Joining a Club

I got a PB in the Torbay 10k in August 2012 but at just over 50mins I was very much aware that the time could still be improved. I was pleased with the time (a PB is a PB after all!) but I left the event thinking that if I could devote more time to training and have a more structured plan, I could improve more particularly in my favourite distance (the half marathon).

To help with these goals, I decided to join a running club to help give me some structure and also to give me the opportunity to mingle with other runners. I joined the Teignbridge Trotters at the start of September 2012 and I very quickly began to wish that I had joined years earlier!

The first session I went to, I must admit I was nervous for some reason. I think it was because I knew my times were nothing special and at that time I didn't really know where I'd fit in with the other runs. However, the club is really well run with sessions for every one. They have seasons on Monday, Wednesday, some Fridays and weekends. I can't get to all of those, but my training now revolves around the Wednesday session and also the weekend run.

The Wednesday sessions are what I think have brought on my recent improvements. On a Wednesday there is in the region of 50 runners who turn up and there are 4-5 organised sessions for different types of running. For example, there is usually a hill-repeat session, a times sprint session and a 10-mile group, amongst others. The hill repeat session may be something like a pyramid or Kenyan hill session, which are things that I had never done by myself in 5+ years of running. The sprint sessions may be 20x100m sprints with jog recovery.

The weekend runs are more informal longer 'social' runs and again there tend to be 3 groups depending on your speed - A, B and C. I seem to have settled nicely into the B-group pace (which on the weekend is around 9-10 min/mile pace) and although I can't always get to the sessions I have really enjoyed the ones that I have attended. I've been on local routes I have never run on before and I have really enjoyed getting the miles in as a part of a group compared with trudging along by myself.

So, what has this all meant for me and my training? In no particular order:
- I have become much more motivated! The different Wednesday sessions mix things up and I actually look forward to those.
- A more structured training plan has to started to emerge for me, which helps with the motivation and seeing improvements made over time.
- I knocked 5mins off my five year old half marathon PB. It's still not an amazing time (1hr50) but I was genuinely really pleased with it! My PB on that course (Dartmoor Vale, which is hilly) was previously 1hr57.
- I have dropped a few pounds in weight, which can't be a bad thing.
- It has made me reconsider the amount of alcohol I drink, and I have drastically reduced my intake over the last 3 months, which again can't be a bad thing.
- I'm actually thinking about entering another marathon (I'm thinking about North Dorset Village marathon in May 2013). As I type, I haven't entered yet but I am seriously considering it.
- The improvements I've seen have been motivating. I've entered the Bideford Half in early March 2013 to see if can get closer to that elusive 1hr45min target time.

So, all in all, I'm really pleased to have joined a great club and I hope I can continue to keep running with them for some time yet! Throughout the last few months I've been building up to around 30-35 miles per week which for me is quite a lot. The overriding factor for me though is to keep my back healthy throughout this.....I really don't want to injure it again!!