I know Rachel through the Trail Running magazine #Run1000Miles Facebook community. She was very surprised to be asked to do an interview. Hopefully you’ll instantly see why her story is such an important and positive one to share.

How and why did you get into running Rachel?

Rachel before running

I’m sure you’ll achieve it too! The trail challenges as well will be amazing.  Thanks so much. Looking forward to seeing your progress again on #Run1000Miles Challenge 2018.  

All the best

Jeff

Paul Halford asked me to write a short piece reflecting on completing the challenge in 2017, plus offering some tips to those new to it this year. You can read the full post here.

Have a read and sign up yourself. You’ll be amazed at what you can do and it really doesn’t matter whether or not you complete the miles – it’s more about enjoying the challenge

Below are some of my own favourite pics from #Run1000Miles 2017

Here’s to a fantastically enjoyable 2018 of fresh air and trails!

Jeff

Well earned rest cresting Rooley Moor Road

the married couple

Here he talks about #Run1000Miles, favourite places to run, preferred nutrition and more.

Eddie, what was your reason for getting involved in the #Run1000Miles Challenge?

To be honest, I’m not sure, I think part of the motivation was to get a free ruff. I subscribe to Trail Running magazine and so became aware of the challenge early on. As I reckon that I run about a thousand miles most years, unless I get injured, joining in was a no-brainer.

I didn’t really think about it all that much, but the Facebook group grew and I got more involved in the social media side of things, through that. The group was a real inspiration and it was great to read people’s stories, to meet a couple of folk from the group in real life and to see the photos.

How did you get into running and when?

I guess that it started when I was a teenager in the seventies, growing up in the North East. I did a morning and evening paper-round of about a mile and a half and I used to really enjoy running it. When I got to University and was no longer delivering papers, I started running just to keep fit. This carried on through my twenties; nothing serious, just the odd two or three mile jog to keep the muscles moving. Then my family moved to rural West Africa – no electricity, no running water, but plenty of mosquitos. At that point my running went out of the window. Twenty years later, I found myself living in High Wycombe and somehow I’d become overweight and middle aged. One morning, I decided to set the alarm for half an hour earlier and go for a run. I walked up the hill behind our house and jogged down through the woods. A year later, I was running five miles and the following year I did my first half and a year later, the London Marathon. I’m still overweight (though less than I was) and I’m still middle aged, but I am a lot fitter than I was.

You now live in Yorkshire – where is your favourite local spot to run?

We’ve been in Yorkshire for less than a year, so there is still a lot to explore, I can get onto the moors straight from our house, without ever running on roads; but kicking off with a 500 foot climb without a warm-up is a bit grim. I love running out to Skipton on the Leeds-Liverpool canal and then returning via Farnhill Moor which isn’t too high, but gives great views.

And in the Chilterns (where you were previously)?

There is a very unprepossessing footpath in an industrial estate near the football ground in High Wycombe, which goes between two grotty factories, but ends up in a nature reserve. That opens up a whole network of pathways that go off in all directions, Thirty five miles from the centre of London, I could run for twenty miles, only crossing a couple of roads with red kites, deer and rabbits for company – and hardly a human being in sight. Over the years, I grew to know every mile of those paths and they will always be special.

However, if you want to know my favourite run of all, it is from the Bays Brown campsite in Langdale, down the valley, then climbing up to Blea Tarn and up onto Lingmoor Fell along the ridge and then back town into the valley and through the woods back to the campsite, Six miles before breakfast, followed by a day walking on the hills with my wife – perfect.

Fells, trails or roads?

Anything but roads! My knees are too old (they seem to be older than the rest of me) to take the continual repetitive pounding that road running creates.

What do you most like about trail running?

It depends on the day. Just being outside on the hills, in the woods or by the canal is reward enough. I’m not much into trying to get personal bests and to set fast times; I know my best and fastest days are behind me, but there are times, that I can recapture the feeling of being a kid, running for the sheer joy of feeling my body move rough ground.

