Meet the Leader - Carly
Carly’s running journey began in September 2018, four months after giving birth to her second child. Feeling unfit, overweight and lost in herself, Carly knew she needed something to boost her self-esteem, get active and provide herself some “me time”, escaping the family home and demands every now and again.
A close friend shared a Facebook post of a C25k group beginning which at first Carly disregarded as she didn’t think she’d be fit enough to keep up and was nervous about going by herself but in the end with some encouragement from her husband, she decided to give it a go!
The C25k group is where she met James who was leading the sessions and became friends with many of today’s Rogues.
Carly was the child who’d get her mum to write her sick notes to get her out of any form of P.E, the child who’d be last to be picked in group games and the first to say she was injured to get out of joining in! After being inactive as a child Carly dabbled in fitness classes and gym sessions in her early 20’s however Carly never found any exercise that she liked and would stick too. This was until she found running! Particularly group running!
Carly didn’t find running easy at first but the warm welcome and support she received fuelled her determination to keep going and gave her the passion to share her experiences with other runners today. To be able to reserve a few hours a week especially for running gave Carly the ‘me time’ she needed and something to look forward too. The social side of running is another huge perk for Carly, meeting others from all walks of life has led to many friendships being made and given Carly the confidence to become a run leader.
After completing the C25k course Carly was hooked and began to look for her next challenge. Carly jumped on board James’ “Double D” (Double your distance) sessions which gave her the confidence to take part in her first running event, running the Derby 10k in 2019. This was a huge achievement to her after watching her husband and friends run it over the years, she never thought she’d be taking part too!
Six months later Carly completed the Derby 10 miler in which somehow hand in hand Carly was literally dragged over the finish line with three friends!
From there Carly became a member of Rogue Runners Ripley, enjoying their weekly sessions and in Lockdown embraced the fun challenges to keep her active whilst unable to run in a group. Running through her village by herself whilst holding a toilet roll and running 7 miles to locate a street sign which began with the letter ‘Y’ will always be some of her most memorable runs!
As group runs returned Carly completed the Jog Derbyshire co-leading course enabling her to support the leaders and members on their own running journeys. Seeing these groups increase in numbers and loving helping out with co-leading Carly decided to take the plunge and undergo the LiRF course to become a run leader! It still surprises Carly that she can run herself, as well as support others along their run journeys too! Carly really feels that there are absolutely no limits to what you can achieve if you set your mind to it and with the Rogue’s there are so many people who will support you along the way no matter how big or small your goal is.
In April 2021 Carly and a few friends took it upon themselves to run their first half marathon together, running from Waingroves to Matlock Bath! The incentive of chips and ice cream at the finish line definitely helped keep them moving throughout!
Running is now a big part of her life and is something she looks forward to (something she never thought she’d be saying a few years ago!) Carly’s love of running has also been passed onto her family in which her husband Stuart is now a co-leader and often supports group runs and her son Connor completed the C25k course himself at just 7 years old! Her goal for 2022 is to run or Jeff a half marathon each month and she'll be taking part in the 18 mile Belper Rover in August!
Carly can be found regularly leading the Rogue Rabbit groups on a Monday night.
