Spring 2020 Beginners!

Hello blog readers.

Can you believe that we are starting our spring beginners course already?  I know, it's crazy right!  But here we are, 2020 and we are doing it!  All three of us leaders are just so happy to be able to lead these newbie runners through their journey into the running world, it really is a privilege!  It's also a great boost for me and my running mojo too!  Knowing that I have to be doing what I am saying, not just paying lip service to it, will do my mojo no end of good.

DiscoRich was there, he is the first port of call for these newbies.  It's to him they send  their emails to ask about our course.  He introduced us to over thirty people!  There were a few PWR's there to help support and to run with all these nervous looking people!  I don't know what they have to be nervous about, I was feeling a total wreck again!  Will I remember everything, will I miss my Garmins tiny little vibration to let me know they have all done 1 minute of running?  Still, I would not miss this moment for all the toilet paper in Morrisons!  I think DiscoRich was very wise in having three leaders, we all help and support each other, we all have each others backs. So when, after all the the introductions were done, the I was in the middle of these people, staring at me.  I could feel them all thinking "Go on, make me a runner", I started waffling on about doing some of our silly drills that we do, when I should have been talking about the two lap walk first!  A quick reminder from the other two leaders brought me back on track and my confidence was back......for now!

The two lap walk around the rec is a brisk one, DiscoRich stepped in to tell them that it's not a stroll in the park it's a power walk!  We started our walk "That's it, brisk walk, like you are after the last pack of toilet rolls" I said.  I am guessing you have all seen whats happening with people and this silliness of stocking up loo roll and hand sanitiser/soaps!  Bloody ridiculous and totally selfish people!  As if that is going to keep the Corona Virus from getting them! Tut! Anyway, that is how they should be walking this bit, and then we do our silly skipping and jumping and what not, all before we start our running!

As I said to them, afterwards, we all have to make sure we are warmed up before we start any sort of exercise! We don't want any injuries suffered just because we didn't warm up at all.  The running started, we splashed our way through the muddy bits.  I am not sure about everyone else, but these days, having a bit of mud on my jog pants almost feels like a badge of honor!  'Look at me and my muddy pants!  Hard core, I've been out running!'  Ok not quite as good as a medal, but somehow you did feel quite proud of your muddiness!  I thought I had set up my Garmin correctly, but only after we started the first walking bit did I realise that I actually had to set to walk for 50 minutes and not 5!  So I was slightly off with my timings, panicked at one stage when I thought we should have been running, but we were only just into the second minute of walking!  I think I got away with it.......blame it on the football coach that was there!!  Ok, so I didn't get away with it.  First week hitches, it's good to get them all out of the way in one go!  The next 8 weeks or so will go so smooth you would think you were running with Barry White on silken roads.  (Feck knows where I come up with my analogies!) Of course we finished with our stretches, warm ups and cool downs are essential for us if we want an injury free running!

Cool Down Stretches

Look at our muddy shoes!
 Wear it with pride!

So that was my Saturday.  No more parkruns for the next couple of months, just watching in wonder as our newly signed up beginners start the running journey.