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DECEMBER 2019 £4.80
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IN THIS ISSUE
REGULARS
WARM-UPS
HUMAN RACE
FEATURES
DECEMBER
2019
COACH
GEAR
RACE
PROSPECTS
ARE EXCELLENT
ON THE
COVER
Photographer
Luca Mara
Model
Louise Ringström
P13
Outrun A Heart Attack Try
this punchy 10-minute workout
to help protect your ticker.
P25
‘How I Ran Off 10st’ Vickie
Humber is fitter than she’s ever
been and is eyeing up ultras
P32
Why Running Boosts Your
Brainpower It may not make
you a genius, but our sport really
does nourish the grey matter
004 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
P40
The Energy Plan 10 easy power
meals to fuel your runs
P76
Fit For Life Simple steps to
run stronger for longer
P50
Max Your Motivation Try
this new approach using an
old-school skill: writing notes
P80
On Test 11 best jackets to keep
you comfortable, dry and warm
this winter, no matter what the
British weather has to offer
P56
62 Wacky And Wonderful
Races Vertical miles, ice runs,
underground routes, toilet
races, but if you want to catch
the pigeon you’re out of luck
P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S , L U C K Y I F S H A R P. I L LU S T R AT I O N : J O H N D E VO L L E
The Burro Days World
Championships, in Colorado,
one of the world’s wacky
races. We look at 62 of the
weirdest and most wonderful
IMPROVE
YOUR BRAIN!
Go for a run
CHERRY ON TOP
The fruit with the
spruce juice
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REGULARS
P08
Rave Run Abbey Fields,
Abingdon-On-Thames
P98
I’m A Runner Fleabag
actor Ben Aldridge
FEATURES
P44
COACH
WARM-UPS
P11
P15
P17
P19
The 99-Year-Old Who Can’t
Stop Running The remarkable,
inspiring George Etzweiler
P68
Tom Craggs A growth mindset
can help you become a stronger
runner, in good times and bad
P70
Ask Jo Our resident Olympian
on hitting the road
P71
Spice Up Your Run Punchy
flavours to boost performance
Mind+Health Sports nutrition
may be causing dental damage
P72
Fuel In Your Favour Pasta
recipes to supercharge your run
Injury Change your gait to make
some big strides in running
P75
The Nail File How to look after
your toenails, the pesky devils
The Royal Treatment Cherry
juice can boost recovery and
make you feel like a king
Nutrition Alcohol-free beer:
not a contradiction in terms
The write side of
running, p50
HUMAN RACE
GEAR
P21
Taking The Long View Stella
Denniss is taking on an epic
running challenge for her child
P24
Murphy’s Lore Sam senses the
all-seeing eye of technology
P26
The Dashing Diplomats Two
UK ambassadors representing
the country and our sport
P28
P85
First Look The Veja
Condor running shoe
P86
Test Zone Kit roundup
Tonky Talk Paul returns to the
fray, a little older, a little slower
P31
By The Numbers Russell Cook
ran almost 2,000 miles
The story behind the
shoes Eliud Kipchoge
wore when he made
running history.
runnersworld.com/
uk/sub2shoe
DEEP BREATH
How training your
diaphragm can
make you faster –
and stop stitches.
runnersworld.com/
uk/diaphragmtraining
RACE
Wear to
prepare, p80
P89
The Main Event RW’s Joe
Mackie runs the Dallas Marathon
P92
Race Numbers The Elsecar
Running Festival and Santa Dash
P93
Route Recce The Chilly Hilly
P94
Start List December races
Your World Your views
P30
THE SHOE FITS
BELT AND RACES
Eight of the best
running belts to
securely carry your
bits and pieces.
runnersworld.com/
uk/runningbelts
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What’s the
wackiest
race you’ve
ever run?
‘Escape from
Great Britain.
A bizarre race in
which runners
had 48 hours to
get as far away
from the centre
of GB as possible.
With no set
route, it was
hard to tell if my
running partner
and I were
involved in a
race or had
simply come on
holiday by
mistake.’
– Rick Pearson
‘The Great
Gorilla Run.
Several hundred
runners in
customised
gorilla outfits
(I was a 1970s
disco gorilla)
taking time out
from running to
climb lampposts,
bus stops and
phone boxes,
and beat our
chests.’
– Kerry McCarthy
‘The Sodbury Slog,
by a country
mile, or, rather
10 of the filthiest
country miles I
have ever run,
including a full
dunking in
deeply brown,
staggeringly
malodorous
“water”. Great
fun, but I had to
sneak into my
hotel and I was
in the shower for
a long time.’
– John Carroll
‘Runstock – a
brilliant family
event with 5K
loops in the
grounds of a
country house,
with my wife and
seven-year-old
son. Seven
activity zones
threw in
fairground stalls,
inflatables, an
assault course,
giant waterslide
and jumping
from a great
height onto a
giant airbag.’
– Joe Mackie
006 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
EFFIE KANYUA Director of PR &
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EDITOR’S
LETTER
ONE OF THE MOST
inspiring aspects of running
is that there’s no age limit.
In fact, the impressive
achievements of many
veteran runners – such as the
late Ed Whitlock, who ran
a sub-four-hour marathon
at the age of 85, in 2016; or, more recently,
71-year-old Jeannie Rice, who in August ran
a 1:37 half marathon to break the age group
world record – are forcing us to rewrite the
physiological rulebook. The thinking used to
be that after we peak physically in our 20s
and 30s, it’s downhill thereafter. But research
on ageing runners shows there is only a small
decline in performance between the ages of
50 and 75, meaning runners can stay in prime
shape for a lot longer than previously thought
(and with my big five-O just a few birthdays
away, this was music to my ears). For more on
how you can run strong through each decade
of your life, check out our feature on page 76.
If you’re in need of any further proof that
running truly can be a lifelong habit, read our
feature on George Etzweiler, on page 44. At the
age of 99, he does the Mount Washington Road
Race (involving over 1,400 metres of ascent
over 7.3 miles) every year. There’s a quote that
goes, ‘I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to
add life to my days.’ George’s heartwarming
story shows that’s it’s possible to do both.
