Frequently Asked Questions

New to the area, gym, ex rower and 3K runner, have you a beginner's group?
Beginner (4 miles) training for a Marathon, would joining your club be useful?
Just stopped Rugby after injury, presently doing around 10K, could I come along?
Forthcoming races for children?
Running Partner for almost a total beginner?
Enquiring about beginners?
I am apprehensive about attending club night
Got a question? This could be a link to your answer

Q1. New to the area, gym, ex rower and 3K runner, have you a beginner's group?

Hello, I wondered whether you could help me? I've just been searching the website for local friendly running clubs and hence this e-mail. I'm not a runner but relatively new to the area and would like to start running (jogging/walking?) in order to keep fit and socialise. I used to row, and do go to the gym at present. I'm 30 years old and reasonably fit, but haven't jogged more than about 3k before (as part of rowing training). Do you have a beginner's group that I could train with? I'd be grateful of any advice.

A3. As you regularly exercise and have run before you should fit in fine.

If you can manage to get back up to your 3K level and regularly exercise, you should fit in fine with our beginners group. What you could do is come down a few Wednesday's and see how you fit in with the existing 3 to 4 mile beginners group. Below this it very much depends if there are injured runners 'coming back' or other beginners trying to get up to this level (which is just a guideline anyway.) Alternatively at the start of the year we have an 8 week beginners course.

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Q2. Beginner (4 miles) training for a Marathon

I enjoy running but can only run about 4 miles at present. I am planning to do a marathon in 6 months time. I was wondering if your running club would be useful to join and whether anyone else may be able to train with me / advise me on training for the marathon. The Wednesday evenings sound good. I really am only a beginner at present but am determined to get better at running.

A2. We have people who do marathons, around half a dozen do London each year

The London Marathon is the main marathon the club gets involved in each year, although members do others. Due to widely varying abilities it is difficult to formally organise a specific training group. However the club is large enough that there should be one or two people who are at or around your ability to train with.

On the Wednesday club night there are at least 3 or 4 groups going out at varying distances, from 3 to 4 miles (getting started) up to 10 or more if there is a marathon group. So you should be able to fit one of those into your training plan. On Sundays when there are no races, there is quite often a run from Bradgate park which can be 1.5 - 2 hours. The social network within the club does faciliate members getting together at other times. Other things to help you are our coaches and access to years of experience from the people at our club.

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Q3. Just stopped Rugby after injury, presently doing around 10K, could I come along?

I'm currently looking to join a local running club after ligament damage has stopped me playing Rugby. I regularly run past the Rowing club on my 8 to 10K circuits along the tow path and back on the Central Way. I notice you meet on Wednesdays, and was wondering if I could come along for a run to see if I fit in.

A3. Yes, if you feel fit enough, just turn up.

The answer is yes, just come on down ready to run if you are feeling fit enough, Wednesday 7:30. We should have some signs up. Just say hello to someone and say you are new to the club and someone will get you in the right group. If you are already doing 10K circuits there will be one or two groups you will fit right into.

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Q4. Forthcoming races for children?

I am looking for any distance races for my two children, a girl of 10 and a boy of 8. We live in NW Leicestershire, but are willing to travel anywhere within reason to race. At the moment they do not belong to any running club but train daily with me. They have already done well on the local cross country circuit winning and placing in their respective races. Ideally we are looking at a minimum of 2 mile races but I appreciate their ages make it difficult and would really welcome anything 800m +

A4. Difficult to advise as our club is for adult runners.

It is quite a complex question you are asking. Apart from access to athletics via schools programmes, it would help if you you were linked to a club that had a youngsters section. This would get you access to advice from someone who is trained on the rules and best practice regarding young athletes. For instance these rules include distance limits for young people to ensure they are not harmed in the long term. Running clubs like OWLS, Leicester Coritanians and Charnwood AC have sections for young athletes and Ivanhoe (Ashby) or Shepshed may have some facilities for youngsters.

Both OWLS and Charnwood have websites that you and your children might like to search out. Many summer races have fun runs that take place before the main event, so have a look at places like Runners World UK on the web for dates. Sorry we cannot be of more help, but our club does not cater for young runners so we have to be careful of what we say. With any luck you should have enough to go on, especially having web access.

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Q5. Running Partner for almost a total beginner?

I have been running for about 6 weeks (preparing for the Race for Life) and appear to be hooked on a sport I have always avoided in the past. I run a (very slow) 3 miles, 3 times a week and would welcome some company once in a while. I also have ideas about getting a bit quicker, as well as wanting ideas about places in the City to run without having to get in the car first. I live in the Western side of the city and work at DMU. Whilst the canal is great to run along in the day, I am worried about safety, given the fairly regular assaults which seem to happen on the path in the evenings. Any other route seems to involve either main roads or hills (well hilly for Leicester). Have you room, and running partners for a very new, very slow 40 year old?

