Strathclyde parkrun - the value of volunteering

I started going to Strathclyde parkrun in 2016 but completing only 7 runs in the first 2 years, I can categorically say my commitment was very questionable. People talk about the parkrun community and it definitely does exist. Strathclyde parkrun is one of the bigger events often hosting over 200 participants; the community feel can get lost amidst such large numbers.  Perhaps that is why I was less committed back then. 

So what changed? Well, I discovered the joy of volunteering. I actually have no idea when it occurred to me that parkrun events across the globe rely on volunteers for events to go ahead.  I know now that it is mentioned every week in the pre run brief so perhaps I was not listening (retrospective apologies to the run directors). Anyway, as soon as I realised this I offered to volunteer; I’m sure my first role was as a marshal because I thought the other roles needed specialist training. It turns out that no specialist training is required, no role is too hard and each brings it’s own rewards. I have found that every person who volunteers has a favourite role. Some enjoy being out on the course encouraging every runner or walker to keep going whilst others enjoy being there at the end to offer a well done or have a chat about conditions that day. 

Through volunteering I learned that a new event at Lanark Moor was soon to join the parkrun family. Prior to a new event’s official start there is a test run so any teething problems with routes/signage etc can be ironed out before the first official event. I offered to be one of the runners testing the route although it is fair to say the route tested me more than I tested it. For some perspective Strathclyde parkrun is one of the flattest routes in the UK, Lanark Moor is definitely not! I have this event to thank for meeting the loveliest fellow parkrunners who have come to be very dear friends.

Had I not started volunteering it is reasonable to say that my participation at parkrun would have continued to be intermittent. Now with only 6 more runs until I reach my 100th parkrun I can’t imagine Saturday mornings without my weekly dose of 5K fun whether it be the run or whatever volunteer role I’m doing that week. More importantly had I not started volunteering I would not have met Ruth but more on that in a later post.

Oh and if you’re interested in volunteering at Strathclyde parkrun please follow this link https://www.parkrun.org.uk/strathclyde/volunteer/  for more information or contact your local parkrun for more information. 

Ruth’s 5 Top Tips for the First Time Runner

  

Both Nik and I started running as complete beginners. Everyone has to start somewhere but that starting point often feels like the most terrifying. Part of our aim with this blog is to show the world that running is for absolutely anyone regardless of age, stage or disability. Like most people considering running I procrastinated and fretted and thought I wasn’t good enough. When I was done with all that, I felt the fear and did it anyway. 

All the same, there is some great advice out there for beginners which definitely did help me. 

In this post I’ll share my 5 top tips. 

 

1. Know you are a runner

This might sound obvious but it took me a while to recognise the mental identification was just as important, if not more, than the actual ‘doing. The moment you decide to run and put one foot in front of the other, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter if you walk, jog, run or do a bit of all 3 as I did in the beginning. See yourself as a runner and commit to that, whether you run once a day or once a week. Identify as the runner you are; show up,  do your best. You really can achieve what you believe.

 

2. Own your runs

In this social media driven world, we all (sighted or not), compare ourselves to the latest Instagram post. We look at Facebook, at fitness coaches and celebrities, or even fellow runners and decide we are not good enough. What we don’t realise is that we only see half of their picture. We don’t know their struggles, their injuries, their emotional battles or how long it took them to get where they are today. Your run is your own, no one else’s.  5K is the same distance whether you walk, jog or run, whether you complete it in 25 minutes or 65.  It is your time, your body and your run; while you are out doing it, there are plenty people who still haven’t left the sofa! So be proud of what you can do. Run for you and don’t compare yourself to others. Sure you can use them as inspiration but never to bring yourself down, runners are a motivating bunch too, so feed on that.

 

3. Find your little wins 

Any regular parkrunner knows that the best part of a Saturday morning parkrun is the coffee afterwards.  It is an essential ritual at most parkruns, and definitely something that keeps me going when I’m having a tired, slow morning. If coffee isn’t your thing, company might be so if it is, join a parkrun, a local gym, a runners club, or just run with friends. Company can motivate, inspire and engage and along with the coffee, a real joy of needing a guide runner is the great chat and friendships I’m able to enjoy on every run with Nik and with others. Finding what motivates you is key to a successful training schedule but to most things in life. While some of you might indeed prefer to run on your own, just knowing there is a coffee, a cake, a hot bath waiting at the finish can be the magic force that spurs you forward; find that and make it work for you.

 

4. Remember to breathe.

When I began practising yoga 5 years ago, the above was a mantra my teachers told me over and over again. I thought they were crazy until I realised just how little I breathed. it’s true…stop for a moment and inhale deeply, fill your lungs with air, pause for a moment, and then exhale all the air out again. Now go back to reading this blog. Give yourself a moment and then check in with your breath, are you still breathing deeply? When you run, every cell of your being needs oxygen to fuel you forward. Lots has been written about how to breathe while running, through the nose, through the mouth or a bit of both. Not being a medical professional I can’t give specific qualified advice on this and everyone has personal preferences based on body type and medical conditions. Ultimately, the important thing is to breathe deep and mindfully. If you feel your breaths are shallow or laboured, you probably need to slow down to a gentle run or even walk, to regulate your breath, before beginning again. When I started running, I followed a 2-minute run, 1 minute walk pattern, which is fantastic for building up stamina and helping to stabilise the breath. If you run with a friend, a bit of light chat helps with this too. Some people might advise against this but I find it helpful. If I am losing the ability to chat to Nic, it usually means I’m either running to fast or breathing too little, and need to slow and regulate again. Find your own flow in this space in whatever way helps you to breathe.

