stride_magazine_2021_-_issue_3

By Jim Glennie of On the Run Cumbernauld

Jog Scotland Cumbernauld was set up in the very early 2000s by my wife Heather and Alistair Lunn, along with Susan Addison and Marie McChord. Myself and Tom McChord soon joined them. At the time we were affiliated with North Lanarkshire Leisure, but eventually the group became independent and changed names to On The Run Cumbernauld. Membership is now above 100 and up to 70 run regularly on a Monday night regardless of the weather.

Running has been a long-term passion for us both - a love of sport was probably inevitable as we are both nurses. Heather had started running with the Women’s Network in Glasgow a few years prior to undertaking the jog leader course with jogscotland. Her main aim was to spread the physical and mental health benefits of running and to ensure the basic principles of this exercise was shared with those starting out to ensure good technique and injury prevention, and ultimately to set up a group in Cumbernauld.

I had been running since the early 1980s, running the first Edinburgh Marathon in 1982 and thought it was time to give something back (and also to learn to stretch after a run!). When I became a jog leader I was able to share my own experiences of distance running and successfully encouraged many to train and run distances they previously would never have considered. We never believed in those early days that we would make so many friends for life through jogscotland Cumbernauld and are forever grateful. We’re now delighted to say that we have passed the baton on to the next generation. Our children Lewis and Morven had started running at primary school age and were members of Airdrie Harriers for several years. Both were into other sports as well at school - football, badminton, swimming, basketball, dancing and cheerleading. As teen activities became more varied, running for both of them took a back seat for a few short years.

But more recently they both picked up running again – and also became jog leaders! They have been great at organising and encouraging others to get involved especially during the last 18 months, and it makes us very proud to see them both follow us into jog leading. They both have their own goals but continue to encourage and support others at every opportunity. Morven organised a number of events during the lockdown and people competed in virtual teams over a variety of distances on a weekly basis to keep motivation up and add in a bit of fun, while

Lewis organised the runs from Croy via the Tak Ma Doon Road (1000 foot elevation in 2.5 miles) to Stirling (14 miles) then a few weeks later ran this in reverse. More recently Morven, Lewis and myself set up weekly track sessions for runners at Greenfaulds School that is open to all levels of runners - even at 5.30pm on a Friday night it is well attended and appreciated by members. Further to this Morven has entered the Barcelona marathon as her first marathon next year along with myself and Lewis. Morven and I are members of Airdrie Harriers, where Morven now helps the children’s groups and I has recently joined the committee. We are both members of the endurance group trained by Derek Hawkins. Over the years we’ve taken joggers on a huge number of race trips. Several years in a row Heather organised trips to Inverness for the Loch Ness 10K and Marathon. Probably most notable was the 10K with a home-made costume of Nessie with several of the runners joined together! They ran the 10K, entertaining the spectators on the way, and raising a healthy sum for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland.

Heather even organised two trips to Lanzarote for the joggers for the International Running Challenge, which is four races over four days (a 10K, a 13K run up round and down an extinct volcano, a 5K beach run and finally a half marathon). On the second trip, 12 joggers participated and had the distinction of winning a group award for epitomising what the event was about ie. encouraging and supporting others, regardless of ability. We also had the distinction of doing the conga on the final stretch on the first beach run which brought great amusement to the other participants (but no PBs)! This has become a regular family trip for us and in 2019 all four of us participated in these races. In fact, we are just back from there this year.

Running allows us to combine holidays with our passion for running, and now includes David and Cristina, Morven and Lewis’s partners. Importantly, running has brought great happiness and togetherness to the family.