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runningowl
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in Clubhouse
What is the general consensus of opinion about us club runners by non club runners?
A mate is sacred to join my club as he see's us as almost all superrunners that he couldn't keep up with on runs. Mindlessly running 100s of miles a week.
This is wrong as there is a very good mix of abilities at hallamshire harriers sheffield.
Someone else said clubrunners are arrogant and unapproachable.
i hope their wrong. lol
Also
from my experience when i put on my club vest its like putting a target on my back as non clubrunners then almost kill themselves to beat me in races. don't get that if i just wear a normal running top in smaller races.
what do you non clubrunners think of us?
A mate is sacred to join my club as he see's us as almost all superrunners that he couldn't keep up with on runs. Mindlessly running 100s of miles a week.
This is wrong as there is a very good mix of abilities at hallamshire harriers sheffield.
Someone else said clubrunners are arrogant and unapproachable.
i hope their wrong. lol
Also
from my experience when i put on my club vest its like putting a target on my back as non clubrunners then almost kill themselves to beat me in races. don't get that if i just wear a normal running top in smaller races.
what do you non clubrunners think of us?
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Comments
I do recognise the chasing down a club runner to get ahead of them
Most club runners I know are lovely, never had an issue with any. I do get a bit miffed when a small minority get snobby about VLM etc and non club runners, but in the main I don't see an issue.
It's my choice to not join a club. I still might, but for now, it suits me to not be in one.
I'm a club runner and the people in my group (the steady group) and those in the next group up are lovely friendly people... Unfortunately, the same can't be said for those in the faster groups, not all of them but some of them won't have anything to do with the slower runners which I think is daft... after all a mile is still a mile no matter what pace you run it at.
Admittedly at a local race I was quite chuffed with myself as I went past a group of girls from another running club. Teehee.
What a very silly billy I was.
Yes, I'm at the 'steady' end - but it's a big, friendly, helpful and supportive group. Any group of 150 or so people is going to have a few arrogant twats - but they're far outweighed by the normal/nice people.
Took me best part of 5 years also Jj!
I'm right at the slow end but its also a nice group
- £2 off race entries
- Turning up to events and being (almost) certain of having someone to support them/talk to at the start and finish
There are plenty of arrogant non-club runners too
Let me see...my old club has a great website which boasts "We ensure that during the dark winter nights no-one is left to run alone" WRONG. I'm very often found myself in the dark in areas I didn't know, with no idea how to get back to the club.
"we welcome runners of all and any standards" as long as you're faster than 11mm and can do a 3 mile circuit in 25 minutes. Club member who got in the Guinness World Records was applauded soundly (and deservedly), bloke who did Berlin, likewise. Me taking 15 minutes off my half PB, and nearly 10 off my 10 mile PB...well still slow so not mentioned!
"Several coaches at various levels to help with those training schedules" or, what really happens, you arrive on club night, there's three routes stuck up round the hall. Generally 3, 5 and 6 ish miles. You decide which route you're doing, and everyone goes hell for leather, testosterone blazing to finish first. No intervals, no group leaders, no chance to try a longer run unless you can keep up with the group doing it.
Group briefing before my last training night with them, we were told they'd introduced a "mentor" scheme, where someone experienced would run each distance to make sure no-one got lost or left behind..."but you slower runners need to remember the mentors are giving up their own training to help you".
My favourite was being told by a fellow member on a run that I'd need to work a lot harder to be able to finish a Half...I'd done 4 by this time and had just had my cancer diagnosis. Cheers mate, I'll just piss off and die then shall I because I bring the club average times down.
That is appauling Kwilter - I hope that's not the attitude of most clubs.
Envious? Not a bit of it. In fact,a lack of inane, boring running talk with a beardy bloke in shorts that a little too short at the start of races is one of the reasons I'm not a club member or race that often
I think the general perception is that club runners are whippets and only talk to other club runners, and even then, only about how fantastic their latest PB was. That was certainly my perception of club runners before I joined a club.
But I think the reality is that there are good clubs and there are not so good clubs. Club members are also a cross section of the population, so you will come across some idiots, but most people are friendly.
yes i felt the same last july when i joined my club..scared. but must say i have steadily improved this year. my coaches have pushed me to do things i never thought possible last year. find a good club and you wikk never look back
It took me a long time to join a club, mainly because I'm slow and was worried I would be left behind all the time. I was always right at the back of the 'improvers' group but there is always a coach that runs with me and keeps an eye on me. I was still freaked out that other club members hated me for holding them up and had a breakdown about it one session, bursing ino tears and crying uncontrollably for 10 minutes. But everyone was fantastic and really worried about me. It was a mixed session as it was winter and some of the fastest runners in the club then spent what was left of the session helping me and were all lovely. When I knocked 25 minutes off my HM pb I got a massive round of appaulse which made me really proud. Most of the club members know I'm doing the Vitruvian triathlon in September and always ask how it's going; they know that I've been working towards distance and stamina all year rather than speed so don't mind that I'm still plodding along at the back. I love that everyone is friendly and that if we do time trials or memorial runs on club nights everyone hangs around until the last person has finished to cheer them as they finish. It makes me not mind being last as I get the biggest cheer!!
We have some gold medal winning runners in our club but the achievements of us plodders are celebrated as much, if not more, as those of the super fast.
