Unleashing Huskies

HIS’s Running Club

by Silja Finger, featuring photos by Club Leader Mr. E. Sim

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Let’s be honest: most people dislike running. It’s strenuous. It takes time out of your day, which you could spend on the couch watching TV. I used to be strongly opposed to running. But once I had the motivation to join the HIS running club because of the various health benefits, I look forward to our biweekly runs in alternating parks. 

So, what changed? The first thing that changed was my mindset because, honestly, there are multiple advantages to joining HIS’s running club, led by Mr. Sim. I joined HIS in the middle of the semester, and just like any other club, this one is a wholesome community. Currently, the running club consists of seven high school students and Mr. Sim, our coach. It’s a judgment-free zone, where we are able to encourage and challenge each other. We hold each other accountable when we start slowing down and motivate each other to continue running.

At running club, we place emphasis on intensity over speed and heart rate. We believe that running is not just a race against the clock or a mere measure of heartbeats per minute, but rather an experience that engages the entire being. Our values revolve around the idea that true fulfillment in running comes from pushing ourselves to our limits, immersing ourselves in the moment, and discovering the strength within us. Sometimes, you’ll be able to run really fast, but the next, you might not be able to maintain that same speed for the same amount of time. 

This is why we often jog in zone two, also known as the aerobic zone. Zone two is a training intensity level where the body operates at a moderate intensity. In this zone, breathing and heart rate increase slightly, allowing for longer endurance workouts while still being able to maintain a conversation. Sometimes, we do more intensive workouts, such as interval training, or running steeper slopes. 

Every Tuesday and Friday, from 3:45 to 4:50, we drive to different parks in the area and start running. We usually either run in Nishioka Park or along Makomanai Station. We’ve also run at Moiwayama Ski Area, where we ran up the ski slope, and at Makomanaikoen. Our runs are usually around 30 to 40 minutes long, for about 4 kilometers at a conversational pace.

Recently, we ran the 5.4 kilometers to Burger King on a Friday afternoon to celebrate our collective achievements and effort throughout the duration of this club. 

HIS’s running club was initially created by Mr. Rankin in April 2022. It all started when a few enthusiastic students approached him, expressing their interest in going on biweekly runs in various locations in the area. Soon, this became a regular activity and tradition for students.

This year, Mr. Sim, who had actively participated in the runs last year, stepped up and assumed the role of the club leader. Under his guidance, the running club started again in April, maintaining the tradition from the previous year. The club's continuity and growth reflect the students' passion for running and the positive impact the club has had on their physical fitness. It helps them rediscover their love for running outdoors and the freeing feeling of moving one’s body.

Now you know why you should definitely join our running community, but why should you start running in the first place? Running has so many health benefits. First of all, it’s a great example of a weight-bearing exercise that strengthens not only your muscles but your skeletal system as well. It also improves your cardiovascular fitness, which helps decrease the chances of heart attacks and all-cause mortality. Furthermore, runners tend to be better at switching between tasks, problem-solving, and memory recall. This means it may help decrease the chances or severity of Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

If you want to find out more about our biweekly running routine, check out this video!