What are the Benefits of Joining a Run Club?

What are the Benefits of Joining a Run Club?

Lace up your trainers, running has arrived at One Playground!

 

Introducing One Run: the perfect way to bring the community together for some fun and movement, improving your cardiovascular fitness and getting to know your fellow One Playground members.

 

We caught up with Jen Irvine, One Run Club’s expert trainer to give you all the tips and tricks to make the most of your weekly plods around Sydney.

 

Jen has been active all her life, and back in Ireland, where she is originally from, she represented her country over 30 times on the badminton court. Jen became interested in running in an unconventional way! It was lockdown and she had decided to do a handstand challenge from pure boredom, which resulted in a bulging disk. While Jen was in pain, she also couldn’t stand the thought of not moving so decided to go for a long walk.

 

One day, halfway through her run Jen picked up the pace, ran a little, walked a little and now fast forward 2 and a half years later, she has completed 3 ultramarathons!

 

With all this experience, plus working as a coach for over 10 years, Jen is bringing her expertise to One Run, ready to help our community take to the streets.

 

Jen tell us – what are the benefits of joining a run club?

Aside from the obvious benefits to your cardiovascular system, the one thing that stands out as to why run clubs are so incredible is the unbreakable friendships that are formed. Getting up in the dark and the rain, or even when you’re just not feeling it, to be greeted by your friends and the run leaders means that all of a sudden you’re pumped and ready to go! 

 

When on the run, conversation flows, and you push each other to be that little bit better than yesterday. 

 

After the run, we hang around for coffee, pastries and a chit-chat, developing those friendships as you celebrate your successes. 

 

Plus, if you’ve told a friend you’ll meet them there, when the alarm goes off and you don’t want to get out of bed, you power through because you can’t let your friend down. It’s that added bit of accountability that keeps you on track to seeing improvements.

 

It’s a vibe you never knew you needed until you experience it for yourself!

 

How often should you run to see improvements?

How often you should run will depend on your goals but a good number to aim for is a minimum of two per week, one faster and one slower.

 

When you’re training for an event or a race, you can get more specific, focusing on holding a specific pace, hitting certain distances and playing with intervals.

 

If you do have a specific goal in mind and that could be anything from getting to a 5k, a half or full marathon or an event such as Hyrox, a coach can work with you and your personal running abilities to determine a plan best suited to you.

 

3 tips for starting your running journey

 

1. Slow and steady wins the race

I wouldn’t be surprised if you, like many, get hooked on running. However, the biggest mistake is going too quick too soon. You might hear the phrase run slow to run fast – we’ll it’s true. Don’t go all out for every session otherwise, you’ll wear yourself out and your nervous system won’t be able to keep up. Instead, enjoy the process and the challenge and don’t rush! 

 

2. Don’t forget your feet

Invest in a pair of proper running trainers. There are so many brands and styles to choose from and it can be overwhelming. Stores such as Athlete’s Foot offer a gait analysis that looks at your specific foot strike and specialists can recommend the right shoe for you. 

 

Know that there are also different types of running shoes; some are more cushioned for long runs, and others are carbon-plated to give you more speed on race day. Don’t get suckered into the trend of wearing shoes like Nike Vaorflys on your everyday runs. These are meant for races and speed sessions and will wear out very quickly

 

3. Strength is key

Behind the scenes, you should also incorporate some strength work. Running can be very impactful on the body and the joints so adding in some running-specific exercises to bulletproof the body can help you to run further, speed faster and avoid injuries. 

 

How to get involved in One Run Club

Run club is open to both members of One Playground and any non-members who would like to join! Simply head to the One Playground app and book in.

 

Check out all the details and instructions on how to book here.