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SELENE YEAGER
JAMES COLLINS
The personal trainer,
fitness author and
Ironman triathlete
shows you how taking
some simple steps to
adapt your training to
suit your evolving
physiology can
keep you in shape
to Run Strong for
Life on p76.
A sport and exercise
nutritionist who has
worked with Team GB
Olympic athletes and
the England football
team, Collins offers a
bespoke energising
menu to fuel training
and speed recovery.
If you’re feeling Power
Hungry, turn to p40.
P H OTO G R A P H : JA I M E L I V I N G O O D
Andy Dixon
RAVE RUN
ABBEY FIELDS,
ABINGDON-ON-THAMES
THE EXPERIENCE
This beautiful path runs
through Abbey Fields in
Abingdon-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire. Named
after the medieval
Benedictine abbey that
used to be here, Abbey
Fields is sandwiched
between the River
Thames and the Abbey
Stream. The path is much
frequented by runners,
walkers and cyclists.
It is the ideal spot for a
contemplative run in
captivating surroundings.
AFTER THE RUN
Drop into the The
Brewery Tap (Oxford
CAMRA Town & Country
Pub of the Year, 2019) for
some lunch and one or
two of its 14 craft beers.
PHOTOGRAPH
Apexphotos
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 009
FITNESS
NUTRITION
MIND+
HEALTH
INJURY
WARM-UPS
The TIPS YOU NEED to GET UP to SPEED
THE ROYAL
TREATMENT
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . P H OTO G R A P H : G E T T Y I M AG E S . 1. M E D I C I N E & S C I E N C E I N S P O R T S & E X E R C I S E
For quicker recovery,
cherries are the
pick of the crop
IN THE DAYS following a
tough race, our legs can
feel as wobbly as a small
child on a big bike. But
there may be a simple way
to help your legs recover:
cherries. Two studies have
found that runners who
consume cherries in
concentrate form are
refreshed and ready to
return to running quicksmart. The first1 showed
that consuming cherry
juice for five days before
and two days after a
marathon improved
muscle recovery and
reduced inflammation. The
second, by London South
Bank University, found that
athletes who consumed
cherry juice concentrate in
the seven days leading up
to a workout returned to
90 per cent of normal
muscle force within
24 hours, compared with
85 per cent without. So
if you have a gruelling run
in the race diary, reach for
some cherry aid.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 011
WARM-UPS
Try these two stair
workouts. Do each
exercise for 20 secs.
Jog back down.
STEP
UP THE
PACE
FIRST-TIMER
Walk or run
2 steps at a time
Sprint 1 step at a time
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S 1. E U R O P E A N S O C I E T Y O F CA R D I O LO GY ’ S E U R O E C H O - I M AG I N G 2 0 18 ; 2. M C M A S T E R U N I V E R S I T Y; 3. R U N R E P E AT
For life-expanding
fitness benefits, it
pays to take the stairs
Step hops Hop on
and off the bottom
step, 10 reps per leg
High knees
1 step at a time
NO MAT TER HOW far or fast
you can run, flights of
stairs are, for some reason,
always hard work. But
research1 has found that
those who could climb
four flights of stairs in
55 seconds without having
to stop were less likely to
die from cardiovascular
disease, cancer or other
illnesses. In addition, a
2019 study2 found that a
couple of minutes of
sprint-interval training
on stairs three times a
week improved overall
cardiovascular fitness in
just six weeks. Best of all?
As the temperature drops
further with the arrival
of winter, stair intervals
can be done inside on
any staircase – and they
won’t cost you a penny.
As for the curious looks
you may get from your
co-workers, tell them
you’re taking steps to
improve your fitness.
Then keep going.
5-10
The optimal temperature in
degrees Celsius for running
a marathon.3
FITNESS
OLD PRO
Sprint Clear as many
steps as you can
High knees
While facing right
(sideways)
High knees While
facing left (sideways)
Step hops Hop on
and off the bottom
step as quickly as you
can, 10 reps per leg
Deep lunges
2 steps at a time
After each circuit,
rest for 1 minute. Repeat
for a total of 10 minutes
NATION STATES
New data from RunRepeat
has revealed average halfmarathon and marathon
times around the world.
Over 13.1 miles, Russia tops
the chart, while Spain
leads the way over 26.2
miles. The UK is 20th in
the half (2:02:43) and 35th
in the full (4:37:09).
HALF MAR ATHON
MAR ATHON
RUSSIA 1:45:11
SPAIN 3:53:59
BELGIUM 1:48:01
SWITZERLAND 3:55:12
SPAIN 1:50:20
PORTUGAL
3:59:31
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 013
WARM-UPS
HOLDING OUT
FOR A ZERO
Why runners should raise a glass to
the rise of low- and no-alcohol beers
RW RE ADERS ARE SPLIT on
the benefits of alcohol-free
beers. In a recent Twitter
poll, 48 per cent felt they
were a nice alternative,
while 52 per cent thought
they were pointless.
(Here’s hoping that 52-48
split is as uncontroversial
as the Brexit vote – Ed.)
There are good reasons to
drink to the success of
zero- and low-percenters.
Gone are the days when
low-alcohol beers meant
choosing between a night
on Kaliber or Becks Blue.
There are now IPAs, sours
and ciders. And, unlike
their boozy brethren,
no-alcohol beers won’t ruin
your sleep, impair recovery,
make you dehydrated or
convince you to go home
via the kebab house.
What’s more interesting
is they’re also potentially
healthier than other boozefree bevvies such as fruit
juices or fizzy drinks.
NUTRITION
‘Alcohol-free or low-alcohol
beers make for a good
alternative to sugary soft
drinks for a number of
reasons,’ says nutritionist
Kim Pearson (kim-pearson.
co.uk). ‘A drink such as
Erdinger Alkoholfrei
contains around a third of
the sugar of a Coke, as
well as providing vitamins
B12 and folic acid. Also, lots
of these drinks are made
from natural ingredients,
unlike many soft drinks.’
