One of the beauties of running is that no matter where you are you can take your trainers with you, pop out and explore whatever new place you might be in. This is a very good thing. I've been a member of gyms in the past and even with the super-duper "I can go to any branch in the country" membership, the cost of belonging to a running club plus some pairs of trainers and sports bras is far less expensive and in reality has got me far fitter and more motivated to train than any gym ever has. Sometimes I just love heading out on a solitary adventure somewhere new with the sounds of the birds (or the radio) for company, but running clubs have done a lot for me.
I belong to two running clubs and love both of them equally, they have different qualities and thankfully different club nights. Dudley Ladies was where I started, and I do my easy/long runs there with my friends. I tell them about my week, they tell me about theirs, we laugh, moan, put the world to rights, talk about current affairs (who'd have thought it - and in DUDLEY ;) ). Through the tough times - the times where we feel a bit pissed off with our lives or upset it is almost like having free counselling with 4 or 5 other people listening and asking you the questions maybe you didn't want to think about. You also get some opinions, it helps to get stuff out and other peoples opinions do make you think.
I joined Stourbridge in 2008, and here I do some of my general runs, speed work and they are my first claim club for races. I am not knocking either club, but Stourbridge has a lot more of a structure with its pace groups, speedwork sessions, excursions out to XC races and other events should anyone want to get involved. A few years ago because I wanted to give something back to SRC, I stood for Women's captain - in reality I was never going to get it against the other lady, but the men's captain had resigned and no one else had put themselves forward. Some bright spark suggested I do that job instead. I hope I do a good job. At first in my typical paranoia I did wonder if all the men hated ME and hated the fact a girl had got the job of bossing them about and harassing them to turn out for races, but I figured that it has been the job of females to boss men around for many thousands of years so I kind of got over it. I do still feel a bit shy when it comes to harassing people sometimes, but I think doing something like this has helped me to actually get to know different people in the club, e.g. the faster folks who I wouldn't have chatted to otherwise (but did because I kind of had to) which is also a good thing.
I was prompted to write this blog by a conversation we had at the XC relays today. Obviously in 'normal' XC you are running for you club, wanting to get the best position possible, your exact time doesn't really matter I suppose. If you are guaranteed your spot there is undoubtedly a temptation to slack off a bit. (For those who are unaware the race positions of the first few runners back from each club are added up and the club with the lowest score is first and so on - there are leagues where you can get promoted /demoted /prizes). Today it was the XC relays, which is slightly different and a one off competition; the first runner goes off, next runner waits for them to come in, high fives them and off they go. Repeat for as many runners as there are in the team. In the relay type races success is measured in total combined time rather than position, so you are running for the team, and the best possible time you can.
I had been given the 3rd and final leg today - I'm not proud BUT if I had been on the first leg I would have been left for dust by the chaps and chapesses doing 5/6/7 minute miling. The course at Walsall Arboretum was hosted by West Bromwich and in my opinion was quite a good one. It was fairly flat but there were some deceptively draggy inclines, there was enough variety in the terrain and scenery to keep it interesting. We have had solid rain all week, and whilst it has been a lovely sunshiney day today, underfoot the ground was completely waterlogged with a lot of standing water on top. Splishy sploshy and very muddy in places. LOVE.IT. Makes for slower times than expected though.
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| J commenting "It is a bit wet underfoot" whist negotiating a large boggy puddle |
With relay type events, the field gets quite spread out and it can be tough for those who are used to being in a pack to not have anyone to cling on to. I seem to have a habit in XC races of being in no mans land, that is to say after a mile or so I find myself with no one close in front and no one behind. A lot of the time I do focus on the people in front of me and try and get closer and end up having a mental sprint at the end where I don't quite catch them. I suppose I'm trying to say I'm used to the lack of company. Perhaps if I had someone alongside me pushing me it would make me do a better time, but in reality I think through sheer experience I am capable of pushing myself to the same level weather there is someone around me or not.
The first mile was OK, I went off a bit quick but not too quick Not very far in I saw J, who had done the first leg. She shouted at me that there were some other ladies not too far in front. I settled down in the second mile, and came through the start / finish thinking not too bad but my feet are sodden and I've got all that heavy ground to cover... a-gain. The 3rd mile was a bit of a slog, but I held on there. All the time I noticed I was getting closer to another girl, I was getting overtaken by some of the men's teams but this is to be expected really.
At 3 miles I upped the pace and she was getting closer. She looked fairly ploddy - sorry I'm not by any means saying I looked any better - despite looks running is a funny thing, you can never tell what sort of finish people have on them. At about half a mile to go I ramped it up a bit more, and she was very close. As we came past the club tents, I decided that I should really go for it, so I pushed, overtook her and then ran like a woman possessed to the line in case she had decided to take it on. She didn't, and I roared over the line. Eye of the tiger! *punches the air*
As I was coughing my guts up in the finish funnel, I looked up and she plodded straight past. Turns out her team was actually a long way behind us and I had lapped her on what was the end of her first lap. Mistaken identity I suppose, Hahahahahha :) Well it provided some entertainment and a good looking finish (in my head). I got a well done from I, the club captain, I think my time given the conditions had surprised him (and the sprint finish) and my team mates who had come back over the field in no rush were slightly surprised to find I was already done.
So even if running alone in no mans land, being part of that larger team makes people have a better run I think. I also saw this at the Welsh Castles Relay in the summer where all 20 of us had the best run we possibly could for the team and each person did a cracking time at their individual level of ability.
Sometimes I do just like going out and doing a long run on my own, I certainly don't find that daunting - I guess I'm lucky I don't have many stresses but those I do have seem to melt away... a good couple-4 hours out there in the fresh air helps everything seem better. I guess I'm not really ever alone, I do think running itself is one of the best friends I've ever had.
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