Ellie Kate Simmons, a 7 year-old second grader from Jordan Ridge Elementary School in South Jordan, Utah finished her first ever running race, the 30th annual 13.1 mile St. George Half Marathon, this past weekend. Ellie finished in a time of 2:37 and was the youngest runner on the course.

Ellie was inspired to start running after finding out that her mom, Anne Johnson Simmons ran the 26.2-mile St. George Marathon 30 years ago when she was just 8 years old. Ellie and her mom began training soon after her baby brother was born last July. They started out just walking to school each day which eventually turned to running to school and then each week they would add 1 more mile to their training program until they could run 13- miles. Ellie said the best part about the race was the Gatorade at the aid stations and meeting a new friend, 38 year-old Debbie Labaron from Clearfield, UT who caught up to Ellie to find out how old she was and ended up running and visiting with her and her mom for many miles. Ellie was also running for a special cause and wore her pink running outfit to honor her 71 year-old grandmother, Linda Simmons, who was supposed to be running with her but underwent colon cancer surgery a few weeks ago and was not able to participate this year.
What’s next for Ellie? Her mom, aunt and uncle are race directors for southern Utah’s new Top of Zion Relay in June and northern Nevada’s Ruby Mountain Relay in August, both part of the Run Back Country running series, so she will keep up her training so she can run those relays with her cousins and maybe even join her parents and grandmother on the St. George Marathon course in October. Running is part of Ellie’s family tradition and she wants other kids to know that you are never too young to start living a healthy and active lifestyle.

Expert Panel Questions???

“I have never been a runner I am out of shape and attempting to train for a half marathon I am just now starting should I focus on keeping up a faster pace for shorter time or go for distance with a slower pace?”

(ask your questions to the UtahRunning.com Experts)

Answer!!!

If you’re just starting out as a first-time runner, you should make the establishment of a consistent training program your first priority. Find thirty minutes each day (six days each week, if possible) to set aside for your training. Don’t worry about pace or distance at first. In fact, you may need to do a combination of walking and running in order to get through thirty minutes. Before long, if you are consistent, you’ll be able to run comfortably for thirty minutes each day. As that begins to feel easy, add time to some (not all) of your weekly runs and see how your body responds to the increased workload.

Try not to skip days unless you need to recover from an injury. Instead, learn to listen to your body, running faster on days that you feel good and easy on days that you need to recover. Not every day should be a hard day. Besides keeping you healthy, this is important for your enjoyment of the sport. If you begin to dread the difficulty of a normal run, you’re working too hard.

If you’re a beginning runner training for a half marathon, you’ll eventually want to work a long run into your schedule once each week. This long run should be about 10-12 miles and should constitute about 20-25% of your weekly mileage. For example, if you run 10 miles on Saturday morning, you should average at least six miles each of the other five days for a total weekly mileage of 40.

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Running is of the most focused physical activities that you could ever take on. It not only challenges your body but also your mind and your will. The ability to concentrate and find a rhythm in putting one step in front of the other is what running is all about. While to some runners Utah running races are about winning, to others they are about the accomplishment of finishing the race. If you are a runner, then Utah is the place you should be headed for the Utah running races.

The state attracts all kinds of runners, from professionals to people who are running a Utah 5K or a Utah marathon for the first time. With its diverse land forms the Utah land is a great challenge to run on. Also the fact that many of the cities in the state offer running routes help professionals and amateurs train for the many Utah running races held here. Utah running includes marathons, half marathons and family races. This makes it possible for virtually anyone who is interested in running to train and participate in Utah running races. Whether you live in Utah or are visiting you are sure to find a Utah marathon or Utah half marathons on at some part of the state, all through the year.

Some of these marathons require you to register much in advance. So do check for the details in order to avoid any disappointment. Utah running races offer a diverse terrain and it is best to train accordingly. Running is a sport that helps build confidence in one self and adds to the self concept one develops. It is a great way to bring discipline and order into one’s life and is recommended for all age groups. And the best place to go running is Utah, the state that goes all out to support runners.

Typically Utah running races will have the competitors broken up into divisions which will be male and female, and then also various age groups. Utah running races tend to be a wide variety of different lengths; therefore, they require a different array of athleticism. The good news is that you can get out and participate in Utah running races even if you are a beginner.

Utah marathons and Utah half marathons are organized all across the state and you are sure to find one close to your home town. You may also relish the pleasure of running in a land quite different from what you are used to. Utah running is quite popular and it is not surprising to see a full running calendar for the state. From a Utah 5K to Utah half marathons and family races, you will find them all virtually every month of the year.

Some of the popular Utah half marathons include the Park City Marathon, Canyon to Canyon Half Marathon, Top of Utah Half Marathon, Salt Lake Half Marathon and Suncrest Mountain Race. Do begin training and preparation much in advance. This is especially true if you are going to run in a terrain and climate you are not accustomed to.

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