Then there are the days when the sleet is in my face, the wind is chilling me to the bone and I feel more alive than anyone sitting by a warm fireside could ever understand (though I like the warm fireside afterwards).  A few years ago, I had a t-shirt printed which said, “Running might kill me, but at least I’ll have lived”. That more or less sums it up.

Haha, brilliant! What keeps you motivated?

In 20 years’ time (perhaps ten?), I’ll struggle to walk in wild country, much less run. I know it sounds morbid, but I want to enjoy every moment that I can.

Langdales Temperature Inversion

What is your favourite pre-run and post-run nutrition?

I’m a creature of habit, so pre-run tends to be my normal breakfast of sugar-free muesli. If I’m going for a very long run; say 15 miles plus, I’ll add on a couple of slices of toast and marmalade. For long races, when I tend to be camping the night before, I go for those pots of porridge that you make by adding hot water.

Post-run, I tend to go with whatever my body tells me I need. That’s generally something with a fair bit of protein – it may simply be a coffee with lots of milk. After really long runs in warm weather, I often have a massive craving for ice-cream. Lots of long races serve vegetarian chilli at the end, which is always a good option. I’m not sure that the beer and fish and chips, which I got at the end of the St Begas Ultra last summer was the ideal recovery food, but it certainly hit the spot.

During runs, I tend to prefer real food to gels and energy bars. When descending from Grisedale on the Ultimate Trails 55 a couple of years ago, someone I was running with offered me a mini-cocktail sausage, which seemed a strange thing at the time – but I’ve never enjoyed a sausage so much in my life. Strange though it may seem, I now carry mini-pork pies on ultras. I do have the odd gel or bar in my pack, too, but they often come home with me. I’ve learned that it is important to take on nutrition before you need it and even on a ten mile run, I’ll often eat something at five miles, just for the discipline of the thing. If I know that there is a big hill coming up, I’ll try and have a gel or something about 10-15 minutes beforehand to get more sugar into my system.

What most people don’t realise is that ultra-running is basically a mobile picnic.

Start of UT55

Stickle Tarn on UT55

It is indeed! Do you ever have doubts when running?

I don’t have many doubts when I’m running, as such. However, at the start of races, I tend to be very conscious of being a bald, slightly tubby, old bloke who is surrounded by younger, thinner people who actually look good in lycra. When the said young, thin people vanish up the trail leaving me panting in their wake, I can wonder what on earth I’m doing there. But then I settle into my own tempo, grind out the miles, enjoying the views and chatting to other mid-to-back of the pack runners and I have a whale of a time. I rarely overtake anyone on the trail (did I say, I was slow?), but it’s not unknown for me to be in and out of checkpoints while others are gorging on the flapjack. At my age, you never sit down at checkpoints (unless you are changing your shoes), the danger is that you’ll never stand up again.

I love this quote on ultra running but can’t remember the source:

“If you ever find yourself feeling good during an ultra, don’t worry, it will soon go away.”

Who or what inspires you?

I could watch Nicky Spinks’ film, Run Forever, once a week and not get tired of it. She is a real inspiration and meeting her was a highlight of 2017 for me. However, the thing that really inspires me is any photograph of a random runner out in the Lake District, or somewhere beautiful. I like the hills and I want to enjoy them.

How do you get through those tough runs when you just can’t be bothered?

The hard part is getting out of the door. If I can manage that, I’m generally ok. One thing I find is running out and back routes; that means you’ve got to keep going otherwise you’ll never get home.

What are your plans for 2018?

I’m sixty this year and I have a personal goal that I’ll tell you about when and if I achieve it. It’s probably more than an overweight late-middle aged bloke should be doing, so I’ll keep it under my hat for a while. I’m desperately trying to lose weight and to get generally stronger, but I find that it’s hard to balance everything. It’s great to know that I can do ten back squats lifting 80 kilos, but it gets my legs so tired, I can’t run up hills for days afterwards.

I guess that my real goal is to stay injury free, to enjoy running and to be out along the canal and in the hills as much as I can.

