Six Things I've Learned About Joining A Running Club

Just like the rest of the UK population in January, I was plagued with guilt and embarrassment over my terrible over indulging over Christmas. And just like everyone else, I too swore on pain of death that I would get fit and healthy for 2015, and made a new years resolution to exercise and workout more. So I joined a beginners running club and roped my mum and my sister into it, and every Monday since January we've met at 6:15pm to curse our way round the running track at my old high school in our little support group of three.
There's probably a total of thirty members, and maybe ten or so coaches, and we all follow a running "schedule" (X time running, X time recovery walk, repeat) followed by homework (in the form of more running!) to complete before the next meet up.

So what's it been like? Am I enjoying it? Do I recommend it? With so many people desperate to improve their health and fitness, what's it really like to join a club dedicated to just that?
Below are six things I've learned about running club and what it's really like to join one.

 

1. The woman you’ll meet will not be intimidating.
And they won’t even slightly resemble the gazelle-like, beautiful woman you see in the sports catalogues. Most of the women at my running club are busy mums in their 40s, running together in groups of two or three, trying to shift that pesky Christmas weight. Even the coaches just look like normal woman, and not even normal woman at their best, because running outside in the cold without a scrap of makeup can give your face a little more than just a “flush”. Everyone gets sweaty, red faced and exhausted. No one there is the glamorous exception.

2. No one is watching you.
Everyone is far too busy concentrating on their own run to give a damn about yours. Look like Phoebe from Friends when you run? No one cares. Not one person is scrutinizing your running technique, your speed or your stamina. People are working too hard to care, and are just trying to get through the last few minutes without collapsing in a heap on the track. Either that or they’re too worried about looking stupid themselves to be looking at you.

3. Expensive workout clothes don’t matter.The vast majority of the woman at my running club are in their tracksuit bottoms and an old baggy tshirt. Like I said, no one is looking at you anyway so wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. Try to wear clothes designed for workouts if you can, (the fabric doesn’t bunch up or get in the way, plus they regulate temperature better) but Asda and Primark have great ranges that will more than do the job. We’ve all seen those people with all the gear and no idea, and at the end of the day, whether your gear costs £9 or £90 it doesn’t make you a better runner!

4. …but a good sports bra does!
We’ve all been there; cupping our assets as we bolt up the stairs, trying to avoid the pain. I come from a family of heavier chested woman, and if you’re blessed with the breasts, a sports bra will improve your running by 100%. It will almost completely flatten you out, keeping your boobs from spilling over the top or drooping to your knees after a year. Literally, it will feel like running without boobs. So if you’re going to invest in workout clothes don’t break the bank on a pair of LuluLemon Wonder Unders, go get yourself fitted for a decent sports bra. Seriously, embrace the freedom!

5. The only bad workout is the one you don’t do.
It doesn’t matter if you need to stop for a minute and take a breather. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t do as well as you wanted or as well as the girl next to you. All that matters is that it’s cold, and dark, and beginning to rain, and you’re out on a track trying your hardest, instead of slumped on the sofa with a Cadbury Bar & A Half. Doing something or doing nothing is a choice, so be proud you made the right one!

6. Your body can do so much more than you think it can.
When I joined running club, I thought there was no way I was ever going to be able to run for five solid minutes without stopping. But I proved myself wrong, and now I can run for thirty minutes without stopping, and feel energised enough to do it again after just a few minutes recovery time. When you push through discomfort, you can do so much more than you’d ever assume of yourself. Even when your body has reached its physical limit, if you try again in a few days, you’ll be stronger and fitter than you were before. Try not to measure results based on dropping a dress size, and look at the extra strength and stamina that your body is gaining over time. It doesn’t take long at all to build up, and watching myself improve has actually become a much better motivator than achieving a certain body type. Maybe because it happens so much faster?
Keep going and before long, today’s workout will be next week’s warm up.