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Hello

Just to let you know that the legal side is almost complete so, hopefully, Jo will officially be in charge of SE Fitness  from today.

She is already doing a great job and I am excited for the future and to see where Jo takes SE Fitness next.  I feel really grateful that SE Fitness is in safe hands.

This is not goodbye, John and I still very much want to be a part of SE Fitness, but I didn’t think I could handover without saying a huge THANK YOU for all the wonderful times we have shared.  SE Fitness, like anything else, is all about the people and I feel very fortunate that we have some of the best.

Sorry if I have missed you off the pictures – this was just a tiny collection – there are so many!  Feel free to share your happiest SE Fitness memories below!

Thanks for fun and happy times!

Lots love,

Helyn and John xx

It is with great sadness that I have to announce the sudden death of one of our longest standing walkers, Jane Rogers.  Jane has been a walker with SE Fitness for many years and has many good friends in our family who will miss her humour, kindness and good sense.

I admired Jane hugely.  When I first tookover SE Fitness, Jane was suffering badly with hip pain and shortly afterwards had both hips replaced.  After her operations she showed inspirational resilience and determination to follow the physio programme and return to good health.  As you can see here, Jane was a very active person (she was probably stronger and more flexible than me) and you would never have know she had two false hips!  Jane demonstrated her enormous courage in recent years, rebuilding her life when she lost her husband and recovering from her own health problems.  Only last Monday, Jane was out with the evening walking group, chatting and making plans for the future, including moving house.

Our thoughts and sympathy are with Jane’s family and friends.  Jane Rogers was one special lady and she will be sadly missed.

This picture of our muddy legs was taken after the 7 Pools Run in 2020.  After the rain this week, I fear that, once again 7 Pools is going to be a mucky challenge!  Here’s my top tips for getting round safely and enjoying it too.

1. Adjust your mindset – It is worth thinking of 7 Pools as an event to be tackled rather than a race.  The terrain and undulating course mean that it is a challenging route.  You will find it harder than a road race, or our 10K to Streetly Gate and back.  Approach with the mindset that you want to complete in one piece and as strongly as you can.  This will stand you in good stead.
2. Set off steady – The start is downhill across grass then up towards Miller and Carter.  It is tempting, with the adrenaline flowing, to race off with the pack.  Don’t spend all your money in the first two miles – you will regret it!
3. Relax into it – There may be places where you have to walk – it is too muddy, the field bunches together – relax into it.  Use this time to recover and be ready to go again when space allows.
4. Be prepared – wear appropriate kit.  Your new race day trainers will not serve you well!  You want the already muddy ones you have been training in all winter.
5. Be aware – although we practice the route, we don’t always practice all of it.  The bit we miss out in training is tough going.  Prepare your mind for this!

I hope you find these tips helpful.  It is a lovely route, try to relax and enjoy it.  You will feel great at the end!

Good Luck everyone!

SE Fitness has several runners entered in events this weekend and wanted to wish them all a safe, healthy and happy run!

We have a contingent running at London Landmarks Half Marathon (I should have been there but injury got in the way).  Hope you enjoy the run, the sights and the atmosphere team SE.  Also the apres run shenanigans!

We also have our local charity event, 7 Pools Run, on Sunday.  You can still enter on the day.  A great chance to run on familiar trails, raise some money for a good cause and get your 2023 event season underway!

Very best of luck to all!

Home

Remember folks, the clocks spring forward today so that means all SE Fitness evening groups will be back on the trail in Sutton Park from Monday evening.

