By Noreen Rees
I’m met at the gate of Northumberland Park in North Shields by Gillian Szafranski, and we set off on a run. I then almost shudder to a halt when she tells me that two years ago she was told that it was dangerous to do ANY exercise, not even walking, in case it seriously affected her heart. She’d been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and needed to take medication immediately. It took six months and the support of her Mancunian partner for Gillian to get back to training slowly. And in the time off she realised how much running meant to her.
So, Gillian is hoping to start a running group for people like her who aren’t fast paced, and might feel under pressure in an established running group, but who nevertheless want to improve their fitness and endurance. As she talked enthusiastically about what this new running group might look like, Gillian told me about her background. Gillian moved to Manchester from North Shields almost twenty years ago to work in Mental Health, eventually ending up as a manager of a psychological therapy service, a role she still holds today. I could see how her job – often with trauma victims – would fit with running, giving her the head space from a stressful role.
Gillian had enjoyed the spontaneity of the running group she’d been part of in Manchester – getting up before dawn to run as the sun rose on Mam Tor, and across the Edale skyline, then back in the house at 7am for breakfast! She’d participated in the Tour of Tameside, a three-day running challenge. She’d enjoyed running round the ‘enchanted’ woods at Compstall, and once, when marathon training along the local canal, even encountered a woman on a barge selling gin to passers-by. Halfway through the seventeen mile run, should she and her running mates have a glass? Why not?
As we completed our circuit of the park and Tynemouth, Gillian talked of her ideas for the new group. A qualified LIRF (Leadership in Running Fitness) run leader, she would like the running group to meet once a week initially, likely on a Tuesday around 6pm. Runners would need to be capable of running 5K, but at a leisurely pace (12.5 to 14 minute miles). The aim will be to improve stamina and confidence. “I want to focus on those who are not Speedy Gonzales runners to help them improve,” Gillian says. Once the group is established, Gillian has hopes of adding regular hill and rep sessions. There will also be sessions on techniques which help running, such as knowing when to breathe.
When setting up the new running group, Gillian would like to recruit volunteers to assist, particularly those who could run at the back of the group. There will likely be an eight week training plan initially, but this will be very flexible while the new runners are literally finding their feet. Later the plan might target particular races. To keep runners in touch with what is happening in the group, Gillian will be setting up a Facebook page and a WhatsApp group. She also hopes to link in with the Run Together app so runners can register that they’re coming along to a session.
After seventeen years away in Manchester, Gillian felt ready to come back to North Shields. “It’s becoming a really vibrant place,” she says. “An authentic community.” Gillian hopes to get the running group started in June.
