FUN, FELLOWSHIP..RUNNING

For most of us, running is an integral part of our lives. We eat, we sleep, we run. When we travel on vacation or for business purposes, a major priority is to find running routes nearby.

My family and I have vacationed at Myrtle Beach for the past 25 years. We love the beautiful beaches, the food, the attractions for people of all ages, and the legendary 'Southern Hospitality.'

Like an exhausted heavyweight boxer in the final rounds, the past few Pennsylvania winters have taken their toll on my old, tired, weary body, so I finally cried, "No mas."

In December, my wife and I bought a condo in Myrtle Beach, and it is our intent to spend as many days a year here as our schedules will allow. As I write, spring will arrive in Pennsylvania with a four inch snowfall sometime tomorrow.

Having run the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon in 2012, and in the process of selling my first book, Running Shorts: A Collection of Stories and Advice for Anyone Who Has Ever Laced Up a Pair of Running Shoes, www.muldowneyrunning.com, at the marathon expo, I found the area runners to be a friendly, downright cool bunch of folks.

So, when we decided to buy our place, I reached out to the local running group, the Grand Strand Running Club. http://www.grandstrandrunner.com. I had visited their website and was impressed by their activities and their "runner first" approach to a running club concept. I immediately received a response from an extremely talented runner, and former Pennsylvania native, Jane Millspaugh Sereus, who put me in touch with club president, Roscoe Griffin.

Roscoe, a veteran runner, is the perfect club president. He 'sold' me on the club with his gracious demeanor and his passion for the sport.

Check out the website and take a look at the club's achievements in 2014 alone.

Last night, my wife and I had an opportunity to participate in our first Grand Strand Running Club event.

The club held a group 5K training run, beginning at a local Mexican restaurant, followed by a club social. Approximate 20 club members participated in the group run, with over 30 in attendance at the social.

To say we felt welcome would be a gross understatement. Each club member was congenial, and we had a terrific time.

We intend to attend as many club events as we can when we are here.

If you visit the Myrtle Beach area, I would highly recommend you check out one of the many club-sponsored races.

And if you're a runner and you reside near Myrtle Beach, you owe it to yourself to join the Grand Strand Running Club.

They are a group of runners of all ages and abilities, but they are an Olympic-quality, world-class organization.