Posted 9:59 pm Sunday, July 15, 2012
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Striders Putting Feet To Pavement
If you've been thinking about taking your running to the next level, there's a running club in East Texas that's been turning out superior athletes for years.
Runners in Tyler are hitting their stride.
The East Texas Striders are helping runners find Fit City Success.
"It's just the greatest," Mike Venable said. "It's like my social outlet. I have been running with them for the last 15 or 20 years at least."
Some of the East Texas Striders, such as Venable, have been running for 30 years, while others are newer to the sport.
"It is great accountability knowing that someone is going to be there if you have plans for a run," Rebecca Dickson said.
Ms. Dickson joined the Striders to get faster after completing a 5K, 10K and a half marathon with her sights set on the Chicago Marathon.
"They are great encouragement, especially during my marathon training. There was no way I could run 20 miles by myself, so I knew I had to get involved in a group," Ms. Dickson said.
The East Texas Striders don't just work on their distance running. Each Wednesday night you will find them at the Robert E. Lee Track working on their speed.
"Anytime you do track work, it is the best thing you can do to increase your speed," Venable said.
Venable has about 15 marathons logged and one more in him. For him, running is a necessity.
"It is kind of a spiritual time too. I get a lot of runs by myself and I get to talk to the Lord and it clears my head. It makes me a person my wife can live with," Venable said.
The natural runner's high you hear about keeps many of them coming back for more.
To join the club, you don't have to be a marathoner. They say if you can run at least three miles, that's a good place to start.
Watch Dana Hughey's "Fit City Success Stories" on KYTX CBS19's 10 p.m. news each Thursday.
