Are you thinking of joining a running club now that life’s going back to normal? Here are five reasons why you really, really should.
If you’d asked me to summarise my relationship with running in one word a year ago, it would’ve been ‘half-hearted’. But after running for several years with fleeting bursts of motivation among plenty of long pauses, joining a club is the best thing I could have done. In fact, I’m enjoying my running so much at the moment that I felt compelled to jot down my five reasons why being part of a club has made such a difference:
1. It’s sociable, especially now that many of us have the choice to keep working remotely: It’s great to know that twice a week I’m going to meet with lovely, likeminded people after sitting on my own in front of a screen all day. And although I don’t often have much breath left to chat during a run, I’m working on it!
2. It’s inspiring: There’s so much to be inspired by when you’re surrounded by enthusiastic, passionate people. Like the members who approach the training with self-assurance and look AMAZING at all ages. And the members who struggle, like I do, but are upbeat, quietly determined and persistent.
3. You get to work with the coaches and leaders: Often busy, these people give up their precious time because they come alive when they actively help us do something we enjoy and enable us to progress. They play an important role in ensuring we’re the best runners we can be, with constant encouragement and tips that get right under our skin and change our form for the better (I can no longer run without imagining a giant helium balloon tied to my ponytail, thanks to a certain run leader, who shall remain nameless but who I think is fab).
4. You’ll become a better runner: Do you run on your own or with a friend? If so, be honest: how many times do you cover the same old route and kind of throw yourself around it without thinking about it too much? I certainly used to. But I’ve found that that with a club, I don’t just benefit from the input of coaches, run leaders and other members; there are opportunities to diversify into other areas too, such as the ten-week track running course I signed up for where we’re lucky enough to use the fab facilities at John Charles Stadium in South Leeds. Then there are the drills and the interval training sessions. There are weekly social runs too, but they’re part of a well-thought-out range of training that just makes you better.
5. It’s great value for money: I’ve found a running club to be significantly cheaper than joining a gym, although there’s plenty you can spend your money on if you want to add an extra sparkle to your training.
Looking back on my running moments, rather underwhelmingly, what most have in common is the fact that I stopped. But I’m hoping this time will be different. And I reckon being a member of a club might just help.
Written by Claire Marie @my40pluslife.me