TOP TRUMPS:
BATTLE OF THE BEVVIES
KRONENBOURG 1664
KCALS
194 (per 440ml can)
KCALS
125 (per 500ml bottle)
ALCOHOL CONTENT
5%
ALCOHOL CONTENT
SUGAR
17g
SUGAR
VITAMINS
NASTIES
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . P I C T U R E S : L U C K Y I F S H A R P. 1. R OYA L F R E E H O S P I TA L
ERDINGER ALKOHOLFREI
B6 and B12
2.2 units of alcohol per can;
glucose syrup
40
Average percentage reduction in
harmful liver fats after just
one month without alcohol.1
VITAMINS
NASTIES
0.5%
18g
B12, folic acid (B9)
None
COCA-COLA
KCALS
ALCOHOL CONTENT
SUGAR
VITAMINS
NASTIES
210 (per 500ml bottle)
0%
54g
None
Very high in sugar
TRY THESE LOW-ALCOHOL DROPS
Maisel’s Weisse
(0.5%)
Delicious, fruity wheat
beer. An award-winner
for a reason.
£1.59, lightdrinks.co.uk
Nanny State (0.5%)
San Miguel 0,0 (0%)
This zingy, citrussy pale
ale proves that lowalcohol beers need
not lack flavour.
£1.30, brewdog.com
One of the best on the
market, this pilsnerstyle drop is eminently
quaffable.
£1.10, tesco.com
Mikkeller Drink’in
the Snow (0.3%)
This dark Danish beer
has notes of cocoa.
A perfect winter brew.
£2.29, lightdrinks.co.uk
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 015
WARM-UPS
THE
TOOTH
HURTS
WATCH YOUR
MOUTH
DIY gels
For better oral
health, cut down on
the sports nutrition
OPEN WIDE
But go easy on
sugary sports
nutrition products
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . P H OTO G R A P H : J O B E L AW R E N S O N , G E T T Y I M AG E S / I S TO C K P H OTO S O U R C E S : 1. U N I V E R S I T Y C O L L E G E LO N D O N 2. K I N G ’ S CO L L E G E LO N D O N 3. D E CAT H LO N
THEY MAY HAVE IMPRESSIVE
PBS , perfect running form
and drawers filled with
winner’s medals. But
there’s one area in which
elite runners are lagging
behind the pack: dental
health. Despite brushing
their teeth twice a day, top
athletes often have bad
teeth and gums, according
to minty-fresh research.1
The reason could be their
love of sports nutrition
products. Researchers
found that elite athletes
regularly use sports drinks
(87 per cent), energy gels
(70 per cent) and energy
bars (59 per cent). ‘The
sugar in these products
increases the risk of tooth
decay and the acidity of
them increases the risk of
erosion,’ says Dr Julie
Gallagher of the UCL
Eastman Dental Institute
Centre for Oral Health and
Performance. Here are a
few ways you can fuel
your run without ruining
your pearly whites:
77
Percentage of parents who
believe they exercise more often
than their children.3
MIND+HEALTH
Many gels are
acidic and high in
sugars. Make your
own by blending
bananas, chia
seeds, water
and a teaspoon
of honey.
Delay brushing
In the hours after
consuming energy
gels or sports
drinks, don’t brush
your teeth. Doing
so during this
period will increase
enamel erosion.
Cut back
Do you really need
that energy gel for
a 45-min easy run?
If you fuel right
through the day,
consider cutting
back on midrun
bars and gels.
BANISH THE BEDTIME BLUE LIGHT
Stop checking Strava before you go to bed: it could be
adding inches to your waistline. New research from the
Society for Ingestive Behaviour says late-night exposure
to blue light – the kind experienced when looking at your
smartphone – is linked to sugar cravings the following
morning. Blue light has also been proven to sabotage
sleep. And when we sleep less, we gorge more. One
study2 found sleep deprivation led people to eat almost
400 more calories per day. For proper rest, opt for the
three Bs: bath, book, bed (Strava will be there tomorrow).
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 017
WARM-UPS
STRIDE
AND JOY
INJURY
TRUE TO
FORM
Shane Benzie is a
technique coach
and movement
specialist (running
reborn.co.uk).
Follow his three tips
to a better stride.
Changing your running
stride could bring
performance benefits
CHANGE IS HARD BUT a new study1
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . I L L U S T R AT I O N : G E T T Y I M AG E S / I KO N I M AG E S 1. J O U R N A L O F M OTO R B E H AV I O R
suggests it may be worth
upgrading your gait. The key is
commitment. The research
found there is a mental cost to
changing your stride, making
the early weeks frustrating.
‘Changing a runner’s gait is
initially quite mentally taxing
and requires a lot of focus,’
says researcher Richard Willy.
However, study participants’
brain activity returned to
normal after eight
weeks, as the new
gait had become
a learned
pattern. Follow
the flow chart
below to see
whether you
might benefit
from upgrading
your running
stride.
Oscillation
Oscillation is the air you
create in your stride. It’s
a great thing, if it takes
you up and forward. As
you push off, imagine
an elastic cord: one end
is connected to your
chest and the other
to whatever you are
running toward. Let
this imaginary force
help to propel you.
Circling the legs
GAIT’S RATES
As you move forward,
think about cycling or
circling your legs
beneath you. Imagine
you’re on a unicycle: you
are tall, leading from
the chest, with cycling
legs. The foot should
make contact below the
hip, with a soft knee.
CARRY ON DOING WHAT
YOU’RE DOING
Is it time you made
some changes to
your running stride?
NO
NO
DO YOU HAVE A
LONG-TERM INJURY
OR NIGGLE?
YES
IT MAY BE
WORTH
RETRAINING
YOUR STRIDE
YES
HAS YOUR RUNNING
PLATEAUED?
DO YOU DO STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING WORK?
YES
YES
DO YOU HAVE A
LONG-TERM INJURY
OR NIGGLE?
