Reflections on Encore
This spring, I had the opportunity to teach a class in the Lee University Encore program. This program is for community members ages 60+ to take classes on campus, either for credit or just for the experience!
I have taught credit classes for Lee University students before, but this was the first semester I was involved in the Encore program. The class was called “Couch to 5k Running and Walking.” We met weekly and trained together for the 65 Roses 5k at Lee University as a culminating activity of the class.
I had such a great time getting to know and run with my students! Many of the Encore participants were retired or near retirement and looking to get or stay active. It was a great experience having them get to know one another, and more than a few met up outside of class to run or walk together.
Only one student had ever participated in a 5k race before joining the class, so I was sure to cover not only the training aspect of running a race, but also the basics of the event: where to pick up their race number, the race course, the basics of age group awards, and much more. It’s easy for seasoned runners to forget that the logistics of a road race can be confusing and intimidating. I wanted to be sure everyone in my Encore class felt prepared both physically and mentally for the event.
As I would recommend for any beginner runners, we started off slowly and stuck strictly to run/walk intervals. Most of the students worked their way up to running 3 miles before race day with intervals of 30 seconds of running x 1 minute of walking. Meeting on campus for class made practicing the actual 5k course before race day easy!
It was wonderful to see the class participants finish and enjoy the 65 Roses 5k at the end of the 10 week class. They cheered for each other, and many brought their family members with them to join in the race. It’s amazing to see how encouraging an active lifestyle in a few people can have a widespread and lasting impact.
If you are interested in learning more about the Lee University Encore program, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/encore/. I plan to teach the class in the future, so keep an eye out!