When did running begin for you?
The main context you need to know is that I did NOT grow up running. Throughout my childhood I was a competitive swimmer, training before school most mornings and competitions taking over the weekends. I hated PE at school, had no hand-eye coordination (sadly still true!), and avoided running like the plague. I was just more comfortable in the water!
When I moved to university I wasn’t able to access a pool easily and generally wasn’t very active during my first year. My mental health really suffered as a result. When I was in my second year, my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer and I needed a way to process my emotions and to simply not be in my head for a while. The day after her diagnosis, I downloaded the ‘Couch to 5km’ app and put on my leggings before I could really think it through or change my mind.
My first run was horrific. The first run consists of running for 30s and walking for 30s – I checked the app as I thought it had broken but I had only been running for about 12 seconds! Being so bad at something was a really humbling experience, but it completely distracted me from everything else going on in my life at the time and due to that I was completely hooked.
I carried on with ‘Couch to 5km’ and slowly got better. As I approached Week 8 (running for 25 minutes), the world went into lockdown. Whilst really scary in every other aspects, this was perfect timing for my running as it meant I had no reason not to carry on. Running my first 5km, I felt so proud of myself for keeping going – that was the first time I would say I really enjoyed running and got the bug.
I decided I wanted to get faster and stronger so set myself two lockdown goals: 5km under 30 minutes, and to run 10km by the end of the summer. This gave me a purpose and a routine through lockdown that really helped me mentally. After that I started to really notice the benefit that running had on my mental health, mood, and sleep. I was feeling stronger, happier and healthier and I was completely hooked. I returned to university for my third year and discovered new running routes around Cardiff Bay. I kept getting faster and fell in love with running every time I went out.
During my MSc in Liverpool I was invited to join a friend running the Chester Zoo 10km. This was my first time taking part in an organised running event and I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere was amazing and everyone cheering you on was incredible. I was so proud of myself at the end and I knew I wanted to have that feeling again. I’ve basically been chasing it ever since!!
When I moved back home for my PhD, I found out about the Waverley Harriers on Facebook. I was nervous to join a running club as didn’t consider myself a real runner, but found a community of people just like me! I met David Munday on my first session and he wouldn’t let me leave until I promised to come back again. Being in the Harriers has changed so much for me: being able to run with a group through the winter evenings, take part in events past me would never have considered (cross country!!), and even running races made me start to question what I was capable of. Inspired by the Harriers I signed up for my first half marathon for March 2023. This was something I never thought I could do and I cried when I crossed the finish line as I was so surprised I had made it round the whole thing.
The Harriers made me fall in love with running as a sport, both with regular training runs round our local area and crazy events that weren’t even on my radar. I am now a regular at XCountry, which my younger self would find absolutely hilarious, and love trying to push myself that little bit faster every month. This year I was part of Annette’s Antelopes at Endure24, won the Women’s Cross Country award, and ran my 100th parkrun: none of these would have happened without Harriers.
Why do you run?
- I run to show myself that I can do more than I think
- I run because it feels good to move!!
- I run to get out of my head and into my body. For anyone with a history of mental health challenges, or any chronic overthinkers, this benefit cannot be stated strongly enough!!
- I run to keep myself healthy and strong
- I run to meet new and amazing people. Parkrun is now the highlight of my weekend and love evening runs chatting with other Harriers
- I run because I love it
- I run because I want to get faster
What race or moment in your running career holds the most significance and why?
I think my first half marathon, Hampton Court Half Marathon 2023, was the first time I really surprised myself with what I was capable of. I trained consistently for this run, stuck to the pacing strategy, and felt really strong. I really enjoyed myself whilst running a long distance and it made me realise maybe this was actually something I wanted to do long-term, not just tick off that I had achieved it.
Endure24, a 24-hour relay race of 8km loops, also has a special place in my heart. I took part this year as a proud member of Annette’s Antelopes and was aiming to do 3 laps, but ended up doing 4: the first in torrential rain; the second at sunset with fairies dancing in the woodlands; the third in the pitch black at 2am; and the final one before breakfast the next morning. This event showed me how many firsts I can still have with running and how much left there is for me to discover within this sport. It was a completely different kind of event, running in a team and all working towards a shared goal. Running events can be a fairly isolated experience but this was such a gamechanger and I definitely want to do more races like this in the future. Shout out to Annette, Gary, Sam, Chloe, Joel, Ellen, Flavia and Jon for this experience!!
Who is your running inspiration?
I’m quite new to the running world so haven’t heard of lots of giants in this field. However, I would say Anna McNuff. I love her running books (especially Pants of Perspective and Barefoot Britain) and the enthusiasm she shows for running. It is never about the pace but about the experience, the mental challenges and the people you meet along the way. She really challenges me to get out of my head and to focus on enjoying myself when I am running.
Closer to home, my inspiration is always any women at parkrun in their 80s jogging around the route, as I want that to be me when I’m older!!
What event, past or present, would you like to take part in and why?
The London Marathon has always been the race that I’ve dreamed of taking part in. The atmosphere looks incredible and being able to run through such iconic landmarks would be a great experience. I enter the ballot and apply for charity places every year but so far it eludes me!
The other race on my dream running list is RunDisney, a marathon taking place through Walt Disney World in Florida with Disney characters cheering you along the route. As a massive Disney fan this sounds like the perfect run for me! I’m dreaming about doing this for my 30th birthday!
What golden piece of advice would you give to other runners?
I’m not sure I’m in any position to give advice (!!), but I would say there are two main ways I keep running:
- Make it non-negotiable. There are very few times when I actually feel like going for a run in the morning, or after work. Making it a part of your routine means you don’t have to psych yourself up to go as that’s just what you do on a Tuesday evening. The club sessions are great for this as you know there will be people to meet you and lead you, so all you really need to do motivation-wise is get there!
- Make it social. Running through the winter is hard, but can be made so much better with friends. Last winter my friend and I decided to do our weekly catch-ups over a run – it kept us both accountable and made running in the rainy, dark evenings much more enjoyable! I have also started a running group with friends from work which is a great way to catch-up and keeps us running through the winter. Whether it’s running with other people, putting on your favourite podcast, or coming along to a parkrun – make it social and make it fun!
What’s next?
I’m running the Oxford Half in October and then the Farnborough Half in February, mainly to make myself train longer distances over the winter. This will be my third time doing this event and am determined to PB this year!!
I’ve also recently completed my 100th parkrun and 50th parkrun venue, so aiming to keep these growing. Next up are the Alphabet Challenge and 100 venues!
Who would you like to nominate?
It’s got to be fellow Annette’s Antelopes member… Ellen Moseley!!