Looking for motivation to start your personal fitness journey? Registration for the fall session of Fleet Feet’s popular No Boundaries 5k Training Program (NoBo) is now open and is set to begin September 21, 2019. 

By Coach Mallory Mitchell

The support, camaraderie, and accountability of training with a group in the No Boundaries 5k Program is the perfect motivator for anyone looking for that extra nudge of momentum to start or continue on their fitness journey. 

This summer’s No Boundaries session just wrapped up with many of the athletes completing the ARC Race last Saturday morning. For some, this was their first official 5k, while others added this race to their record books. No matter the number, any finish-line crossing is an admirable accomplishment and I am incredibly proud of this team of athletes. 

More inspiring, is the ability of individuals with such diverse fitness backgrounds to come together, support each other, and achieve a singular goal. Take Vicky Hayes, a 5k veteran and NoBo alum. Vicky was a runner back in the day, but like many of us, life got in the way and other things replaced the time she set aside for running. Fast forward a decade or so, Vicky decided to join her family in a local 5k race. The challenging experience left her motivated to get back to the athlete she had once been, but there was the issue of how. Perhaps it was fate, but the following spring, Vicky saw a post about Fleet Feet’s No Boundaries program and she decided to take the leap.

“It was really hard those first few weeks, but I showed up every week and did my homework runs.” Vicky said, “the other people on my team and the coaches were so supportive, I felt I could really run a 5k. It was really incredible that I could do that as I hadn't run in probably 20 years.”

Vicky continued her training with No Boundaries through the fall and winter, even finding a new appreciation of the outdoors each season. She did her own training with a friend last spring and accomplished an even bigger challenge, a half marathon! But Vicky missed the camaraderie of the team, support of the coaches, and even the lessons learned from running with a variety of people. She was back with the team this summer and even started training with the distance team to prepare for the Syracuse Half Marathon!

Vicky is running strong and continues to find new fitness challenges to keep her motivated. If you’re looking to start or maybe RE-start your fitness journey, join our team this fall. The next session of No Boundaries starts September 21st. We have 5k teams for walkers, runners, kids, those looking to start running, and even a 10k program.

Visit www.fleetfeetsyracuse.com/training to learn more about the fall training programs open for registration. Come run with us.