Braving the winter chill, wind, rain and holiday shopping fatigue, 45 walkers and runners, ages seven to 70 participated in the first of weekly Sunday training sessions at the Culver City High School track led by local professional trainer and triathlete Kirsten Bell and New York Marathon champion Rod Dixon.
Bell and Dixon, a four-time Olympian, will lead the next free session, this Sunday at 4 p.m., with assistance from the Culver City High School cross-country team in preparation for the Culver City Centennial Screenland 5K on Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017.
Fielding numerous questions from the training session participants, Bell and Dixon discussed the benefits of a run and walk strategy to build up distance as a runner methodically.
“We also encouraged runners to shorten their stride to minimize the impact on joints,” said Bell.
When asked about shoes, Bell encouraged the runners to wear a lightweight, flexible shoe that has a low heel to toe drop.
Training session guests received custom training schedules to help them work toward achieving the goal of taking home a Screenland 5K finisher’s medals on race day. Training schedule can be downloaded online at www.Screenland5k.com.
Dixon soon will participate in a sports symposium with Rio Olympic Games gold medalist Allyson Felix at Turning Point School, a golden wizard presenting sponsor of the Screenland 5K.
Run or walk as your favorite screen star down the yellow brick road through Sony Pictures and Culver Studios storied backlots, a wizard’s rainbow, and Centennial Trail, finishing on the red carpet in the Heart of Screenland.
Screenland 5K, sponsored by the City of Culver City, will raise funds for the Culver City Education Foundation and health, fitness and Centennial legacy charities. Schools also will be raising funds on their own as participants in the once-in-a-century race.
Led by outdoor adventuring enthusiast Joshua Arnold, the school district superintendent and CulverPride advocate, the CCUSD administration team is challenging each of the 11 district schools for largest, best-themed, fastest and most outrageous team.