PERFORMANCE
“Running helps me face everything from major worries to
everyday stresses.” Penny Harris, 47, is a company director, from Ross on Wye, Herefordshire.
“I’ll openly admit I can be evil if I don’t get my runs in and my husband Ceri
tells me I’m horrible if I haven’t been for a run. If I go out angry because Ceri hasn’t done a job around the house that he said he would do a week ago, I get back from a run and realise it doesn’t matter. It’s as if running puts everything in perspective and those little things that wind us all up don’t matter any more. Running helps me face everything from major worries to
everyday stresses, like coping with the various things our cat brings in through the cat flap! Ceri says I come back like Tigger after a long run – I’m
irritatingly bouncy once the endorphins have kicked in! Running is my release valve! Four years ago I lost my dad Ron and I was injured at the
time. I’m convinced I took longer to get over losing my dad because I couldn’t get out for a run. My next big trauma will be when my step-daughters
emigrate to Australia. I shall have to channel my sadness into training for the Forest of Dean Half Marathon in April and the Lanzarote Half Iron Triathlon in November!”
“I find that my morning runs set me up for the day and the
little things in life.” Rebecca Berry, 42, is a bank supervisor, from St Helier, Jersey.
“Running has made me a much better mother to my children, Anastasia, 15, and Benjamin, 11. I’m a
single mum and my children expect a lot of attention from me, but when I’m working full-time and running a home I’m not always that patient with them. I find that my morning runs set me up for the day and the little things in life – such as the children not giving me their laundry or leaving their bedrooms in a mess . Thanks to running, I feel as if I’ve achieved so much that I never thought possible! It also helped when I was losing weight - I lost more than 5st which gave me energy and confidence. I’ve also made a brilliant friend through running. I used
to walk home from school with another mum, Marie, and we decided to go running together. Now we run four mornings a week and we chat all the time! It’s great because I don’t have any adult company at home and I get back from our morning runs feeling as if I can cope with anything. My training got me through the Jersey Marathon in 4:30 on the hottest day of the year last year. This year I’m hoping to do the Amsterdam Marathon in October. I have plenty of reasons to get up in a morning and run!”
“I achieved two Guinness World records for
treadmill running.” Bryce Alford, 42, is an estate agent and life coach, from St Saviour, Jersey.
“I lost my mum to breast cancer when I was 20 and she was just 58. Until then, I
was like many young people and I was fairly selfish, but after my mum died, I realised life isn’t just about yourself. I decided to do some fund-raising runs and over ten years I helped to raise more than £100,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth where my mum had day care and spent three weeks. I achieved two Guinness World records for treadmill
running in 2001 and 2003 and in July 2004 I ran 100 miles in a day from John O’Groats to near Inverness. I realised my mum’s death hadn’t been in vain when the
money I’d raised went towards research for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and was used to fund care at the hospice. That helped me a lot in coping with her death. My next big challenge is Trailwalker UK – I’m a member of a team from Jersey and we’re hoping to break the civilian and mixed team records for 100Ks across the South Downs from Portsmouth to Brighton Racecourse.” To help Bryce support Breakthrough Breast Cancer sponsor him:
www.justgiving.com/Bryce-Alford
“Running has definitely helped with my relationship with
my husband Nick.” Becky Stevens, 34, is the race director of the Brighton Half Marathon, and she lives in Brighton.
“All my relationships have benefited from running because it’s such a
stress reliever. I used to run but I had a break while I had my children, who are now two and four, and I’ve got back into running in the last year. Running has definitely helped with my relationship with
my husband Nick. As a working mum, I have a lot going on, but instead of taking any day to day tensions out on Nick, I run and get rid of them by running. I always come back from a run a happier person. I can set out with something on my mind and after a run I feel as if I’ve processed it. As far as the children are concerned, I’m much more patient with them when I’m running regularly. Getting some exercise in the fresh air works wonders! Some of my friends are going through a rough time and
I’ve already converted them to running. I think they too are finding they are processing their problems when they run and they go home feeling much better for having had a chance to think things through. I’ve also made some really good new friends by taking part in the Park Runs, which I think are fantastic.”
www.runningfreemag.co.uk n 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64