I am a latecomer to running and never thought it would be something I could do prior to 2023. I started by trying a ParkRun where my initial goal was to run the 5k without walking, I managed that at a very steady pace and was spurred on to try to improve on my first time. Slowly but surely it’s something I’ve continued to improve on over the time I’ve been running. My initial parkruns led to me starting to seriously train for my first 10k at Abbey Dash in 2023. This training made me a runner and led to me developing a passion for running and trying to push myself a little further to improve on my times little by little. I first came to Lakers in September 2023 and have been a regular ever since. The community spirit of Lakers is great and the encouragement of the other members has helped my progress as a runner. The weekly hill sessions and free track sessions are great assets to the club and it’s nice to run with a group of friends on a Tuesday evening. I do still enjoy a weekly parkrun and the Lakers monthly Parkrun league gatherings are a great way of travelling to other places with a bit of friendly competition thrown in. I’ve also been converted to cross country running and have enjoyed taking part in my first two seasons of Winter League and West Yorkshire Vets League, where it’s nice to meet up and run as a team. I was inspired to become a run leader to give something back to the club, so the club can continue to offer options for groups on Tuesdays catering for runners of all abilities. It’s inspiring seeing others achieve their goals and the encouragement given by the other members whether they’re breaking their marathon PB or run/walking to their first 5k finish. Go Lakers!!