I just joined my first club
I'm just not sure they know I've joined...
After the whole shin splint incident (I think I wrote ad nauseum about it earlier..), I decided I needed to buy new shoes so I wouldn't re-injure myself when, or if, I started running again, so I wouldn't have the same problem. Or more accurately, I figured if I spent the exorbitant amount of money on running shoes that apparently you need to pay to buy a decent pair of shoes in Australia, I actually would start running again...
Knowing myself quite well, I knew that I might start running but not keep it up, so while I was in the local niche running shop (all shops are 'niche' shops in the northern beaches pretty much...) I asked if there was a local running group. Apparently there was - a group called the Northside Running Group (how original for the northern beaches - obviously no marketers live here...) and based on advice from the guy in the store, the Wednesday night group would be best for some at my current running fitness level. (Which I should point out is below expert and above about to stroke out - but unfortunately is closer to the 'about to stroke out' level than expert.) But nevermind, the guy said the group welcomed all levels of runners.
Armed with that knowledge, I managed to put off going on a Wednesday because a) my shins hurt and/or b) I'd have to leave work early to get there on time and I had only just started a new job and/or c) anything else I could dream up that reasonable could justify my not going...
But today was D day for me. No more excuses: my legs were fine (had even been for a few short runs over the past couple of weeks) and my boss wasn't in so I could easily leave early.
Early it was. Out of the office by 4:50 (feels like you're playing hooky - its great!) and home in plenty of time to change my clothes, get my shoes on, go to the loo a million times, convince myself not to go and then convince myself to go.... amazingly I was ready early and I decided to head over to Manly Oval where the group meets before I managed to convince myself not to go again.
For you non-Aussies out there, an Oval is like a football/soccer field, but it's not rectangular - it's oval in shape (hence the name Oval. Duh.) But like the sports fields back home - its huge - and it has a bunch of entrances. Not really the best place too meet up with a bunch of strangers...
When I first got there, there was a a bunch of people playing cricket (at least I think it was cricket - I so haven't gotten into Aussie sports over here - quite unusual for me - but I'll work on that...), and there were a few burly guys running drills ( I was praying they weren't the running group - they looked like scary rugby players - which it ends up they were...). No running group that I could see, but since it was 6:15 on the dot, I thought maybe I should wait to see if anyone turned up.
Sitting on the edge of the field, (looking like a freak who stalks rugby players, I might add) I heard a noise behind me and as I turned I saw this guy enter the Oval: tall, lanky yet muscular and dressed in running clothes. Finally! A runner! As he walked past me to get onto the field, in a rather mousy voice (obviously I was feeling a little out of my element....) I asked him if he were part of the Northside Running Group - to which he replied '(*^&% *)&(*%*'. Since he obviously didn't speak English, I began to have doubts that he was in charge of a running group...
Feeling slightly discouraged and more than a little foolish, I began to think that maybe next week should be my first week. I started to plan my route home in my mind - I could go along the beachfront - perhaps do a little jog on my way back to the flat. Not quite what I had planned, but definitely better than nothing. Almost fully resigned to this - and in fact starting to move from my perch at the side of the oval - I noticed out of the corner of my eye (okay - straight across the field from me) a few skinny people starting to congregate. Yup, definitely had to be the running group. However, I still wasn't 100% sure it was the group - and seeing as I had already decided that next week was really a good week to join a running group, I decided to give it a miss. I mean I had expended enough effort hadn't I? Effort to leave work early, effort to get changed in time, effort to get to the field, effort to wait around and see if anyone showed - that really at this point - I had done quite enough - and possibly even done enough to justify chocolate on the way home...
But then the guilt hit. (Hard to believe I'm not Catholic with the way guilt works on me..) Guilt that I wasn't really trying hard enough to make a life here, to meet new people, to make new friends. Guilt that if I didn't at least try, it would be my own fault.
So, I sucked it up and walked around the oval to the group that was getting larger with every passing minute to find out if they were the running group.
They were. And dammit if I didn't have to run. Well, sort of.
Just as an aside - I think some of my friends would be surprised at how hard it was for me to walk over and introduce myself to a group of strangers. I don't know what it is or why it happens, but sometimes I get an attack of shyness that is almost paralyzing - but I stuck it out. Some girl named Kate spoke to me which was nice. Encouraged me - saying that she was always back of the pack - but that was pretty much the last I saw of her.
After the whole shin splint incident (I think I wrote ad nauseum about it earlier..), I decided I needed to buy new shoes so I wouldn't re-injure myself when, or if, I started running again, so I wouldn't have the same problem. Or more accurately, I figured if I spent the exorbitant amount of money on running shoes that apparently you need to pay to buy a decent pair of shoes in Australia, I actually would start running again...
