Still time to sign up, shape up for Bloomsday

Procrastinators, listen up: There’s still time to get in shape and get in the race. We’re talking Bloomsday, the 12-kilometer Spokane rite-of-spring to be held May 6.

But hurry. Mailed registrations must be postmarked today to qualify for the $14 entry fee. On-the-spot sign-ups will be accepted until closing at both Spokane Sports Authority stores.

Meanwhile, online entries at the least expensive rate will be accepted until April 22, race organizer Don Kardong said.

A pair of local training clinics will still accept newcomers, too.

The Holy Family Training Clinic will meet at 8:15 a.m. on the next two Saturdays at the Spokane Falls Community College gym. Admission is free.

Participants are already covering six or seven miles on the training course, said Anne McKeon, longtime race clinic coordinator for Holy Family Hospital. The hospital has held training sessions since the race began 30 years ago.

Sessions begin with 15-minute talks on everything from proper footwear to athletic conditioning. Stretching follows. After that, the 800 participants – who include parents pushing strollers, walkers, joggers and highly fit athletes – hit the road. Training crosses campus and ends up on the Centennial Trail.

Those who wish may go as far as the two-mile mark, turn around and head back to campus, McKeon said.

“If you haven’t done any walking and are thinking about doing Bloomsday, you better get out and get going,” McKeon said.

Vicki Marsh runs Bloomsday training sessions for the downtown YMCA. That program will meet six more times before the big day.

YMCA classes are covering about six miles, too. Classes begin at 5:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the West Central Community Center. Admission is $12 and includes all remaining sessions.

If you want to train independently, first get your doctor’s OK, Marsh said. Then grab a buddy.

Just start slowly. During the first session, walk a mile or two, depending on your fitness level and add distance each session. Take a day off between the walking, jogging or running, said Marsh, the downtown Y’s active adult fitness coordinator.

Try swimming, cycling indoors or out, or some other form of cardiovascular conditioning on the days you’re not walking, Marsh said.

Or just train by the clock, beginning with shorter sessions that get longer each time.

Just get in the game, Marsh said.

“It’s a fun thing to do. And the crowd motivates you all the way,” Marsh said.