If, as a child, I'd been visited by an apparition of my older self, I would have been rightly incredulous and suspicious of this stranger who shared my facial features. I might have even tried to run away, but this doppelganger would have caught up with the wheezing, heel-dragging young Sophie easily and told her that in years to come, she would run at least five half marathons, train for a full marathon in Rome and become a Leader in Running Fitness. At this point, young Sophie would think this was an elaborate prank set up by the sportier members of the class with too much time on their hands.
All this is to say that I never would have thought I could become a Runner. The only reason I wear Lycra leggings today is Let's Run Girls. Due to the encouragement I've received from the Newmarket LRG group, I've successfully undertaken a course to become a run leader, participated in friendly weekly runs and races and clocked over (*checks Strava*) 1000 km in the past year.
LRG is a charitable organisation: each run is free for participants, which is amazing when you consider the level of support provided. My leader training was funded by kind donors, and with more contributions, many others will be able to gain the technical and leadership skills they need in the future. So please consider donating towards my sponsored Cambridge Half Marathon run and helping this wonderful community continue to flourish.