How fit do I need to be before I start and what is included?

Get up to Five is an 8 week walk/jog programme. It's a programme for someone who has never run before or who may have been active in the past but due to life/work commitments has fallen away from exercise and is wanting to get back into being active 3 times a week. It is also suitable for someone who is coming back from injury and needs a gradual approach to getting back running again in a safe way which includes general guided strength work. There are 3 group sessions a week and our coaching team are with you at each session guiding you through the programme. The Get up to Five programme combines the walk/jog component with with a body weight strength circuit to help strengthen the parts of the body needed for running. This is key - running is an impact movement, so we need to make sure the right muscles are doing the right job and we teach you how to move efficiently and build a good foundation and correct running technique. The Get up to Five programme has 3 levels to choose from; beginner, intermediate and advanced and starts at an achievable level where you do a combination of walk/runs combined with the strength circuit, as the weeks progress we work with you to increase your walk/run ratio so that you are doing more running than walking. By the end of 8 weeks you will be running 5 kilometres non stop.
What is included?
3 group sessions a week over the 8 week programme - 24 sessions in total

• The proven and trusted Get up to Five programme with different levels for you to choose from
• A coaching team that will be with you every step of the way
• Weekly newsletters that provide information and education that you need each week of the programme
• A fantastic environment with people all working towards the same goal - running 5km

When does Get up to Five start?

Our next Get up to Five programmes start in Christchurch and Wellington:
Week beginning: 31 August

Session Times:

CHRISTCHURCH:
Weekday Session Time Options (you choose mornings or evenings when you register):
Morning team: 6.10am Mon & Wed + Saturday 7.30am or
Evening team: 5.40pm Tues & Thurs + Saturday 7.30am

WELLINGTON:
Weekday Session Times: (Wellington is a morning programme only)
6.10am, Monday & Wednesday + Saturday 7.30am


From then on we will train together for the next 8 weeks. The weekday session meeting point/times do not change, the Saturday session is always 7.30am, the location changes week to week (which we send to you in your weekly newsletters).

5km Run: 7.30am, Saturday 24 October

Will I be fit enough?

Get up to Five is designed for the total beginner or someone who has been out of exercise for a while. There is no base exercise level required at all, that is the whole point of this programme, to get you moving! If you are currently doing some exercise like walking or cycling, just keep that up until the start of Get up to Five.

When and where are the sessions held?

CHRISTCHURCH The weekday sessions are all held at Hagley Park, the session locations are as follows:
Morning Sessions:
Monday 6.10am, Armagh Street Bridge Nth Hagley Park
Wednesday 6.10am: Hagley Netball Courts, Sth Hagley Park
Saturday 7.30am: Various Locations*

Evening Sessions:
Tuesday 5.40pm: Hagley Netball Courts, Sth Hagley Park
Thursday 5.40pm: Armagh Street Bridge Nth Hagley Park
Saturday 7.30am: Various Locations*


WELLINGTON
Monday 6.10am, Waitangi Park
Wedensday 6.10am: Waitangi Park
Saturday 7.30am: Various locations around the Wellingon city area*

The weekday sessions are 60 mins and include a warm up, a body weight circuit (Weeks 1-6), the main jog section and a warm down.

*The Saturday morning run begins at 7:30am. These sessions are held at different locations around the city. The weekly email we send you will outline the meeting location and route of that week's Saturday session.

How do the sessions work?

We always start on time. You arrive at the session 10mins prior to the start time and "check in" with the coach allocated to taking the Get up to Five roll call (we keep track of attendance just to make sure you are staying on top of the programme). There are 3 sections to each session:
1. Body Weight Circuit:
In the first 6 weeks of the programme you will do a body weight strength circuit at the beginning of the group sessions. The circuit takes approximately 20 mins and you will be taken through the circuit by our coach.
The circuit includes body weight exercises that focus on identifying, engaging and strengthening the key muscle groups needed for running. 2. Walk/Jog Section: Following the circuit we do the walk/jog section of the session. Each session is clearly described in your Get up to Five programme, you just turn up knowing what your walk/jog sets are and we look after you from there!

