I don’t like running – but I love jog leading!

by John Kay, Carluke jogscotland

OK, hands up, full confession – I don’t like running! There, said it. Never mind what others say, in my book running is hard. It’s not just running, I have no interest in any sport, of any kind – never have. In school, I would spend the first half of games lessons successfully working out how to get out of the second half.

“How can you hate running and be a jog leader?” you may ask. Easy, firstly I don’t hate anything, and secondly, I love the fulfilment and enjoyment which follows from having had a run. A jog leader can highlight this to others and share their growing success.

The jogscotland programme works. Asking for nothing more than a determination to try at the beginning, those initial stages progress in incremental steps to deliver real improvements in fitness. Of course, progress requires commitment and effort to bring betterment in time on feet, distance run, pace and knowing that hills, despite their demands, really are our friends. Yes, the rewards from jogscotland membership are real.

My background? From avoidance of exercise through school and youth, at age 25 I discovered the discipline of yoga and was fortunate to study with some inspirational teachers over the years which followed. Even with considerable gaps in practice when competing time pressures demanded, yoga served me well in building internal strength. However, at age 50, the horror of a widening middle-age-spread dented my not inconsiderable vanity which demanded a review of my lack of fitness. Gym membership was bought, attended for only a few weeks then discarded, but did allow access to fitness classes, which banished the expanding belly!

In May 2008 I was in Belfast to watch my son Stephen run his first marathon. Immediately post run, out of nowhere, he says: “Dad, on Fathers’ Day, in Glasgow there’s a 10K. I want us to run it together”. Shocked? I’ll say I was. 10K is more than six miles! What emotional blackmail was this? No way I was being bounced into anything. As someone old enough to remember being at school to be told the King had died (no, not Elvis - Google it!), I was in no hurry to start down this road to madness. However, after long reflection and against my better judgement, I succumbed and agreed to take part. On the day, Stephen paced, encouraged and guided me to within sight of the finish line before pushing me to “Go for it”. Sub 60 mins (just)! I collected my finisher’s medal and sported a grin as wide as a Cheshire Cat for the rest of the day. From that day, I was hooked.

Great start, but who could take my new found interest forward? Fortunately, Strathclyde Park jogscotland took on that role. Their friendly jog leaders, using a good cop/bad cop approach, pressed, pushed, and motivated in ways that brought me exhaustion, fun, laughter, friendship and a facility to vent lots of bad language. In 2011, Carluke jogscotland was formed, delivering jogscotland benefits closer to home. I’ve been a jog leader with Carluke jogscotland for some time now, and focus on the early parts of the programme where I take real delight in encouraging joggers to give of their best.

There is a drawer at home which holds a bundle of medals from 5K, 10K and half marathon events. These days, I’m less interested in adding to that collection and more in running just for fun. “What’s that?”, you say. Yes, running for fun! Running remains hard, but that feeling at the end of the run takes some beating.