{"id":6161,"date":"2019-08-23T10:04:21","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T10:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irun.wales\/?p=6161"},"modified":"2019-08-23T10:04:21","modified_gmt":"2019-08-23T10:04:21","slug":"a-journey-from-the-couch-to-run-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irun.wales\/cy\/news\/a-journey-from-the-couch-to-run-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"A journey from the Couch to run leader"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">Since starting my running journey in April 2018 I&#8217;ve had countless people telling me how inspiring I am and that they wish they could run. My answer has always been the same\u00a0 &#8220;If I can do it, then anyone can!&#8221;<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/irun.wales\/news\/a-journey-from-the-couch-to-run-leader\/attachment\/kara-evans-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6162\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6162\" src=\"http:\/\/irun.wales\/app\/uploads\/kara-evans-601x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/irun.wales\/app\/uploads\/kara-evans-601x1024.jpg 601w, https:\/\/irun.wales\/app\/uploads\/kara-evans-176x300.jpg 176w, https:\/\/irun.wales\/app\/uploads\/kara-evans-768x1309.jpg 768w, https:\/\/irun.wales\/app\/uploads\/kara-evans.jpg 1312w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h5><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #2b2d2f; text-decoration: underline;\">Kara tells us her story and how she got from couch to run-leader, and why she is now inspiring others to take part &#8211;\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">I&#8217;m not a natural-born runner and NEVER thought I&#8217;d be able to run 5k, but here I am, 16 months after embarking on the Couch to 5k programme, a mere 7 weeks away from my 4th half marathon! Me, a half marathoner! I can barely believe it myself.<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">A few months ago, after yet another person told me they wished they could run I decided that it wasn&#8217;t enough to tell them that they can do, I wanted to be able to\u00a0show them. To be able to help them experience the positive impact that running has had on my life for themselves.<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">I mentioned to my friend Hannah and asked her\u00a0how I could\u00a0become a run leader. She told me to leave it with her. True to her word she arranged for me to attend a Leadership in Running Fitness course (LiRF).<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">I thoroughly enjoyed the course and met some lovely people who all had some valuable\u00a0knowledge to impart. I knew for sure that it was something I wanted to do.<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">&#8220;I\u00a0enjoy being able to confidently\u00a0encourage\u00a0the group\u00a0to keep going, to be able to share my own experiences and for them to be able to see that running is for everyone and it\u00a0can be\u00a0enjoyable.&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">Since gaining my run leader qualification I&#8217;ve led a group, and have recently taken a few friends out\u00a0to start their very own Couch to 5k journey together. I love the look of dread on their faces when I tell them the plan for each week and then the sense of achievement they get when they realise that they\u00a0do more than they thought possible. I\u00a0enjoy being able to confidently\u00a0encourage\u00a0the group\u00a0to keep going, to be able to share my own experiences and for them to be able to see that running is for everyone and it\u00a0can be\u00a0enjoyable. I love\u00a0excited chatter at the end of each run, the\u00a0sense of achievement and the way that everybody feels a part of something together.<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-family: 'Georgia',serif; color: #2b2d2f;\">As a run leader, I feel it&#8217;s important that the runners know that I started out exactly as they are. Worried about not being able to do it, doubting my own ability and never daring to dream that I could actually run 5k, let alone a half marathon.\u00a0Running has truly changed my life (both physically and mentally) and I am so\u00a0happy that I&#8217;m able to help people begin (or continue) on their own\u00a0journeys, however far they choose to go.<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>To find out how you too can complete the Leadership in running fitness course, click <a href=\"https:\/\/irun.wales\/support\/become-a-leader\/\">here<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since starting my running journey in April 2018 I&#8217;ve had countless people telling me how inspiring I am and that they wish they could run. My answer has always been [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":6162,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v14.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A journey from the Couch to run leader - Run Wales<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index,follow\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/irun.wales\/cy\/news\/a-journey-from-the-couch-to-run-leader\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"cy_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A journey from the Couch to run leader - Run Wales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since starting my running journey in April 2018 I&#8217;ve had countless people telling me how inspiring I am and that they wish they could run. 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