Segment by RTÉ's Morning Edition on running, "the latest fitness craze".

Heliotrope

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnw5tYRyJq4&feature=player_embedded

rom

http://runwithtina.com/

She obviously has a market for a women only running group. Are fit4life groups missing a trick here ?

Cabaal

rom wrote: »

http://runwithtina.com/

She obviously has a market for a women only running group. Are fit4life groups missing a trick here ?

From what I've seen of more local fit4life groups to me anyway they tend to be a majority of women so although this could be different in Dublin atleast locally I can hardly see women feeling awkward.

As for her training. couch to 5k, at 135e for 12 weeks so its an expensive couch to 5k program.

As someone who started off on couch to 5k few years back using free podcasts I'd hope that people would do some research to realise they can do this for free. Sure if trying it on their own doesn't work but all means join this sort of thing but its pretty expensive for such a simple thing.

Whilst its great to see a business working in Ireland I can't help but feel there's alot of bandwagon jumping going on and it isn't to the benefit of the runners at the end of the day.

pconn062

rom wrote: »

http://runwithtina.com/

She obviously has a market for a women only running group. Are fit4life groups missing a trick here ?

I love the tag-line on that website "Running made easy". Because everyone knows how complicated running is! :pac:

robinph

rom wrote: »

http://runwithtina.com/

She obviously has a market for a women only running group. Are fit4life groups missing a trick here ?

This is the original ‘learn to run’ course that started the beginners’ running craze in Ireland.

Really?

Do they have anything to back up that claim?

Cabaal

robinph wrote: »

Really?

Do they have anything to back up that claim?

Perhaps she's just done a very very poor job of wording it?

How its displayed on the website "suggests" to me that she has come up with the plan that people use. Instead its merely a plan that has become popular, but again nothing to backup that it started any craze.

If you look at group runs surely fit4life has started more of an increase then couchto5k?

sconhome

Fit4Life definitely is a huge help for the development of new runners in a group format.

C25k, runfatbitchrun and others are more individual formats in my mind. Using the format of the C25k in a group format just gives people a measure of how intense the program may be, before they commit to a group.

I've noticed many people put off the Fit4Life initially by factor of them being part of an athletics club 'Im not an athlete' frame of mind. C25k is more tangible, it can be researched before hand. However by sheer volume of numbers F4L is gathering momentum as more people tune into the fact it is not 'elites only'.

HelenAnne

Cabaal wrote: »

Whilst its great to see a business working in Ireland I can't help but feel there's alot of bandwagon jumping going on and it isn't to the benefit of the runners at the end of the day.

I just started running on my own - wish I'd known about Couch to 5k at the time - and then a few months later joined the Fit 4 Life section of Raheny & went on from there, but this year four of our newest members joined after doing a running course like this. They don't think they would have kept running, or felt confident enough to join a club, without it, so they're a really good way in to running, and they really build confidence in runners who are starting from scratch.

rom

I joined a club after Cork 1/2 last year having run 1:37 in it. I was really worried that I would be too slow when training etc. I was about in the top 40% at the club I would say then so my fears were unfounded. I am heading for the top 20% at the club now. The top 10% don't train much with many of them I have never seen at training so a club is probably more beneficial if you are mid pack. When people start getting to the sharp end they want to training specifically to benefit their ability which can be hard to do in some club sessions.

vitani

Is there much of a difference in attitude between the club approach and the Fit4Life approach?

RayCun

vitani wrote: »

Is there much of a difference in attitude between the club approach and the Fit4Life approach?

Well, they're both club approaches - fit4life is run as part of a club.
The challenge with newer, and slower runners, is that they require more active coaching, more support. If someone has been running a while you can tell them the session once and they'll go do it. Someone in the group will take it on themselves to time the rest intervals and start the next rep. Beginner runners don't have that confidence.
Plus, if you do longer runs, there can be a lot of variability in the standard of runners - 7, 8, 9 minute kilometers maybe. The tendency is for people to get strung out. You really want an experienced runner to go with the group, keep them together, and make sure people aren't getting isolated. (Or keep the laps short so people can't stray far, but that can end up feeling like a hamster wheel if you do it too often) Experienced runners are better at sticking together, and don't mind so much when they end up on their own.

vitani

RayCun wrote: »

Well, they're both club approaches - fit4life is run as part of a club.
The challenge with newer, and slower runners, is that they require more active coaching, more support. If someone has been running a while you can tell them the session once and they'll go do it. Someone in the group will take it on themselves to time the rest intervals and start the next rep. Beginner runners don't have that confidence.
Plus, if you do longer runs, there can be a lot of variability in the standard of runners - 7, 8, 9 minute kilometers maybe. The tendency is for people to get strung out. You really want an experienced runner to go with the group, keep them together, and make sure people aren't getting isolated. (Or keep the laps short so people can't stray far, but that can end up feeling like a hamster wheel if you do it too often) Experienced runners are better at sticking together, and don't mind so much when they end up on their own.

Ok, that makes sense.

I suppose what I'm really trying to get at is that if a club has a fit4life section, are beginners encouraged to join that rather than the main group? And would people tend to bide their time in a fit4life until they reach a certain standard or do they stick with it once they've joined it.

