What to expect from training
Going along to a new group can be intimidating...we get it! But I promise we're a friendly bunch, and for those of you who like to know what you're walking into, here's a quick rundown of what to expect when you come to West Edinburgh Running Club for the first time!
STEP ONE - ARRIVAL
The first step, you head to the Winter Gardens Car Park at Saughton Park for 6.30pm on Thursday evening. Actually, you were a bit nervous and you arrived ten minutes early. That's ok! You see a group of runners and some people in branded T-shirts who are clearly the coaches! They got there fifteen minutes early expecting that someone would arrive early. You go up and say hi and ask if you're in the right place, which you are, and you start to relax a bit because they seem like normal people, and maybe they're smiling (This all depends on how our work days went, no promises!). Others start to arrive and you relax a bit...although some of them look like really fast runners, so maybe you're panicking a bit because... what if you get left behind?!
As the time gets closer to 6.40pm and more runners arrive you notice it seems to be quite a diverse group with a good spread in age. Maybe the same will be true of the ability levels. Nobody has asked for money but you see a wee jar that says £2 donations on it, so you pop a coin in. Your thoughts get interrupted as the coaches begin explaining the sessions.
STEP TWO - THE SESSIONS
The coaches explain that every week they plan sessions for the group. There may be a choice of session with the coaches splitting up but in general they stick together. It changes week per week, but they say that sessions are be advertised in advance on the website and Facebook page. The week you arrive Alan and Dom are leading some mixed-tempo intervals on the paths. You're nervous but Alan says he's going to hang out at the back, so you know you won't be last!
STEP THREE - THE WORKOUT
We do a wee warm-up jog around the park and you start chatting to some of the group members. They're all really friendly and you are feeling a bit at ease now. Coach Anna gets you doing some warm-up drills which make you feel like you look a bit of an eedjit...but she says they help! The session itself is a mix of hard running and easy running. It's bloody tough! But you find everyone is really encouraging. There are some really fast runners in the group, in fact, you think you might have been lapped by that girl twenty years younger than you...but that's OK. Alan's at the back like he said, cheering everyone on. There's a moment where you want to give up. But you don't, and you feel amazing (and a bit nauseous) when it's over.
STEP FOUR - THE COOL DOWN
After a wee cool-down jog the group comes back together, there are lots of red faces! Dom leads some group stretching. Some people don't stay, saying they have to get home for dinner, but you always forget to stretch so you decide it's better to stay.
STEP FIVE - NEXT WEEK
After the stretching the coaches ask you if you've had a good time. You say..."Yes, I think so!", they say "That's a good answer" and ask if you're coming next week. And you say "Yes, I think so!", they say "That's a good answer".