RUN/SUP Race Series Kicks Off & More Summer Coastal Fun & Fitness

Here in SoWal, Summer is calling for folks to be outdoors in one fashion or another.

ALERT:
The RUN/SUP Summer Race Series is a one mile trail run followed by a one mile stand up paddle board (SUP) competition. There will be the option to do both the trail run and the paddle or to do a relay and have one person run the mile and the other person stand up paddle the mile.  All races start from the BoatHouse Paddle Club, RUN/SUP’s flagship location in WaterColor, Florida. The trail run will be on the trails in WaterColor and the stand up paddle board portion of the race will be held on Western Lake. Western Lake is a coastal dune lake known for flat water paddling conditions.  Both the individual and relay series will have a standing leader board throughout the series and there will be a male and a female winner announced at the conclusion of the race series as well as a team winner for the relay series.  Ages 12 and up.
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Living this close to the Gulf and having all our natural Dune Lakes at hand, getting IN, ON or AROUND the water is just what the Dr. ordered. Great local running trails abound and make for a great RUN/SUP (RUN/STAND-UP PADDLE) experience.

Tom Losee and his wife Darla (both longtime runners/paddlers) figured this out a while ago and founded their Run/Sup operation which combines running and stand- up paddling into one heck of a workout.

“Our motto, ‘let your workout take you somewhere’ was born from our love of the outdoors and the great opportunity we have to enjoy our natural resources while staying fit, all at the same time,” says Tom. “We started our RUN/SUP fitness concept about five years ago with a workout class that combined the two disciplines (running and stand-up paddling). Our workouts include a warmup run followed by a stand-up paddle session involving paddling and onboard exercises on the board.”

Currently, RUN/SUP classes are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (8-9 a.m.) at the WaterColor Boathouse Paddle Club next to Western Lake. Other activities held at the Boathouse include a Monday (7 a.m.) Trail Run, a Wednesday (7 a.m.) Group run, TRX Functional Workout (check schedule for times/days), and SUP Yoga (Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.)

“We will be starting an after-work paddle group in mid-May,” says Tom.

The popular RUN/SUP  “just for kids” FUNSUP classes are currently being held on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. with additional classes to start this Summer. These classes include stand-up paddling or kayaking adventures to Grayton Beach State Park and around Western Lake.

Another popular class, Girls Sweat 30A,  includes sessions involving a variety of fitness activities (agility training, SUP, running, yoga, and games) and is primarily a local’s program. The current sessions end in mid-May and will start up again after school starts in mid-August. Elementary school girl classes are held on Mondays from 3:45-4:45 p.m. and middle school girl classes from 3:45-4:45 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Tom has been involved with the Boathouse Paddle Club for nine years now, renting paddleboards, giving lessons, all things involving stand-up paddling. The Boathouse Paddle Club offers everything from hourly rentals to private and group lessons. Paddleboards can be rented by the hour or by the day and include all necessary equipment. The RUN/SUP inflatable paddleboard,  T-shirts, apparel, and accessories are also available for purchase.

When folks sign up for the RUN/SUP class, they start off their workout with a quick stretch and then head out for a fun (less than a mile) trail run that will circle around and end back at the Boathouse. Next in order, the SUP portion of the class, where participants will become “one” with their board, learning on-board paddling and exercises.

Group fitness has become a THING and RUN/SUP has broadened their original concept to include a RUN/SUP Summer Race Series which will kick off again this June. The Race series will be conducted every Friday in June and July, beginning June 5. This RUN/SUP series is a one-mile run, one-mile paddle format and open to all ages. The trail run takes runners along pine straw- covered trails over mostly flat terrain and flat water (next to the Boathouse WaterColor) conditions making for very safe and enjoyable paddles.
Click here to signup online >

“Our race series is a very family-friendly event, targeted toward the vacationer. The shorter distance makes the race a real ‘fun run, fun paddle’ for folks just wanting to have fun outdoors doing something physical.”

Seeing a need for RUN/SUP retail, Tom opened his Seagrove RUN/SUP shop in 2017. Everything you can possibly need for running, walking, or paddling can be found in his shop. As a genuine runner/stand-up paddler himself, he knows “what ‘s up” with clothing, shoes, and gadgets to make your water/trail activity both fun and fashionable.

For runners, Garmin Forerunner watches, men’s and women’s Brooks and Altra Running Shoes, Oofos Clogs and Sandals, various running shorts and tops, GoPro cameras, AfterShokz wireless headphones, nutritional products, hats, hydration bags, sunglasses ...it is hard to imagine any runner/paddler not being able to find what they need in this shop.

For paddlers, just about anything you would want to run in, you can paddle in. Regarding stand-up paddleboards, Tom has teamed up with the folks at Yolo Board to come out with their own inflatable paddleboard which is a state-of-the-art board that is extremely user-friendly and stable. First-timers take to it like fish IN water. The inflatable weighs in under 50 pounds allowing for transportation anywhere and sells for $995 (includes bag, pump, and paddle). Safety accessories such as leashes and belt-type pfd’s along with a wide assortment of paddles are available for purchase in the shop.

“I took our inflatable prototype to Patagonia and paddled in lakes that probably had not been stand-up-paddled before,” beams Tom. “I’ve been all over the world with our inflatable.”

Tom and Darla are just as much fun to talk to in their shop as on the water or trail…it is easy to see why folks are quickly finding their way to the WaterColor Boathouse and their Seagrove RUN/ SUP shop…in SoWal, all trails lead to RUN/SUP!

Tom and his group are not short on causes….on a recent Saturday, they held a guided run benefiting the world-wide 2019 Run for Hope, a project geared toward providing clean water filters for people in poverty-stricken areas who are deprived of clean running water.

Following the run, I was able to witness Yoga instructor Ruby Frischkorn as she guided two students in the art of “stand-up paddleboard yoga.” They found a calm area amongst the lily pads of Western Lake, near the Boathouse bridge. Tom’s inflatable board is perfect for this workout.

People from around the world come to SoWal, mostly to visit our beaches, and the RUN/SUP experience opens the door for families to be In, On, or Around our local waters….not a better way to stay fit and still smell the roses!

As Tom puts it, “people want to be outside when they work out, I’m not knocking the gym thing, but getting you outside is what we do. Let your workout take you somewhere!”

For more Run/Sup information: Boathouse, 850-419-6188, open daily 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; 250 Watercolor Blvd., three blocks north of Scenic Hwy. 30A. Run/Sup shop: 850-231-0469, open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; 20 Gardenia St., Cottage 2, Seagrove Beach (behind Whiskey Bravo and Cowgirl Kitchen off Scenic Hwy. 30-A). www.runsup.com.