Thank you and cheerio to my Jog Scotland Penicuik Family

 

 In Feb 2018 I sent an email to Jo Stevens enquiring about going along to meet up with the Jog Scotland Penicuik group. Despite having been a leader for several years at Edinburgh College I was still nervous going along to another group, meeting new people, and hoping I would keep up with them. 

I have absolute confidence in myself as a runner, I don't care one jot about the fact that I run much slower now than I did in my younger days. But I often find that new people I meet worry that I am not keeping up and that it might be bothering me. That is until they find out how much running I have done in my days and then they get it. I run to enjoy life, I run to meet people, I run to see new views, I just run, that's me. Won't stop until I genuinely can't run another step. I love Jog Scotland because no one is too slow, there is always someone to run with, it is a genuinely inclusive running club, and it is for everyone. 

One of the things I have enjoyed so much about being a leader is inspiring and supporting people to find the joy and love in the past time that I have enjoyed for most of my life. I started running at 16 years old and have not stopped. I don't see myself as sporty, running is just what I do. I get so much out of meeting someone for the first time and hearing their worries about starting jogging and how they don't think they will be any good at it and then week by week they gain confidence and strength and before they know where they are they are running a 5km and completely hooked. Two beginners I have supported at Jog Scotland Penicuik have gone on to run half marathons and even become a leader. I could not be prouder. 

In my time as a leader at Jog Scotland Penicuik, I have met loads of lovely people, not least two of who have become my best friends, Norrie and Yvonne. All the leaders I have had the pleasure to work with are amazing and I will miss them so much. And our joggers, all with their own inspirational stories. Jog Scotland makes athletes out of people who would never have believed it of themselves.

We have had so many adventures along the way, too many to mention. But to name a few, we did Strava art in the dark once Christmas, we have had Halloween fancy dress 5kms, team events, Penicuik 10km trips out, and fantastic Christmas nights out. 

A particularly memorable weekend was the weekend we went up as a team to run the Aviemore Half Marathon. The run itself was brilliant, we had so much fun. It was a tough route, lots of hills and mud (right up my street). But the best bit was probably the meal we had as a team in Aviemore. Kieran got us into trouble as we had a long wait for a table so he went out and got us all McCoy's crisps. The next day a notice board appeared outside the pub saying that you weren't allowed to eat your own food in the bar! 

The support I received from my Jog Scotland family when I ran the New York Marathon was nothing short of AMAZING. I entered as a treat for my 50th birthday and it was one of the best experiences I have had in 30 years of running (so much so I am going again this year!). On my longest run (20 miles) the gang all turned up to train with me. We did loops of 4 miles from Tesco to Gowkly Moss and back. I had 4 different teams of people keeping me going - with a 2 mile run on my own to the start. We had loads of fun and it was so good to have people to keep me going. It was easily one of the best marathon training runs I have ever done. 

Then on the day, the team sent me loads of support postcards which were up on big screens in Central Park, it was awesome. My daughter Rhona manned a hotline between New York and Penicuik keeping everyone up to date on where I was on the course. Knowing I had my team following me from Penicuik really helped motivate me around the course. I had such a brilliant time. I was so proud to wear my Jog Scotland Penicuik vest and hoodie around New York, lots of people shouted "go Janey from SCOTLAND" at me. It was the best experience ever. 

Jog Scotland is a partner with SAMH, and supporting our members' mental health was never more crucial than during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 we weren't allowed to meet up as a group in person anymore, but that never stopped us. The leaders set members' fitness challenges every week and we had zoom get-togethers. And then I started running in my garden, which started as a way of getting me out of the house but it grew into me running 50 miles over three months culminating in a half marathon in my garden one sunny day in May. I ran it to raise funds for SAMH and my Jog Scotland family joined in, in their gardens and on a rota system outside my garden gate throughout the morning. 

The thing that I am most proud of was my nomination to Jog Scotland Leader of the Year. I was surprised and thrilled to receive the email saying I had been nominated and spent a wonderful night in Glasgow at the Scottish Athletics Awards event. It is a pleasure to turn up to support people with their jogging journeys and to be recognised for doing it was just the icing on the cake.

Another thing I am very proud of in my time at Jog Scotland Penicuik was being part of the Menopause Campaign. We had an inspiring night discussing Peri-menopause and the menopause, it was really great to see everyone come together and bring what is perfectly normal out into the open, not sure the young guy behind the bar was quite as comfortable as we were mind!

We have had so much fun over the years, not to mention the night we celebrated Jog Scotland's 20th Anniversary by going to the park and making 20's on the ground with us! We had a great cake that night too, courtesy of Yvonne. It was a special cake as it had 20 on one side and 8 on the other to celebrate 8 years of Jog Scotland Penicuik! 

Jog Scotland really is a brilliant organisation, and I will be continuing as I have been finding out all about Stirling Striders but Jog Scotland Penicuik is very much part of me now, and to all our Couch to 5Km group, you have arrived in a very special place, lots of friendly, enthusiastic people to support you on your running journey. I can't wait to see you graduate as you run 5km on the 27th of March. You are all amazing.

There are lots of names I should mention but I would no doubt leave someone out so I will just say I will miss you all. Thanks to Jo, Billy, Norrie, Susan, Donald, Clare, Lyn, and Lyn P for being a great team of leaders to work with. 

I won't say goodbye,  just cheerio as the Jog Scotland world is a small place and we will no doubt cross paths again very soon. 

don't worry, be happy x

Jane