 

5. Don’t give up

If you have a bad run, if you get injured or if the weather is bad its easy to throw in the towel. Easy to think you’ll never be as good as the runner who finished in front of you and it is so easy to stop. Though you might not realise it, you will be making progress all the time even if only by taking seconds off your time. When I joined parkrun, I set up a spreadsheet. I logged my times and after a couple of months I reviewed them. I was shocked to notice I was taking a minute or 2 off my time each month I ran and this became a great motivator. 

Being fast isn’t always an indicator of progress though. Showing up is the best commitment you can make to yourself, being dedicated and consistent. If you get injured, you can still show up to a parkrun to volunteer, to cheer on other runners, or walk the route if you are up to it. Keep connected to your tribe and hold on to your self belief. Resilience is what keeps you strong, on and off the track, so build that through every step, show up for yourself, and that spirit of showing up will make it easier to face the challenges, and when this running spirit fuels your life off the track, you know its truly working or you!

 

I hope these tips help you to make a start; and above all, to keep running

parkrun and beyond - Ruth’s story

In our introduction, I said that my running journey began on my sofa. That is partly true, but its not the whole story. I first ran when I was 9 years old, at a school sports day. I’d been practising every lunchtime, running on a grassy patch behind our school with the guidance of a friend who was 1 year older; and with a little more eyesight than I had.

 

Despite attending a school for the blind during my early childhood, there were definitely a number of years during which I did not register the fact I had no sight, or what that would mean for me, and this manifest strongly when I ran. I eventually gave up the sighted guide; I didn’t need it. I knew the grassy patch like the back of my hand, It was flanked by hedges and trees and if I fell; I had a soft landing on the grass. I loved the free running, the air rushing over me and through my flowing hair. When I ran I thought of nothing, was present in the moment and lost in the liberated movement.

Fast-forward to the sports day, I ran and ran. I knew I could win this race, I ran hard and heard parents and kids cheering me. Suddenly the cheers sounded far away and I wondered if I’d done something wrong? But I kept running, I ran and ran, till the grass ran out and I was on the hard ground of the carpark. I’d never come this far before and was considering whether to keep going or retrace my steps, when I was grabbed by a teacher. “Why did you do that? You ran too far, you are disqualified”.

 

Can you disqualify a 9-year-old? Moreover, does running too far, too fast, over the finish line count as disqualification? Of course, these are all things I can rationalise as an older, not necessarily wiser adult, but at the time, I felt crushed. In my mind, I’d failed at running. I’d failed due to my blindness and didn’t run again.

 

Over the years, I sometimes remembered that rush and how good it felt, and I even e-mailed British Blind Sport a few times in my 20s, to find out about running guides but they never responded; I considered it not to be in my fate. In the 80s and 90s, disability sport was not the cool, fashionable activity it is now, becoming an athlete or simply running for pleasure were not encouraged, hence my disqualification.

 

Fast-forward to 2020 and the Covid pandemic;  my life as a blind person was turned upside down. Forget running, I couldn’t even walk! Staff refused to serve me in shops due to my inability to maintain social distance and requiring assistance. I was working from home, dependent on friends and family for basic necessities. I felt trapped, insecure and restricted. This is why my sofa moment while watching the Great North Run stood out so much. This time, I was going to move, run, and reclaim something I’d started, but not finished, at aged 9.

 

I began asking around for running guides but was getting nowhere until a friend of mine told me about parkrun and how they could offer a volunteer guide. parkrun had a weekly event just minutes from my home, this sounded perfect. I sent an e-mail to Strathclyde parkrun curious about whether I would receive a reply. When I first received an e-mail from run director, Moira, I thought she had misunderstood. She was so open, friendly and inclusive. She told me just to come along, whenever I wanted, and I would be provided with a guide. There was no fee, no risk assessments, no awkward questions, no drama- did she understand that I could not see? The only stipulation given was that I register with parkrun and bring my barcode.  I asked my husband to drop me off for my first event and perhaps wait around for me. I fully expected them to register I was new to running and totally blind, before promptly sending me home. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

 

I was welcomed by Moira and countless others. My guide volunteer that week, Peter, is a beautiful soul who welcomed me and quickly sent my husband away saying he’d drop me home afterwards. Though Peter was an extremely accomplished runner, he was patient, supportive and encouraging of my efforts. Despite a slight wardrobe malfunction (always wear drawstring leggings!), I had an absolutely amazing time. 

 

Peter became a friend, as did so many at parkrun over the weeks to come. Running slipped into coffee and laughs with so many after my runs. When I’d talk about parkrun to friends and family I’d become emotional. Never had I been part of such an inclusive community, where sight loss was no barrier, where I just had to be me and have fun. Everyone encouraged me, from the elite super-fast runners to the complete beginners, and many of them offered to run with me in the great North Run if I was still serious about participating. 

 

Nicola (aka Nik ) was one of a group of volunteers who offered to guide run with me. She had never done it before so we agreed she would run along-side me and my guide that week to see what was involved. As fate would have it, a fellow runner became unwell and my guide had to stop and assist. Nik took over at a moment’s notice not that it showed. We ran like we’d been doing it forever and we just clicked! There was so much to say, share and laugh about and so little time. Like so many others, Nik offered to guide with me at the Great North Run. I felt we’d be a perfect match but I didn’t want to push her into it. I was concerned that she was just being kind. One Saturday afternoon after parkrun, she sent me a message to see when I’d like to start doing training runs for the Great North.  That’s when I knew she meant business and that was where our partnership was born.

 

In coming posts, I’ll talk about how we began working together, the practicalities of guiding and being guided, and the amazing fun we have doing the things we love.