London Frontrunners

New Runner Frequently Asked Questions

Running
What’s the purpose of the club?
What kit do I need / where can I get it?
How fit do I need to be before coming along?
How far will I have to run?
I’m training for a triathlon. Can I still be a member?
How many women run with the club?
When and where does the club meet?
Can I just turn up to run with the club?
Are the club runs really fast and do you leave people behind?
Do you train club members?
What happens when you run with the club?
What if I don’t know how fast I should run?
What happens after a run?
Do you compete in races as a club?
Can I get a club place for the London Marathon?

Social
Does the club organise social events?

Facilities
Are there changing facilities at all the centres?
Can clothes be left when I’m out running?
Is drinking water available at the centres?

Costs & Benefits
How much does it cost to become a member?
What are the benefits of membership i.e. what do I get for my money?
Do I have to get club running kit?

Glossary

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Running

London Frontrunners is a running club for lesbians, gay men and gay-friendly people who love running.

London Frontrunners is part of a world-wide network of gay and lesbian “Frontrunners” running and walking clubs. The name “Frontrunners” was inspired by Patricia Nell Warren’s novel The Front Runner, a story about the relationship between an ex-Marine track coach and his Olympic athlete training for the 1976 Olympic Games.

The club’s main aim is to get like–minded people running in a friendly atmosphere while training for events like the London Marathon or for health and fitness. We offer training runs, coaching and guidance to new and old members.

Our members take part in road races, trail runs, cross–country, mountain marathons, duathlons and triathlons.

What kit do I need / where can I get it?

Whatever you’d normally go running in is fine. The most important part of the kit is the running shoes and we’d recommend that you buy these at a shop that specialises in running so that you get a pair that are right for you.

Recommended shops for running kit include:

• Runner’s Need (branches across London) www.runnersneed.co.uk
• Run and Become, 42 Palmer Street, London SW1H 0PH www.runandbecome.com
• Running Shoes London, 4 Sheldon Square, Paddington W2 6EZ www.runningshoeslondon.co.uk

They all have experienced staff who can advise you on the shoes that will suit your running style.

On–line Shops are useful (once you know what you want to buy). There are a lot of them out there and it pays to search to find the most competitive prices.

How fit do I need to be before coming along?

We have a wide range of fitness levels (and occasionally members recovering from an injury) and there should always be someone to run with that has a similar level of fitness. However, we do recommend that you do some running before you come if possible. Please note, it is always a good idea to get your doctor’s OK before starting an activity like running.

How far will I have to run?

All our club run routes are pretty accurately measured (some of our runners have fancy GPs running gadgets) and these mileages are listed on the clubs Runs page.

I’m training for a triathlon. Can I still be a member?

Yes. We are affiliated to the British Triathlon Association and have quite a few members who are active triathletes.

How many women run with the club?

London Frontrunners actively encourages women to get involved in running. If you come along you’ll meet women who share an interest in running, enjoy an active social scene and if you are interested you can take part in club events.

We cater for all running abilities and we make every effort to provide women with a supportive male and female environment.

At the present time we have 30 female members.

When and where does the club meet?

The club meets for training every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday (except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and Pride Run Day).

• Monday and Wednesday between 6:30 — 6:50pm for a 7:00pm start.
• Saturday between 9:30 — 9:50am for a 10:00am start.

All details can be found on our Runs page.

On Monday and Wednesday it is fine just to turn up. For the Saturday run, if you do not have a valid membership card you need to advise us via email (at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or phone before 10am Friday that you intend to run with us as we need to advise security at the St. Mary's site.

The club has many members and so has a wide range of different running paces. There will always be someone willing to go running at your pace. We never leave any runner alone that is new to the club or is unfamiliar with the route.

On Wednesday, club members can join a speed training session with a qualified coach. Runners will need to have a reasonable base of fitness in running and want to develop some pure speed, speed endurance and their running technique. The speed group have a more structured training session and although you will train hard it is an opportunity to take your running to a new level. Speed work doesn’t just make you run faster. It makes you fitter, increases the range of movement (ROM) in your joints, makes you more comfortable at all running speeds, and it will ultimately help you to run harder for longer.

