After pounding down the groceries during winter, many people are trying to get back into shape before summer arrives. Swimsuits and short skirts are longing to be worn in the warm spring sun, but the body is not always willing.
One convenient and effective way to drop those few extra pounds is to join the Mississippi State Running Club.
The running club meets in the front lobby of the Sanderson Center on Monday and Wednesday nights at 6:30, Friday afternoons at 3:30, and Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 7.
“The main purpose of the club is to give people a chance to run with a group instead of running alone,” said club President Susan Lippincott.
“The club currently has about 20 members and is split into three groups. Group A runs five to eight miles with an average of an eight-minute mile. They also run six days a week. Group B runs four to six miles in eight to 10 minutes a mile. Group C runs two to three miles with a minimum of a 10-minute mile.”
One member, Brent Crocker, gets more than just exercise from running.
“Running gives me more energy when I’m done than when I started,” said Crocker.
Matt McCollister enjoys the more physical aspects of the running club.
“It gives you muscle tone and helps you lose weight, plus it’s fun and great exercise. By the end of the run you realize that it’s all worth it.”
The club is also co-sponsoring the Old Cotton Mill 5K Run, Saturday, April 24. The run begins at 8:00 a.m., with registration beginning at 7:00, in front of the Bulldog Deli. There will be an award ceremony for each group after the run. The entry fee is $20 and all proceeds will go to the Starkville Arts Council and Research on Breast Cancer.
The running club will have a heads-up on whether each day will be sunny or rainy. One of it’s members is Ashley Altieri, a weather forecaster for WCBI. Ashley says, “If it wasn’t for the running club, I wouldn’t be running.”
For more information on the running club you can email Susan Lippincott at [email protected]. For more information on the Old Cotton Mill 5K Run, you can email [email protected] or call 323-9090.