Dudley Ladies Running Club is a ladies only road
running club that caters for women
of all ages and abilities.....and personalities!!!!!
The
club which is affiliated to the Association of Running Clubs, was formed by
Rita Vanes
in July 2002 and it has now become the largest women-only road running club in
the Midlands, accommodating ladies from absolute beginners up to seasoned
marathon runners.
The youngest
member is
about 12 and the oldest is over 65. The smallest
is about 8 stone and the largest is over 18 stone. Some are housewives, some
are career women and some are students. In fact everyone is different and
they all have a story to tell.
The
clubs success originates from it's ability to nurture absolute
beginners and develop them into
knowledgeable, confident and proficient runners.
Beginners Courses, are run every year for women who have either never
run before or else haven't
run for some time. This year's started on Tuesday 26th April 2011,
it costs £25 and within 10 weeks, they are
taught all they need to know about running
safely. Their Body Fat is monitored and advice is given on what shoes to buy, what clothes to wear and what foods to eat
etc
while coaching them to run a minimum of 3 miles. Many go on to do much more and some of the more dedicated ones have even gone on to do the
London Marathon.
To find out more about the Beginners Course, click on the "L" plate on the
right.
At
its peak in the summer, the
club has around 250 established members, women
are joining the club all the time and the way the group is organized guarantees that whatever
your standard, you will fit in somewhere and judging from the picture on
the left, you will see that they get up to all sorts of tricks, even
Calendar Girl style charity photo-shoots.
You don't have to be a world beater, it's not a club for poseurs, there's no little clichés or
cattiness, you don't have to fit in to a size 8 leotard and nobody ever
leaves.
There is no stress and no pressure to compete or race and no men around to
make you run faster or further than you want to.
You graduate to your own level, in your own time and make the
move to go faster or further when you're ready. No one is ever left
to run on their own!
Women use the club to meet and
make friends, to socialize and run in the dark or countryside
together, surrounded by
the safety and security of like minded people.
The club thrives on it's
active social side and evenings out to baltis', restaurants,
skittles nights, discos and anywhere else that the girls can let their
hair down and dress up are regularly organized to ensure that everybody
has a good time.
If after a couple weeks of running with us you think that Dudley Ladies
is for you, then you pay your subs and join. Subs run from September
to September and cost £40 for the year if you are over 16, £15 for the
year if you are under 16 and £55 for a
joint mother and
daughter membership.
You don’t have to pay anything weekly or anything like that. It’s not a
money making thing, it’s just a one off per year subs payment to cover
the costs
On top of that, you get a free tee-shirt, discounts from local
sports shops, plus loads of
help, advice and support from some very experienced and very friendly
runners and coaches
So what are you waiting for!!!
If you are an eager beginner that can't wait or someone who is
already running at the moment then just come along to Wombourne Leisure
Centre on any Tuesday or Thursday evening before 6.45pm or email Rita
on the link below for more information.
