Easy ways to hit the ground running in Birmingham
Birmingham Wellbeing Service’s Walk, Jog Run Programme Manager Gaynor Roberts urges Brummies to get off the couch and start running.
If you’ve been inspired by the thousands of Brummies in training for this weekend’s Great Birmingham 10k but have decided that running is not for you - think again.
More and more people across our great city are getting into running and if you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help.
Taking up running can be a daunting idea, especially if you have never run before. You worry that you’ll look silly or that people will see how unfit you are. You decide that unless you can hit the streets and immediately run a marathon, running is for other people.
I get it. I understand your concerns and misgivings but you should give yourself a break.
If you’re new to activity, you’re just coming off the couch, it can be daunting. You want to see people just like you, going on the same journey as you. You need people there to support you and cheer you on your way.
That’s where Run Birmingham comes in.
To help you make a start, we’ve got Couch to 5k or fun beginners’ sessions in parks and open spaces all across the city.
Couch to 5k is a 9 week progressive programme which uses a mixture of walking and jogging to slowly build up your stamina and fitness. By the end, you will be able to run for a sustained period of time (potentially even 5k!).
But don’t get caught up in the idea the Couch to 5k is just about the running – it’s far more than that. Our qualified and experienced Run Leaders will take you through a wide range of exercises which are FUN, encouraging you to SOCIALISE and they won’t stop until they’ve made you SMILE. So what are YOU waiting for??
We’re not expecting people to jump off the couch and immediately enter a 10k or half marathon. But, if you get the bug, those opportunities are there. Birmingham is a city that supports your running ambitions from those tentative first steps through to participating in senior events.
So we have events for those of you intending on turning the casual, social running of a Couch to 5k or Great Run Local into something slightly more serious. Led by fantastic, qualified Run Leaders, the 5k to 10k programme promises to push you to that next level of running, once 5k becomes no longer the challenge it once was. There are also loads of running groups around our city. Find out where your closest group is
Starting to get the picture? Birmingham is a great city for running.
Most of us will never be in the frame for Olympic gold but so what? Do things at your own pace, take it one step at a time and forget what other people think.
Maybe this time next year you’ll be in training for the Great Birmingham 10k or maybe even a marathon!
