Why I... run
"I’m inspired by the old or out-of-shape people who turn up every week"
I have been running as long as I can remember. When I was a young boy, I lived in a small village in Lincolnshire. Running was what you did.
After school, I joined the Royal Marines and every year we’d go to Norway for three or four months. I was a natural at cross country skiing and represented my regiment. It’s nearly the same action as running and exercises the same muscles – so I never really stopped running.
I’ve done the Marathon de Sable, a 150 mile run through Morocco over seven days. That was back in 2000 and I’m thinking about doing it a second time in 2020. You might ask why – I think it’s because I don’t remember the bad bits.
These days I run three or four times a week. I can’t avoid hills because I live on one and it hurts just as much going down as it does coming back up.
When I run I don’t want headphones or any artificial noise. I start with a jumble of thoughts and by the end they tend to have sorted themselves out. It forces me to leave the office. When you have a sedentary job, like mine, running gets the blood pumping and the muscles working. I feel vibrant, energised and empowered, like a mini-Superman.
As a young person, you don’t really have to worry about your weight but as you get older, you do. In my case, having been a teetotaller when I was in the Marines but now enjoying a couple of glasses of wine in the evening, it’s even more important.
My advice to anyone who wants to start running from scratch go online and find support – “Couch to 5k” is a great start. I’m a huge fan of Parkrun. When we moved to Exeter, we didn’t know anyone so we joined the local Parkrun. Three years later, I’m about to become event director. I want to give something back. It sounds corny but I’m inspired by the old or out-of-shape people who turn up every week. They look at the quick ones and think: “Who cares?”
It’s possible to spend, spend, spend but you don’t have to. You don’t need expensive watches or heart monitors. You can get a good pair of trainers for less than £100. Be prepared to take advice from others and to make lifestyle changes. Get out of your comfort zone, whether that’s your bed, your office or your sofa.