Eddie thanks a million for this interview. Can’t wait to hear more about your personal goal. Also to seeing you again for our #Run1000Miles Challenge 2018. Enjoy another awesome year

All the best

Jeff

And I was loving it!!! This is the ‘Dirty Double’ weekend of Helvellyn and Ullswater Lakeland Trail runs. First time I’d done it for 5 years (2012 results here). Gruelling, scenic, joyous. And this was the 2x 10k version rather than the 2x 14k I’d completed previously.

Another major difference this time was the fact that the kids were able to participate in the 10k (Louis) and 5k (Izzy).

Idyllic Surroundings

We’d decided to make a proper family weekend of it – any excuse to stay in the Lakes. And Ullswater is my favourite area. We were lucky too. I hadn’t been prepared and booked well in advance so was desperately searching 7 days before the start and was incredibly fortunate to find a cancellation at Beckside Farm cabins – a more idyllic and remote location we couldn’t have picked.  You can book via Go Lakes too. Their incredibly friendly team we able to accommodate our late arrival and Gill, the lovely owner, was able to transport us from the farm entrance to our cabins using the farm all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Boy was it needed as the incessant rain of previous days had created a real mudfest and we wouldn’t have had a clue how to find the cabins. I say cabins because one was the sleep and shower cabin – the other the living cabin containing kitchen, dining, couch and wood burning stove. Our tv was the cabin french doors which offered the vista of Ullswater and starry skies in the incredible dark. Beckside Farm is located right next to the Ullswater Way so not as difficult to reach as you might think. But that’s our secret right?!  Their cafe was voted a top pick in Country Walking Magazine too.  For us, highlights included seeing their native Herdwick Sheep, Swaledale Sheep, wild red deer. Just look at these majestic animals below. The video below shows the ‘senior’ stag chasing off a new younger ‘imposter’ during rutting season.

Idyllic running

Helvellyn trail is a superb run. Often technical terrain with many rocks on all sorts of angles to test your agility and balance. Running through them in wet conditions is superb fun and you should never let this put you off – many first-time trail runners did the 5k and 10k and loved it. This year I entered the 10k as our son Louis, was able to enter with being 16. He left me for dead! Izzy was able to do the new 5k and said it was her favourite trail run to date! So two glowing testimonials for the Lakeland Trails team right there with no prompting

In terms of running form – for me I knew I wasn’t going to smash either the Saturday or Sunday. I’d been suffering with fatigue for a few weeks so just decided to enjoy the runs and get round the glorious routes. And enjoy I did, taking the odd pic and chatting to fellow trail runners as we headed out towards the Helvellyn range. Laughing our heads off at each other when inevitably slipping on a steep grassy descent to slide for a fair few metres through rain and sheep sh*t! If you look carefully you can see it on my arm and vest in the photo of our backs below

Lakeland Trails events are known for their friendly atmosphere and here we were able to enjoy more of this. From spectators with cowbells, to locals and ramblers clapping and encouraging us all on, to the finish with all involved clapping, encouraging and the Batala Drum Band booming us across the finish line. Great fun.

Louis finished 12th and me 31st – though I was initially shown as 11th because we wore the wrong chips!

Izzy managed 2nd junior for 6th overall in the 5k!!

Day 2: A Smiling ‘sufferfest’!

The wind had picked up early morning so we anticipated the planned route – with the Ullswater Steamers taking all runners across to Howtown – may not be on. Sure enough the organisers had to use the ‘wet route’ back up plan due to the Steamers captain confirming it was too risky to set sail. While it was disappointing not to be taken on the Steamers, we all know that plans are subject to the weather. We also knew the Lakeland Trails team had excellent alternative routes mapped out. And they did not disappoint! The 10k taking us through Patterdale, turning left at Side Farm to run North on the Ullswater Way, several climbs on an undulating first half. Then the very steep climb up between Silver Crag and Birk Fell – as I was approaching that climb, I was able to look up ahead and see Louis moving past a few runners much further up. This was no surprise to either of us – we’d passed Anne Marie and Izzy who’d walked from Beckside Farm along the Ullswater Way to see us. They noted how fresh Louis looked vs. how tired I did!! The pictures below tell that story clearly

Ullswater is much more gnarly terrain than Helvellyn, particularly parts of the original route when running through forested patches. The views on this route as we neared Silver Point were amazing – Ullswater and Pooley Bridge north of us.  A visual highlight for me: That view down as you’re about to tear up the descent off Silver Crag and Birk Fell. Memory highlight: Well that has to be the couple who chose to get married at Ullswater Trail Run and celebrated by running the 10k together! Amazing

What a weekend! Shattered, sweaty, muddy – great stuff!