NO
NO
TRY MIXING UP YOUR
TRAINING
TRY THAT FIRST
Cadence
A good stride should
be at a cadence of
165-175. When we
make contact with
the ground, our
impact creates elastic
energy; running at
the correct cadence
will enable us to
move in sync with
this free energy
source. A metronome
is a great way of
finding your cadence
and then, if necessary,
increasing or
decreasing it.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 019
RUNNING AMBASSADORS p26
HUMAN
ASIA TO LONDON p31
RACE
WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . P H OTO G R A P H S : DA N R O S S
NEWS, VIEWS, TRENDS and ORDINARY RUNNERS doing EXTRAORDINARY THINGS
TAKING
THE LONG
VIEW
Stella Denniss is embarking on an
epic running challenge to raise
funds for her disabled daughter
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 021
H
R
‘THERE’S NOT MUCH ADVICE
Top to bottom: Stella
is ready for her
multi-marathon
effort; and with her
daughter Eadie
about running five marathons
in five days,’ says Stella Denniss.
The lack of guidance on the
subject is telling: running 131 miles in
120 hours is a sub-genre of running
with limited appeal. But Stella (44) is
a mother on a mission. Through her
5-in-5 Challenge, she’s hoping to
raise vital funds to get her three-yearold daughter, Eadie, the treatment
she needs to ‘walk, talk and play’.
Eadie was born in May 2016, along
with her twin, Lucy, but her parents
soon noticed a difference between
the two. Doctors diagnosed her with
hypotonia – which causes decreased
022 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
muscle tone – and microcephaly,
which means her brain is smaller
than it should be. She has since
also been diagnosed with global
developmental delay – which means
that she has a lower intellectual
functioning than what is perceived
as normal for her age – and epilepsy.
While Stella, an NHS nurse, knows
her daughter faces challenges, she
believes progress is possible with the
right treatment. ‘Eadie will always
have learning difficulties,’ she says.
‘She may never be able to speak, for
example, but she communicates in
her own way – she’s started to do a
bit of sign language. We’d like to get
her to walk, gain some independence
and see her reach her potential.’
This treatment, however, is only
available in Slovakia. And it costs:
Stella needs to raise £15,000 to get
Eadie 10 days of treatment at the Adeli
Rehabilitation Centre. The mother of
three is getting creative when it
comes to raising the required funds.
First, she helped organise a fashion
show; now she’s hitting the roads.
The 5-in-5 Challenge is a huge
undertaking, so it’s surprising to learn
that Stella never saw herself as much
of a runner. ‘It took me years to learn
how to run – I was just rubbish,’ she
says. ‘Then, for my 30th birthday, I
thought, “Let’s sort this out.”’ So, she
signed up for the Run for Life 5K in
2003. The Sheffield Marathon was
next, followed in 2005 by the London
Marathon. In 2008, Stella ran a
marathon a month for Children in
Need and says she enjoyed the
routine of regular marathon running.
Twelve marathons in 12 months is
one thing. Five marathons in five
days is quite another. What’s more,
unlike the professionals who speed
up their recovery with ice baths and
massages, Stella’s parental duties will
continue. ‘I have to pick the kids up
after one of the marathons and make
them tea. That will be interesting!’
On the subject of food, Stella says
she’ll be trying to increase her protein
intake during the challenge as a way
of offsetting the muscle damage
caused by running 131 miles in 120
hours. Aside from that, though, she’s
just hoping for the best.
‘I’ve asked other runners what to
do. Everybody seems to wing it,’ she
says. ‘It’s been a process of trial and
error. In July this year, I ran two
marathons back to back just to see
how my body held up. I lost some
toenails in the process, which was
unfortunate, so I’ll definitely be
strapping my feet for the 5-in-5.’
Stella says her partner and children
are hugely supportive of her running,
but it can still be a struggle to fit in
training around work and family. ‘As a
nurse, I do 12-hour shifts. Sometimes,
I’ll do a five-miler straight after work,
and then go home to bed. I try to
not let it impact on caring for the
kids. If I have a day off with them, I
won’t run unless they’re in bed. I can
squeeze in about 30-40 miles a week.’
Like many other busy people,
Stella sees running as opportunity to
get some much-needed headspace.
‘Running is therapy to me,’ she says.
‘Where I live, I can get out in the
fields and on the canal. It’s an escape
from work. I feel completely at peace
when I run. I can forget I’m even
running, in fact. I can go out and
see deer and buzzards, and I just
come back feeling amazing.’
During the challenge, Stella will
be running most of the miles on her
own. Her thoughts, though, will be
only of Eadie. ‘I’ll be thinking about
my daughter the whole time,’ she
says. ‘She’s the ultimate motivation.’
Stella is raising money to get her daughter the
treatment she needs: visit just4children.org/
children-helped2019/eadies-wishes
Murphy’s Lore
BY SAM MURPHY
WHAT SAM...
Attended…
T
hough I am sad to say it, I have decided that my Garmin hates
me. It’s as if it has become the digital personification of the
negative voice in my head that whispers ‘you’re not pushing
hard enough,’ ‘you need to train more,’ ‘you’re past it!’ Not
good enough, not good enough, not good enough.
My evil watch has become a standing joke between me and
my husband, Jeff, (whose Garmin adores him, reckoning on a
15:05 5K and a 31:22 10K despite recording his lactate threshold
at six minutes per mile). It rarely judges anything I do to be of
any worth. A gorgeous two-hour trail run is branded ‘unproductive’ (lazy). A
gruelling speed workout sees my VO2 max slide a point (pointless). A five-mile
race will apparently require four days of recovery (dangerously in the red). I’m
overreaching one minute, detraining the next.
I know I’m not alone in being perplexed by smartwatch feedback. Running
forums and social media are full of similar experiences. (‘It drops my VO2 max
every time I go for a long run,’ notes one runner. ‘I just ran three back-to-back
10Ks – one of them a PB – and my Garmin [said] ‘unproductive’ reports another.)
