(jogger running) [Ann] I'm usually up at like 4:30 and out the door to meet my friends to run a 5:00.

(birds chirping) Sometimes the mornings are almost reverent, really.

You know, quiet.

Not many cars, might see a person.

(jogger running) That just sets my day up perfectly.

It just does.

It's wonderful.

(birds chirping) [Narrator] Ann Ringlein feels cheated if she can't start her day with a run.

(ominous music) [Ann] The first few miles feel really good.

I mean, I still go very, very slowly.

(ominous music) I just take it really easy the first couple miles.

(runner heavy breathing) It really it's just getting my mind ready for the day.

I think more than anything.

(Runner heavy breathing) You just feel so good.

You're breathing, you know, you're working hard and by the time I finish I'm going faster than, you know, I probably planned on.

Which I love that too because I'm always like still like you have this little bit of pride.

It's like, yeah, I can still do it.

(jogger running) And then by the time you're done, it's light maybe and the sunrise.

(jogger running) Yeah, this is great.

Make sure they're long enough.

Your hand just goes in.

Yeah, just like that.

I mean, you almost not hold it.

[Runner] Yeah.

[Ann] Part of getting out and walking in nature is seeing other things.

[Runner] Yeah.

[Ann] Is seeing what's out there.

(city sounds) [Narrator] When Ann isn't on a run she's usually helping someone else get their miles in.

[Ann] Okay, pull your heel back.

Yep.

Then go ahead and stand up on that.

Yeah, I think you're up to an eight anyway.

[Narrator] As the manager of Lincoln Running Company in Downtown Lincoln for nearly four decades.

[Ann] Stay on.

[Narrator] Ann is a fixture on the running scene.

[Ann] And you've got a pretty high arch.

I might, you know, I might bring out a ghost that's on sale.

There's so much information that comes when they walk in the store and they're honestly probably watching their feet already.

All right.

Look at this.

Ready?

But I love it when they bring in the shoes that they're walking in because I tell them, it's like, yeah, I think we can make you feel better.

You know, we start asking them questions.

Do you hurt on the outside of your leg?

Do you hurt on the inside of your shins?

Does your back hurt?

And usually by what the wear pattern shows us, they'll say, kinda yeah, sometimes yeah.

And so then we can start determining what kind of shoe we wanna bring out for that.

Holy schmoly.

Good job, buddy.

You're gonna be good.

You stay with track for sure.

[Narrator] Now in her mid-sixties, the petite framed woman in perpetual motion speaks just as she runs, fast, energetically and with a contagious optimism.

[Ann] My mom said, I started kicking out of the womb running (laughing).

I can't even tell you how or why, but you definitely feel better about yourself once that you've done this and accomplished it.

It's amazing what a good workout will do.

You know, it kind of changes your whole attitude for the day.

[Narrator] With wins and top finishes and prestigious marathons and races through the years, Ann's speed landed her spots on competitive co-ed racing teams and she coached track and cross country at the college level.

[Ann] This girl actually gave me this picture because she thought it was so funny.

Her folks blew it up and said, look at how mean you are to me?

And it wasn't at all but Concordia had five women they went one, two, three, four, five, and she was a sixth woman.

And I can remember saying, get up there.

You can be break up that pack.

Break up that pack.

And this- [Narrator] For years and tried to get everyone running.

[Ann] I thought I could convince everybody they should run because it was so fun and I was able to do so many things through running, you know, it was great.

But then I soon realized, "no, this is not gonna happen."

(laughing) Hi, greetings.

[Narrator] Instead, for the last few decades Ann's focus is on getting everyone moving.

[Ann] You're gonna run for 30 minutes, walk a minute and then 15 minutes.

So it's 45 minutes total so- [Narrator] At her beginner's luck classes, walkers, runners, people of all ages and abilities come for eight weeks of advice, coaching.

[Barb] So a lot of that is just tension.

[Runner] Yeah.

[Narrator] And a carefully crafted training schedule designed to build endurance.

[Ann] All right.

How many of the intermediate 10K people do we have here?

Runners do we have here tonight?

You guys are doing awesome.

I'm so impressed with you guys.

[Narrator] Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or fresh off the couch each week speakers tackle issues like motivation, nutrition, or the inevitable aches and pains that come with jump-starting a new program.

[Barb] So I'm just gonna show you a few things you can do every day, twice a day, however often you want to do it.

Okay.

So stand up.

Without any effort, I want you to bend over and see how far you can go.

Okay.

So now I want you to go back and sit down and I want you to take your tennis ball and I want you to roll the bottoms of your feet.

[Ann] Our bodies want to move.

They really do.

They want to run, they want to walk, they want to move.

And so if we just take the cues, I think that's okay, but you just have to start so carefully.

[Narrator] A cadre of volunteers pair up with participants.

Others shout words of encouragement along the way.

[Runner] Looking good.

[Ann] I always say, "you don't have to run as far as you think you should.

You don't have to run as fast as you think you should, but you should run more days than you think you should a week."

(jogger running) [Ted] For me, what it's showing me is I can do it.

And even tonight, I was actually looking forward to getting out here tonight and that's not like me.

So I felt like I feel motivated to do it.

[Ann] I think there's power in numbers too and there's a lot of people out there, they feel a little better about themselves than just being one person out there, right, and being judged.

I'm trying to get people to not be afraid of running, to realize that they can do it and just to bring so much really fun into their life.

I mean, I don't want it to be miserable.

One of the quotes I have on it is "Running is about defeating death, not inflicting it."

So I want them to really understand that this is gonna help them.

[Runner] Good job.

(crowd cheering and applauding) (piano music) [Narrator] Even Ann has days she'd rather skip the 5:00 AM run.

For her mood follows action.

[Ann] You can't wait to be in the mood to run or you can't wait until the time is right.

So you have to do it.

You have to give yourself the chance to feel good.

Go run and give yourself that chance to feel good about it.

They just have to stay on the path and it goes around and then back.

[Narrator] By the end of the eight weeks the class meets one last time for a 3K run.

[Ann] Do the best you can do today.

That's all we ask.

(crowd cheering and applauding) [Narrator] A big first for many [Ann] Runners to your mark.

Go.

(crowd cheering and applauding) Good job, Jamie.

Go touch it.

Good job, guys.

Go have fun , enjoy, enjoy.

It's so fun to see the transformation and know that, you know, all of a sudden they feel better.

I like this.

I like the way I feel when I'm doing a little bit of running.

[Ted] She really is such a motivator, is just out there clapping, cheering people on.

So, you know, you come here, you feel good.

[Jessica] The positivity that radiates from every single person.

[Runner] Yeah.

[Jessica] I mean, it does.

It fills your cup for the rest of the week almost.

(bell ringing) [Ann] Good job.

Good job.

[Katherine] I want other people to do this.

I want people to experience this.

(bell ringing) Good job.

Good job.

[Katherine] Nobody should feel like they can't.

There's a running community and that means that's a community.

You do like what you do in a family.

You support them, you encourage them.

How are you?

[Ann] I know, you're always smiling, though.

That's awesome.

[Katherine] That's what Ann has done.

She's created this, our community.

It's really super.

[Ann] I want them to know that they can do more than they think they can do.

So many times they think they don't think they can be a runner, but anybody can.

Nice job, Gavin.

Nice job.

Awesome, awesome.

Some people it changes their lives.

I mean, it really does.

Yeah.

(gentle music and clapping)