Running Past 50 is fast approaching it’s 4th birthday. It has gone from strength to strength, not just with numbers attending either.  During the recent lockdowns the regulars stayed in touch with each other and even began to meet for a regular runs together.  Friendships have been forged and a real sense of community prevails.
The regular Friday morning session takes place at the Olympic Legacy Park, 10:30am and is led by Accelerate Community Coaches Sarah and Simon.

We caught up with a number of the regulars to gather their thoughts on their love of this amazing group.

 

How did you find out about Running Past 50?

‘I began jogging just after the start of the first 2020 lockdown, initially for health reasons beginning with C25k, and for the first time, I managed to keep at it.

Just before the November 2020 lockdown, I went to Accelerate to get new shoes and Harvey told me about the group and encouraged me to give it a try.  I explained I was very slow and poorly coordinated which is why I jogged alone. He said that wouldn’t matter as all abilities were catered for.’ – Karen

Why did you start going to Running Past 50?

‘To improve my running overall, and keep in training for as many races as I can. I did well last year which I’m sure was due in part to the regular Friday sessions’ – Jane

In your opinion, what’s your favourite aspect of Running Past 50?

‘Keeping fit, learning drills and skills to improve technique, and then reinforcing them regularly is great, and so is the social side.’ – Kerrie

What’s your favourite/ funniest memory at Running past 50?

‘My abiding memory is when Sarah persuaded me to run my first 10k at Longshaw. To my delight and surprise, most of the RP50 group came to support me and cheer me over the finishing line.

Humour is present in every session but Simon’s impression of goose stepping or should it be CanCan is straight out of the Ministry of Funny Walks and takes the prize.

It is due to the effort and infectious enthusiasm of Stuart, Sarah and Simon that RP50 is such a success.’ – Harry

Other great responses about RP50:

‘These sessions are very therapeutic in all sorts of ways and I’m very glad to be part of RP50 and very grateful to Stu for setting it up and for Sarah and Simon for all their hard work and good humour.

One of the good things has been the way the group stayed together during lockdown – mainly due to Harry with his weekly bulletins and then later with his running sessions on the green edges of the city in the Peak District – RP50 grew to become more than it started out to be.’ – Christine

‘The funniest part for me is every week watching the intense concentration on everyone’s faces while trying to move more than one limb at the same time. Really grateful to Sarah and Simon for giving up their time every week and persevering with us lame ducks.’ – Paddy

‘We were a bit concerned that we were too old to fit in, but we were treated to Stuart’s full attention whether we wanted it or not. He always treated us as if we had some potential in spite of the evidence against it, and now Sarah and Simon have carried on making Fridays challenging and fun. The group has grown into much more than expected providing support and friendship to us all.’ – Margaret

If you want to find out more about Running Past 50, click here or give us a call on 0114 242 2569.

Running Past 50 will be at the Big Running Weekend!! This is a great opportunity to try the session to get a feel of what its like. Click here to find the timetable for the weekend and click here to purchase a Big Running Weekend ticket.

See you there!

 

Harry who regularly runs with running past 50 on a friday and attends parkruns every saturday shares how he has stayed fit when all of his normal outings are gone.

Week 8 and have not been outside the gate. This not because of Coronavirus phobia but because my wife is on the government extremely vulnerable list for the virus.

I do not have dumbbells or a yoga mat but what I do have is a furnished house and a garden. You do not need a gym to keep fit. So how have I managed?

Daily routine consists of 10-minute workout in private in the bedroom. Starts with spinal stretches. Can nearly touch my toes. Hamstrings are held taut and stretched by placing a foot on a chair. Hips are swung without shoulders moving. Shoulders swung with hips held firm. Dressing table is pressed into action for bicep and triceps dips. Even though it is only 08.30 am out comes the gin bottle. A litre bottle of Tanqueray Gin weighs 1.602kg. (at the start of the week.) Useful for developing upper body strength, mainly bicep curls.   The bedroom rug doubles up as a yoga mat for sit ups. 

Walking around the garden I can resist re-enacting a scene from John Cleese the Ministry of Funny Walks sketches. High kick walk. Then opening and closing the hip gate as I progress down the path. Amuses the neighbours   whom I am sure wonder if I am losing sanity as isolation continues. To add to their entertainment, I run a mile around the garden each night. 30 to 40 m of ascent depending on route. So many twists and turns that it takes at least 22 minutes of strenuous effort. PB 20.05 all comers welcome after lockdown is over.

Add to this routine Sunday I act as house fairy. Hoovering is a brilliant exercise. Use those Abdominal muscles. Move furniture, Weight lift on the stairs. Put in the occasional star jump. Bee bop to music whatever but the job gets done. Windows are washed, requiring step aerobics as well as upper body work out. Even watching TV or working at the computer induces the odd chair squat

Twice weekly 2 kg of bread dough are kneaded. Shoulder ache after this 20-minute workout.

The outdoor gym AKA the Garden then becomes my focus of activity most days. A wealth of equipment here. Electric mower that needs pushing. Hedge cutter waiting to be used.  Barrows of compost to be shovelled and lifted. Land drains to be dug up, unblocked, and then relayed. Essential tree surgery using hand saw and loppers from the top of a ladder. Seemed as if every muscle group was used as I soaked my aching body in the bath.

I just have strength left for the final exercise of the day. To lift and then extract cork from 1.134kg bottle of Chardonnay.

Hopefully, lockdown will finish soon, and I can resume my normal restful exercise routine namely a daily 2-mile walk, The Over Fifties Running Group on Fridays, and Park Runs Saturday. Despite all the above or perhaps because of it time flies past and I feel FIT and EXHAUSTED