For busy families who have fitness goals and dreams, but just need some encouragement to achieve them, there is a simple, affordable program offered through the Naperville Park District this fall. Generations, a 10-week training program, teaches adults and children (ages 10 and up) how to train together for 5K runs, with the opportunity to run in Naperville’s Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.

Now in its second year, Generations is made possible through a partnership with Road Runner Sports, Whole Foods Market, and the Naperville Park District.
In 2009, 28 families participated in the program and ultimately, joined approximately 5,000 runners in the Turkey Trot.

Allison Casey and her 11-year-old son, Ryan, trained through the Generations program last year, and plan to enter the entire family in the 5K this year. “The training experience sparked an interest for the whole family. Running gives you time together, even when everybody’s busy, and it’s a healthy thing to do,” said Casey. “The classes at Whole Foods gave us ways to integrate healthy eating and cooking into our family life.”

Debbie Kretzmann signed up for the program on her own, with the goal of keeping up with her sons who run regularly. “The training schedule set up by Road Runner Sports really helped me. I thought I’d never keep up with the other runners, but I did it, and have been running all year since then.”

The Generations program includes training advice, a manual, gait analysis, and optional weekly group runs coordinated by Road Runner Sports; nutrition workshops at Whole Foods Market to help runners learn how to fuel their bodies with the right foods during training and before and after the race; registration in the 2010 Turkey Trot on November 25, and more.

The fee is $45 per person for residents and $68 per persons for non-residents. The program is designed for those 10 and up; participants under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

The program began on Sept. 12, but it is not too late to register. For questions or to register, call the Naperville Park District at 630-848-5000.
For more information on the 2010 Turkey Trot 5K race, visit www.napervillenoonlions.org.

Photo courtesy of Dave Ferguson. Used by permission.