Member's Stories...Episode 1!

We've decided to feature some of our members and the first up is the lovely Christine Bridges! Christine helps out with our Colwick Beginner's group so some of you may meet/have met her at the weekends..

Christine - My Story

My New Years resolution for 1st January 2014 was to turn back time! Pretty much impossible, you might say, but as my son was to be forty on April 20th I did not want to be a frumpy old woman!!

 

I decided that I needed to lose two stone in weight and get fit. I joined Slimming World in February and also started to go to the gym where I was brave enough to start jogging on the treadmill!

 

My daughter Dawn recommended NHS Couch to 5k but I was very sceptical as I had never liked running. Setting out on my own around the village in May, I could not run for more than 30 seconds at first and it was very hard going. But I kept going. I completed the course on my own over the following three months and to this day I'm unsure where my determination came from. I did get alot of encouragement from everyone at Slimming World and that spurred me on! Dawn introduced me to the Facebook page Run Mummy Run and a whole unknown world opened up to me.

I'd never heard of a Parkrun before and spurred on by all the enthusiastic reports I went to Colwick on my own, not knowing even if I could do it.

 

I started out near the front and soon felt like I was going backwards as everyone overtook me at great speed. Undeterred though I plodded on and I finished with lots of children and their parents! I didn't care cos I'd done it! The next time I went, again not knowing a soul, I followed a lady round with her little girl. I spoke to her at the finish and said how well her daughter had done. I went home and looked at the Run Mummy Run Facebook page and Sarah had posted that she had been at Colwick with her daughter. Wow I was amazed, someone I recognised, I wasn't alone!! Sarah then invited me to NWR and I then found out - I love running with such amazing inspirational ladies. I was hooked!

I did the Muddy RFL in September with Dawn and it was brilliant. I ran all the way and went through all the obstacles! I also raised £137 for Teenage Cancer trust.

Anyway, I turned 62 last October and reached my target weight losing two stone just before Christmas and bought myself lots of new clothes for my fab new figure!

I'm fitter now than I have been for many years and feel that actually I have turned back time! I'm looking forward to 5 and 10k races this year and of course NWR runs, hills and all!

2014 New Years resolution completed!