Run for Your Life: Summer Program with Jill Burchmore

22 Apr Run for Your Life: Summer Program with Jill Burchmore

For more information about running workshops with ChiRunning instructor Jill Burchmore, contact jill@telluriderun.com 970-708-5037

Scroll down for more information about her upcoming free running group, starting May 2 (through September) by listening to a podcast with Jill Burchmore. The group meets at the BootDoctors on Main Street in Telluride.

The benefits of running are a matter of record. According to Competitor Running, they include the following:

1. Overall mental health. Runners are happy people. We’ve got that runner high going for us. Just don’t make us unhappy by canceling a race that we’ve trained months and months for. That’s one way to turn a runner’s smile upside down

2. Strengthens lungs. Runners have increased lung capacity from logging mile after mile. Those strong lungs come in handy if you ever find yourself on the other side of the race as a spectator. A runner’s WOOHOO! is loud and proud.

3. Helps prevent high blood pressure. Your arteries expand and contract while running, helping to keep your arteries fit which in turn keeps your blood pressure in a normal range. That is until you find out that your favorite running shoe has been discontinued. Nothing is harder to replace than a beloved running shoe!

4. Strengthens immune system. Regular running builds up your tolerance to germs which results in fewer minor illnesses. That is unless you are training for a marathon. Then you will be sick all the time.

5. Weight control. Running burns mega-calories. However, it also makes you mega-hungry, especially if you are training for long distances. Unfortunately, running doesn’t give you a pass to eat all the food, all the time.

6. Physically strong legs. Runner’s legs are a powerhouse. They move you from point A to B. They carry you up and down hills. They know how to put it into high gear at the track. They will also have a hard time fitting into skinny jeans when you are in the thick of marathon training.

7. Relieves stress. Running boosts the brain’s serotonin levels which make you calmer and more relaxed. Who said you can’t run away from your problems.

8. Increased bone density. Running stresses your bones. Essential minerals are sent to the bones when under stress, which makes them stronger. However, running does not make you unbreakable, and jumping, say, a 10-foot high fence is still a bad idea.

9. Increased joint strength and stability. Running increases the strength of your ligaments and tendons. You’ll find your joints will be able to withstand more mileage and more uneven terrain. But that doesn’t mean you will never sprain your ankle again while trail running. It just may mean four weeks on crutches versus eight weeks if you didn’t run.

10. Increased confidence. Once you start running, your confidence begins to grow. You’ll feel more in control of your life and your body. You will even begin to think you look good in spandex tights.

Jill’s ChiRunning group 2016.

ChiRunning® claims to be the world’s leader in teaching safe and efficient, natural running technique to reduce injury and improve personal performance. Its mission is to help you love running forever.

Telluride regional local, competitive runner and running coach Jill Burchmore is a certified ChiRunning instructor. For the past six years she has led a summer running training program primarily training people for the iconic Imogene Pass Run. This year, however, Burchmore decided to turn that class into a free running club starting May 2 through September 2018. The group will meet every Wednesday, 8:30 a.m,. at the BootDoctors on Main Street.

“This is my way of giving back to a community which has supported me wholeheartedly with my running business,” said Burchmore. “Six years ago I wasn’t a running coach. I had a passion for running and helping people. I decided to put the two together and created 180 Wellness, a company devoted to helping people reach their potential and excel and prosper in all areas of their lives.”

Tara Butson, one of Burchmore’s students from last summer, is joining the running club this summer not just for the workouts but for the camaraderie and accountability.

“I joined Jill’s beginner running workshop last April and was amazed that I could even run,” said Butson. “I came in after three major knee surgeries and the birth of my second son.  Jill’s class taught me the ChiRunning technique which allowed me to learn how to be more efficient and therefore avoid injury. It worked! I stuck with the program and completed the Mt Sneffels half marathon, the Imogene Pass Run, four 50ks and one 30k since last April.”

Butson’s next goal is the San Juan Solstice 50 miler, a race equivalent to running half the Hard Rock 100.

“Jill’s workouts and coaching philosophy are all about gradual progress and consistency. If you lose consistency, everything gets harder. I recommend you commit to join the club and stick with it.”

Cross Mountain: Jill, Charlene & Darren, 2016.

According to Burchmore the free running club will operate in a way that is very similar to how her “paid for” training class has worked in the past. Again, the group meets at BootDoctors on Main Street at 8:30 a.m. every Wednesday morning, beginning this year on May 2.

Sessions begin with a short warm-up run followed by some type of workout whether it be hills, speed work or Tempo Runs. All levels are welcome and no one is left behind.

“I’ve always prided myself on being able to handle all levels in one class,” reports Burchmore. “There’s nothing worse than feeling left behind on a run and I understand that feeling.”

All that said, Burchmore does not come from a running background.

“I was so bad at high school track that the coach signed me up for shot put at the track meets,” she explained. “I was overweight and generally unhealthy.”

Burchmore really discovered running after the birth of her two sons in 1997/98.

“I realized all I needed was a jogger and a pair of running shoes and I didn’t need to rely on anybody else for my wellbeing,” said Burchmore. “Running provided an outlet for me to be a better mom and a better person.”

Jill running Bilk Creek, 2013.

After nearly 30 years competing mostly in half marathons and a couple full marathons, Burchmore is still running. She discovered the ChiRunning method after picking up the audiobook for a road trip and later enrolled in a workshop similar to the ones she teaches today.

That workshop changed her life.

“My body was beginning to hurt and I didn’t really want to run anymore,” reports Burchmore. “It was my passion so that was a very sad feeling. Once I changed my technique, my body felt better and I’m still running today.”

In addition to the free running club in Telluride, Burchmore is offering a couple ChiRunning workshops in Telluride and Ridgway this spring as follows:

Telluride:
May 1, 3, 8 & 10
8:30-9:30 a.m.
BootDoctors, 213 w. Colorado Ave

Ridgway:
May 5
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Ridgway Athletic Park, 594C Sabeta Dr. (adjacent to the Chipeta Resort and Spa).

Each Workshop is $175. Participants can register at www.telluriderun.com. Space is limited.