Sue's tasks - task 3

Community of Practice website - 'Thrift Green Trotters'

I found on the internet a community of practice website associated with the Essex running club 'Thrift Green Trotters'. http://www.thriftgreentrotters.co.uk/index.htm

The site was not created solely for online purposes as it was created for the running club to help the runners develop their practice and share advice and experiences with other members. I discovered this community of practice through my mum who is actually a member of 'Thrift Green Trotters' and regularly uses the website as a secondary source of learning. She claims that nearly every member of the running club also use this website as it is useful for dates of races, and has message boards, etc. It also offers an element of Community of Practice as its joint enterprise is learning by practice and activity.

The website uses a bright and simple layout and has a bar at the top of the page with numerous hyperlinks to all the sections on the site. It's sections include 'Beginners', 'Training', 'Race Information', 'Injuries & Nutrition', and 'Club information'. Under the 'Beginners' section there is helpful tips about what training or medical advice they may need before joining, with the given names of 'Paul Price' and 'Alan Shirley' as people to go to if any extra help is needed. This automatically suggests there is a power structure in this community of practice and these members must obviously be well respected and high up the hierarchy for them to be suggested as helpers for beginners.

There is also a major element of respect in this community as there is a whole section on the website dedicated to one member called Geoff Nobes. http://www.thriftgreentrotters.co.uk/ClubEvents/GeoffNobes.htm
It describes how Geoff joined 'Thrift Green Trotters' in 1990 and had the fastest time for the 10k run in the whole club. He however then was diagnosed with cancer but beat it and recovered in 1996. Unfortunately the cancer returned and Geoff died in 1998 after being one of the most respected members in the whole club for his record-beating running. Now the club dedicates a special race called the 'Geoff Nobes Handicap Race' every year and raises money for local cancer charities. This represents that Geoff's high level of practice within the community and his battle with cancer made him the most respected member of the club even after his death.

The 'Discussion Board' section is another crucial part of this website as it allows all the members to share advice and ask questions when needed. http://members5.boardhost.com/TGTrotters/
If you click on that link you will see that the main discussion for this week has been 'Dieting Myths' and advice for the upcoming marathon which my mum says is the main joint enterprise in the club at the moment. Special marathon training has been added to the normal training and everyone is together in sharing their passion for trying to get the best time in the race.

I believe this is a perfect example for community of practice as the site provides extra tips and learning while the members practice this out in their running each week. What do you think?