I’m on a high

Hello! My name’s Donna,

I’m a on a high at the moment after completing the Bristol Half Marathon, something which I would never have dreamt of doing at the start of the year.

Busy Life equalled a few minutes on the treadmill every now and then

Until a year ago, I only ran a few minutes at a time on a treadmill every now and again as I was living a busy life as a journalist in London, although I had managed a 10k fun run before but was very slow! In January, after moving back to the Shire,

I was feeling fat and unfit after losing any running fitness I had previously.

SO, I decided to make some big changes.
I started eating healthier, cutting down on any bad food and running! I will never forget that first run outside in the frost on a Friday, just a short job around my village of North Nibley, near Dursley. It wasn’t far but it nearly killed me! I decided to go out more on the lanes and after a few weeks could run 30 minutes. I soon became addicted to running and everything to do with it. I bought a high-tech watch, would make running playlists for my iPod – but as someone who gets bored easier, soon started to tire of the same routes and running alone.

Addicted to running, but on my own soon became bored

I googled local running clubs and came across Cotswold Allrunners. It looked just what I was looking for – a club with like-minded members of all abilities.  I contacted the club coach, he replied and was really encouraging.

Joining the club! – There was need to be nervous!
I was nervous on my first session that I’d be the slowest, but I wasn’t and even if I was, it wouldn’t matter as everyone’s together and supports each other.

It’s a great group and everyone’s so friendly! And in-between the wonderful chats on beautiful trails around Nailsworth, Simon gives you running tips and encouragement.

Bristol Half Marathon – 5th September 2010

Last Sunday (September 5th) took part in the Bristol Half Marathon. It was raining, tough at times but I did it – and it was a great feeling to have ticked that off my list of things I want to do in life! And another thing I have to celebrate is that I have now lost over three stone since starting running regularly. I am discovering muscles in places I didn’t know I could get them!

What’s NEXT?

I am doing another Half Marathon – the Stroud – in a few weeks and have also entered the ballot for the London Marathon!
Imagine that?!It’d take a lot of training but if I get in, I will do it – and if I don’t get in, I will do it one day! It’s on my list of ‘things to do’!

A big thanks to all at Cotswold Allrunners for being so welcoming and encouraging

Mary is addicted to running

Hi, I am Mary Holba and 100th Cotswold Allrunners member.

So where did it all begin.  Well, I didn’t start running until I was 43 years of age.  Yes, I’d done other things of course, hiking, cycling, tennis and gym work! 

Then one day I found myself sitting in a café with a friend who was in the recovery stages of a long illness and she asked me if I would train with her for the Stroud Half Marathon, it was January and the half marathon seemed too long off to worry about so I agreed.

   Motivation  

To my surprise my friend kept me on a training schedule and I soon realised she was serious.

Unfortunately she did not run the Stroud Half Marathon due to an injury sustained whilst training so I ran it alone but by then the damage was done!

 >>>> read more of Mary is addicted to running

Kate’s ultimate challenge to date

Cotswold Allrunner, Kate McEvoy, a practice nurse in Stroud has made the biggest decision of her life, well other than giving birth to her little stars, Ewan and Lara, by joining the Higgy’s Heroes Team at the Virgin 2010 London Marathon.  After the Stroud Half Marathon 2008, her coach asked her about future running goals, the answer was ‘London Marathon 2010‘.

After a tough year in my personal life, the marathon seems an obvious progression

 >>>> read more of Kate’s ultimate challenge to date

I love it, it’s that simple

I’m Sarrah,

I started running in the summer of 2008, when I joined a gym a few months after the birth of my daughter.

Initially I just wanted to lose the last couple of pounds of baby weight but as the weather got warmer I found myself running less on the treadmill and more outside in the fresh air. I loved it and decided that if I was going to keep running I needed a challenge.

So I found the Stroud half marathon, entered before I could chicken out and found Simon and my local running club.

I think training with a club has been a fantastic decision; I would never have completed my first half in such a good time without the support and coaching of the club and since my first race in October 2008 I’ve run some cross country races, another half marathon and  ……..

 my first 10k race is coming up soon!

I keep on running because I love it – it’s that simple.

I love that I feel so good after a run, I like being able to eat cake and drink wine without it taking too much of a toll on my waistline and I value the friendships I’ve formed while running with the club. Running during the cold dark winter months is so much easier when you’re part of a group (even if they do call me Rudolph and ask me to light the way…) and I hope to run my first marathon before I turn 30.

I am proud to be part of the Cotswold Allrunners, I hope I am running for many more years!

Sarrah from Stonehouse and member of Cotswold Allrunners

I really enjoy running

Angela here.  Hi!

I started running when a friend whose husband has MS, asked me to be her running buddy and training partner for the Stroud Half Marathon. She, like me, would be starting from scratch, we’d have 4 months to train and we’d be doing it to raise awareness of the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre.

Doubting whether I could even run to my car and back I gingerly said ‘yes’. 

Running, let alone marathon running, wasn’t even on my Top 1000 Things To Do Before I Die list.  But I rose to the challenge

We trained 2-3 times a week along Stroud’s beautiful tow paths chatting all the way and upping our distance each week until wonderful new muscles had developed in our thighs and we were ready to run the race.

We came 1,524th on the day, beating the man dressed as a rhino but not many others. But it didn’t matter. The experience was a 100% positive one and its effects still linger.

I have found running something I really enjoy. For me it’s an extension of walking which I love anyway, but knowing I am pushing my body that much harder, knowing it’s healthy, and knowing that I am making the most of my body while I still can makes it special.

I am not ambitious with my running.  I just enjoy the exercise, the company and training tips of the Cotswold Allrunners, and the tiny advances I make in speed or distance from time to time – though not over Christmas or when it’s pouring of course.

The coach helps me to extend the boundaries of what I thought I was capable of and having a fixed time each week to run provides the extra discipline and tips that make all the difference. I can only recommend it to anybody wanting to get fit.

It’s not hard, it’s not expensive and it is fun!

Angela from Stroud and member of Cotswold Allrunners

Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.

Next Page »