New runners get the first run free, for all subsequent runs the person on the door asks for a donation which covers the cost of using the changing facilities (see costs below).

Once in the Sports centre:

• you get changed (if you decided not to come in running kit).
• leave your bag and valuables in a locked room or locker.

Then people mill around chatting and if it’s winter, try to keep warm. If you are a new runner, a member of the committee will introduce themselves to you.

At about 5 minutes before the start time we run to the start of the run together and gather in a ‘circle’. A call to order is made and news of previous events is announced and information for future events is given out. New runners are asked to introduce themselves (we just want to know your name, where you are from and if you have done any running before). The run is explained by one of the committee members. Once that is done, we each shout out our names in turn and then off you go.

If you are unsure of your pace, a committee member will find someone for you to run with. It is likely that you will run a shorter distance than other runners and at a slower pace. After a few runs, you will be able to work out your pace and run with different runners.

After each run most people use the facilities in order to shower and change. We normally go to get something to eat and drink. This is a great opportunity to socialise with your fellow runners.

Members of the club compete in all types of different races on an individual basis. The club also runs in many team races and we are currently the Green Belt Relay champions.

Yes, if you are a fully paid up club member for over 6 months and you meet the club’s criteria. All details can be found on the London Frontrunners Marathon page.

Yes. As well as meeting up after the runs. The club has social events for both men and women throughout the year and organises something special for Christmas and the Pride Run.

Yes. There are changing rooms for men and women as well as showers / toilets.

Yes.

Water is available but most members bring their own bottled water.

The annual club fee is £25.00 per adult (£5.00 goes direct to England Athletics for your “competitors licence”).

There is a small (£1) charge for each training run.

You don’t pay anything for your first club run and you don’t have to become a member so that you can see if we meet your expectations before parting with your money.

The most obvious benefit is that you will have plenty of like–minded, supportive people around you. If you are new to the sport then you will learn a lot more quickly and hopefully avoid the common pitfalls.

On the financial side being a member of an affiliated club means that most races you enter will be cheaper. If you have a competitive year the annual fee will easily be repaid!

Non–affiliated runners have to pay an extra £2.00 to enter races that hold a permit and are run under UK Athletics rules.

We are also affiliated to the British Triathlon Association (BTA) which provides benefits when entering races under BTA rules.

All this and you get to wear the club colours when in competition.

Once you are a member we would like you to be proud enough of the club to wear the club kit. Club kit is sold at cost therefore it compares favourably with like items of kit. Please see kit page.

NB. It is a rule of England Athletics that any affiliated club member taking part in a race holding a permit must wear club colours. Anyone not abiding by this rule can be disqualified.

Below are some terms (in alphabetical order) that you may hear but may not know what they mean.

Aerobic In a running context this means that you aren’t breathing hard and your muscles are getting the necessary oxygen to continue to work well. Most training should be done aerobically (unless you're a sprinter).

Anaerobic This is the opposite of aerobic. This is when you run hard, flat–out or are sprinting to the finish of a race. This sort of running cannot be continued for very long without some form of failure (generally you run out of breath).

Fartlek Swedish word meaning ‘speed play’. It’s a type of training devised by Gösta Holmér (a Swedish coach) in the 1930s so has been well tested! It involves running at an effort beyond normal race pace for short bursts and having respites in–between. It differs from intervals in that it is not so regimented and it is usually up to the runner to see when they want to push themselves again. Benefits include increased aerobic and anaerobic conditioning i.e. it gets easier to breathe when going faster than you would normally.

Hill training or just plain ‘Hills’. A form of resistance training that plays out similar to Intervals. You basically run up and down a hill for a certain amount of times. It works the muscles differently to running on a flat course and this conditioning will always help when racing a course that is hilly. It can improve, the less worried about but actually quite tricky, downhill technique.

Intervals Similar to the Fartlek method of training, Intervals are more formalised and have definite anaerobic sessions and are more likely to be run on a measured course (like a track). You have a set time to run hard, followed by a recuperative phase, followed by another hard run and so on until the end of the session. Benefits include increased aerobic and anaerobic conditioning i.e. it gets easier to breath when going faster than you would normally.