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Meet some of our New Starters

On April 21st the ‘starter group’ was launched to encourage complete beginners to try to build up to run approximately 5k.  After the first twelve weeks many starters achieved their goal of being able to run a 5k, others have progressed quickly to the main club sessions and have even taken part in their first races, and others are happy to socialise whilst keeping fit. 

The success of a cross section of our ‘original starters’ can be seen below.
 


Sean Thompson


 Michelle Long, Debbie Blackburn, Lisa Potter and Amanda Wright
             


Debbie Blackburn

I joined the starter group on its first night in April thanks to my husband. He has been running with the Fairlands Valley Spartans for what seems like many many years, always coming home telling me about his split times and PB's and I had to admit I envied him escaping from the house and the children regularly and doing something he enjoys.  So when I heard about the starter group I decided if you can't beat them, join them! Even if I couldn't manage to run to the end of the road without collapsing!

That first evening I was really nervous as I left my husband at home for a change and I was not really sure what to expect.  I was amazed at how many people were there and I needn't have been worried.  Everyone was really friendly and welcoming and before I knew it we were off.  Walking those first 2 laps of the lake with a few 1 minute sessions of running was torture but I did it, and felt great!  Over the next few weeks the running times grew and before I knew it we were almost running 5k.  I then decided to enter the Race for Life 5k in Stevenage, like many of the others in the starter group and decided that I really wanted to run the whole way round. By now I was not only going to the Monday night session but joining my husband on a Thursday "Spartans night" too.  I also started to drag him to the track session on a Saturday, complete with our youngest son who now enjoys a run round the track too!

The encouragement and support from all the Spartans I have met has been fantastic.  Without their help, especially Katrina and Tessa, I'm sure I wouldn't have managed to fulfil my goal of running the whole 5k course. I could go home and say to my husband "do you want to hear my split times!"

I'm not sure what will come next but I'm definitely hooked.  I didn't realise quite how much I would enjoy running, and now I understand what has kept my husband sane all these years!

Helen Broughton

I joined the Spartans through the Starter Group in April 2008.  I’m not a new runner as such – but coming back to it after injury and a year or so with next to no running...life seems to get in the way sometimes!  I’d been thinking about joining Spartans for a while – but was sure I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the main runs.  So the Starter Group looked a good option.  If you’re thinking the same – give it a go!  There’s everyone in the Group from complete beginners to people starting to push their pace harder.  We run a 2-lap route, so there’s always a shorter option, and no-one is ever left behind – each week someone encouraging takes the last-place and helps the novices make their way round.

For me, the Starter Group has built up my confidence, and I’ve now started running with the main club runs.  I really thank the Starter Group coaches for their encouragement and taking the time to run the sessions – I’d never have found the confidence to join the main group directly.   But as it turns out, the main sessions aren’t so scary either - most of the sessions are done as loops or with recovery intervals when the pack re-groups.  So being at the back feels very friendly as everyone comes back to join you!  And as a bonus, my speed’s improving too.  I’m now building up my mileage for a half-marathon in the autumn.  Still not sure about Spartans or even running?  Come along and try it...everyone’s welcome.

Sandra Grilli

I first started to jog about three years ago with a friend. I had lost two sisters over the last few years through cancer and needed to do something to make me feel positive about life again. I had also given up smoking and put on a lot of weight and wanted to get fit.  A year and half ago my friend had to stop running so I had no one to go running with. Then my neighbour Peta mentioned that her running club were starting a starter group in April 08. I decided to go along. I am so glad I did as I have now done the Race for Life 5km and am now contemplating a 10km in the autumn.

I would like to thank the coaches for their support and encouragement which spurred me on to keep going and achieve what I thought I never would.  I am not a runner but for anyone who feels they need to get fit and feel more positive about life I would recommend running. You can run at your own pace and you will find you meet people that run at your pace. Whatever pace you run at does not matter you will not be left behind, as the coaches are always there to coach you and encourage you.

Thank You to Spartans for making me welcome and convincing me that I could  run.

Michelle Long

I had run when I was younger and I had watched people run long distances before and wanted to experience it myself. Having been ill for a few years, running seemed like an impossibility. The opportunity came up to run the London Marathon in 2009, it was one not to be missed. Luckily my health has improved dramatically and even more so since running. Anything worth doing is worth working hard for! Running with a club is certainly much better than running alone. It was daunting at first, I am like most of the population who thought that there would be flesh, lycra and stopwatches everywhere! In fact Fairlands Valley Spartans is more about enjoying the run and feeling motivated by others who run. It must be infectious as I now wear lycra and have recently purchased a stop-watch!   I am running for a charity who supports Children with Cancer and disablement, so your sponsors are needed!