Maybe I'm lucky in that my club is a good one, but I'm so pleased now that I joined. Must admit though that I don't think of myself as a 'club runner', more just someone who runs and goes and has a run with some like-minded people every week.
The only time I ever come into competitive contact with club runners is at my local parkrun and to be honest I think a few should ask for their club fees back.
Warm ups, pacing, both seem to be lacking with some.
Yes i know its boring stuff but if your in a club surely thats what you get taught?
My last club was fantastic and a great bunch of people. On training nights new people were always indentified and looked after. Looking after new people was always encouraged. There was no pressure for people to join unless the wanted to compete. Memebership was around £30 and track sessions were free. The people who ran the club were volunteers but were dedicated in all areas. If my old club is anything to go by then running clubs are the best value for money you could possibly have. I only resigned because I now live a long way away.
Erm...no!
Those pesky 8 minute milers holding everybody up...
The 1st time we (me & Mr CS) went along to our club, I'd gone into detail via email what speed I was capable of (being the slower one of the pair) giving recent race times and whatnot... we were then put with a group who promptly sped off leaving us in their dust... they then went off road (I'd not done that before) and up the biggest steepest hill... they're all going up it like gazelles or at least mountain goats whilst I'm puffing & panting and struggling to even walk up it... I was so disheartened... but decided I'd go back and try another group... we were then put with the steady group and they are the best bunch ever... nobody gets left behind... if somebody is struggling there is at least one person who will stay with them and we are constantly regrouping and swapping who stays at the back so everybody gets a decent workout. The encouragement from the more experienced runners in our group is enough to pick you up even on your worst day.
The main club night has no element of coaching, but I understand the other night in the week the run focuses on speedwork over the summer and marathon training in the spring.
They don't offer any coaching or advice at other times tho. We have another club in town and I think they're much more serious in their approach, so my club takes a more relaxed attitude to running.
Hi (haven't posted much on RW yet so hope you dont mind me chipping in)
I am interested in a joining a club in my area but there's several things that scare me about it,
firstly it seems that horror stories about clubs travel faster than good reports, this is a shame because people have a tendency to big up the bad bits and the good work lots of clubs are doing can fall by the wayside.
secondly there's that idea that a minority of less than welcoming people can ruin an otherwise supportive atmosphere and being what most people on here would class as a 'plodder' I would hate to be that noob that people instantly judge
finally the shattering of that illusion that you think you're ok 'plodding' along and suddenly whoosh you realise just how slow you really are!
its fear of the unknown i think and after typing this i've realised that much of it is in my head anyway and i'm going to go next week
phew
Running clubs are just a bunch of people. All sorts of people exsist in there as in life. You are not forking out £400 or something to a gym for a service but paying (hopefully) many times less to join a group of like minded people helping each other. Over the years I have enjoyed learning from others as well as passing on wisdom. In my experience of belonging to 3 clubs, I have found people immediately friendly and welcoming. Try it a coupe of times and what do you have to lose? I would be suspicious of any club that didn't let you come for a few weeks at least before they ask you to join. I was always allowed to join in my own time when I felt I was ready.
kepe promis, if you tell us where your based then possibly someone can recommend the right club for you.
As possibly the top running club in South Yorkshire, hallamshire harriers are wrongly suspected to be all super fast gazelles and that you would need to be fit and fast to train with us but this is far from true. While we do have sub 30min 10k'ers we also have people who run upto and past an hour for 10k. All levels are accepted and there are numerous groups of different level of pace and fitness each doing different things. There are speed session, fast long runs, slow long runs, women groups, etc and so forth.
Joining a club was THE best thing i did for my running and havent looked back since. There are smaller clubs and most are accepting of very green beginners up and have a good away from training social element.
thanks runningowl i think it would help me improve as i have a tendency to just run the same routes over and over again
cumbria area?
North London Runner, which Power Puff Girl are you?
Surely your super powers give you an unfair advantage?
Buttercup!
Most clubs should let you run for a trial period too so you can try the different ones in your area.
I tended to find I had the opposite problem of a lot of you guys saying you were too slow for the other runners.
If it was an intervals session it'd be fine, as it was all to your own paces in an overall group.
But if it was a normal run night, there were only a couple of possibles I could run with.
A fair few times early on i'd set off with a group, and they'd eventually usher me off...in the freezing pitch black cold winter, and a few times I ended up lost and cheesed off thinking why bother coming to the club to run on my own!
Now i was only 40mins or so for 10k back then, so not some kind of local legend by any means!
I'd still definitely recommend a running club to anyone though. I had years where I savoured the banter. However, where i am with my running now I need to train to my own paces and aims,and do it when i fancy.
A lot of clubs go for the "all levels welcome" approach and it's nice. But at what level does it become too tough to provide someone to accompany you? Once you start talking 12, 13minute miling it's not a great deal off walking pace, so it becomes tricky.
My (now) 2nd claim club actually provide a walking group..so i think they actually do cover things off nicely. They just lack any kind of top end pace! ie noone who could get under 40mins for 10k!
I always thought I would prefer running alone for me first 5 years of running but Joined a runnig club last winter as I didn't feel it was safe to be running by myself in the dark.
I have loved Running with a club, the people aren't arrogant because they're part of a Running club and are great company whilst out for a run. I've really enjoyed trying out new routes and even trying cross country running for the first time since school and I love it way more than road running now
I think there is a club to suit everyone, i tried a few before staying where I am now.