Pushy pushy pushy
During Janathon, I found out there was a local participant and so I tracked him down on Facebook and sent him a message and said hello local person and he said hello back and asked if I was a member of a running club and I said no, I had thought of joining Ashford & District Road Running Club as it looks nice and friendly but I live in [insert name of small area on the outskirts of Ashford] and I don’t drive and if my boyfriend didn’t want to come along I’d have to cycle two miles into town and then another two miles out the other side along the motorway and he said oh, I’m the membership secretary of that club and I live in [insert name of neighbouring small area on the outskirts of Ashford] and I can give you a lift and so I said hurrah, thank you, I’ll ask my boyfriend if he wants to come along and if he does, he can drive us but if not, I’ll take you up on your kind offer of a lift.
Shaun did indeed want to come along to the running club and we were going to go last week but I felt bleurgh and didn’t want to go but this week we did go and I got introduced to the other women running that week and I was asked how far and fast I run and I said not much at the moment, I’m really slow, about 12 minute miles and only doing about 3 miles and she said we’re probably doing a bit more than 3 miles today and so I thought ok, she probably means 3.5 or 4 miles and I can cope with that but when she told someone else the route she’d planned to go I thought THAT SOUNDS LIKE A FLIPPING LONG WAY TO ME and I escaped to the toilet and then I went outside to see if Shaun was there to tell him I wasn’t going to run and he was there but so were the women who were about to head off for their run and I said to Shaun, I’m not running, they’re going too far, I’m going to stay here and wait for you but then the women said OH NO YOU’RE NOT, YOU’RE COMING WITH US and I said no, really, you’re going too far, you’re going about six miles and I’m not fit enough, I only want to do three miles, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer and one of them ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY PUSHED ME ALONG TOWARDS THE ROAD and I said do you mind? I don’t really like being pushed and I shrugged her off and turned round and went back to the changing room in a strop but they all followed me and the one who pushed me said she was sorry she upset me and I said that’s ok and they said I wasn’t allowed to wimp out (not their exact words) and I had to run and I’d be fine and if I didn’t want to go the whole way, they’d come back with me and I said I didn’t want to cut their run short and I only wanted to do three miles and they said that was fine and when we’d done three miles, we’d turn round and come back and I said BUT THAT WILL MAKE IT SIX MILES and I said I didn’t want to hold them up and they said you won’t hold us up and I said but I already am, you’d be a mile down the road by now but they wouldn’t take no for an answer and so I went out and thought I’ll turn round after 1.5 miles and come back even though I won’t know where I am and after 1 mile one of them says we’re going too fast and I look at my Garmin and it says we’ve done a mile in 12 minutes and I think that’s fast? and I can’t turn around and run back as there’s someone behind me and there’s no escape and I have to keep going but there’s a lot of walking involved and we get back completely soaking wet as it’s been pissing down and Shaun’s been waiting 45 minutes for me because we’ve gone 7 SODDING MILES and it’s taken 90 SODDING MINUTES.
Bah.
But secretly I’m pleased I’ve done 7 miles even though it took a flipping long time and then Shaun and I go to the pub and I have sausage and mash and he has steak and chips.
Yum.
Stats
Distance: 7.06 miles
Time: 1:36:33
Pace: 13:41
Calories: 614
Running clubs: 1
Pushy women in running clubs: about 6
Rain: lots
Sausages and mash: 1
Steak and chips: 1
Cathy, I was horrified when I first read this… but now I have re read it, it is actually very funny! Hope you’ve not been put off, we’ll find you a group to run with at your pace, I promise!
Oh dear sounds tortuous! At least you did it though…. It’s runs like that that i refer back to when i’m struggling and realise that i CAN do whatever i set my mind to.
I like the idea of straight to the pub after though, mash is a good carb reload i guess!!
Pingback: Twitter Trackbacks for Pushy pushy pushy | JogBlog running blog [jog-blog.co.uk] on Topsy.com
Oh Cathy, you have made me giggle and how brilliant over 7 miles..even if reluctantly…I am amazed that they were quite so ‘pushy’, not sure I would have responeded too well to that, but I guess they are just enthusiastic about their sport and wanted you to share!
But you did 7 miles! Well done!
Yay for 7 miles!
But oh my god, how bloody pushy…literally (sorry) so!
Bad running club women.
Well… i suppose it stops you wearing out the full-stop key! Where have you been for the last few days? We’ve missed you.
Wow, they were really pushy! The running clubs I belong to are nothing but supportive and if everyone does their own distance/pace and there is always another person supporting them. Congrats on the 7 miles!
You poor thing! If someone had pushed me I’d have definitely stropped out at them. I’d keep your delight at doing 7 miles VERY SECRET because otherwise they’ll know you love it and make you go even further..
I love the way you write, Cathy. Obviously it wasn’t a fun situation to be in at that moment but I can’t help laughing when reading your post.
We are honestly not that bad! Please do try us before forming an opinion!! 😉
This was the toned down version of events! Everyone was very friendly, just a bit too pushy. I’ll be back though.
Crikey! That sounds really full on! We have different sections at our running club so noone has to go further than they can or want! I would have had a major strop at that… no questions asked! You’re a better woman than me though as I don’t think I’d have been going back either! 🙂
I think I would have thrown a full hissy fit if I was treated like that. I like a bit of tough love but not a whole bucketload at once.
Congratulations on the seven miles though. SEVEN MILES
Woo Hoo 7 miles – bet you enjoyed the sausage and mash!
Some people would pay a fotune to get that sort of personal ‘motivation’!
Most people would agree that they were pushy but you could look at it slightly differently and say that they were being VERY encouraging! It got you out of your comfort zone didn’t it and you now know you CAN do it.
Well done I am impressed!
that is absolutely fantastic – both the funny blog and the fact that you did 7 miles. You see, you could have done the GRIM!!!!
Hi, couple of my club members have pointed me to this blog. I’m the Hon. Secretary of the running club. Sorry you felt your experience was a bit “pushy”, I am sure the ladies that you ran with were just trying to encourage you. I am at the club next Thurs and am only running short distances at the moment, 3-4 miles and would be happy to run with you.
Well done on your 7 miles.
Lynne
Pingback: Juneathon 2014 – Days 13 –17 – Including A Run With Other People | JogBlog