MONROE, LA (AP) — Ouachita Parish is full of beautiful places to stretch the legs.
Whether it's the long levee following the Ouachita River in Monroe, the trails that run through the rolling hills of Restoration Park in West Monroe, the tracks of Neville and Wossman high schools and the University of Louisiana at Monroe or the paved paths of Kiroli Park in West Monroe, you're bound to find runners.
And if you try hard enough, which isn't very hard at all, you might find dedicated runner and West Monroe resident Camille McCandlish.
"I got involved with running four years ago when I moved to West Monroe as a way to better my health," she said. "I had just had a child and wanted to lose weight, so I got connected with the Ouachita Valley Road Runners."
"That's where it all started. It's where I first made friends in West Monroe, lifelong friends who are great people. That's where I first became addicted to running, and that's the right word: addicted."
The Road Runners are one of several running groups that make up a significant community of runners throughout northeastern Louisiana.
"It is large for the size of Ouachita Parish. But most importantly, it's not necessarily about the size, but the quality of that group," she said. "The best part of it is I'm not the fastest and I'm not the best, but I have support from those who are better runners than me. And I also have support from those who are just starting. On any given day with the Road Runners, you could have a beginner or a Boston qualifier and no one person feels left out. It's all because we're focused on the same goal."
Running alongside McCandlish you may spot Monroe resident and business owner Will Rogers.
Rogers, owner of FitRight Active, has been running, competitively and for leisure, for the majority of his life.
"I've just been a believer of running and fitness and just wanted to help people get into it and the community," he said.
Rogers' store offers shoes, apparel, nutrition and more to area runners.
"Not only are we a part of the running community, but we're a contributing part of that running community," he said. "We want to let people know that."
FitRight Active also has a running team that competes in local and national races, as well as a workout group on Wednesdays.
"(The team is) a group of runners that really started out as my buddies and myself," he said. "The same guys that helped me paint this place to get it open were the same guys who were wearing my singlets in the local 5Ks. It's grown to include more people."
The workout group is open to anyone in the community and meets at the Neville track at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays for interval workouts.
And if you happen to be exploring around Forsythe Park, you might find Chris Ducote of Monroe, who started running with a friend.
"I was a part of a boot camp and a guy invited me to come running because there was an existing running group at the Monroe Athletic Club," Ducote said. "I showed up and I started running and I kept on running like Forrest Gump."
Ducote said there's something for everyone willing to get involved.
"You've got groups for people that are just getting into running," he said. "You've got groups that have increased their speed or run races. Then you've got really good runners, like guys that are currently in high school and college. All across this parish, running is really popular. There's so many different groups that anyone could join if they looked for it."
For McCandlish, it's not just about fun, though. She likes to get a little competitive. Along with running for FitRight Active, she's also captain of the Team Will Power St. Jude Marathon Team and a member of the Oiselle National Racing Team.
"I have completed four marathons, a couple of 20-milers, competed in the Xterra Mountain Trail Run in Arizona and several half marathons," she said.
She said her goal, which she is working toward over the next year, is the same as any competitive runner, "to qualify for the Boston Marathon."
Rogers offered several tips for people looking to get involved in running.
"Start slowly," he said. "Make sure that you start slowly to do it in a way that's healthy, so that you won't get injured. Stop in and let us take a look at what you do when you run, bio-mechanically, so that we can direct you to the right pair of shoes. Nutrition is an underutilized part of most runners' routines. That can become a major helpful component. It can certainly make that process easier."
That's just the more technical side of it. For the fun part, Rogers’ advice is simple.
"Hook in with a local group," he said. "It's certainly easier to get started if you're doing it with other people."
– by AP/ Reporter Kaleb Causey
