Running with the pack

Austin (KXAN) - When it comes to healthy resolutions, one of the most popular is getting in shape.

Many folks who want to get in shape turn to running. It seems easy enough, but like any exercise plan, it takes discipline and determination to succeed.

And it helps when you don't have to do it alone.

Imagine this scene: 7:00 A.M. on a rainy Saturday morning. The temperature hovers around 40 degrees. Perfect weather - if you're looking to sleep late. But on this day, more than 100 people gather in North Austin, many wearing shorts. They're part of the Rogue Running training groups.

Manuel Macias is training with Rogue's half-marathon group. He started running after a visit to his doctor.

"I contracted diabetes, was overweight, and the doctor said I needed to change my lifestyle, eating habits, and I needed to exercise more," Macias said.

Macias lost 40 pounds in about a year. But it wasn't easy.

"When I first started, I couldn't even run a mile without stopping. I would run for three minutes, then walk two, run for three minutes, then walk two," Macias said. "The first time I ran a mile without stopping, I felt like it was a big victory."

Macias increased his distance, all the while, fighting through the pain that comes with starting out.

"Everything hurt at first, my ankles, my shins, my thighs," Macias said. "Then after about a month, a half a year of running, something magical happened: it just didn't hurt anymore, and I started to pick up the pace and feel better."

Macias ran his first half-marathon with his wife in November. Now he's training for the 3M half-marathon and the Austin half-marathon.

"There's a lot of times when you just feel like stopping and quitting, because that's the easy thing to do. For me, I felt my victory was just getting out the door and doing it," Macias said.

Joining a running group helped Macias stay motivated. Ruth England coaches his group.

They might want to lose weight, but I find that's rarely the number one goal, said England. "I find most people just want to be healthier and they want to find out about how to do the running correctly."

Rogue training attracts runners of many different levels - ranging from elite runners to beginners.

"You meet friends, and it's more about the friendships you build while you're doing it more than it is about the training," said England.

England says those friendships help people stay motivated to train.

"The group, you know, will help keep you coming and make sure you show up every day,
the group will be the people you talk to and kind of bounce off ideas, you learn from the people in the group," England said.

"So it's more of like a friendship club, and we do running as our activity."

Activity made a difference for Macias. He lost 40 pounds, and dramatically improved his health.

"Whether you're an elite, a starter, get out the door and eventually you'll improve and it gets to the point where you really enjoy it and love it and you'll miss it if you don't do it," Macias said.

Training groups can also keep you from hurting yourself. Beginners tend to run too fast too soon. The result is often pain and problems.

Dr. William Carter, Advanced Rehabilitation, "We see a lot of beginners who think, you know, I'll just run through it and things like that," said Dr. William Carter of Advanced Rehabilitation. "Eventually, it becomes more of an issue for them."

Carter said that stretching is one of the best ways to prevent injuries, and it's particularly important to stretch after a run to help your body recover.

Training program links: 

Rogue Running

Austin Fit

RunTex