Staying Alive…into 2013!

(Photo taken from http://www.flickr.com/dougiemac and permission kindly granted by Douglas MacMillan)

The Staying Alive winter wonderland tour went ahead despite the weather on 30/12/12! Just about everything was thrown at us including the proverbial horizontal sleet but we were all Staying Alive at the end.

Thanks to everyone for braving the elements with us. Also thanks to our HQ The Abbey for laying on some well earned Christmas cake, shortbread, hot mincemeat pies and hot tea!

We received a lovely testimonial from one of our participants:

“When I saw the weather on the day (30/12/12), I must admit, I had serious doubts about even turning up. It was the worst weather I have run in for a while and not the thing that most folk would choose to do on their birthday!

However, it was a great decision to turn up and join your tour. Got frozen, soaked and beaten by the wind but completely entertained (even by Eagle’s bad jokes!), and had a huge laugh. I also learned more in the few hours we were all together than I have in 23 years of living in Edinburgh. Fascinating and unusual facts that I have not heard on any other tour of the city.

The hospitality in HQ was marvellous, the catering fabulous and the whole experience was one I can highly recommend to anyone who fancies doing something different, fun and healthy for a change.

I’ll definitely be joining you lovely people on the next date I can manage. In the meantime, thank you again for a great time.”

 

It make’s it all worthwhile when we hear that people enjoy the tour so much.

So what’s in store for 2013 with Staying Alive? First thing up is some coverage in The Herald on Thursday 10^th January 2013. Check out the women’s section – we haven’t seen the article yet but we reckon it will include a photo of your 4 Staying Alive tour guides bustin’ some John Travolta moves outside the Scottish Parliament!

We’ve also announced some dates for tours:

• Sunday 20^th January 2013 at 11am
• Sunday 24^th February 2013 at 11am

Other than that we are getting into our training programmes for the Berlin Half Marathon in April 2013. We’re doing our long runs on Saturdays and adding a wee bit distance each week. Get in touch if you fancy joining us on any of these runs. Another big Staying Alive development about to happen is our amazing t-shirts. Check out our facebook page to see the great design. These will be launched for you all to buy very soon. Watch this space!

One-off Winter Wonderland Running Tour….FREE!

(Photo taken from http://www.flickr.com/dougiemac and permission kindly granted by Douglas MacMillan)

Staying Alive Running Club are offering a one-off running tour of Edinburgh on Sunday 30th December 2012 at 11am to celebrate the Festive Season!

We’re calling this our Winter Wonderland tour and the best thing is it’s completely FREE for all to come along.

Here’s a wee summary of the features of the tour:

• Starts at the Grassmarket and finishes at the Commonwealth Pool (see  http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/154631467 for a map of the tour).
• Distance will be 3 miles with at least 6 stops so we won’t run any further than half a mile at a time.
• Stops last for around 4 to 5 minutes and during these we will highlight over 25 points of historical and social interest.
• Tour will last around 1 hour 30 mins so the pace will suit all running abilities. There are 4 tour guides who all run at a different pace which also allows us to accommodate all abilities.
• There will be an optional social drink with your fellow runners afterwards (we hope to lay on some festive fayre too).
• We guarantee you’ll learn things about Edinburgh you never knew so appeals to both locals and non-locals.

So whether you’re a mother or whether you’re a brother you can be Stayin’ Alive with us over the Festive Season.

Email us at stayingaliverc@gmail.com to book your place.

Staying Alive Tours hit the ground running in Edinburgh

Staying Alive Running Tours hit the ground running last week. So far on our tours we’ve had locals and we’ve had tourists. We’ve had rain and we’ve had sunshine. We’ve had fun and we’ve had frolics.

These are the first ever running tours to take place in Edinburgh and the best thing about them is they are completely FREE – no catches. Four locals run with you from the Commonwealth Pool to the Grassmarket. Along the 3 mile route there will be 6 stops to highlight 25 points of interest. It all takes around 90 minutes so it fits in with the Staying Alive ethos of making running a social experience and will cater for all abilities.