A fresh looking Louis on way to 8th place!

A not-so-fresh me on way to 34th!

And here’s some bonus pics of the Ullswater Way (between Watermillock and Glenridding)

Overall thoughts? It’s fair to say the kids are getting into trail running. We’re not the only family transitioning to one adult with the kids doing the very short fun trail, to now running the longer events. What a legacy Lakeland Trails help create! It really is a credit to Graham Patten and his superb team.  This part of the Lakes is pretty special

Thank you to all volunteers! Also Patterdale Mountain Rescue, sponsors inov-8, all the landowners and tenant farmers, Eden District Council, King George V Playing Field Committee, Dalemain Estates, Event Safety Group, Cumbria Police, Ullswater Steamers. You all help to make an amazing weekend

Yours in sport
Jeff

“Ignore it, it will pass…”  “This tendonitis is getting worse!” “Not cramping again?!”

These are all inner thoughts most of us runners will have had. Your instinct is to resist the pain. To fight it. Surely that will make it go yes?

Another technique is to try to ignore it by focusing on something else. That may be your running form, the landscape, the sound of your feet touching the trails. It’s all resistance in another form.

Well earned rest cresting Rooley Moor Road

“What is he getting at?” you might ask

Well I’ve found myself doing all of the above for years and, for me, none of it has ever worked. Instead, it has cost me energy, draining me of valuable stamina and efficiency I need to run. But it’s all I’ve ever known. That was until a June this year…

For a few years I’ve been using the Headspace app for meditating. It’s been a revelation in many ways. More than anything it’s developed my ability to take even a few seconds out and just ‘be’ – emptying my mind of any rushing thoughts by simply relaxing and focusing on my breathing. So what has that got to do with pain? Well here is my attempted and probably quite poor explanation.

Fronting up to pain

Through the Headspace pain pack, I learned the technique of actually focusing on the pain. Literally focusing on the very outer edges, then gradually getting closer to the central point of where it is coming from. Ultimately you put all your focus into the very heart of the pain itself. I learned that when you get there, it is not one tangible thing. It shifts and consists of so many elements. It’s no longer possible to feel it in the same way. In fact it seems to disperse – a total paradox to my way of previous thinking.

You might be wondering how you could use a meditation technique when in the process of running. I can only give you my own experience: I had an ongoing niggle in my right knee and right calf. When running the trails, movement would become ever more restricted and result in me struggling to run. Each time I was wishing it would go away – resisting it. On learning the new technique of focusing ON the pain, I gave it a try when running some local trails. As soon as the knee pain in particular kicked in and my movement started to be affected, rather than try to fight it, I actually started to focus in on it. Taking my mind gradually from the outer edges of the knee pain, right into the very heart of where it had been really hurting. I found that there was nothing there to tangibly hang on to, or to resist. The pain quite literally seemed to disperse like a fading ripple into my lower and upper right leg. My mind was immediately more rested, as was my body. My running form returned to something more (ahem) efficient. My trail run and the resultant benefits became more enjoyable and effective. My head was back in the pleasure of running trails.

None of this means the pain didn’t occasionally return. But I now had a way to manage it – fronting up in a relaxed and very calm manner.  This approach has been a major boost to helping me along the #Run1000Miles  challenge 2017.

