Here we are 2017. New beginners run groups are go and I for one am glad.
My newly found ‘cheese hips’ (I pretty much lived off the stuff over Christmas….. two nights in a row of baked camembert with onion marmalade topping and crusty hot white baguettes to dip into it and a few other nights through the week of cheese and crackers have settled nicely on my hips and every mouthful was delicious!).
We are ready for the influx of excited and positive beginners who all appear in their shiny new trainers and running kit looking enthusiastic to be shaking off the Christmas excess.
We always have a great intake at our beginners groups but slowly one by one some will drop off. There’s many reasons for this. Sick children, work commitments and the dreaded ‘I can’t run speech’…. When those words come out of their mouths, I change it to ‘I haven’t run yet’ trying to get a positive spin on it, so maybe it’ll turn around their way of thinking. It’s not about how slow or fast you run, its running.
It can be disheartening for me as a run leader when people drop off, as I then question myself and take it a little too personally….. Did I do something wrong, have I not given them enough motivation or attention. Do I know when to just shut up, stop yakking away and let them get on with it?…… I do go home and give myself a hard time but isn’t that natural? I just want to do my very best to show everyone that they can run, (even if at times it’s hard).
Our first new groups went well. We had loads of new runners last week including a few ladies who had dropped off the last beginners’ sessions due to other commitments, so it was nice to see them back and made me feel a bit better about the groups, especially as the first one was on bank holiday Monday (the same day as us run wales bloggers climbed Penyfan at 6:30am in the pitch black…. But that’s another story, which included frozen hair and every single one of us falling down at some point in the descent and all now sporting a nice bruised tooshie). We did some interval splits over 4.5k and the feedback was great. A lot of them turned up again on Wednesday for another session, then again for the weekend sessions with Rhianne…….. Phew!
I know I have way too much excitement about running for my own good at times….. Passion, that sounds better…… I’m a passionate runner.
The one good thing though is that Diz, My poor suffering partner, has finally had his all clear from the hospital…. (He had an operation on his ankle ligament 16 weeks ago and is now able to run), so for him there is NO escape! *cue evil laugh and rubbing together of hands* You’ve got to feel sorry for the bloke being with me and my constant chatter about the next running event, training sessions, the learning of new routines for Kettlercise in the middle of the living room……. He’s all kitted out with new running gear too. I’ve even persuaded him to wear running leggings, he likes to wear shorts… all the time! Even when it’s snowing. Seriously, how does he not get cold? I am constantly freezing! I’m even sat writing this blog in my coat. We do have some great ‘discussions’ regarding the thermostat and temperature of my house!!!… Anyway, he joined the group on Monday, came again on Wednesday and even ran (TWICE!) back at home in London this weekend on his own, of his own doing not me (I don’t think he dare let me down otherwise he gets the resting bitch face!). He’s even signed up for our first Run Diva Run event of the year, the St. David’s Day run…. Have I created a monster??!?! I need to up my own game now!
So back to the running groups…….To then top it off last night (only our second Monday back) a mega 30 beginners turned up for groups! Waaaaaaaaaah! See, now I’m excited and bouncy again and not giving myself a hard time when we have a week starting with numbers like that! We also had a good turnout for our timed 5k and I’ve had loads of new enquiries to join our run groups already this week.
I think what I’m trying to say, is shit happens. People will join, people will stick with it and some won’t. it’s the nature of the beast and I need to stop taking it personally. So, this is my declaration and I pinky promise myself, with a thumb press (to make it extra sacred) that I am NOT going to worry about group numbers again……. Is it wrong that a 44 year old woman is still doing the pinky promise or is that just me?………