Women's Sport Week

It's been fairly quiet on the running front since my last blog instalment, an accumulation of injuries has forced me to take a bit of a rest from my usual antics. I started writing this post with the intention of it being ready to publish during Women's Sport Week (1-7 June), however a combination of procrastination and being busy meant that I missed that deadline. Besides, the celebration of women participating in sport should not be limited to one designated week a year!

Running was once something that I did alone. I expect that's why my experience of training for the two half marathons in 2009 and 2013 was a fairly miserable and lonely one. It's only in the past year that running has become more of a social thing for me. Through parkrun, running groups and events I have met some pretty cool people that I now consider friends. One thing I have learnt from being part of a community of runners is just how encouraging everyone is and I have made it my mission to get as many people I know to join in with the fun!

My friend Anne decided to take up running to help her fitness and regularly runs in the mornings before work. Over a number of weeks she had been progressing really well, establishing a regular route and running the route quicker each week. We were chatting about her running at a recent social gathering and it didn't take me long to suggest that she should give parkrun a go. We estimated that the route Anne had been running was approximately 2 miles so an extra mile on top should be perfectly achievable. It was one of those things where I half expected not to hear any more about it (I tell everyone that mentions running that they should try parkrun) so when I got a message from Anne asking for the web link to parkrun so she could register I was delighted!

I think Anne was a little apprehensive about parkrun at first, going from running on your own to being surrounded by other runners could be a daunting prospect. I gave her with my assurances her that the parkrun folk are a welcoming and friendly bunch and I also promised that I would keep her company and run with her. The parkrun ethos is simple, you turn up, run 5k, it doesn't matter how fast you go as it's about being part of it and having fun. It does not discriminate against age, ability or background, it's an event for everyone!

Saturday morning came and we met Anne and headed to our local parkrun, Great Notley. I sensed Anne was a little nervous and did my best to put her at ease. During our bike ride there we set the objective of just getting round and time not being an important factor. We positioned ourselves nearer the back of the pack so we didn't get pressured into keeping up with the crowd. At 9am we set off around the 2 lap course, I stuck by Anne's side and let her set the pace. Throughout I did my best to provide some distraction and chatted to Anne. We got around the first lap with no issues at all before we were faced with a mountain to climb, well not quite, just Great Notley's infamous 'Hill of Doom'! We approached the hill with a tactic to walk/jog up to the top and touched the bird before descending to begin the 2nd lap.

Touching the bird at the top of the Hill of Doom

The 2nd lap didn't really throw up any surprises, after the hill we settled back into the steady rhythm. I kept checking in with Anne letting her know how long we'd been running for and how much further we had to go whilst doing a quick head to toe scan of how she was feeling. Once we had got around the lake I knew we could focus on the finish, Anne did not need much encouragement, she is a really focused and determined person so once we had reached the field I pointed out the finish line and it was heads down to the finish line.

I wasn't quite sure at this stage whether Anne enjoyed herself or whether she'd never speak to me again for badgering her into parkrun! I congratulated Anne on the run and she threw her arms around me and said 'thank you'. There's nothing like sweaty hug between two people to affirm your friendship! I made the point that there was no need to thank me, it was all her, I just simply ran with her. It felt really good to have helped someone accomplish their goals and recognise their own potential. A couple of days later I checked in with Anne and she was still buzzing from the the run, I think I may have converted another to the way of parkrun! Anne is already hinting that she may run a 10k in the not too distant future...

Anne and I reaching the finish line on her first parkrun!

A couple of weeks ago I got the heads up on Facebook that Like the Wind magazine was putting on a special evening with the legendary ultra runner and adventurer Lizzy Hawker in London. Lizzy was going to talk about her running adventures and do a Q&A session. Lizzy recently published her book 'Runner: A Short Story About a Long Run' so there would also be the opportunity to have the book signed in person. Paul and I don't often venture into London after work but thought it was one of those rare opportunities we couldn't miss.

Lizzy Hawker has quite an impressive running CV. When Lizzy first entered the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in 2005 she apparently hadn't owned a pair of trail shoes until 10 days previously. She won it on her first attempt and has gone on to win the UTMB 5 times! In addition she is the 100km Women's World Champion, held the record time for running 24 hours and was the first female to appear on the winners podium at the Spartathlon, really quite astonishing!

Lizzy spoke for around an hour about her running experiences and also her time in Nepal where she lives for part of the year. She had been in Nepal at the time of the recent earthquakes. The money raised through ticket and book sales that evening were going to be donated to the aid efforts personally by Lizzy. I admired just how ordinary and humble she came across despite being one of the UK's best known ultra athletes. She is certainly an inspiration and has made me want to build on my recent marathon and see just how far I can run.

I have spoken in previous blog posts about Michelle's Running Group who I run with. Given that I am writing about Women's Sports Week I wanted to give special praise for Michelle and her fantastic group. Whilst the group is open to both men and women, the women certainly make up the majority of the numbers. The group covers all abilities, from those just putting on their running shoes for the first time right through to marathoners. Michelle has fostered a culture within the group which makes it welcoming and friendly and I believe this is why the group is such a success and gaining new members every week. Children are also welcome to run with the group, it's great to see families exercising together. It's a fact backed by research that as an active parent you are more likely to have active children which can only be a healthy and positive thing. It is fantastic to see so many people supporting and encouraging on another all with their own stories and reasons to run. If you're local to the Braintree area then check them out, the group can be found on Facebook.

Sport England recently launched the This Girl Can campaign which aims to encourage women and girls to get involved with exercise regardless of their shape and size. Research conducted by Sport England found that on of the main factors stopping women from turning their ambitions into reality is a fear of judgement on their appearance. I find this quite depressing, it seems society has created a toxic culture most likely driven by the internet and glossy celebrity magazines that means we are judged by how we look and not what we do. The This Girl campaign features real women who play sport using images far from those idealised and stylised by the media, quite refreshing to see women just you or I doing what we enjoy. So put the stereotypes aside, forget how silly you may feel, or how slow you think you may run. Just get out there and do it! Hey, it's ok to sweat! It is perfectly natural, when I exercise I like to think of it as my fat crying! I get out of bed and go to parkrun, who cares what I look like!

On a final note, go and run! Whatever the barriers that stand in your way, knock them down! You're only as strong as you allow yourself to be so go and be awesome!