Running isn't just a fun pastime for Jarrod Shook. It's
what changed his life. Shook, who came first in the
annual Resolution Run on New Year's Day, was a talented
athlete before high school. Then things changed.
"I got to high school, I started
falling in with the wrong crowd," he said. This
eventually led to substance abuse. Until one day, when
Shook decided to get clean."I just got sick of
being sick and found a new way to be healthy,"
Shook said.
This is when he turned to running."It
helps me put one foot in front of the other (and) move
forward," he said, adding that he's been a serious
runner for two and a half years."I struggled in
the past. Running helped me," he said.
Gina Conroy can understand that. Conroy
manages the Running Room, which hosted the annual run
with the Sudbury YMCA."Running or walking . . .
there's a felling of accomplishment," she said.
"You feel better when you run. (Running) releases
hormones and actually physically makes you feel happy.
It releases endorphins. It's a great stress reliever."
The Resolution Run is in its seventh year
in Sudbury, and saw around 165 participants, about 30
more than last year.
For Conroy, the race is a great way to
start off the new year. "To say, 'I did a race
on New Years Day,' it gives you a wonderful high to
start off on,' " she said. Still, Conroy knows
that running can be intimidating to some."Nobody
wants to be seen as the chubby person running down the
road," she said. "I think a perception out
there is you have to be fit to run, but the thing is,
you have to get fit."Conroy suggests beginners
start with a walking program, which is offered at the
Running Room.
Veronica Smith, a Running Room employee,
started running about six years ago."I just decided
I wanted to get fit," she said. "(Running)
is peaceful. You can go out on the trails by yourself,"
she said, adding that running is easier to stay with
than the gym."(It's) probably because running releases
stress . . . With running, you can go at your own pace,"
she said.
For Stephanie Koett, a Resolution Run
volunteer, the race is " a great way to hail the
New Year in," she said. Running, for Koett, is
a good way to stay active while getting out. "I've
been a runner for years. (I like) the social aspect
of it. The people, the running community."
rpoliakov@thesudburystar.com