During the tour we’ll shine some light over some of Edinburgh’s myths like:

• is Arthur’s seat named after King Arthur?
• which famous Edinburger inspired a John Lennon song?
• what’s so radical about the Radical Road?

Then afterwards we go for a social drink in the Grassmarket and continue all the chat there. Through our tours we look to introduce the world to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to the world. So far we’ve managed to meet people who we now regard as friends – from Poland, Italy, England and Scotland and we’ve had some excellent feedback:

“Oh man you guys came up with a great idea and have just ran with it…I had a fab evening, learnt more about old Edinburgh than I have in the entire 14 years I’ve lived here…and all in good company. Keep on running…”

We’ve still got a lot of countries left to cover so in the words of the Bee Gees…whether you’re a mother or whether you’re a brother, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.

Getting the lowdown on Arthur’s Seat

It’s time to make a wee wish at the well!

The finish line at the Grassmarket…and everyone’s Stayin’ Alive!

FREE Tours with Staying Alive Running Club

 

During the Edinburgh Fringe Festival the Staying Alive Running Club are offering you the chance to go on a FREE running tour.

The tour will follow in the footsteps of the torch bearers from the recent Olympic Torch relay in Edinburgh (exclusive Staying Alive Running Club footage HERE). Your Staying Alive Tour Guides will be highlighting  tourist sites along the way – some you may know but lots of alternative sites and hidden treasures too.

Here’s a summary of what you can expect

• It’s completely free and open to everyone,
• Covers 3 miles with 6 stops to highlight over 25 points of historical and social interest,
• Lasts around 1 hour 30 mins so the pace should suit all running abilities,
• Starts at the Commonwealth Pool and finishes at the Grassmarket
• Optional social drink with your fellow runners afterwards,We guarantee you’ll learn things about Edinburgh you never knew so appeals to both locals and non-locals,
• A small bag of personal belongings can be transported from the start to the finish for you – this is free too!

 

Remember the Staying Alive Running Club is not about speed, distance and time – it’s more about running, being social and staying alive so the tour will suit all levels of running ability.

The dates of the tours are:

• Wednesdays: 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th Aug @ 7.00pm
• Sundays: 12th, 19th, 26th Aug & 2nd Sept @ 11.00am

Meeting place: Royal Commonwealth Pool.

For a map of the route click HERE.

This gives you a great chance to get those trainers on and see some sites from a different perspective with the Staying Alive Running Club.

It’s easy to book a place on our tours:

email: stayingaliverc@gmail.com

phone: 07950 568674

or complete the form below:

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A virtual running club is born that is STAYING ALIVE!

Staying Alive Running Club came about when four friends from Scotland went to Berlin in April 2012 for the Berlin Half Marathon. In the run up to the event they got together to plan the trip and also to train. This was often done in conjunction with a coffee, a brunch or a drink. This pattern continued during the 5 days they were in Berlin.

Of course the conversations were sometimes about running e.g. strategies for dealing with those times running got really difficult and you felt like stopping. “Just think of the Bee Gees as you plod those pavements, paths or roads and sing along” was one of the strategies suggested. “Ah ah ah ah…Staying Alive, Staying Alive” became our motto and it has stuck with us ever since.

The song was in our heads when we ran the Berlin Half Marathon and was still in our heads when we got back to Scotland. The four of us continued to meet for running, talking, drinking and eating. The Staying Alive motto bonded us as runners and as social beings. So what was more important the running or the social side of things. We still don’t know the answer so we’re going to keep meeting to find out. The thing is we need others to join us whether in person or virtually.

Staying Alive Running Club is an open virtual network for all you happy runners that can sing like the Bee Gees! It’s not about speed, distance and time. It’s about running, being social and staying alive.

The club aims to bring people from around the world together to share their interest in running and staying alive.

So if you’re a runner and a social being join in and stay alive with us.