ACS Technologies 5K Run/Walk

How do you get a company full of computer people to think about physical fitness?  Like most software companies, we are all about spending our time at the computer finishing the next update, solving the latest problem, or helping someone on the west coast late into the evening.  This leads to a sedentary lifestyle which takes us back to the question of how to promote fitness.  Step 1; organize an employee wellness team.  Step 2; coordinate a ten week couch to 5K training program.  Step 3; hold a company 5K event.
The ten week couch to 5K program was perfect for getting non-runners (and we had plenty) off the couch three days a week for exercise.  The training program calls for starting with short one minute jogs and then gradually increasing the times until you are ready to run a 3.1 mile event.  Susan Stevens from our Client Services group was the champion of this training group.  She had never run a day in her life and never saw herself running in a race (and did I mention that she is a grandmother).  This last Saturday Susan and 60 other employees turned out on a rainy day for the first ACS 5K.  This was a trail run so the rain made the course a bit messy, but all the participants made it to the finish line and it was quite an enjoyable day for all.
A special thanks goes out to the Wellness Team lead by Dean Lisenby for their efforts to improve the health of our employees.