Written by Heidi Tabor
Next year, the kinesiology department is going to up the ante and increase the intensity with a brave new course dedicated to helping students train for running half-marathons.
This course will fulfill a one-hour, core curriculum activity requirement and will be taught by aerobics instructor and certified personal trainer, Sarah McGaha.
This sort of class, however, is not for the faint of heart.
According to Stephen Burks, coach and chair of the department of kinesiology, students who wish to enroll in the half-marathon training class must be able to run two miles in 20 minutes within the first week they begin training with the class. Students are expected to receive permission from a doctor beforethey can participate.
Students must also havea basic level of running and cardio fitness and be willing to at least attempt a half-marathon, whether they choose to walk or to run.
“We do reserve the right to drop a student from the class if attendance and/or progress becomes a problem,” Burks said. “There needs to be a high level of dedication for a class like this”
In addition to overall physical fitness and willingness to participate, class members will go through introductory academic material covering training procedures and programs, which, along with attendance will serve as part of their grade. However, the final grade will be based not on a set time achievement but on an attempt to complete the half-marathon, Burks said.
Since the class meets only on Mondays and Wednesdays, students are required to participate in outside training leading up to the half-marathon. It is scheduled to meet during the 11 o’clock hour to allow training to run over into lunch hour if necessary.
At the end of the semester, students will collectively run in the St. Jude MemphisHalf-Marathon on Dec. 3, 2011. Class fees will pay for registration for the race.
In addition to the half-marathon class, the kinesiology department has also added both a golf class and a disc golf class. The $85 golf class fee will pay for rounds at a local golf course, but personal clubs are required. The class meets for the first eight weeks during the fall semester and the last eight weeks during the spring semester.
The course will meet twice weekly and starts out with classroom instruction on the sport. From there, students will move on to practicing at Harding’s outdoor driving range and indoor golf facility, and will eventually play two or three rounds at River Oaks or another comparable course.
Harding has recently constructed a nine-hole disc golf course located at the end of Bison Lane. A kinesiology class featuring the popular game is currently in the works, but for now the course is open to anyone interested in playing.
“We would like to add nine more holes, but we need lots of players out there to justify nine more holes,” Burks said.
The kinesiology department is constantly trying to make sure the classes they offer are up-to-date and relevant.
“As far as the changes go, the kinesiology department is striving to keep our recreation opportunities as current as possible,” Burks said.
