Rich on Running: Item reporter Stevens gears up for her first 5K

Chris Stevens, my colleague at the Item, has worn many hats, from news reporter to food critic. Well, now she’s taking on a new role: Runner.Stevens will run her first-ever 5K at the end of this month, and she’s doing it right here in Lynn, as she has signed up for the Hibernians’ Recovery Run on March 25.”I needed to do something, start exercising again,” Stevens said on Tuesday, less than two weeks before the race date. “The gym didn’t fit into my schedule or style.”Stevens got an opportunity for a different sort of activity while covering Lynn City Hall. She said that Mary Chalmers, an aide to Lynn Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, was recruiting a group of 10 people to run the Hibernians’ 5K with City Hall staffer Steve Martin.”I was in the office one day, and (Chalmers) suggested it,” Stevens said. “I was, like, ‘Sure.'”The group, which began running in February, includes City Hall staffers from Inspectional Services, as well as Lisa Tobin of Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development (LHAND) and John Olson of Columbia Insurance. They all meet for group runs at venues such as Manning Field on Saturdays at 11 a.m.”We don’t actually run together,” Stevens said. “I am, like, one of the slowest. John Olson, Mary Chalmers and Lisa Tobin are way out in front.” She added that Martin “leads the group. He’s great, awesome, very positive and encouraging.”There are all levels of running, like me, who hasn’t run in 20-25 years, and a couple of people in the group have done marathons and run regularly. They are just as encouraging.”Even if she may not have a Boston Marathon on her resume, it sounds like Stevens does have a well-thought-out plan under her belt.”I went to New England Running and was fitted for a pair of running shoes,” she said. “It makes all the difference.”As for the rest of her running getup, she said it includes “a pair of $12 sweatpants from Walmart that I love,” a T-shirt made of wicking material, and a fleece pullover “when it’s cold.”It looks like she has followed Martin’s “homework” assignments during the week, doing training runs on the beach near her home in Nahant.”Now, with the clock change, you can see the sun come up,” she marveled.She has even come up with her own running ritual.”On Saturday mornings, I’ll stop at Dunkin’ Donuts for a croissant on the way to the track,” she said.In a sport notorious for injuries, she says that all systems are go for March 25.”Four weeks in, two weeks to go, I am really just now pain-free,” she said. “It took my knees a while to adjust. It could be just the sneakers, but everything’s pretty good.””It’s still hard,” she added.Yet she gets encouragement from family and friends. She said her husband, and her friend Maria, have both been supportive.As for her 18-year-old niece, Stevens said, “I am an inspiration. She’s training for her first 5K. She did track in high school, and said if I could do one, she could do one!”And it does seem that Stevens is finding inspiration in the act of running itself.”As a kid, I ran to keep in shape,” she said. “I hated it. I never got that runner’s high. It’s still a struggle. I do like it, though. Maybe it’s a sense of freedom. You can grab your sneakers (and run).”Well, the struggle seems to be bringing rewards. This past Saturday, Stevens and her group met at Hibernian Hall on Federal Street and ran the route of the race for the first time.”As far as I’m concerned, my only goal is to be able to run the whole race,” she said. “Not walk.”Mission accomplished.”I’m pretty sure I didn’t break any records,” she said, “but I did run the whole thing.”Well, Chris ? congrats on all your accomplishments ? and good luck on March 25!Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].