Posted on November 28, 2013 by Jenny Cromack
I can’t run! I hear this a lot as a personal trainer, people are adamant that they are not built for running. I agree that not anyone can become the next Mo Farah or Paula Radcliffe but it is not impossible for anyone to dream of running a mile, running a 5k or a 10k. I remember when I was a school we had to do cross country. There was one girl in my class who refused to run and her mum sent in a letter saying she had to be excused because she wasn’t build to run long distances. I never understood this as she was about 5ft 7 and really lean. She use to walk around the course and we use to lap her on several occasions as she looked really unimpressed. I’ll never forget the day that a dog got onto the school field (she was petrified of dogs) we had all gathered at the finish line and were waiting for her to catch up when she completed the fasted 500 meter run I have ever seen in my life to run away from this dog. It still amuses me now that she competes for her university team at the 400 and 800m and her mum claims she grew out of it.
Though I didn’t mind cross country at school from a young age I got involved in sprinting focusing on the 100 meter sprint were I competed at national school level so I didn’t really do much long distance running. It doesn’t however mean that just because I can run fast I can’t run long distance. Granted, I don’t run long distance in an amazingly fast time but I don’t train specifically for that. I personally would much rather sprint as I find the tense fast pace competition a real buzz and also I prefer to run off road or compete in a 10 and 5k mud run. This however does not mean I don’t appreciate the tactics behind pacing in long distance runs.
Everyone is different in terms of what they want to achieve from their running but everyone has the ability to run a 10k and anyone can run a marathon if they work hard and train correctly.
In Summer 2013 I ran the motive8 running club which was set up in preparation for the Leeds 10k run. It was open to anyone who wanted to join a running club. It ended up getting a response from experienced 10k runners wanting a little more guidance to complete beginner runners. We ran along the canal and this use to be fantastic as people could run at their own pace. For many people the thought of running a few miles was very daunting and seemed unachievable however with the support of the other runners and myself as well as a tailored run plan for everyone, everyone ran a little further each week. For one member of the club running non-stop for 45 minutes was extremely hard at the beginning however with perseverance and setting achievable targets and goals this was achieved and they managed to beat their PB’s on the 5k park run.
Everyone who joined the run club had a goal whether it be to run the Leeds 10k , complete their first ever 5k run or complete the 12k Tough Mudder challenge. It was great to see people who didn’t believe they could do these things feel confident and begin to run independently with a couple of the runners continuing to run together to keep fit.
One of my personal training clients initially started training with me in order to get fit for her first ever 10k run. I remember her saying to me that she was too old to start running such long distances. At first she struggled to keep running for half a kilometer but we worked on improving endurance and she followed a tailored run plan outside of her personal training sessions. After 8 weeks she ran her first ever 10k in a fantastic time of 1 hour 18 minutes. This spurred her on to do the Leeds 10k run a couple of weeks later in a time of 1.14.19 which was an incredible achievement and personal best time, even on one of the hottest days in July!
This proves that anyone has the ability to complete a desired run it just takes dedication, hard training and a tailored plan and for you to belief in yourself. Gradually building up the body to complete these runs is key to ensure you’re ready to perform at your best.
If you are reading this blog and are wanting to give running a go here are a couple of comments from two people who began the run club uncertain that they would be able to achieve their goals.
”Despite regularly using the gym I used to think that running was not for me. Not sure whether it was the thought of being outside in the cold or the memories of cross country from school. Probably a bit of both ! I gave running club a go with Lucy and I have never looked back. At the start I could barely run 2 miles. I can comfortably do 6 now and am aiming for more. It is great to be able to get out for a run whenever and wherever I am. I also find that it helps me de-stress from a hard day at work. At the end of a run I wonder what I was stressed about”–Heather Pollard
”I DON’T RUN, well at the time I didn’t run. I could safely say that the only thing worse than running is being Lucy who had to encourage me and listen to me whine about having to run.
I joined run club so I could a) learn to run (according sources I loped) and b) complete Tough Mudder, a crazy 12-15mile event. Rocks in my head is what I thought as I signed the sign-on sheet that very first time at Motive8 Run Club; I don’t run.
Needless to say with Lucy on my back encouraging me (or not letting me stop) and the extensive repertoire of strength-building exercises we did following each run it only took a couple weeks before I was completing the 4mile run with ease.
A few weeks later I completed Tough Mudder and I can say that the running was the easy part, the reprieve, from the constant bombardment of obstacles. Five months on from Run Club and I’m still running and (HA) I even enjoy it, thanks to Lucy and the Motive8 Crew! ”–Amy Le Vieux