Readers respond to an article in which Ioan Marc Jones describes overcoming his hatred of running
I loved Ioan Marc Jones’s article because it’s an honest reflection of the struggle of getting into running when you need exercise but don’t necessarily want it (Nipple tape, pickle juice and dinosaurs: how I learned to love running, the unorthodox way, 12 August). For me, the gamechanger was joining a running club. I’m not a naturally social person and I felt so nervous on my first session, but it’s such a warm, nonjudgmental community. I run with people of all ages and it’s really improved my pace and enjoyment of running.
I think that’s true of a lot of the running community. I do parkrun here in Yorkshire, but recently ran it in Aviemore and Thurso in Scotland and received such a warm welcome. I always thought that running was about being elite and competitive, but this showed me another way.
Sarah Tolson
Baildon, West Yorkshire
