Joined a running club after several years!

[gibbs17]

I haven't been running in so long, but have finally signed up to a running club, which will start on Wednesday. Feeling very nervous about it. Any tips?

[PippiRuns]

I'm a club runner myself. Very addictive!

I think it useful to know how fast I can comfortably run 1 km because when we start, a "route-master" may say e.g. "I'm running 7k in pace 6" meaning she will run 7 k in around 42 minutes. Another group may be running 5 k in pace 7, i.e. in around 35 minutes.

In that way I can chose the group that fits me.

Good luck!

[Gabby08 Graduate]

I joined a club a couple of months ago and I absolutely love it. It’s really improved my running and the social side is fab too. I’ve made some wonderful new friends.

I agree with PippiRuns that it’s useful to know your pace. We run with three groups and we usually cover about six miles on a social run so they will ask a newcomer how long it typically takes them to cover that distance. If you’re unsure about which group you should run with, I’d take it easy on your first time out. It’s nice to have enough puff left to be able to chat and it’s quite satisfying to ‘graduate’ to a quicker group at a later date.

Don’t be nervous. As far as I can tell, runners are the nicest bunch of people on the planet and they like nothing better than welcoming others into the fold; imagine a mini, real-life version of this forum. Try talking to as many people as you can so you know a few friendly faces the next time you go.

It’s also worth checking to see if your club has any specific regulations first. Mine insists that you wear a fluorescent/reflective top on night runs and newbies sometimes get a gentle reminder for flouting that rule!

Enjoy it. You’ll have an absolute blast! And let us know how it goes.