If you’re interested, you can read far more about this approach. Experts like @MeganJonesBell can explain pain management far better than I ever could. What I hope to have achieved with this post is making you aware of an alternative approach to our instinctive response to resist the pain. Instead try fronting it up and see if it benefits you as much as me

Yours in sport
Jeff

You may remember that Trail Running magazine Editor Claire said #Run1000Miles was about all participants having “their fittest year ever”

Well I’m one of literally thousands of people enjoying this very outcome thanks to the challenge and incredible community of people participating. The ethos was very much about this being inclusive and all about encouraging more people to get out and be more active.

The #Run1000Miles Facebook community is the very embodiment of this in action. Just spend anything from 1-10 mins looking through the incredible posts and you’ll see what I mean  No photoshopping here – all the beautiful realities of mud, sweat, rain, sun, wind, sweaty kit…

I was incredibly honoured and surprised to be asked to be ambassador for this challenge. Inspired by fellow participants, family, club mates and friends, I found myself hitting over 640 miles by end of June!

Much of this has been through doing ‘little and often’ rather than battering myself on some massive trail running routes to compensate for days without running. By ‘little and often’ I mean anything from 2 – 5 miles on a regular basis with some longer runs thrown in. Several of these little runs have also been very slow and steady.  All of which I’m sure has been critical to staying injury free (so far!) for the first time in more years than I care to remember

As we hit mid-August, my personal mileage is at 761. This is 2.5 times further than I ran in the whole of 2016 and comes only 3-4 years after being unable to do any exercise whatsoever due to chronic illness.

Having said all of this, the challenge has shown me that actually the mileage is relatively unimportant. It’s about just getting out there in the fresh air, being in the moment, being active when you can and are able.

The challenge has also inspired my kids to become regular runners – of their own volition rather than any cajoling from me. My eldest has joined our running club and is already winning prizes whilst our youngest is enjoying weekly track sessions as well as loving trail runs   

I’d love to hear how you’re getting on so far. How are you finding it? In what way is it helping you? Are you fitter than before? Has it inspired others to run with you?

Here’s some more recent pics from my running

Yours in sport
Jeff

I heard one of the marshals shout something like “over here…stomach!” and was then asked if I was okay and kindly given water by the first aid.

Physically, I knew I’d made the right decision – I still felt exhausted and feverish an hour later. Mentally it was a different story…

…I’ve read so many times that a DNF (Did Not Finish) can happen to anyone at any time.  So many running friends have DNF’d. All that doesn’t stop you beating yourself up when it happens to you. When even your arms are feeling fatigued when running relaxed. When you want to push on but can’t. None of this stops those inner voices saying “You’re shit…You’re not fit enough…That old fella’s just passed you easily…”.

At the same time, you’re trying to be kind to yourself. Running is enjoyable. You’re representing your club (Rochdale Harriers in my case) and running with club mates. Your kids are participating too – giving their best racing performances yet

All sound a bit self-absorbed? I suppose reflecting on a DNF is ‘all about me’ to a large extent. Did you do the right thing? Could you have carried on? Did you let down your club mates? What will people think? Worrying about the latter two is pointless. You can’t change any of that anyway. What you can do is use the experience to learn.

What Lessons From a DNF?

• Just let it go -inner voices are just thoughts. They come and go. Never cling on to them.
• Know your body. Instinctively, you’ll know what’s right for you.
• They do happen and probably will do so again.
• There is no shame in not finishing when you’ve been trying.

Does it really matter?

Yes, in that I learned some things from it.

Not at all – from the wider perspective of still enjoying a race night with club and family. I was able to cheer on fellow runners on each of their laps. Seeing some making a comeback was amazing. Louis and his mate Charlie (both 16) were part of the winning men’s team and ran a PB. Izzy (13) ran her 2nd best 5k – after winning her sports day race earlier in the day. Our women were the winning team too. There we a several PB’s, Kay, Matt, Louis & Jill Butterworth – with yet another in 2017!!!  The 5k was a cracking little course. We all had an enjoyable time

Rochdale Harriers chain gang – pic by Mia Butterworth

Proud winning teams (missing Jan N)

Under-age drinkers?

