Member Bio – Siobhan

In our latest member bio, we feature mother-of-4 Siobhan who is a fantastic ally to the LGBT community and a valued member of the club (after all, she is one of our star bakers!) Here is her story, in her own words:

“With a degree of trepidation we set off for Gosforth Pool on a cold dark winter’s night in 2017 asking ourselves what we were doing and why?

The why was relatively easy; we’d indulged way too much over Christmas, were feeling lumpen and from boxing day Tom (son #2) and I had been walk / jogging every other day. Within a relatively short period we’d reached the dizzy heights of jogging for 7 minutes and walking for 1 over 3 miles. That’s when I saw a Facebook post on a friend’s wall something along the lines of “Your running Club Needs You”.

And so we come to the ‘what are you doing?’ You see I’ve run before, largely a fair weather runner I’d begin ‘training’ in May-ish, get round the Great North Run in September then at best do some pretty intermittent runs or most likely stop. I knew that running made me feel good and was important for my mental health (I’d had a period of 9 months off work in 2011).

In 2016 I did a C25K course with my youngest two and again stopped until heading out with Tom on that Boxing Day. I was keen to break the ‘stop start’ pattern and the post for trying out a club came at just the right time.

It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

In the first year; I ran my first 10k, took 20mins off my GNR time, did a half marathon on road, trail and moorland, ran my first XC and got to see Tom named ‘runner up’ as the Club’s most improved runner for the year (proud mum moment overload).

2018 and this year have been equally good. Alex (son #1) joined the club and I’ve gone on to try new things; taken part in the Good Friday Relays, entered a fell race, been in Jesmond Dene for pre breakfast circuits, acted as a guide runner and finally, properly christened my trail shoes running through deep clarts and icy puddles and enjoying the experience, yes really!

The running is a huge part of it but, for me, there are two other reasons for being a member of NFR.

Firstly, I’ve developed incredible friendships, people who’ve celebrated my successes, sung me up hills or chatted me round when I wanted to give up, coffees, cake, celebrations, a wedding…

Secondly, I get to learn how to be a better ally – listening, being visible and loudly positive about a world where everyone, everywhere is valued and appreciated for who they are.

I’m proudly part of a community and have moved on from thinking of others who are faster, fitter, younger…as ‘proper runners’.  I’m a runner and my club is Newcastle Frontrunners.”

Main image courtesy of the fabulous Maggie Davison, MDPhoto.