When newsreader and runner Sophie Raworth posted on Twitter recently that
her Garmin was ‘having a laugh’ with its lofty race-prediction times, a follower
responded that it was probably because her maximum heart rate was set up
wrongly, and that overriding it manually would solve the problem. I decided to
try it too, and wondered if I and my Garmin (which I’ve nicknamed HAL, after
the malevolent computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey) might now be able to call
a truce. But my next run was greeted with the usual deflating feedback.
At this point, I should mention that I did invite Garmin – by email and on
Twitter – to comment for this column, but didn’t get a reply. No matter. I’m not
here to review the algorithms behind the data my watch provides, or offer tips
on how to interpret it. My point is broader, and it is this: let’s be mindful –
wary, even – of how reliant we are becoming on technology for feedback.
024 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
A suicideprevention course
hosted by running
coach Jacky
Youldon, who
used running to
aid her recovery
after a suicide
attempt.
runningspace.org
Wolfed down…
An energy gel
from the makers
of Kendal Mint
Cake – as tasty
as the original
product, but in
liquid form.
(kendalmint.
co.uk). Heaven!
Realised…
I am within reach
of my 2019 goal of
averaging 26.2
miles per week. At
time of writing, I’ll
need to run an
average of 19.4
miles each week
for the rest of
the year.
For one thing, it’s not necessarily
accurate. Running on the track the
other night, my watch beeped to signal
a mile covered when I was barely on
the home straight of my fourth lap,
and a recent study showed that the
range of error with wrist-worn heartrate monitors is between one and
eight per cent.1 Less scientifically,
but still relevant, I recently recorded
over 5,000 steps while standing still,
painting weatherboard cladding.
But perhaps more important than
accuracy is how the feedback affects
us. I finished that five-mile race
breathing hard after battling (in vain)
for second place, but a few minutes
later I was enjoying cake and cheering
in fellow runners. Reviewing the
stats on the way home and reading
that it would take four days for me to
be recovered enough to train again
felt like a punch in the stomach. Was
I really that unfit? I mean, I felt good,
but maybe HAL knew something
I didn’t…maybe I shouldn’t risk that
speedwork session on Tuesday.
Feedback is never neutral. It’s
positive or negative, and it creates
an emotional response. There are
opposing theories on how we are likely
to respond to negative feedback.2 One
is that it rouses us into stepping up
our efforts – realising we aren’t doing
enough to achieve what we want to.
The other is that it undermines
confidence and expectations of
success, lowering motivation. In either
scenario, having HAL on my wrist
could do more harm than good; I could
end up pushing far too hard to live up
to its expectations, or just give up.
There’s one more downside to datadriven feedback. The more you rely
on words and graphs on a screen, the
less you exercise your own intuition
and awareness, rendering it less
astute. Let’s not reach a point where
we listen to and value the judgments
of tech as much – or more – as we
listen to and value our own feelings.
runningforever.co.uk
I L L U S T R AT I O N : P I E TA R I P O S T I . 1 S AG E J O U R N A L S , A P R I L 2 01 8 ; 2 . S O C I A L A N D P E R S O N A L I T Y P S YC H O LO GY C O M PA S S
TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO REALLY
SCREW UP YOU NEED TECHNOLOGY
H
R
wearing size-32 clothes. I really hated
summer, as I would be a red ball of
sweat and feel constantly tired in the
heat. I tried lots of diets but soon gave
up, although in late 2014 I began an
eating plan, which helped a bit.
THE TURNAROUND
NAME Vickie Humber
AGE 44
HOMETOWN Flitwick,
Bedfordshire
HEIGHT 5ft 5in
WEIGHT BEFORE 25st
WEIGHT AFTER 15st 7lb
WEIGHT LOST 9st 7lb
HOW I R A
IT OFF!
‘I’M FITTER
THAN I’VE
EVER BEEN’
I N T E R V I E W: A D R I A N M O N T I . P H OTO G R A P H : JAC K T E N N A N T
Vickie Humber has lost nearly 10st – and
is now dreaming of ultramarathons
TOP TIPS
THREE WAYS VICKIE
KEEPS HERSELF ON
THE RIGHT TRACK
N
In June 2017, my husband, Steve,
and I were in Swansea on the day
of its half marathon. I loved the vibe
and felt it would be brilliant to do
one day, but, then at 22st, it seemed
unlikely. Around this time, I began a
job as a postwoman, so I became
more active and lost some weight.
That September I began an online
interval-style exercise plan that
included doing a 1km run, which I
enjoyed. In January 2018, I joined the
Ampthill and Flitwick Flyers, my local
club. By then I was about 17st. On the
first night I tried its monthly 5km
time trial and got halfway up the hill
start before I burst into tears, saying,
‘I can’t do this!’ But other members
encouraged me and we walked the
course. I became hooked and started
running three times a week.
I ran my first half marathon last
year at the Richmond Running
Festival. This year I’ve done other
half marathons, including Swansea,
the one that first inspired me. I’m
fitter than I’ve ever been in my life.
BEFORE
THE FUTURE
Even as a child, I could never
control how much I ate and would
fill up on whatever I found in the
kitchen. Then I had our first daughter,
Jenny, when I was 19 and three more
children after that. I had no time or
desire to exercise so I just got bigger.
In 2007 I was diagnosed with a
binge-eating disorder linked to my
depression and anxiety issues. It
had got to the point where I would
wake up at 2am and eat a packet of
biscuits. For 10 years I had my own
jam- and chutney-making business
and I would sell my produce at
farmers’ markets. While there, I would
also fill up on fresh bread, pasties
and cakes. I reached 25st and was
For me it’s all about finishing lines,
not finishing times. I run with my
clubmates, but also with social
groups like Run Mummy Run and
Veteran Runners UK. I enjoy mixing
it up while picking up tips and advice
from different people I run with.
I’m also going to be the Flitwick 10K
race director next year, which should
be an exciting challenge.
My main goal is next year’s London
Marathon. I’m running for Asthma
UK, as Jenny has lived with it since
she was four. I’m sure being on the
start line will be amazing, especially
remembering how big I used to be.
All going well, I would love to do an
ultramarathon, too.
