chiropractic to heal and prevent joint issues.

Nutrition – optimum diet and strategies for best race day performance.

Weight Training – using weight training for strength and endurance

Yoga – using yoga for training and stress relief

Hills – how to train for the hills that come our way “Hills are our friend” to quote one of our trainees who ran two half marathons and a full marathon her first year of training!

Cold weather training – how to use cold weather for more than building snowmen!

Warm weather training – how to use the heat to your advantage

Supplements – how to use Water, Gatorade, Nutrition bars and Gels to maximize your running and walking experience.

Speed training – learn to run faster with our concise weekly speed intervals.

Mental toughness – how to get it and keep it to keep training fresh and exciting.

We use the book “Run Faster Run Less” by Bill Pierce as the basis of our program. We take beginners, intermediate and experienced runners and work with you at your level to maximize your work outs and develop a plan for race day. We utilize cross training so running is done 3 days a week and other activities take up 2-3 days per week to not only make you stronger but help you run faster and recover more quickly than strictly running alone. This method prevents injury and helps maintain your entire body, not just your legs and feet!

We are committed to walkers and runners – we will work with you on your personal plan and you will be able to do the Geist Half Marathon and fulfill your dream of participating in this inaugural event.

If you have specific questions about our training program – please email Cecil Whitaker at cwhitaker@whitakerengineering.com or Lesley Stoeffler at lstoeffler@genesisre.net.