Knowing myself quite well, I knew that I might start running but not keep it up, so while I was in the local niche running shop (all shops are 'niche' shops in the northern beaches pretty much...) I asked if there was a local running group. Apparently there was - a group called the Northside Running Group (how original for the northern beaches - obviously no marketers live here...) and based on advice from the guy in the store, the Wednesday night group would be best for some at my current running fitness level. (Which I should point out is below expert and above about to stroke out - but unfortunately is closer to the 'about to stroke out' level than expert.) But nevermind, the guy said the group welcomed all levels of runners.
Armed with that knowledge, I managed to put off going on a Wednesday because a) my shins hurt and/or b) I'd have to leave work early to get there on time and I had only just started a new job and/or c) anything else I could dream up that reasonable could justify my not going...
But today was D day for me. No more excuses: my legs were fine (had even been for a few short runs over the past couple of weeks) and my boss wasn't in so I could easily leave early.
Early it was. Out of the office by 4:50 (feels like you're playing hooky - its great!) and home in plenty of time to change my clothes, get my shoes on, go to the loo a million times, convince myself not to go and then convince myself to go.... amazingly I was ready early and I decided to head over to Manly Oval where the group meets before I managed to convince myself not to go again.
For you non-Aussies out there, an Oval is like a football/soccer field, but it's not rectangular - it's oval in shape (hence the name Oval. Duh.) But like the sports fields back home - its huge - and it has a bunch of entrances. Not really the best place too meet up with a bunch of strangers...
When I first got there, there was a a bunch of people playing cricket (at least I think it was cricket - I so haven't gotten into Aussie sports over here - quite unusual for me - but I'll work on that...), and there were a few burly guys running drills ( I was praying they weren't the running group - they looked like scary rugby players - which it ends up they were...). No running group that I could see, but since it was 6:15 on the dot, I thought maybe I should wait to see if anyone turned up.
Sitting on the edge of the field, (looking like a freak who stalks rugby players, I might add) I heard a noise behind me and as I turned I saw this guy enter the Oval: tall, lanky yet muscular and dressed in running clothes. Finally! A runner! As he walked past me to get onto the field, in a rather mousy voice (obviously I was feeling a little out of my element....) I asked him if he were part of the Northside Running Group - to which he replied '(*^&% *)&(*%*'. Since he obviously didn't speak English, I began to have doubts that he was in charge of a running group...
Feeling slightly discouraged and more than a little foolish, I began to think that maybe next week should be my first week. I started to plan my route home in my mind - I could go along the beachfront - perhaps do a little jog on my way back to the flat. Not quite what I had planned, but definitely better than nothing. Almost fully resigned to this - and in fact starting to move from my perch at the side of the oval - I noticed out of the corner of my eye (okay - straight across the field from me) a few skinny people starting to congregate. Yup, definitely had to be the running group. However, I still wasn't 100% sure it was the group - and seeing as I had already decided that next week was really a good week to join a running group, I decided to give it a miss. I mean I had expended enough effort hadn't I? Effort to leave work early, effort to get changed in time, effort to get to the field, effort to wait around and see if anyone showed - that really at this point - I had done quite enough - and possibly even done enough to justify chocolate on the way home...
But then the guilt hit. (Hard to believe I'm not Catholic with the way guilt works on me..) Guilt that I wasn't really trying hard enough to make a life here, to meet new people, to make new friends. Guilt that if I didn't at least try, it would be my own fault.
So, I sucked it up and walked around the oval to the group that was getting larger with every passing minute to find out if they were the running group.
They were. And dammit if I didn't have to run. Well, sort of.
Just as an aside - I think some of my friends would be surprised at how hard it was for me to walk over and introduce myself to a group of strangers. I don't know what it is or why it happens, but sometimes I get an attack of shyness that is almost paralyzing - but I stuck it out. Some girl named Kate spoke to me which was nice. Encouraged me - saying that she was always back of the pack - but that was pretty much the last I saw of her.
To say that I created a new back of the pack would be an understatement. About 5 minutes after we started, I started to fall behind, after 10 minutes I could no longer see them. Strangely enough, I didn't really mind. I finished my half hour run (okay - I could only do 28 minutes - but that's better than what I was doing on my own..)
I'll go again next week. See if anyone remembers me (unlikely). Wonder how long I can go meeting with them at the beginning and never finishing up with them until they realise. Will they think I 'm some crazy lady who 'pretends' to be part of a running group? or will they realise I'm just shit? Either way, it doesn't matter. For me it's good to be with a group that so much better than me because it makes me want to get better. With time, maybe I'll be able to keep up with some of them and maybe some of them will want to be my friend. (I really am laughing at the moment....) Doesn't matter - if I do manage to keep up with some of them, I'll be in such awsome shape I won't need friends. (Okay - I'm just getting delirious from the fatigue now...)
Can hardly wait to see what happens when I join a swim club...
posted by lala at
7:36 PM
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