MOMS ON THE RUN, LLC
COLUMBUS, MN

Moms on the Run began in 2008 in Forest Lake, Minnesota, when a group of moms meeting to exercise in a local park decided they needed a new goal to spice up their post-baby fitness journey: a 5K race! We offer a structured fitness program for women of all ages (not just moms) who want to get in shape and have fun doing so. Run your first 5K, improve your speed and endurance or stay motivated in your walking routine. Did you know Moms on the Run donates 10% of profits to charity? Moms on the Run also gives back to the community in other ways like scholarships for runners and partnering with local races. Fueled by her faith and a passion for fitness, Moms on the Run founder and CEO Karissa Johnson first started her business to help women get back into fitness after the challenges she discovered as a new mom. Moms on the Run offers a structured fitness program for women of all ages (not just moms) who want to get in shape and have fun doing so. Run your first 5K, improve your speed and endurance or stay motivated in your walking routine. Why Join Moms on the Run? Our unique approach features women of all ages and fitness levels supporting other women. A strong sense of community thrives in this fun team environment. Ultimately, this is the trigger that helps you establish and stick to your fitness routines. Research indicates that we’re more successful at making changes with the support of other people, according to Dr. Christine Carter, sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley. “Because the behavior of others is highly contagious, we do well when we hang out with people who are already in the types of habits that we are trying to establish,” Carter says in her book “The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work.” Moms on the Run participants report experiencing a myriad of benefits. First and foremost, they cite the accountability and support to create healthy habits, which leads to improved fitness levels. By taking part in Moms on the Run, many women report weight loss, increased energy, stress reduction and improved body composition. By definition, our high intensity interval training workouts act as metabolism boosters; they help you gain lean muscle and lose fat. Our program is designed to promote encouragement and accountability. Over time, you will form friendships that will help you stay accountable to regular exercise, the program and to each other. Our friendly and professional coaching staff, including certified fitness instructors, offers additional support and expert advice. From drinking more water to conquering that sweet tooth, our optional nutrition and lifestyle challenges will help you stay motivated between classes. We often throw in accountability and prize incentives as a bonus! We are excited to announce a new opportunity for members to join our coaches for the afternoon session of our spring training, focused all on conditioning and injury prevention so you can be Fit2Run in 2018! Learn from the experts at Twin Cities Orthopedics and Moms on the Run, including our new Fitness Director Carrie Tollefson, and explore topics such as: Please bring an exercise mat and dress to move! Our interactive sessions will provide hands-on learning experiences. Tia Moats of Forest Lake Moms on the Run is not only our Most Inspiring Member for April, she also is a founding member of our first Moms on the Run group 10 years ago. In fact, Tia inspired the idea to train for a 5K, and has been a part of Moms on the Run ever since. To learn a little more about Tia's story, we wanted to share a fun Q&A with you. Q: You were a part of the original moms fitness class that met in a park doing exercises with their babies in 2007. Tell us about that moment you got everyone on board with wanting to train for a 5k race!  Tia, pictured back row, fourth from left, with the the first Moms on the Run group of 5K finishers... and local celeb/weatherman Sven Sundgaard! A: I was so emotional finishing my 5K. I had done 5Ks before, but only walking. It felt GREAT to complete the 5K. I did do intervals during this 5K, but I think it was more due to my mind than anything. I had convinced myself before the race started that I was exhausted, and could only finish if I was doing the intervals. Also, there were hills. Minor mole hills looking back at it, but hills nonetheless. During training, we never did any hills, so again, my mind told me that I had to walk up the hills.  However, I definitely took advantage of the downhills. Once I got close to the finish line , there were so many hanging around cheering — the benefits of not finishing first equals more people to cheer you in! I was getting choked up and emotional with all the support that I felt. I wasn't "hooked" yet, but I was getting there. A: Here is where I convinced myself I was exhausted before the race even started.  We did this thing that we all know now as dynamic stretching.  We would go back and forth doing cherry pickers. CHERRY PICKERS!!! Who does that before a race? Well, I haven't forgotten those to this day, and haven't done them before a race since. A: All of my best friends have come through Moms on the Run. These are my 'go-to' girls. If I need anything, they are there for me, and vice versa, if they need anything, I would be there in a heartbeat. Nothing compares to the friendships that you make with people who have a common goal with you, and common interests. Every year I get closer and closer with the running community and my running friends; I don't know what my life would be like if they were not in it. These ladies have seen me at my worst (both running and in real life), and have celebrated many achievements with me. I hope you all find your very best friends through this program, as well. A: I LOVE coaching new runners. Many come in nervous and don't have many expectations for running, but with the great coaches helping out the new runners, they achieve more than what they even expected. We have had ladies sign up for the walking program, not even wanting to run, but there is something contagious about seeing all the other runners out there that they want to try it as well. I love seeing the excitement on the ladies faces when they have run farther than they have ever run before. Sometimes I push the ladies further than they think they can go, but they always exceed my expectations. I am SO proud of every women I have ever coached, and can't say enough about all the effort every one of those ladies put into each and every run. I can't wait to start a new season at the end of April.