LOOK BACK
FOOLS RUSH IN
CUT BACK
‘I’ve kept a pair of my size32 shorts: I’m now a size 16.
On a bad day, to see how far
I’ve come stops me returning
to my old eating habits.’
‘However far you run, it’s
better than sitting on the
sofa doing nothing. Don’t
expect too much too soon
– I built up gradually.’
‘Don’t totally deny yourself
what you enjoy eating or
you will crave it even more.
Instead, reduce your
portions of it or make it an
occasional treat – you will
savour it much more when
you do have it.’
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 025
WITH THIS
RUNNING,
YOU ARE
SPOILING US
Meet the British ambassadors who
combine diplomacy with running
NORTH KOREA AND NEPAL are very different
countries facing very different challenges. But the
British ambassadors to these countries share a passion:
running. What’s more, they are united in their belief that it
makes them better at their jobs. RW caught up with them to
find out why they believe running and diplomacy are in step.
COLIN CROOKS
British ambassador to North Korea
When and why did
you start running?
About five years ago as a
way to get fit. I’ve never
had the balance or coordination to be any good at
ball sports, but running
doesn’t require as much of
those attributes. So, for a
non-sportsman, it was an
easy activity to get into.
Do you think running
helps you in your role?
It’s a great way to help
me stay focused and
balanced. The role of
ambassador in a highpressure environment
such as North Korea can
be stressful. Running gets
my blood pumping and
helps me feel physically
fit and mentally more
alert. Hopefully, that
helps me reach balanced
judgments and makes
me a better colleague for
the people I work with in
Pyongyang and London.
What’s the running
culture like?
Like many things here,
running seems highly
organised. You often see
groups of young people in
the same kit out running,
preparing for a competition
on behalf of their school
or work unit. You don’t see
many individual runners,
and I have the impression
there aren’t many clubs
dedicated to running for
its own sake.
How do you fit in running
around the day job?
I live two minutes away
from my office, so I save a
lot of time on commuting.
Getting away for a halfhour run two or three
times a week is not hard.
It’s a good way to unwind
at the end of the working
day. It’s best in spring
and autumn, when the
weather is good for
running outdoors. When
it’s too hot or too cold,
we have a treadmill in
the basement.
Has running brought
you into contact with
everyday North Koreans?
It’s not easy to establish
meaningful contact with
ordinary people here. But
the sight of foreigners
running is unusual and
can help break the ice. I’m
often greeted by young
children, in particular. In
026 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
the spring, running by the
river [Taedong], I would
often come across groups
of students practising for
the mass gymnastics, and
got lots of cheery waves.
How does running in
North Korea compare
with running in the UK?
In many ways it’s not so
different from running in
London. Pyongyang has
good pavements, a lot of
parks and riverside paths,
and the terrain is quite flat,
so there are many choices
for where you can run.
There is less traffic than
London, so it doesn’t take
as long to cross the roads.
Have you run the
Pyongyang Marathon?
A marathon is a bit too
ambitious for me. But
this year the marathon
included 5K, 10K and
H
R
Clockwise from left: Colin Crooks and
Richard Morris; poster for the 2013 Pyongyang
Marathon (aka the Mangyondae Marathon);
Colin and friends at the Pyongyang 10K;
Richard at the end of the Everest Marathon
RICHARD MORRIS
British ambassador to Nepal
When and why did
you start running?
I’ve always been a runner.
My dad encouraged my
sister and I to go jogging
with him as kids to keep
fit. It meant I got into
the school and district
cross-country teams, and I
also ran at university. I’ve
run in countries as diverse
as Fiji, Mexico and North
Korea. I’ve never been
particularly good – but
I’m enthusiastic.
I N T E R V I E W: R I C K P E A R S O N .
P H OTO G R A P H : A N D R E W H AY E S-WAT K I N S ( M A I N I M AG E )
Do you think running
helps you in your role?
Running gives me the
chance to be better at
my job, by letting me get
away from it. With a role
that means you can be
contacted 24/7, and with
official breakfasts, lunches
and dinners, it can be hard
to stop thinking about
work. That isn’t good for
me or the job. Running
gives me the space to get
a sense of proportion.
half-marathon events
along part of the same
route. I joined the 10K
race with embassy
colleagues and enjoyed
the atmosphere in the
main stadium for the start
and finish. It’s probably the
only time I’ll run in front of
50,000 spectators!
Follow Colin on Twitter:
@ColinCrooks1
‘RUNNING GIVES ME
THE CHANCE TO BE
BETTER AT MY JOB,
BY LETTING ME GET
AWAY FROM IT’
What’s the running
culture like in Nepal?
Nepal has a tradition
of great long-distance
runners and fantastic
trails. There are lots of
Nepalese and expats
in the bigger cities
who enjoy running at
weekends, and some great
trail-running series and
iconic events, such as the
Everest Marathon.
How does running in
Nepal compare with
running in the UK?
It’s far more mountainous!
In fact, Nepal has plains,
hills and mountains – but I
find I’m usually running in
hillier areas. And the
uphills are steeper and go
on for far longer than any
run I remember in the UK.
In monsoon season, it
is harder to run in the
countryside (leeches
and mud make it less
fun), so at those times
I do more treadmill
running than I would
do in the UK.
How do you fit in
running around
the day job?
I get up early and go to
the gym most days; and
then try to run in the
hills at the weekend.
When I’m on business
trips, I’ll try to run too,
if it looks safe; I’m never
keen to be chased by
dogs (or leopards).
Have you managed to
find time to hike/run
in the Himalayas?
Nepal is beautiful and
so I’ve been keen to
hike with my family
whenever I can. I’ve
also run various trail
runs and the 34km
‘Stupa-to-stupa’ run
in Kathmandu. Most
challenging was the
Everest Marathon,
where you trek for 10
days to get to the start,
camp for two nights on
the Khumbu Glacier at
5,400m – base camp
– where it’s -16C, and
then run the 42km up
and downhill to Namche
Bazaar. The altitude
means it is much harder
to breathe, but the
views are spectacular,
and the company of
keen runners from
around the world is
fantastic. It’s a privilege
for a runner to be
ambassador here.
