Our Run Group in Port Melbourne has been going for a couple of years now and during that time, I have been asked a lot of questions both as the coach and as the organiser. There are certainly themes to these questions and one of the big ones is around ‘fear.’ That fear is usually shown in the person not wanting to be the “worst" or slowest person in the group. One new arrival even messaged me before their first session to say, “I've never joined a running group before. I'm probably going to be way behind even the slowest person there.”
This is a genuine fear that lots of runners (not just beginners…) have. There is an automatic assumption that everyone else is better than you and that running groups are only for speedy runners, you know the skinny ones who glide effortlessly around the local running track. It is also fear that stops so many people from exploring running as a sport. I have certainly experienced that feeling myself before joining a running group in the UK a few years ago, so I can definitely relate.
Joining a running group and exposing your running ability / inability to a bunch of people who you don’t know can be a scary experience, but one that most people ultimately find really worthwhile and rewarding. No matter how experienced of a runner you are, a group with an inclusive and motivating coach can push you beyond what you thought was possible and can lead to new conversations, opportunities and friendships.
So……If you are unsure about whether a particular running group is right for you, what can you do?
Firstly, email the coach or organiser and let them know that you are thinking of coming along, giving them some information about you as a runner. Here are some of the the questions that they might want to know answers to…
Are you a beginner / intermediate / experienced runner?
How long have you been training?
Are you training for anything specifically at the moment?
When was the last organised run that you did? How did you do?
Have you been part of a running group before?
Are you injured or coming back from injury?
Then, its your turn to ask the questions. Go ahead and ask about:
The composition of the group
How far they generally run
How are the sessions structured
What level of experience tends to run in this group etc...
If all goes well and you feel that you will be welcomed by the coach and that this might be the right group for you, go along and try it out! At this stage its important to note that its worth trying the same group for at least 2 or 3 weeks, as there can be a bit of variety in who attends which sessions. As you go through those first few sessions, what are some of the questions that you can ask yourself, to assess whether this is the right group for you?
Are you enjoying it? (even if it is only secretly enjoying it…) YES/NO
Do you feel included, supported and encouraged in this group? YES/NO
Do you feel motivated by this group environment? YES/NO
Are you learning and improving in this group? YES/NO
These are basic but important questions. If you are answering mostly YES to these questions, you are definitely on the right lines! Keep in mind that it might take you attending a couple of sessions with a particular group before you can truthfully answer these questions.
The great thing is that there is so much variety in running groups these days, that there is something out there for everyone. It is also easy to change groups and find the group that really is right for you at that particular moment. Just take a look on Instagram or Facebook at some of the running crews/groups/gangs/teams/squads that exist locally and worldwide. I did this last night after my friend Leigh mentioned a run crew in London that she liked. I was genuinely amazed how much variety is out there, catering for all different runners, joggers and walkers of all different abilities, interests, shapes and sizes. It is exciting and inspiring to see all of these people becoming healthier, inspired and more connected through running.
Don’t worry if you’ve never had a coach or never joined a running group before. Even if you are thinking that you are probably going to be way behind even the slowest person, us runners are in this journey together and aiming to help one-another improve. It may even take a couple of tries, but I can assure you, there is a run group out there for every type of runner.