Kalamazoo SHufflers

Yes! You Can Run A Marathon!
Helping you achieve your dream of completing a Marathon - Injury Free! Making Friends and Taking a Spiritual Journey Together.

Our Training Philosophy

We follow Jeff Galloway's training method. This training program is built around one increasingly longer Saturday run, which we do together as a group. We do these runs very slowly; with frequent walk breaks (run 6-8 minutes, walk one minute). The purpose of the long runs is to cover longer and longer distances – building up distance endurance but without injury. If you join us, you should plan to run 3 or 4 other times per week – and we can suggest how to develop a personal running plan. We believe the social and spiritual dimensions of training are also important. Prerequisite: If you can run (with walk breaks) 7 miles on January 3, 2009 (4 miles for Half Marathon) and can commit to the Saturday runs, you can complete a marathon by the end of May (or a Half Marathon by the end of April).

Our History

In 2002, five Kalamazoo area runners of very different running abilities joined together to support each other as they trained for the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI. – none had attempted a marathon before. The philosophy for the weekly long runs was to run them slowly (1 ½ -2 minutes slower than marathon pace) with walk breaks every mile and with increasing weekly distance. The reasoning behind this approach was to reduce chances of a sidelining injury and minimize long run recovery time. During the week, each trained according to their personal running goals.

To cap off the training, the group ran 26 miles three weeks before the marathon to give them the confidence that they could finish well. All five finished the Bayshore healthy and all went on to complete at least one more marathon!

In post-marathon reflecting on the preparation, they doubted if any of them alone could have alone done the training necessary - it was amazing the mutual support given to each other to achieve their necessary training. All agreed that having the company and support of the group made the training both endurable and enjoyable.

Over the past several years, the SHufflers offered training support to the Kalamazoo area runners who wanted to run their first marathon. Out of the several dozen runners each year who signed up, almost all completed either the Bayshore or another candidate marathon… and had a great time in the support and training to accomplish their goal.

Schedule

The Kalamazoo SHufflers Bayshore Marathon/Half Marathon Training Schedule is for people who want to successfully complete a first marathon or Half Marathon, and for people who have completed a race and would like to help and encourage others – IS that YOU?
Weekly Long Distance Running Schedule: All group training runs are held on Saturday mornings (rain, snow or shine) at the Portage Bicentennial Park trail (unless otherwise noted), at either 7:00 or 8:00, depending on light conditions for that time of year. There is no fee to join this group.

2009 Schedule

Date	Distance (miles) marathon/half marathon	Note
Jan 3	7/4	8:00 a.m. Bicentennial Trail Milham Road
Jan 10	8/5	Post run orientation meeting
Jan 17	9/6
Jan 24	7/4
Jan 31	10/7
Feb 7	11/8	7:30 a.m.
Feb 14	13/9	Pasta meal Friday night
Feb 21	8/6
Feb 28	15/10
Mar 7	8/8
Mar 14	17/11	Move to Kal-Haven Trail 10th St.
Mar 21	8/8
Mar 28	20/12	7:00 a.m.
Apr 4	8/8
Apr 11	22/13
Apr 18	8/6
Apr 25	13/13	(Borgess Half Marathon)
May 2	26	(Mile 26 to So. Haven; party!)
May 9	13	Taper
May 16	8	Taper
May 23	26.2	Bayshore Marathon

Contact

For more information contact shufflerskzoo@yahoo.com or call (269)808-1069.