Follow Richard on Twitter:
@Richard_Nepal
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 027
LETTER OF THE MONTH
YO U R
WORLD
SNAP CHAT
#TOPHAT
RUNNING STRONG
Show us your best running
bobble hat or beanie
Having read in the last issue that Tonky
found running has helped when he was
dealing with difficult life issues (You can’t
run away from problems, but you can still
run), it really hit home how important
running has been for me of late. While
I’ve always known about the mental
health benefits of running, recently
I have seen the extent of this for myself.
My wife has suffered physical and mental
health issues, and trying to stay strong
and be positive for her while carrying
on with everything else in my life caused
me to have some dark moments of my
own. The ability to lace up my trainers,
head out for a run and be alone with
my thoughts has helped me more than I
could have ever hoped.
Emily Brimson-Keight, Birmingham
‘Knitted this one myself.’
Lyisa Miyoba
Thanks for your marvellous letter, Emily. If running is giving you strength
and some headspace during what is clearly a challenging time, that’s reason
enough to lace up your trainers and get out there.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
What’s inspired me? A love of
running in the young: my son Leo,
aged 8, recently completed his
first parkrun without stopping. He
couldn’t wait to get the notification
of his time through and was
delighted he’d got a PB. I’m so
impressed with the determination of
my small runner and pleased to share
and support his love of running that I
hope will continue to grow for the
rest of his life.
Louise Lenarduzzi, via email
NO MORE PLASTIC
My copy of Runner’s World arrived
at my door today and, like every
month, I found myself on an
emotional rollercoaster. It begins
with, ‘WAHOO! New RW!’ And
then it quickly descends into, ‘Oh,
still wrapped in plastic.’ I would love
to see RW make a change, especially
as there are alternatives to singleuse plastic. I would personally be
willing to pay more for the magazine
if a well-considered alternative was
put in place!
Emily Hubbard, via email
We have good news for
you, Emily: as of the
March 2020 issue, we’ll be
replacing the plastic wrap with a
028 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
more environmentally friendly
solution. So, please bear with us for
three more plastic-wrapped issues.
After that, we’ll be waving goodbye
to plastic wrapping for good.
Louise has passed
on her love of
running to Leo
TAKE A STAND
In response to your article Stay safe
on the run (November), I’ve been
running on my own for nine years
and I have never felt intimidated
– until a few weeks ago. I was
running in the early evening,
still light and with cars and
people around: I noticed a man
filming me on his mobile phone.
I am a confident-enough person
to confront this man and did. I ran
back to him and told him to delete
it. I then reported it to the police.
My report was taken seriously and
the man was located and spoken to.
I still don’t run along that road now.
I’m a person of reasonable firmness,
but this knocked me. I encourage
anybody who experiences anything
like this to report it to the police.
Pippa Brewer, via email
IS ZAT THE WAY TO DO IT?
I have query regarding training. Is
there any benefit in the training
methods of [triple gold medallist in
the 1952 Olympics] Emil Zátopek (ie
‘My daughter's hat made by her grandma.’
Anne-Marie Maddison
‘Looking forward to wearing it again soon.’
Patrycja McAlpin
‘Big bobba Mario.’
Mario Milligan-Nagy
Next month #SnowShoes. Show us
your favourite winter running shoes.
H
WE ASK, YOU ANSWER
run out as hard as you can for as
long as you can, rest, then go again)
or are those old-school training
ideas out of date? Was he just an
extraordinary athlete who would
have been even faster with today’s
modern training programmes?
Pete Jacobs, Derby
We can learn a lot from
Zatopek’s willingness to
test his limits in training
and races. However, some of his
methods – which also included
running with his wife on his back
– should be approached with
caution. Zatopek was a one-off.
THE KINDNESS OF RUNNING STRANGERS
I recently had a bad fall at a local
multiterrain race. I was so impressed
by the kind runners around me who
stopped to help and called the
marshal. In fact, I had to insist they
carried on with their own races. It’s
nice to know there are such caring
people in the running community.
Jo Quantrill, Coulsdon, Surrey
P H OTO G R A P H S : CA M E R I Q U E /G E T T Y I M AG E S
We’re not at all surprised
other runners came to your
aid, Jo, but it’s always a
pleasure to read personal accounts
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
As a pharmacist and keen runner,
I was tickled by the article on the
history of sports nutrition (Winners
and boozers, October). I was amazed
that these opinions, particularly
around alcohol for race hydration
extended right up until the 1950s.
Equally, how did runners feel that
opiates, which, while masking pain,
would have also caused respiratory
depression and drowsiness, were the
key to running
success? Could
we have seen
much faster
athletes in history
if isotonic gels
and beetroot
juice had been
on offer?
However, you
only have to
start looking on
internet blogs
R
WHAT’S THE GREATEST GIFT
THAT RUNNING HAS GIVEN YOU?
THE POLL
Compression
gear…*
‘The ability to see
myself as more capable
and independent than
I’d imagined I could be.’
Emma Rorke
‘The belief that if I try
hard enough I can
achieve things that
once seemed
impossible.’
Marianne Page
53%
GENUINELY
USEFUL
‘If they were a
gimmick, athletes
would’ve stopped
using them.’
@gdudeyman
47%
OVERPRICED
GIMMICK
‘Last I saw, the jury
is out as to how
useful they are in
endurance events.’
@jogonnowttosee
*Based on a Twitter
poll with 341 votes
‘The knowledge that I
have the ability and
determination to push
myself further than I
ever knew I could.’
Lucy Wilkinson
‘The ability to cope
with life.’
Philippa Free
Apart from a few
personal achievements,
the greatest gift would
be the people I’ve met.’
Stephen Williams
My identity back,
size 8 jeans, a sense of
achievement and some
brilliant friends.’
Lucy McIntyre-Sowter
‘It made my asthma
almost non-existent
on a day-to-day
basis.’