Once the marathon is done and dusted, i’ll be preparing for more running events and adventures. Age might wrinkle the body, but quitting wrinkles the soul!

Lisa Potter

I was introduced to the Spartans by a work colleague who was advertising the beginner group. I had often seen the groups of runners out and always wished I was fit enough to join but at that time the only exercise I got was walking from my car. The timing was great as a friend of mine had just convinced me to enter the ‘Race for Life’ and we had planned to walk the course as neither of us were fit enough to run.

The first session I went to was great and I knew from then that this was for me. Don’t get me wrong it was really hard work, I only managed to run four one minute runs and the rest I walked but the atmosphere was great. Everyone was really friendly and with a turnout of 80 new starters, I was hooked!

As the weeks went by I started to attend more training sessions. I was amazed by my progress and was managing to run further every week. After about 10 weeks I managed to reach my goal of running 5k. What a great feeling!  I would not have been able to have done it without the encouragement of the Coaches and other beginner Spartans.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ‘Race for Life’ and it was a great day. The support from Fairlands Valley Spartans really encouraged me to keep going. It was a great feeling when I saw the finish line and I could not believe my time. – I had achieved my personal best…12 weeks ago I would never have imagined myself achieving this goal. I think some of my enthusiasm must have brushed off on some of my friends and family as they have now been to a couple of sessions.

In the future I would like to improve on my 5k time and enter another 5k race but at the moment I am happy enjoying the running, socialising and keeping fit.

Sean Thompson

At the start of the year I decided that I wanted to get fitter and lose the belly that I’d started to develop! I joined a gym and started to run on the treadmill a couple of times a week. Almost straight away I gave up on this as I found it incredibly boring.

In April I found out about the first starter group session through my friend who had seen an advert at his gym and thought that this would be a great way to get into running and stay at it.  I wasn’t disappointed, from the very first session I could tell that I’d end up getting hooked.  Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful no matter what ability level and there was no arrogance, the atmosphere was all about enjoying your running. I found the social aspect completely eradicated the boredom that had plagued me on the treadmill.

After going to a few starter sessions it was suggested that I may want to try going to one of the main sessions on a Tuesday or Thursday evening.  I did this the following week and found the same friendly, supportive atmosphere.  The sessions are well structured and thought out and you never have to feel worried about getting left behind as everyone re-groups at regular intervals.  Since then I have been every week apart from when I have been away and have also started to go to the Saturday morning track sessions at Ridlins (when I can get up!).

A few weeks after starting the main sessions I ran my first race for the club, a 10k in the mid week league and since then I have ran a 9k at Trent Park, 12 Mile Fairlands Valley Challenge Route, 3k Fairlands Valley Relay and 1500m track session in Watford, all of which I have enjoyed thoroughly.  I also feel a lot fitter, have more energy and have lost about 5Kg in weight.

Looking forward I can see myself being with the club for a long time to come. I’m currently planning on a 10k, half marathon and 20 mile over the next couple of months and hope to do a Marathon in the not too distant future.  I could never understand when people said that they’d caught the running ‘bug’ but now I do completely and I think that a big part of it is down to the friendly, helpful and supportive atmosphere of the Spartans.

Amanda Wright

I had been thinking for a while that I needed to do something to lose weight and get generally fitter. A work colleague mentioned that a running group was starting aimed at complete beginners. All it involved was five minute walks with one minute jogs in between. Surely even my body could handle that! How wrong was I? Absolutely and utterly unfit! Even my 60 year old Mum, who came with me, left me standing.  I managed two lots of jogging then had to walk the rest of the way. I was mortified that I was that unfit and almost left there and then, but I vowed not to let my mum beat me at this game and it made me determined to keep at it.

After a couple of weeks Katrina suggested that I sign up for Race for Life in July as it gave me a target to work towards. Well I thought, have you seen me run? It would give me a hefty goal to aim for but then again a reason to keep going. Twelve weeks later and I completed two 5k runs in the week before the Race for Life. I didn’t manage to run the whole of the Race for Life course as it was rather a hot day (I'm not a fair weather runner I've found out!)   and I did go off too fast, dragged along by the atmosphere of the day, but still managed a time of 37 minutes, shaving six minutes of my time in training. I was so exhausted but also so exhilarated by completing the race and setting a good PB.

My goals at the moment are to complete the 5k by running it and hopefully achieve a faster time and then go on to run a 10k in the not too distant future. Marathon? Not ready to contemplate that one yet but if I've achieved a 5k run in twelve weeks from being a complete beginner, then who knows what I'll be able to do in the future.