Column piece
Scottish journalist Alastair Dalton, the Transport Correspondent and columnist for the Scotsman, recently ‘took the plunge’ and joined a running club – in this case, West End Road Runners in Glasgow.
With thanks to Alastair and the Scotsman, here’s a few thoughts which reflect well on our sport and why joining a club can make a difference both mentally and physically.
By Alastair Dalton
Are you still trying to come to terms with being back at work after taking two or more weeks off over the festive holidays?
For many people, cold, dark January can provide a major challenge to your drive to get active again.
The trick, of course, is to get going on your fitness and never stop – so you’re not faced with starting out when the weather can be at its worst.
Trying to fit in a run to your daily schedule can all too often fall victim to time pressures or simply telling yourself you have more important things to do.
Despite having Saturday parkruns in my calendar to spur me into getting out during the week in an attempt to improve my time, I often managed only a single circuit of my local park before giving up.
I wanted to run faster – and further – but knew I was never going to manage it with that attitude.
Photo by Bobby Gavin
But it was with considerable trepidation that I sought to up my game by taking the plunge – and joining a running club.
I recall vividly my nervousness at turning up for my first run with West End Road Runners in Glasgow, not knowing anyone and thinking its members would be scarily serious, fast runners with whom I’d fail to keep up.
How utterly wrong those preconceptions were. The terror of what I might be getting myself involved disappeared the instant we set off.
I knew within seconds I had absolutely made the right decision – I’d joined a friendly, inclusive crowd with a wide range of ages and abilities. I’d found my tribe.
Since then, I’ve hardly ever gone running on my own, and instead join fellow club members several times a week, where the chat takes over and before you know it we’ve gone five miles.
It’s an amazing support network, whatever your level of fitness.
Go seek out your local running club and you could find it equally transformational.
Photo via the club’s social media
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Tags:
West End Road Runners
