Grainne invites you to get fit

A 5-kilometre Fun Run and Walk in Kilcullen planned for Sunday 23 March of next year might seem a long way out — but for the organiser and anyone who wants to join her, just after Christmas is the time to be getting prepared, writes Brian Byrne.

Grainne McGrath is the organiser, and she's doing it in aid of Halverstown NS and St Anne's Special School on the Curragh. Her reasoning is one likely to strike a chord with many.

"It's that time of year again when I will probably over-eat and do less exercises," she says. "Then, once January comes, I'll probably watch 'Operation Transformation' and tell myself that this is the year I'm going to get fit. The years seem to slip by and I still haven't done anything. But this year it's going to be different."

Grainne wants to know if there is anyone out there who would be interested in joining a group of walkers/joggers/runners in the morning or evening in preparation for the event? "Then we could all encourage each other to get fit together."

Grainne has already set up her own programme to train for the run. Starting on Tuesday night 7 January at 7.30pm, she'll be ready to take a group for a short walk, after warm-up exercises directed by Paul Singleton, to get things going. The meeting point is the car park at the Community Sports Centre.

Grainne plans that the meetings will continue every Tuesday night and participants can build up their ability so they can do the 5k comfortably by 23 March.

To keep people informed about it she plans to have a Facebook page set up by January. In the meantime, anybody who wants to get involved or needs more information can call her on 087 7971134.