A5. You should fit right in

Running 3 miles, 3 times a week gets you into one of our Wednesday night running groups and you would fit right in age wise as we are a club that is 'getting older' trying for more of a social atmosphere than competitive athletics. Usually other beginner runners look to the Race for Life as well. Some of our members either work at DMU as well or live on the Western side of the city so you are well placed.

You are welcome to come down and try us out on our Wednesday club night, just turn up at 7:20pm ish ready to run and let someone know you are new to the club. Either they will get you in the right group or pass you on to someone who will. There should be no pressure to join the club for a few weeks, purposely to see if you get on with the running groups or find running partners. We do not let people run alone on club night unless they say so.

Our website has more information on our club, or if you have specific questions I'll pass them on to beginners group organisers so they can give you a different perspective.

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Q6. Enquiring about beginners?

Hi, I am enquiring about beginners? Do you have to be able to run a certain distance before joining and if so are there different levels within your club? I am a female jogger, not really a runner, and would like to run with a group not only for safety but for motivation too. If you know of any womens running/jogging groups in Leicester it would be great if you could get back to me.

A6.

Being able to run about 3 miles gets you into one of our Wednesday night running groups. At the start of the year we usually hold an 8 week beginners sessions for people who are not at this level yet. At other times if you are concerned, just come down for a chat without the pressure of having to find running partners at the same level. Once you have done that, try us out for a few weeks. We don't let anyone run alone unless they say so, especially at the beginner's level. There are usually quite a few people running at about the 3-5 mile range and especially at this level we try for more of a social atmosphere than competitive athletics.

The difficulty we have is with people who are absolute beginners fitness wise, for instance those who have not been active recently, or only exercise once a week. Anyone at that level should think about seeing their doctor first and trying to raise their level of fitness through exercises like walking, swimming and cycling. Recent health guidelines are to exercise for half an hour 3 times a week (to heavy breathing level) or half an hour a day of activity. After 8 weeks or so of this you should be at the 3 mile run ability level. As to other clubs within the Leicester area, there are a few, see the our website links page, but if Wednesdays fit into your schedule you should fit in fine with us after reaching that 3 mile level.

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Q7. I am apprehensive about attending club night

A7. The detail below may make you more comfortable

Many people might feel intimidated at going into a room filled with people they don't know. Hopefully going into detail will re-assure you (rather than put you off!).

From the Contact Us page you know where we meet, Leicester Rowing Club (sharp left after the bridge). Depending upon the night and when you arrive, it may be difficult to park, but it is usually OK. There is parking via the right side of the building around the back, between the building and the canal (mind the canal!). On Leicester home game nights there is no parking as places are sold to football fans.
The entrance to the building is via the unmarked double doors opposite the (always open) gate from Upperton Road. The Leicester Rowing Club are our hosts, with them and university rowing club members often training during the evening. So you might be seeing a rower not a runner, but don't worry about that!
Once through the doors go up the stairs. You will see double doors opposite the top, which is the entrance to the main room. That is where we meet. There may be a poster up too! If it has been very muddy you may see a scattering (collective noun?) of shoes, take this as a hint if your shoes are muddy, especially after a run. When in Rome ...
If you are new to the club let a runner know and they will point you at a club official (hopefully the membership secretary) to sort you out with a short questionaire (so we know who is runnig with us) and get you into the right group.
On the tables by the serving hatch are a few folders. These contain race flyers and other running information. There should be copies of newsletters. Feel free to browse.
Runners usually start to arrive around 7:20pm for a social mingle and discuss what run they fancy doing. Groups are identified using a white board, based around 30 minute per mile differences between groups. So headings of Beginners, 10mpm, 9:30, 8:30, 8:00, 7:30, 7:00 are quite likely. Brief distance and route descriptions are put up against these headings.
At 7:40pm announcements occur followed by a quick skim of the running groups to identify who the leader of the group is.
If nobody is staying in the main room all bags are stored in the bar storeroom. Our club, or the Rowing Club take no responsibility for loss, so use a changing room locker, bag in the bar storeroom or leave valuables in your car. Bring bicycles inside and lock them to something.
With the formality of club night out of the way, its out to run.
After the run, the facilities are yours, showers, changing, there is a cob rota, tea, coffee and soft drinks organised by the club. There is a bar, so the building can stay open quite late! The Rowing Club ask that we do not sit on the covered seats after running (would you sit on yours?)
A few times a year there are club meetings. These start at 8pm, so there are shorter, less organised runs on those nights. Generally late October (for the AGM), March and July.

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