Monday has become funday for a group of runners who meet up weekly at Long Doggers in Indialantic to run an eight-mile course over the Melbourne Causeway.
The group includes a wide range of runners. “We have people who run at every pace,” said Jessica Crate. Crate is one of the organizers of the group run, a certified U.S.A. Track and Field coach, an elite athlete and a resident of Satellite Beach, Florida. “We have walkers, joggers, people with strollers and even people with their dogs come out. We try to pair people up.”
The group began meeting on Mondays back in October of 2010. Originally, the run was proposed for a group training for the 2011 State Farm Melbourne and the Beaches Music Marathon. “Tuesday and Thursdays were our training runs. We wanted to have a fun run on Mondays where the participants could practice running the causeway in a fun and relaxed atmosphere,” said Crate.
After discussing the idea of a fun run with fellow runners, Al Steiginga (who is also one of the owners of Long Doggers) and Stephen Chin (Crate's boyfriend), the three came up with the idea to have participants meet up at 6:00 p.m. on Monday at the Indialantic Long Doggers. The location seemed like a great spot to start the run. The course went through the back neighborhood to Riverside and then over the causeway.
The Monday group runs were so fun that the group continued to meet even after the camp ended explained Crate. Crate and the other participants started spreading the word about the Monday group run. “We wanted to get more people together for a healthy activity,” said Crate. As word spread, more people became interested in running with the group.
Steiginga said that he was excited to get runners together on Monday nights because running is a healthy sport and it gives people an opportunity to meet fellow runners.
“The group is an eclectic group,” said Steiginga. “It’s like paper-mache. There are runners in the group from all different backgrounds, sizes and paces.”
Thaddeus Austin started running about four years ago. He joined the Monday night running group about eighteen months ago. Austin said that although he initially started running to lose weight, running has become so much more for him. “I run for fun. I run to socialize. I am addicted to running. It means the world to me. In one word running means: freedom,” said Austin. Like Austin, many of the participants of the Monday group run have come to find running to mean more than just exercise.
The group participants tend to motivate each other explained Crate and Steiginga. “The participants hold each other accountable,” said Crate. “The group is very motivational. There are some runners who never ran before joining the group. They started barely running two miles their first run, and now they are running eight miles.”
Crate said that in addition to receiving support and motivation from the group, the group also gets different running tips, nutritional information and race information. Crate encourages the runners to participate in the Space Coast Runners and Running Zone series events. “We have seen our Diamond Edge team improve their time at each race.” The Diamond Edge team is the name the group has given themselves. “And they become an “Ultra Doggger upon reaching the eight mile distance with the group,” said Crate.
“Everyone is invited to the Monday group run,” said Crate. Crate said that she has also started a similar group run at the Satellite Beach Long Doggers on Thursday nights.
There is no charge for running with the group and Steiginga sets out Gatorade for the runners that is provided by the Running Zone. Also, there are often raffles held for a variety of prizes after the group runs, and every second Monday of the month, there is a runners’ party at the Indialantic Long Doggers. The Monday group runs at Long Doggers provide a great opportunity to have fun with friends, get in shape and improve your running time.
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