Community Corner

Six Ways To Celebrate National Running Day

Need a nudge? Cupertino residents can use this excuse to plan their running regimen for their health—and to do good in local charity runs.

Written by Jennifer Squires and L.A. Chung 

National Running Day is Wednesday. It's a time for runners everywhere to celebrate their sport and show their passion—and perhaps kick off a great season of running if they've been meaning to. 

There's no shortage of runners in Cupertino. You see them chugging up the oak-studded trails or around town. 

So for all the runners around town—and those who wish they had the motivation, desire or ability to join them—here are ways to celebrate National Running Day.

  1. Go for a run (d'oh!). 
  2. Need a goal? Register for a local race. This is a great motivator, whether you're an experienced runner who has grown bored with the usual workouts or someone looking to be more athletic. If you want to do good while doing yourself—and your entire family—some good, Mukti For Social Development is sponsoring "Lighting the Way 2013," a benefit run at Oak Creek Park on July 20 in Los Gatos. Mukti is a local non-profit that was formed to foster self-reliant and thriving communities among low-income and under-privileged in developing and under developed nations, particularly India. It has provided grants for projects from solar lights in Kolkata to school supplies in Sunderban, West Bengal, since its incorporation in California in 2008. 
  3. Read about running. Try Born to Run, the 2009 bestseller by Christopher McDougall that inspired a lot of people to hit the trails—many of them barefoot. Want local expertise? For a blast from the past, check out Runner's World founder Bob Anderson's books that rode the first running wave, The Complete Runner and the Complete Woman Runner, written and published here, in Santa Clara Valley.
  4. Find a running group. Cupertino's Fit Geek Sports has a Wednesday evening fun run that leaves from the store at 6:30 p.m. (21000 Stevens Creek Blvd).  Team In Training almost always has a group training for an event. Both are good options if you're looking for a coach to guide your exercise. Join Bob Anderson's Ujena Fit Club to log your workouts, share with other runners and gain points. There's a handy age grade calculator
  5. Be healthier. Getting adequate sleep, eating your vegetables and drinking lots of water will make you feel better, which translates into better running. 
  6. Download some running jams. Rocking some tunes can help you through the lowest moments of your run. Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run," Michael Jackson's "Beat It," and "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor are classics. 
Need more charity runs to fuel your running workout?
 
The Santa Cruz CORE 5k River Run on June 22 is part of a new Outrunning Hunger series, a benefit for Grind Out Hunger.

Don't forget June 23 is the Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital'2013 Summer Scamper —and you can raise money while you run its 5-kilometer or 10-kilometer course (or sponsor a runner). There is a kids' fun run and a family festival as well, so you can make a day of it.

If you like recommendations from those who run, Fit Geek Sports has a list of the "Top 7 Races To do in 2013."

Bonus: The Rock'n'Roll Marathon series is offering a one-day $20 discount on all their events for those who sign up Wednesday. The San Jose Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon is Oct. 20, and the San Francisco installment is April 6. 

And if National Running Day isn't your thing, don't fear. National Donut Day is coming up on Friday.


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