3. Stretch/Cool Down
At the end of the walk/jog section we stretch then you are done!

What is the cost and how do I pay for Get up to Five?

The earlybird cost for Get up to Five is $32.90 per week or you can pay 1 payment of $263. After earlybird the registration fee increases to $37.37 per week or 1 x payment of $299

During the registration process you will be given 3 options for payment: 1. 1 x payment via creditcard/debitcard or Paypal
2. 8 x weekly payments via creditcard/debitcard or Paypal
3. Bank Transfer (we will give you the bank account details for you to transfer payment into).

Why do we do strength work in a running programme?

Throughout the years of Get up to Five we do see injuries occurring within the group and often they are the same injuries. It's very hard to see someone get half way through the programme and have to withdraw to injury - it's heartbreaking! The main cause of these common injuries is weakness in other areas of the body which causes another area to over-compensate to help the weakness out..which leads to injury. The strength-circuit programme, designed by one of our physiotherapists - Hazel, takes place in Weeks 1-6 of the programme. It not only gives you an awareness of the muscles you use for running but will help strengthen these key areas and build a good foundation from where to start your running journey. Our aim is to get you to run 5km and this is a very important component.

What if I have to miss some sessions?

You will get the most out of this programme if you don't miss a session, however we understand that you might not be able to attend every session. As long as you feel you will be able to get to over 85% of the sessions you'll be fine. We'll keep an eye on your attendance and if you miss a few we'll get in contact to check everything is ok. If you are unsure about scheduling this into your life get in touch and we'll let you know if we think it can work.

What do I need to bring to the sessions?

You need to bring water, a yoga mat/mat for the body weight circuit exercises, good running shoes, a watch (or phone with a stopwatch function) and yourself! It's a good idea to check the weather forecast the day before the run to make sure you bring the appropriate clothing. Sunscreen, hats and warm clothes are essential - as we all know, our weather can be unpredictable at times. Please don't bring your fur babies or children to the sessions in the interest of our other runners, the footpaths can get busy and we need to put safety first!

What is your refund/cancellation policy?

If you choose to withdraw: If you withdraw within 4 weeks of the programme start date we will refund or credit (valid for 12 months) your money, less the week's used (or part thereof) less a $25 admin fee. Please advise us via email of your cancellation. If you withdraw after 5 weeks unfortunately there is no refund. If you get injured: Hopefully not! But if you get injured during the programme we will refund or credit (valid for 12 months) you for the amount you paid less the weeks you attended (or part thereof) and a $25 admin fee. For example if you got injured and had to withdraw after week 4 and you paid $299 you would receive $124.50 back. If you withdraw after 6 weeks due to injury, unfortunately there is no refund. If you transfer to another group, there is a $25 transfer fee.

Is there anyone I can talk to about Get up to Five?

Yes! If you want us to give you a call, email us with you details and we'll be in contact in the next 24 hours.
You can also text Bevan on 021 869 086 and he will call you back.

If it's raining are the sessions still on?

Rain, snow and hail does not stop us! We train in all kinds of weather. In the unlikely event we need to cancel a session due to weather we will email you and if you are unsure check our Facebook page as we will post on this page any cancellation notices too.

Can I bring my baby in a pram or my dog to the sessions?

Sorry, no. In the interest of safety for all our runners (and we get a lot of runners at each session!), please leave your children and fur-babies at home.

Is there a minimum age to do this programme?

Yes, the minimum age is 16 years old for any of our Extra Mile Runners programmes.

I have an Extra Mile Runners membership, how do I register?

As an Extra Mile Runners member (available in Christchurch only), Get up to Five registration is included in your membership. You still need to register however.

To register for Get up to Five - visit this page here and check out when the next programmes start and register. Your membership needs to be valid for the duration of the Get up to Five programme.