By David Freeze

A few warmer days have a lot of folks starting to think about getting in shape for the beach and other warm weather pursuits. The 18^th annual spring beginning runners class will kick off on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m., again at the Salisbury Police Station at 130 Liberty Street.

The spring class will continue for eight weeks of Tuesday meetings, each time beginning with a 30-minute classroom session. Topics for these sessions include shoes and equipment, stretching and strengthening, running form, injury prevention, nutrition and safety.

Each participant gets a training schedule, a dri-fit training shirt, membership in the Salisbury Rowan Runners for a year and entry into the May 25 Bare Bones 5K. They will also get individual coaching and encouragement throughout the program and should come prepared to run/walk a half mile on the first night on the way to 3.1 miles during week 8. Classes are held regardless of the weather.

Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult or with special permission. Cost remains $65 per person. Registration is live at runsignup.com

Next up locally are three interesting races. A new race, the Wipe Out Colorectal Cancer 5K and Fun Run for Rowan Diagnostic Clinic is set for March 9. The 5K will start at the Catawba College softball field, then will use the greenway and a portion of the Crescent area on an out and back course. After the run, the scene will shift to the Rowan Diagnostic Clinic at 611 Mocksville Avenue for a block party and fun run. All runners and walkers will get a food truck voucher and commemorative t-shirt. Proceeds will provide free colonoscopies for those in need.

On March 16, the Love Thy Neighbor 5K/10K/ Fun Run will all be held as part of the 8^th Annual Fundraiser at Concordia Lutheran Church. Both the 5K and 10K courses are rural near the church and will be protected by Atwell Fire Department. The scenery itself may be the prettiest for any race in the county. Participants, both runners and walkers, get a free country breakfast and shirt. All proceeds will be used to help with medical expenses for Kassidy Sechler, the South Rowan High School softball player who experienced a cardiac arrest at a tournament in 2021. Kassidy has experienced multiple hospital stays and visits since that time. A detailed story about Kassidy and the Love Thy Neighbor event is in today’s Post.

The last race of the month is the Mt. Hope Church 5K and Fun Run at Salisbury Community Park on March 23. All proceeds are used for missions, locally and abroad. The course uses pavement and hard-packed gravel surfaces.

All three races have refreshments, many overall and age group awards and are open to runners and walkers.

My latest book is just out and available locally at Father and Son Produce. It’s entitled “River Ride” and is a recounting of my bicycle journeys during the summer of 2022 and 2023. It encompasses my journey along the complete Mississippi River from the source at Lake Itasca State Park, Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana, and covering more than 2,500 miles. Additionally, I pedaled from Lake Itasca to Duluth, Minnesota, to jump into a new journey along the North Shore of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes and the largest body of fresh water by area in the world.

Unusual to this book were a large group of people who I met along the way and were actively involved in the journey. Never before during any of the long-distance trips had so much of this happened. I am still in touch with a dozen or so of them and all will receive a copy of the book for their efforts.

Also included in this journey is the recounting of a 20-hour train trip back to Salisbury from New Orleans and a visit to the “Field of Dreams” movie site, where I got to run the bases and walk out of the corn just as the old-time baseball players did.

Look for more information on running and walking events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.