Support and encouragement

I did quite a long run with my Harrier friends last night so it was quite a gentle mile this morning.

Actually I say it was a long run with my Harrier friends, but in reality it was half with my friends and the rest on my own.

I went back to see if some stragglers were doing OK and needed someone with a head torch for a particularly dark part of the route. But I couldn't find them anywhere.

So I had to give up and was then too far back to catch the rest of my pack.

When I got back to base all were back and accounted for, so it was fine in the end.

I think that the lesson for me is to always make sure that the slowest runners, and the slowest in any walk of life, are fully supported and encouraged.

Their future participation and enjoyment is dependent on that support and encouragement.

The easy & friendly way

Yesterday, I was out in the dark running a mile as fast as I could. Today I ran in the gorgeous sunshine, supporting three relatively new runners with a gentle jog, followed by some jog/walking.

Both very different experiences but I loved both.

I hope I didn't torture my beginners group too much, as we were supposed to run for fifteen minutes and then jog/walk for the rest of the three-mile route.

I'm afraid to say I got so involved in chatting that I kept them running for nineteen and a half minutes before I realised that we were supposed to stop for a walk.

It's so great to see people stretching beyond their comfort zones towards their true potential.

All three of the runners I was with this morning said that they enjoyed running with others and that they didn't think they'd be able to keep up the running if they weren't doing it with a group who all supported each other.

Striving for your potential doesn't have to be hard, and it is also often far more effective when you've got others supporting you.