Wednesday, August 21, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Health & Fitness 11 Running commentary By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent We are all athletes. That is the premise on which I have stood as a coach of cross-country and track for the past 35 years. Not everyone views themself as an athlete, how- ever, and perhaps for good reason. As an overweight 59-year-old, I don9t look nearly as athletic as I did in my 20s and 30s. By the same token, someone who has never really used their bod- ies beyond getting through 9th grade P.E. doesn9t view themselves as an athlete, but they are, nonetheless. The human body has an uncanny ability to adapt to what we ask it to do. For the person who considers themself a non-athlete or for those, like me, who are focused on regaining fitness, there is tremendous hope that things can get better. This week, the Sisters High School cross-country team will start its official practices for the year. Some of the students have been running all summer and will be prepared to do anything we ask of them, while others who have come out for the team have done very little. This is where individualiza- tion comes into play. Each runner must be taken from where they are and build from there. This rule holds true for all runners, so if you are think- ing of starting a running pro- gram or have already been running, it is vital that you take on this approach for the best results. This summer I read a book,