And wierdly, the 3k I did run, took me over 600 miles in the 2017 #Run1000Miles challenge – YAY!!

So I’ll be out in the hills this weekend, enjoying some lovely trails. Looking forward to track drills next Monday and #TrackTuesday. And we’ll be back at another 5k race in the Cannonball Events summer series.

Keep moving forward

Jeff

And what a day it was! All four of us taking part in a Lakeland Trails event for the first time. The kids have really got into running as a previous #parkrun post detailed.

Having just turned 16, Louis was eligible for the 10k event. When we entered last year, he’d only just started running regularly. We both booked on, assuming I’d take him round the course. How wrong we were!

Lakeland Trails quest to encourage more people to try out trail running, by introducing a new 5k Sport Trail for 2017, meant Anne Marie and Izzy (13) entered – the former with some cajoling from Izzy!

Sunny Spring Day

The forecast didn’t disappoint, serving up a day of ideal running conditions – slightly cool, dry, some breeze…

As is so often the case, the atmosphere at the event village was buzzing as entrants and their friends & family went about their business of settling down to enjoy the day ahead. There was a real feelgood vibe to Staveley village – no doubt helped by this being a ‘home’ event for new event sponsors Inov-8 who are based literally across from the recreation ground.  The kids both took the chance to ‘test drive’ some Inov-8 for their runs – instead of using their normal trail/fell shoes.

Catching up with running friends old and new was a theme of the morning as we wished each other luck for the events ahead. A ‘good luck’ handshake from Graham Patten was a very nice touch before the off.

Batala Beats

The brilliant “Batala Lancaster” got everyone buzzing with their enthusiasm as they drummed up the energy for the start of the 10k. Louis asked “So are we running this together then?” as we were about to head off. The look in his eye said different so I smiled wryly and said we should each run our own race. He smiled and we both knew we were determined to be first back to the finish! Louis stated his intent with a gentle elbow to move me aside as we set off. That first 10 metres was the only time I spent ahead of him! Running so strongly the entire course he built and maintained a 1-2 minute gap. As a parent I had a real mix of sheer pride and joy at how well he was going (I was mentally willing him on) yet at the same time, running hard to catch him in the event he may tire lol! He didn’t as you can see from the times below!

After a gruelling road climb roughly half way through, Louis still managed to take on the climb up and over Reston Scar while still having the energy to belt down the descent back to Staveley village – that last ascent and descent was where I thought I might catch him but he had other ideas.

I gave it everything at the end, to the point of wretching as I rounded the final bend and literally staggered pitifully across the finish. Pleased with 1:00:34 over 11.8k and even more delighted to see Louis had reached 16th with 58:35!

We were greeted with even more lovely news on collecting our t-shirts…

Do we go up there? (Not noticing clear signs)

pic Ian Stainthorpe

Sport Trail Success

The 5k had started after the 10k (11.8k). Their route turned out to be 5.8k with 2 huge climbs – the second being Reston Scar. Almost all four of us finished together. Izzy said it was the hardest she’d ever run and I think she surprised herself by finishing 11th with  36:01. Only 30 mins later she was asking “When is the next one?” lol. Anne Marie had battled her inner voice to push through both climbs and run the steep descent. Enjoy would be the wrong word but she was glad to have experienced her first Lakeland Trails event. We’d all successfully negotiated the ‘Sting in the Tail’.

Apres Trail was a joy. We were able to cheer on friends who were running the 17k challenge and race. Enjoy some lovely coffee and food from the stall vendors. Oh and Louis bought himself a pair of Inov-8 ROCLITE 290 and has been out in them a few times since 🙂

A massive thank you to all amazing marshals, for your smiles and encouragement to all runners 🙂

Btw, I’m only pointing out actual distances for information. One of the great things about trail running is that distances are not expected to be exact. We’re lucky to be running such beautiful places so why not embrace an extra km or two?!

