Run Talk Run At The International School Of

WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS & PAULA GRAINGER

One of the tricks to successfully settling in after an international move is the ability to transition through the process of meeting people and becoming friends at a faster rate than you would in your home country. This is because your new friends become your support network, and if you’re lucky, your surrogate family.

Having moved to the US with a young family and remaining for 9 years I knew that we would eventually settle and feel at home in Switzerland, but in my mind this would take at least 1-2 years. However I was lucky enough to meet Paula just a week after moving to the country, and I am convinced it was our running together that cemented our acquaintance into friendship in a much shorter space of time.

Paula introduced herself to me in the school carpark, which I thought was incredibly brave of her. I learnt afterwards she’d noticed I was in my running gear and had, in her 6 years here, learned to recognize signs of a kindred spirit! After some meetings arranged as playdates for our children, we realized we had a mutual love of running and decided to meet to run together.

We actually managed only two runs before the 1st lockdown hit, but these were enough to strengthen our friendship and meant I became part of a wider friendship group through Paula, which I was so thankful to be a part of during that time.

As soon as restrictions allowed, we picked up again on the running. We commented on how quickly and how well we got to know each other during these runs – the barriers against opening up to someone new are much less when you are running forward together, side-by side, heading towards the same goal and being dressed in the same gear so feeling as equals. The fact our bodies were already tired meant our natural filters were less of a restraint to us just being ourselves and opening up.

At this same time Paula had been looking for new ventures and came across Run Talk Run on a UK Website. Run Talk Run is a mental health running group which exists to increase accessibility to mental health support through running and peer support groups. Run Talk Run is a weekly 5km jog where people can turn up and talk about how they are really feeling. It is free to attend and open to all abilities – we run as slow as the slowest runner.

Paula asked me whether I would consider a joint venture to bring Run Talk Run to Schaffhausen, and of course I agreed. What a fabulous way to share what we had discovered with our wider community! We started a Run Talk Run group in Schaffhausen in October last year and it has become a real success. Every week, we have many people turning up and enjoying the chance to get some fresh air and be able to talk about how they are really feeling in a supportive environment. We meet as a group 10 minutes before the run is due to start at a chosen location where there are facilities available, and a bag drop option. We explain the route to any new

members and then set off together as a group. The emphasis of Run Talk Run is not on pace or timings, it is to provide a safe place for people to talk about whatever they need to with no fear of judgement, whilst being outside and moving forward together.

Despite the success of these runs, within our community we found that for some people even the thought of a 5km run was a bit overwhelming. Luckily for us this coincided with the launch of Walk Talk Walk in the UK and we found this to be a perfect fit for us. Walk Talk Walk follows the exact same premise as Run Talk Run, but it is a walk that is offered, not a run. We now offer Run Talk Run and Walk Talk Walk weekly alongside each other; both groups meet at the same location before heading off for either a 5km run or a 3km walk, with Paula and I alternating between the groups. The finish time is usually similar, which makes it perfect for us to stay on for a coffee and a chat after the exercise. Nobody is required to stay for this of course, but Paula and I always do, and we have found that our members enjoy this social part as much as the physical part.

Paula and I have recently become Run Leaders for Western Europe and have helped set up new Runs and Walks throughout this region, including Italy, Malta, Germany and The Netherlands.

Coming from the International School community ourselves we realise what an absolute perfect fit this is for the other schools throughout Switzerland, particularly in these Covid times when so many of our usual activities and pastimes are restricted or not possible. It is a wonderful opportunity for the school to offer a support group for new and existing families, yet also provides a way for the wider community to come together. Our group consists of not just members from ISSH, but from the wider international and local communities too, providing us with new links to Schaffhausen as a whole.

We would love to help facilitate setting up Runs or Walks for the other International Schools here in Switzerland. The process is straightforward, and all the support systems are already in place. If this is something you think would be of interest for you, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Paula and I are here to help you with every step of the journey and truly believe you will get as much from it as we do.

For more information please contact us via email (westerneurope@runtalkrun.com) or through our Instagram or Facebook Page (runtalkrun_schaffhausen). We would love to hear from you.