It's never really appealed to me, running with other people. For me, running has always been about escapism: pounding the pavement in the dark when no one is around, letting myself go physically and emotionally. It's never really occurred to me that running could be enjoyable with other people around.
That shifted a little bit when I first did Race for Life, and I really did enjoy running the course whilst chatting to my best mate - it was a breeze compared to all my other runs up to that point. And obviously last weekend for the Brighton Half I was surrounded by people, but I didn't talk to anyone on the route much and I was still very much inside my own head. So today was quite a different experience for me.
The Nottingham SB run club only just started up a few week ago, so I guess they're still trying to drum up interest before people regularly settle into it. This morning it was just three of us including Lucy who was leading, but considering it was a small group it wasn't awkward at all. It was nice to have company & chatting away passed the time quickly. We ran from the shop down by the canal, wearing very attractive fluorescent yellow bibs, for about thirty-five minutes I guess, then back up to the city centre to Sneinton market to do some drills. The running bit was easy, the drills really hurt, but I know it'll be worth it long-term to improve my running style, pace, mobility etc etc. It's all for a good cause!
It's still a bit out of my comfort zone, running in a group, but I'm glad I went. It still amazes me that SB offer free classes in all their shops - I tried the Fly, Flex, Flow class out 3 weeks ago (drills, weights & yoga) and had an amazing time. If you can get booked in to any of their classes you must go - it's too good a resource to neglect. The ladies who work their are an absolute bloody delight too - always positive, encouraging, and generally lovely human beings.
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| Photo from Fly, Flex Flow last month courtesy of Sweaty Betty Nottingham :) |
I'm going to try push myself to go regularly whenever I have Sundays off, what better way to start my day off?
