Page 28 - SyI Quarterly 7

Our Membership

The Security Institute

Running Club:

Started by Members for Members on our

Health and Wellbeing Community

The Security Institute has now got its own running club. It is set up on a third-party application Strava. That
way members can run for the club wherever they are, and whenever they can. The app records the route,
distance, time, even the elevation. Members can see each other’s runs and comment or kudos them. The
lead board updates almost instantly putting in the spotlight the top mileage contributors.

There is something for everyone in running. It is one of the most diverse sport disciplines where everybody
can find their comfort zone. The frequency of running, pace or distance are different for everyone. So are
the reasons for running. It is usually associated with keeping fit but those who run know that there is much
more to it.

Running is certainly a character-building exercise and one that requires commitment to personal
development. No wonder the club quickly became so popular. Members of the Institute are strongly
committed to Continued Professional Development, which usually reflects one’s personality and the belief
in our own ability to succeed.

Another trait runners have in common is- they love talking about it! Each run is an effort to be proud of
and what is better than sharing the story? It may be a story of excitement; it may be a story of frustration.
Whatever it is, chances are others have been there too. Bragging rights are earned from the first step
onward. Members are also entitled to have a little moan about bad knees and hips etc

The application Strava came in for some serious flak in the past for its poor security but as you would
expect, we have looked into that. A free account requires minimal details and so the biggest concern is that
it identifies your route. If you start and finish your run at home, that could be more than you are prepared
to share. The settings have strong privacy tools with a number of permissions that filter who can see your
activity, your followers, club mates or everyone. You must allow followers to see your activity and if you
don’t know them personally, you may refuse. The best feature is the random GPS tool which when its set
will change the start and finish point of your activity without reducing your well earned distance. With the
GPS set to 500 metres, your start and finish will be somewhere within that distance from your real start
point. If that’s not enough, many of us travel to local woods and trails, coastlines and hills to start our
exercise well away from home. Its all manageable. We have invited a few of the club members to give their
experience of an exercise routine and what it affords them in terms of health and wellbeing.