RayCun

vitani wrote: »

I suppose what I'm really trying to get at is that if a club has a fit4life section, are beginners encouraged to join that rather than the main group? And would people tend to bide their time in a fit4life until they reach a certain standard or do they stick with it once they've joined it.

we don't have a fit4life section (at the moment), so take all this with a grain of salt, but I think it's self-sorting. You don't have to push beginners towards the fit4life section, it's more that some people wouldn't join 'a club' but they would join a fit4life group. The whole confidence/intimidation thing. And some people are happy to go for an easy run a few times a week, with a friendly group, so the fit4life section meets their needs, while others start thinking about going faster and doing sessions.

spurscormac

RayCun wrote: »

we don't have a fit4life section (at the moment), so take all this with a grain of salt, but I think it's self-sorting. You don't have to push beginners towards the fit4life section, it's more that some people wouldn't join 'a club' but they would join a fit4life group. The whole confidence/intimidation thing. And some people are happy to go for an easy run a few times a week, with a friendly group, so the fit4life section meets their needs, while others start thinking about going faster and doing sessions.

Our club has a huge fit4life section, its how I joined the club a few years back.
We have two sessions a week, with 5/6 groups doing anything from 12 down to 8 min mile pace. People are encouraged to move to the next group if they find the pace too fast or slow, or can stay in their current grout if they so wish.
For those who want to push themselves, the other club sessions are encouraged, track, tempo, lsr etc.
So there's something there for all levels, and its not at all intimidating.

AK333

spurscormac wrote: »

Our club has a huge fit4life section, its how I joined the club a few years back.
We have two sessions a week, with 5/6 groups doing anything from 12 down to 8 min mile pace. People are encouraged to move to the next group if they find the pace too fast or slow, or can stay in their current grout if they so wish.
For those who want to push themselves, the other club sessions are encouraged, track, tempo, lsr etc.
So there's something there for all levels, and its not at all intimidating.

Our club in Clonmel is exactly the same - a huge Meet & Train group for women, and a similar group for men, and you are encouraged to join in local races/fun runs etc with no pressure at all, in fact we have a good few walkers as well. Its all about participation and inclusion, not weeding out good from bad. I would recommend these meetings as it has a fun group atmosphere that you don't necessarily get when running on your own, plus you pick up helpful tips on stretching/nutrition etc - our Club is fab.

lway

Cabaal wrote: »

As for her training. couch to 5k, at 135e for 12 weeks so its an expensive couch to 5k program.

Ouch, 135 euro. For 40e you could join out Fit4Life group and get two coached sessions per week as well as access to a running track for an hour once per week.

The rest as they say is up to yourself, on the other days you follow the program yourself but there are loads available online and we'd point you to one of you needed.

nerraw1111

It’s an interesting trend. There’s also runlikeagirl who do similar courses. Any reason why they are all aimed at Irish women? Is it a confidence thing? Is it for the social aspect?

It’s something I’ve noticed recently that the majority of people I see out running late at night are women. In the runlikeagirl about us section, the founder talks how she ran in the dark as she was self-conscious.

It’s probably part of a broader societal issue in Ireland re body image/confidence and so on but I think these groups are doing a bit more than simply charging for couch to 5k.

vitani

nerraw1111 wrote: »

It’s probably part of a broader societal issue in Ireland re body image/confidence and so on but I think these groups are doing a bit more than simply charging for couch to 5k.

That's a good point. I took up running just after Christmas and it's been the most empowering thing I've ever done. It suited me to just go and do it on my own, but I tend to be a bit of a lone wolf at the best of times anyway. For other people who like more social interaction, I'm hoping these groups are helping them reach the same feeling.

That's why I was asking about the difference between club sessions and fit4life sessions earlier. I like running primarily for the stress relief factor - it helps to clear my head. But I'm very keen on improving my times and achieving as much as I can too. The social aspect is nice and I've found races great for that, but it's not the reason I'm running.

maryishairy

Cabaal wrote: »

As for her training. couch to 5k, at 135e for 12 weeks so its an expensive couch to 5k program.

Here's my couch-to-5K program: 1. Get off couch 2. Put on runners 3. Head out the door. 4. Left/ right....repeat.

It'll hurt like hell at the start but with each run, it'll get easier. TAKE YOUR TIME and be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day. Set short term (run for 5 mins longer than last time) and long term goals (complete a 5K race without stopping) for yourself. Hook up with friends as running in a group environment is much easier and they'll be there for you when you're finding things tough.

If anybody would like to sign up to my program above, go ahead...it's FREE!!

Ososlo

nerraw1111 wrote: »

It’s something I’ve noticed recently that the majority of people I see out running late at night are women. In the runlikeagirl about us section, the founder talks how she ran in the dark as she was self-conscious.

ha ha you bring me back! that's exactly how I was when i started running over a year ago. I'd only run in the dark. I'm female. It wasn't a body self-conscious issue, it was just 'cause I was so damn slow, I was embarassed about what people would think and they'd say to themselves "sure she might aswell be walking she's so slow!" Now, well I couldn't give a cr4p;) It's probably a very common fear for beginners, male and female. I'd be petrified that if there was someone out walking, I wouldn't be able to overtake them:o

Ososlo

spurscormac wrote: »

Our club has a huge fit4life section, its how I joined the club a few years back.
We have two sessions a week, with 5/6 groups doing anything from 12 down to 8 min mile pace. People are encouraged to move to the next group if they find the pace too fast or slow, or can stay in their current grout if they so wish.
For those who want to push themselves, the other club sessions are encouraged, track, tempo, lsr etc.
So there's something there for all levels, and its not at all intimidating.

what's/where's your club?

footing

maryishairy wrote: »

Here's my couch-to-5K program: 1. Get off couch 2. Put on runners 3. Head out the door. 4. Left/ right....repeat.

It'll hurt like hell at the start but with each run, it'll get easier. TAKE YOUR TIME and be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day. Set short term (run for 5 mins longer than last time) and long term goals (complete a 5K race without stopping) for yourself. Hook up with friends as running in a group environment is much easier and they'll be there for you when you're finding things tough.

If anybody would like to sign up to my program above, go ahead...it's FREE!!

Brilliant!!