HAS this superb summer of sport inspired you to dig out your trainers from the back of the wardrobe?
Did watching the Great North Run give you goosebumps?
Okay, so we’re not all going to make it to the start line of the Rio Olympics, but running is one of the most accessible and cost effective ways to improve your fitness and general health, not to mention increase stamina and lose weight to boot.
Lots of us pull on our trainers for an occasional jog around the block, but joining a club is a great way to take your running further.
Group running is very social; miles pass more quickly when you’re chatting, there is safety in numbers as the dark nights draw in, and it’s inspiring to be involved with a team and celebrate each other’s successes.
There is a perception that running clubs are full of scary elite runners obsessed with their personal best times, and novices often worry that a group will be too fast or run too far.
Local running club Trawden AC hopes to change that view.
The Trawden ethos is all about being inclusive. Yes, they have some speedier members, but new runners are always welcome and encouraged, and no one is ever left behind or made to feel slow.
They hold weekly structured training sessions suitable for runners of any ability.
Many Trawden runners compete in fell races, cross country events, relays, triathlons, marathons and ultra-marathons across the UK and further afield. Besides running and racing, they also host regular social events and celebrate the triumphs of the year with an annual Christmas awards night. Find out more at www.trawdenac.co.uk
Another great incentive is Parkrun, which arrived in Burnley this summer and now take place every Saturday at 9 a.m. in Towneley Park.
Parkrun is a timed 5km run and completely free to enter. Just register at www.parkrun.org.uk, print out your barcode, and turn up! Results are posted online the same day so it’s a great way to monitor your improving times.
Lots of runners start out with a 5K race and quickly get the running bug, Trawden member Autumn Howard started running with Parkruns earlier this year, and just last month completed her first half marathon, the Great North Run, in a fantastic time!
There’s never been a better time to start running, so grab your trainers and get going with Trawden AC or Parkrun!