Welcome!
Welcome to Take...The First Step! The Take…The First Step Club is a non-profit club that provides support and encouragement to walkers and runners of all levels. It is our goal to facilitate a healthy lifestyle by providing instruction, camaraderie, and resources. We sponsor events that create opportunities for fitness while raising funds for major charities such as MADD, and ZAP Fitness. The club founder, Lynn Gray, has been coaching individuals of all levels for over 15 years and offers coaching discounts for all club members. Our club meets six times per year with a well-known fitness speaker and dinner.
We hope you enjoy taking a look at what we have to offer and would love for you to join us!
Saturday Morning Group Run/Walk
Join Us!
We would love for you to become part of our family. Check out our membership page for a full list of member benefits.
"I started running 3 years ago in mid-April after I had lost 25 lbs and wanted to step up and change my exercise regimen. I had always wanted to run but thought I never could. I read an interesting article in a magazine that talked about running groups and the thought just stuck in my head. The article specifically quoted Diane Bennett of Take ... the First Step and how running had changed her life. After contacting the magazine, they put me in touch with Diane, who strongly encouraged me to come to track and be with likeminded people. She told me about her first months at track and how overwhelming it was - back then Lynn did not have a beginner's group - and I was certainly a beginner, to say the least. I could not run around the track once without stopping, and had very little running "coordination" as Lynn put it. I came to the track when the marathoners were just back from doing the Boston Marathon and I thought, boy am I out of my league here. But I love running and have stuck with it because of the people I have met and the improvements I see in my life both athletically and personally. It helps me with stress, sleep, weight management and attitude. I can run alone, with a group or just one or two people. I don't personally love the heat as some people in the group do, but I run even in the heat because starting over would be unimaginable - even though I have had to somewhat do that a number of times due to surgery and injuries. In short, I run just because I am fortunate enough to be physically able to, and I can not imagine my life not doing it."
- Lee Casteris, long time Take...The First Step Club member
We would like to thank the following organizations for their support.
News updated 01/11/10!
Date:
Every Saturday
Time:
7:00 AM
Location:
Meet at the water cooler on the trail next to Ballyhoo's to run the Upper Tampa Bay Trail.
Ability Levels:
Contact:
Contact Jennifer Schwartzberg at jennifer@ttfsclub.com or (727) 599-1671 for more information.
*No fees are involved to participate.
*Reminder: After you have joined us for eight Saturday's, you will receive a gift certificate for J. Christopher's or New York Bagel & Bean -- which you can use for breakfast or lunch!
All levels of runners & walkers are welcome.
Sunday Morning Group Run
We meet every Sunday morning for a long run Start times, locations and distances vary. Check out our calendar for more details on upcoming runs.
Click here for maps of some of our most common long runs.
Upcoming Events
Click here for a full calendar of events.
Pirates & Princesses Half Marathon Training Clinic & Workout
Dates: Saturday, November 26 - Saturday, March 6, 2010
Location: Walk to Run
Click here for more details.
Run for Haiti 5K
Date: Feburary 6, 2010
Location: Al Lopez Park
Click here to register online.
Click here to download a registration form.
Gasparilla Distance Classic
Dates: February 27 - February 28, 2010
Location: Tampa Convention Center
Click here for more details.
Disney Princess Half Marathon
Date: March 7, 2010
Location: Walt Disney World
Click here for more details.
Group Walks/Runs
More Upcoming Events
RRCA Annual Convention
Dates: April 21 - 25, 2010
Location: Lakeland, FL
Click here for more details.
ZAP Fitness Running Camp
Dates: June 10 - 13, 2010
Location: Blowing Rock, NC
Click here for more details.
Contact Lynn Gray at lgray88@yahoo.com for more information.
Note: You must be a club member to participate in the Take...The First Step Club mini-camp.
