On January 18Â this year, around 40 of us intrepid explorers signed up to a ten week beginners course run by Rye Runners. Why did we do it? A good question, and the reasons were varied, but for the majority, we just wanted to prove it to ourselves that we could! Some of us also wanted to lose weight, one of our group, Jonathan Challis led by example and lost an amazing 18lbs and 2 inches off his waist since starting!
Not knowing what to expect, we all met at Tilling Green Community Centre on a cold January morning, most us of didn’t know one other, and there was a genuine sense of trepidation and anxiousness.
Not knowing quite what to wear we assembled in a variety of colourful sporting clothes, but soon realised (after the first session) that after warming up, the last thing we wanted were lots of heavy or thick layers. Running warms the body quickly, thick layers don’t help, they just add extra weight.
Gareth McCully is our instructor, and for those who haven’t met him yet, believe you me it’s an experience! His enthusiasm is infectious (sorry to use that word at the moment). He is passionate about what he does and genuinely cares for all his group, including his fellow instructors. His sense of humour and his totally non PC attitude to life makes him the character he undoubtedly is, but without this, our ten sessions would have been so different and far less enjoyable.
After signing in we were given our instructions then shuffled nervously to the playing field where our first session began. We paired up, started our warm up exercises, completed the session, warmed down then headed back to the Tilling Green Community Centre where we had our well earned and very welcome tea and biscuits.
Never has a cup of tea tasted so good, the level of enthusiasm in our group had risen, we shared our names and thoughts about our first session with each other then left for home and looking forward to the next meeting the following Saturday.
This carried on for the next eight weeks and without really realising it we were all getting fitter and stronger and we knew how to prepare for a run, how to run, and how to recover afterwards. At no time did we race against each other, we competed as two teams, but we all felt at ease as nobody felt left out or left behind as we pulled together as a group, regardless of our ability or level of fitness.
Week 9 arrived and we moved to the cricket ground for our session, inspired by the earlier group of fully fledged Rye Runners who had started their session there before us. News of the Coronavirus was now widespread, the threat of isolation too.
None of us are immune to the virus and the responsible decision was taken to suspend any further meetings until further notice. Frustrating for all concerned as we were all so keen to complete the 10 week course and qualify for our much revered red Rye Runners tee shirt!
WhatsApp has kept the momentum and contact going within the group and we intend to regroup when it’s safe and when we are allowed. Keeping fit without leaving the house as we all know has its challenges, but future articles will offer possible solutions to consider. But if any of our readers have their own solutions please share them with Rye News, we will then share them with our audience.
Image Credits: Rye News Library , Fran Tyman .