Aerobics avoided

Hi, my name is Laura Stewart.

Late last year a friend of mine, Vicky, was challenged to run the Bath half marathon.  I had just come out of a long term relationship was feeling a bit down on myself and decided it was time to get fit so I offered to go for a jog with her and keep her company.

The first night I ran I was completely exhausted by the time I got to the end of the road, we must have looked hilarious to anybody driving past!  A few weeks later we were doing about a mile but really struggling, we had no motivation at all. By this time my friend had persuaded me to join her in the half marathon, somehow I had agreed and came to the conclusion if we were going to take part we had to do it properly.

One evening in January, on the way into our aerobics class we saw the Cotswold Allrunners gathering in the foyer of Stratford Park Leisure Centre in Stroud.

 

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 After a few nudges, you ask , no you ask we finally plucked up the courage to ask if we could join them the following week.

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Eight weeks on and we are running between 4-8 miles on a regular basis, I have even completed the Longleat 10k challenge in just under 1hrr 11mins which is a massive achievement.

The club members are really friendly and encouraging, I admit there have been times when I felt really useless, discouraged that I couldn’t keep up and even that I was holding people back, but everybody has to start somewhere and I can see a huge improvement in my fitness already.

I have also lost weight, built up my self esteem and confidence , I also feel getting out in the fresh air does you the world of good.

 

Laura Stewart of Stroud and new member to Cotswold Allrunners