Monday 7 June 2010

I'm a Leader!


Part way into my pre-booked races and I'm beginning to suffer with my Achilles, although it doesn't give me too much pain when I run, the next morning is a different story as each week it seems to be getting progressively worse. I keep thinking I should make a decision to rest for a while but that really is going to be a last resort.

We have a brilliant turn out from club last Tuesday for the 2nd of this year's Vets Races at Kirkstall. What a beautiful setting to start a race. Martin and I ran it together as he hasn't completed any distance recently and was apprehensive. We finished it in a reasonable time and he survived to tell the tale! A downpour had us make a quick retreat for the car at the finish!

On Saturday I attended a 'Leadership in Running and Fitness' course at Leeds Metropolitan University. A fantastic opportunity provided through club with the assistance of England Athletics. We had a fabulous day doing both class room and outdoor based activities around providing safe and enjoyable first running experiences to people of any level of ability, age, size and shape. We explored issues which prevent some people participating in running and ways to encourage new members, we also practiced planning and delivering all parts of a session and also explored the roles and responsibilities which a leader will take on. Whilst I felt we were already providing some of the content covered, we learnt a whole lot more and although we packed such a lot into a short space of time it was very worthwhile and rewarding. Now to put it into practice over the coming months!

Club training nights are going from strength to strength as we continue to have more and more new members joining each week, this is also reflected at races and it really does give me a sense of belonging when we make our presence known at these events, we tend to be the noisy cheering ones, particularly yesterday at the Harewood Chase, so called as the Ladies are set off 30 minutes before the Gents, they therefore, give chase and try to catch us up, fortunately not a single male passed any of our ladies! This then, is one of the few races where we are at the finish line before our male counterparts and it is great fun cheering them in, as we did yesterday, soon after some more spectators joined us in clapping fellow runners in. My weekend was finished off with a girlie get together afternoon at Sharon's with Lisa, Sophie, Gill, Dawn and Janice after the race.

The Otley 10 mile awaits me on Wednesday, hopefully - after that I think I am going to reassess my racing and training to try and give my injury time to heal or else I fear I may end up in trouble............

Oh and as he's mentioned in my profile I'm proud to report that my fourth grandson, Zach James (above) arrived in the very early hours of 30th May!



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