Staveley 2017 5k profile

Well earned t-shirts from a brilliant day 🙂

Series Intent

So what now? Well myself and Louis are booked on the Autumn Series 10k so we can do battle again. Izzy on the Autumn Series 5k too. We’re looking forward to Keswick, Helvellyn and Ullswater so much I can’t tell you! (AM is happy to watch .)  This #Run1000Miles challenge is going well and keeping me fit 

Yours in sport

Jeff

 That was the question posed by a running club mate as we both recovered from a chip-timed track 5k.

What he was getting at, in joking obviously, was the pain. You know you’re going to go through it. You know it will hit you and your brain will tell you “Stop!”. You know if you’re trying, you’ll endure self-inflicted pain.

When you push yourself, in either training or during an event/race, you go through this. Anyone doing any kind of endurance sport knows it. So why bother?

Well for a start, there are the endorphins on finishing. As GB ultra runner, Robbie Britton says: “…your short-term memory plays tricks on you. After your legs stop hurting…you only remember the elation.” That feeling of elation, in body and mind, after you have completed a session…it’s the great thing about any strenuous exercise.

pic by @bobotheeklown

Then there is the runners high. In his ground-breaking book “Born To Run”, Chris McDougall describes how the natural engaging of body and mind, causes our brain to release endorphins to such an extent that a feeling of extreme euphoria can be experienced for anything from a nanosecond to a few minutes. It’s as if you’re floating, effortlessly  running in an other-worldly manner. Everything seems easy and you are so intensely in the moment, totally immersed in your activity. You feel nothing of the pain, no pounding of the feet, no gasping of breath. Just. Pure. Joy.

Obviously that doesn’t last and the pain, self-doubt, nagging voice etc etc all kick in again. But that’s all part of it. You also know the feeling of elation at the end. That may be in achieving your furthest ever run, completing your first parkrun, running with mates.

So put your shoes on, smile at the world and head out of your front door. There’s joy to be had on those trails

Have you achieved the runners high? What pain do you put yourself through?

Join me on the #Run1000Miles challenge with the Trail Running magazine Facebook community. You’ll be amazed at what can be achieved.

Yours in sport
Jeff

First, Louis (15) wanted to try and complete a 5k run. So I took him to Heaton Parkrun – running with him was amazing. On completing it his reaction was “God at times I felt I was dying then!…Can we do it again soon?”

Within two weeks – after some runs in and around our area – our daughter, Izzy (13) was attempting her first #parkrun. By incorporating the odd walk, she managed it. This time I’d taken a real ear-bashing on our way round. Well what’s a parent of teens for after all?! Her reaction? “That was horrible – the hardest run I’ve ever done!…Can we come back next week?”

Running with someone doing more than they’ve run before. Pushing through their own barriers. Telling themselves they ‘can’t’ but ultimately showing themselves they can. It fills you with a sense of pride. Makes you feel alive. Whereas us Vets are looking for marginal gains (or falls!), they’re smashing all previous bests! How?

pic by Matt Jones

Well, weekly #parkrun has given them the confidence to enjoy running. The courage to push themselves. The knowledge that your best isn’t always better than previous. That they can never ‘fail’ by trying. In fact they now prefer the far more hilly and difficult Watergrove Parkrun to Heaton Park.   A big reason for this is Rochdale Harriers…

Rochdale Harriers have been of immense help to Louis. They were incredibly welcoming of him and their encouragement has been a huge factor in his increasing speed and endurance. Not only that, he’s now finding pleasure in the naturalness of running. The result: He’s fitter and sleeping better, has a release from GCSE study stress – and is smashing me in a 5k run! Meanwhile Izzy often has me taking her on 5, 6, 7k runs or hill reps after I’ve been on club training She’s obviously getting faster and stronger so I’ll only be able to continue doing that for so long!

Both had the confidence to enter for their first paid events – the Lakeland Trails 5k & 10k. And they’re participating in a chip-timed track 5k soon, that mainly consists of adult members from three clubs.

This is all so uplifting. As parents we’re incredibly proud. As a Vet runner it inspires and motivates me to do my best. And they often love to join me on #Run1000Miles trail runs.

Thank you kids. Thank you Harriers. Thank you Parkrun

Jeff