I love Monday and Wednesday evenings as I get to be a part of the Nike Pitt St Sydney store’s Run Club. A free initiative for people of the city of Sydney.

I started running with them about 18 months ago in the lead up to the 2012 Nike She Runs the Night (13km run through Centennial Park) and then continued running with them leading up to my first half marathon (details on that to come in another post). They are such an inspiring group of run leaders and there was a real sense of community spirit, so it was lots of fun.

These days I am lucky enough to be a run leader and I usually take the beginner runner groups to help people who are in the same situation I was 18 months ago. I really enjoying helping motivate them and taking them to distances they have never run before. Just seeing those smiley faces and how happy they are after the run is enjoyment enough for me. Running can be such a solo sport that it’s a great opportunity to be able to give back and share my love of running with others and let people know that they are not alone.

Last night while running through the city I was having a conversation with a beginner runner and she was asking what sort of km’s I run each week. As an example I said that last Friday I had done 17.7km, Sunday I had done a hilly 3km, Monday 12km with run club and then of course the 7km we were doing that night. She was very impressed with the amount of kilometers that I was covering and asked me about when I had transitioned from ‘beginner’ to ‘runner’. I could not think of a particular moment in time when I felt that I had stopped being a beginner and could call myself a runner, and I think it’s because I feel like there is still so much to learn. So I was stumped for a response and also felt quite shocked that 5km was a ‘walk in the park’ for me these days. When did that happen?

After I got home I realised that the Nike Run Club has played a huge part in transitioning me from a beginner to a runner and for that I am very thankful. If it was not for the dedication of the guys in-store who promote the club, the organisers and the run leaders then I would not be in the position I am today. So if you are a beginner too then get yourself signed up to a run club, they help keep you accountable and on track, plus you get to learn from people who have taken the same journey that you are embarking on.

Thank you Nike Sydney Run Club, I owe you guys big time!

Another great run in such a gorgeous city.