WOODVILLE – “All ages and paces are welcome” is the motto of the Woodville Hill Runners, and the group is now 13 months young.
The group is devoted to bringing people together to work toward healthy goals. It is a group of walkers, joggers and runners, sprung forth from an idea from Mike Cabaniss. Cabaniss, who is a competitive runner, and a veteran of many marathon events, said the impetus to start a group for runners was something he’d thought about for a while. He said the idea was more about getting people out of the house and up and moving, as opposed to fostering a climate for serious competitive running, however, some of the group’s members are working toward competing in marathons.
The runners in the group meet at 6 a.m. for a run on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and the walkers walk on Monday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. They meet on the campus of Woodville High School.
“I’ve met so many new people along the way that are serious about their fitness,” Cabaniss said. “This group not only brings community together, but it does it in a healthy way. The hardest part is getting off the couch and taking that first step.”
Starting an exercise routine is a popular New Year’s resolution for many Americans, but experts claim that abandoning such resolutions is nearly as common.
One fitness expert, Toby Brooks, Ph.D., who serves as the director of the Master of Athletic Training program at Texas Tech, said that oftentimes, people get discouraged by setbacks, but commitment, discipline and adaptability are paramount to succeeding in fitness goals.
“The best advice I can give anyone is to start where you are with what you have, how you are, and figure out a way to make do,” Brooks said in an interview about exercise programs.
The Woodville Hill Runners group make adaptability a key feature, as participants can move at their own pace, and with Cabaniss, the group has a capable and experienced leader who began to see a new life for himself after he began training at age 57.
He said that before he began running, he was out of shape and overweight, but since his initial commitment, he has competed in several marathons, including the most famous of them all, the Boston Marathon.
Throughout 13 years of training, Cabaniss said he has seen that with running clubs, it is easier to get motivated and stay on the right track when you’re with a group.
“It’s really gratifying to see the people who do show up, because they’re taking the initiative to get healthy.”
