2nd annual This Is My Year New Year's Walk & Run

[Guest guest]

New Year's 5K walk/run could lead to fitness plan

By Jomay Steen, Journal staff Saturday, December 29, 2007

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/12/29/news/features/doc476c2b92672\

55203722115.txt

What: The second annual This Is My Year New Year's Walk and Run

When: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1; registration from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

Fee: $20; proceeds will benefit Black Hills State University track and cross

country programs and the Arthritis Foundation North Central Chapter

Where: E. Young Sports & Fitness Center at BHSU, Spearfish

Contact: at 642-3252 or cldavis@...; Jerry Dunn at

leanhorse@....

The one-mile race begins promptly at 10 a.m. on the indoor track in the

fitness center. Outdoor 5K run/walk participants will meet at BHSU's Lyle

Hare Stadium. Indoor walking and running distances range from a half mile to

three miles. Hot and healthful refreshments will be available.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jerry and Elaine Dunn and want to start 2008 off by doing

something for others. As representatives of Lean Horse Productions, Leading

Ladies Enterprises and the Arthritis Foundation, respectively, they want all

people to make a commitment to be more active throughout the year.

To help people launch their fitness resolutions, they have organized the

second annual This Is My Year, a New Year's Day event that includes an

outdoor 5K run/walk, an indoor mile run and a variety of other walks, runs

and events.

Like many runners, Jerry Dunn, 61, organizer of the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail

Marathon and Lean Horse Hundred and Half-Hundred ultra-marathon, likes to

start the year off with a run. But he and his wife wanted those who always

make that New Year's resolution for better health, wellness and well-being

but never quite make it outdoors to have an opportunity to succeed.

" Last year, my wife and I decided to create a New Year's run. We got it

together to encourage people to start the year out right, " Dunn said.

Last year, 25 people showed up in 12-degree weather for the inaugural event

to do the 5K run and walk at Lyle Hare Stadium on the Black Hills State

University campus.

This year, organizers expanded events into the indoor track and fitness

center to successfully motivate as many people as possible to begin a daily

movement regime.

Easing beginners into that new routine requires some basic creature

comforts, Dunn said.

" They're not going to come out on a 12-degree day to start a daily walking

regime. They need to come to a nice, warm place to start a program for

themselves, " Dunn said.

For those on the verge of starting a new exercise program, a majority of

activities will happen indoors, which will include opportunities other than

running and walking, he said.

" We will have other options, " Dunn said.

, event organizer and community development coordinator for the

Arthritis Foundation North Central Chapter, said the idea of This Is My Year

is to get community members out walking and running on New Year's Day and to

make a commitment to become more active in 2008.

In that time, and the Dunns want to coach area participants from being

couch potatoes to regular walkers, runners or swimmers.

" We want people to be more conscious of movement as being part of their

lives, " she said. " It isn't X number of miles or training for an endurance

event. You're doing something to keep moving and making daily activities

easier and more enjoyable. "

She also had contacted area fitness centers in Spearfish, Belle Fourche,

Sturgis and Lead-Deadwood to provide information about local fitness classes

being taught at those centers starting this month.

" We want people to make a commitment for 90 days to find something that

motivates them, whether it's yoga, Pilates, running, biking, swimming,

golfing or walking, " she said.

The more people who participate, the more it will benefit the arthritis

foundation, which provides six-week self-help programs specifically for

people with arthritis and related conditions. Last year's event raised about

$400 for the foundation.

Currently, about 70 million Americans have arthritis or chronic joint pain.

There are 1.5 million people living with arthritis in South Dakota, North

Dakota and Minnesota. About 300,000 children have some form of juvenile

arthritis nationwide, 6,000 in the North Central Chapter. Arthritis and

related diseases cost the U.S. economy $82.6 billion each year in medical

care and lost wages.

With events like This Is My Year, it will not only help ' organization

meet its mission goals, but teach people how to prevent and relieve the pain

of arthritis. It also will provide an opportunity to walk, ride or run each

day, going farther and longer as one becomes more and more physically fit.

" It's a real physical and emotional boost; just try it for two weeks and

find out, " said. " If you want the motivation, we'll help. "

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@....