I love getting back on the trails, it revives my motivation, but it can come as a shock if you aren’t used to it, so here are my top tips:

• Trail running is different to road running.  Trail running is about being out in nature and brings huge benefits for your physical condition, but also for your mental well being.  Bring a different mindset to trail running.  It’s much less about the pace and the times and much more about the journey.
• Wear the right shoes.  You don’t need trail shoes.  The routes we run in Sutton Park are a mix of tarmac, gravel and off road.  Trail shoes often don’t have much cushioning and can be too hard for this mixed terrain.  However a decent pair of trainers or walking boots, with a good grip are essential.  Ask Sutton Runner for advice.
• Be aware of the trail.  Look ahead, you need to scan about 10 feet in front looking for hazards.  Don’t run too close behind the person in front of you.  If they go, you will clamber all over them.
• Wild animals roam in Sutton Park!  This includes dogs, horses and cows.  Generally, if you pass quietly they won’t cause too much trouble.  We’ve had more trouble from people tripping over dogs than being bitten by them.  Please alert your leader if you are particularly nervous of animals.
• Be courteous.  Sutton Park can be popular on summer evenings.  Please be courteous to other park users, we don’t have a right of way.  On the roads keep to the right hand side then bikes and other pedestrians can find a way past.

My best advice is to slow down and enjoy it!

https://www.ironbridgehalfmarathon.co.uk/

Good Luck to anyone entered in an event this weekend.  SE leaders Jon High and Carrie Rudd are running Ironbridge Half Marathon on Sunday, which looks pretty cool, especially for local history geeks!

Best of luck guys!

SE Summer Social – Friday 23rd June at 7pm at Brewhouse and Kitchen, Sutton town centre.  We will have exclusive use of the garden.  Food and music included.  More details to follow.

SE Christmas Party – Friday 1 December.  Further details to follow but in the meantime let me know if you prefer a hot meal or buffet.

Don’t forget to sign up for the big, local, charity event that is the Fun Run.

https://royalsuttonfunrun.org/

The date is 4 June and we will be putting on training over the previous Saturdays to make https://royalsuttonfunrun.org/sure everyone is well prepared and ready for race day.

The training dates will be:

• Saturday 13 May for 6 miles
• Saturday 20 May for 7 miles
• Saturday 27 May for 8 miles

Each week we will try and stick to the Fun Run route as far as possible which is great practice, especially the dreaded Cardiac Hill!

Get the dates in your diary.

This Saturday our Run Plus group is meeting at the Holly Bush in Little Hay, WS14 OQA for one more long run.  The route is 10 miles along rural, country lanes through Shenstone and to Little Aston primary school, before returning the same way.

This is one of my favourite long run routes and, as you can see from the photos, it is always a glorious sunny day when we do it!  The breakfast / coffee in the pub after never goes down too badly either!

If you are not ready for such a long run then meet at Wyndley as normal at 8:30 for our usual groups: 5K plus, Run Fitness and Jess with a ‘normal’ Run plus route.  Also our walking group goes at 9:00.  Use the WhatsApp groups to let leaders know you are coming along!

As I embark on a new chapter in my life, I have been searching for someone to takeover SE Fitness.  I wanted someone with energy and enthusiasm and the time to build SE Fitness back – brighter, bigger and better than before.

I am really pleased that SE Fitness regular, Jo Bevington has stepped forward.  Jo has fabulous ideas for SE Fitness and has entered the negotiations with courage, optimism and energy – traits that will make her a great leader!

Jo is already a regular at the SE Fitness running groups but also a keen walker at the weekends.  She intends to be very hands on so is hoping to meet you all very soon.

Jo has a background in Business Transformation and has spent over 30 years building businesses in the Travel, Retail, Pharmacy and Energy industries.

She was also a volunteer Community Ambassador for 5 years where she led a team raising money and managing projects to create a better community environment, so she fully understands the importance the impact a club like SE Fitness can have in the community.

Jo joined SE as a runner, in September 2021 and having never run before she not only found an activity she really enjoyed, but equally loved the club itself and the people she has met, so when the opportunity arose to put her business skills to use in a club that she is passionate about, she jumped at the chance.

She is currently completing her Leader in Running Fitness before going on to complete Coach in Running Fitness.

Jo is keen to keep the fundamental values of SE Fitness as they are, so you can be assured she isn’t looking at changing what we have, only enhancing it; in other words more people, more activities and more social events!

Look out for Jo at a group near you soon, I hope you will give her a warm welcome and your ongoing support.