I did it!

I went to a running club! And it was OK! I wasn't the slowest, or the fattest, or the most unfit. I kept up with the group I was in with no problems, and there weren't any scary running freaks there. Even the fast group seemed relatively normal (and not too fast by the standards of some of the more serious clubs, so not too daunting).

It worked quite well in terms of splitting up into different groups and doing slight variations on the route so the faster runners could cover a bit more ground and meet back up with the slower groups. It did seem quite strange only running a mile or two at a time, then stopping and waiting for everyone to catch up, but it means you can run the different legs at different speeds if you want, so I could try to keep up with a faster group at some point during the run and recover with a slower group at other points.

Plus afterwards they meet in what must be the cheapest bar in Leeds. £1.64 a pint! I managed to restrict myself to a single pint of lager, and a soft drink. I'll try not to spend too long in the pub in future, because there's only 1 bus an hour home it meant I only got back at 10.30, and 9.30 would be a lot more manageable in terms of getting some sleep.

I haven't signed up officially yet, and I haven't got my natty purple vest, but I suspect that by this time next week if I've been to two more runs in the meantime, I may well have done.

And then I really will be a proper runner, with a membership card to prove it.