Marie Burton
‘It brought me
confidence in other,
non-running areas
of my life.’
Lorraine Hawley
‘Therapy, peace,
sanity and, most
of all, a huge
sense of pride.’
Sharon Smalls
PARENTAL SUPPORT
After sneaking off with this magazine
for some late-night reading, I came
across your monthly reader question
(see below) and thought how much
my parents have inspired me. Ever
since I was born, they have never
stood still. I and my younger sister
‘Surviving a deadly
disease. The doctors
said the reason that
I hadn’t died, as most
would have, what
that I was so fit.
Running gave that
gift to me.’
Pete Menhennett
‘Health, strength and
courage after battling
breast cancer.’
Samantha Collings
‘My husband!
We met through
running
marathons.’
Sarah Bardi
to find the ‘fad’ foods and drinks of
today, and quickly you could have a
trolleyful of ‘wonder foods’ offering
marginal gains. No doubt, we will be
ridiculing these choices in RW issues
of the not-too-distant future...
James Scott, Chippenham,
Wiltshire
‘Stress relief. Nothing
clears my head better
than a good run.’
Phil Clarke
and brother were always being
pushed and pulled in all manner of
vehicles; from joggers to bike trailers,
tandems to triple bikes. We have
been encouraged to be the best
version of ourselves and to have a
positive attitude to health and
fitness. At the age of 11, I puddlejumped my way round my first 10K
and my mum was with me the whole
way, encouraging me (but mainly
getting soaked). Now I’m regularly
hogging this magazine. It's much
better than playing with my phone.
Thanks for being an inspiration for
me and my family.
Daisy Harris, Retford,
Nottinghamshire
WHAT’S INSPIRED, IMPRESSED OR, PERHAPS, ANNOYED YOU LATELY ABOUT RUNNING OR RUNNERS? THE WRITER
OF THE WINNING EMAIL OR LETTER RECEIVES A PAIR OF SAUCONY TRIUMPH ISO 5S, WORTH £140
RUNNER’S WORLD, House of Hearst, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1J 4AJ
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DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 029
Tonky Talk
BY PAUL TONKINSON
THE BIG
QUESTIONS
by John Carroll
O
ne of the great things about running is that it gives you the
chance to frame your life in a vaguely heroic fashion. It’s an
arena in which you can test yourself, struggle, experience
both triumph and disaster. Everyone’s doing it at their own
level and I’m no different. So here I am: after a summer
recovering from surgery, I have begun a comeback of sorts.
I entered the Yorkshire Coast 10K in Scarborough.
Targeted is perhaps too strong a word, but sacrifices were
made in the lead-up to the race. I drank no booze in the week
before, and from race-week Wednesday I found the strength to walk past the
bread bin without diving into it. In the coded way in which I communicate to
myself, this meant the race was a big deal. That, in turn, meant I had to ask the
question: what do I want from it? If it’s a comeback, what am I coming back to?
The laws of adaptability meant I couldn’t be as fast as I was two years ago; I
hadn’t done the quality training. So, then, the aim was respectability, to feel
like I was racing again. Time-wise, I was aiming for around 41 minutes.
The comeback thing was reinforced by the fact the race was in Scarborough,
where I was born and raised. The race course covered the territory of one of my
first runs as a kid: out and back along pancake-flat Marine Drive. On the drive
into town the night before the race, it was all a bit overwhelming to see the road
I used to cycle down to school every day and the field where the harriers would
meet. The friend I was staying with lives just off my old school’s cross-country
course. Kids were playing in the street, the air was clear, the gardens massive.
I was back up north and it felt brilliant.
Race day was blustery and wet. We gathered by the old spa for the countdown
and, after a final shake of the old limbs, we were off into the glorious greyness
of the morning. After a couple of minutes I fell in with the group around the
40-minute pacer, an optimistic move. Ten days earlier I’d raced a 5K on the track
in 20:10 and the effort had almost finished me off. But this felt a tad easier; the
030 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
Q. What do I do
when a runner
with a habit of
boasting about
his achievements
begins to tell me
about his latest
success?
A. Whistle loudly
in amazement
and keep doing
so until he has
stopped talking.
Q. Can you show
me how to clear
my nostrils/spit
without appearing
disgusting?
A. You are
mistaking me
for a wizard.
first kilometre flew by – four minutes.
The first mile went by in 6:20. We
surged into the wind, hugging the
sea wall for protection. The pace
felt familiar; this was the speed I
used to run at, after all. It felt almost
comfortable, but I knew I wouldn’t be
able to sustain it. It was like meeting
an old girlfriend at a party: you have
a nice chat but after five minutes you
both remember why the relationship
didn’t work and saunter off to mingle.
I ran 6:20 for the second mile as
well, but my hold on the situation was
precarious. Over the next half mile
the others started to slowly pull away;
then there was a hill – short but
enough to psychologically separate
me from the group. Then it was just
me. As is my recent habit, it was time
for the slow fade over the second half.
It’s not like I wasn’t trying; it’s just
that everyone who came into my
vicinity beat me. I find it very hard
to keep my head straight when I’m
that knackered. The splits told a sorry
tale: I did the first half in 20:30, but I
finished in 41:42.
I enjoyed the event and the truth
is that you’ve got to start racing again
to realise how far you’ve fallen and
where you want to get to. Nobody
cares, nobody’s watching. What a
laugh to race, to test yourself, to set
off too fast, be finished at halfway
but gather yourself for something
like a sprint at the end. (Having said
that, in the photos of me at the finish
I look like an elderly gentleman laden
down with invisible luggage while
dashing for an imaginary train.)
I’ve realised that I want to compete
again properly. That 6:20 group is
where I want to be. That’s my natural
home; I’m just going to have work
hard to get there. I can’t turn the clock
back but I know I can run faster than
this. I’m on it. Next year, I’ll be back!
Check out Paul and fellow comedian
Rob Deering’s running podcast, Running
Commentary – available on iTunes and
Acast. @RunComPod
I L L U S T R AT I O N : P I E TA R I P O S T I
BACK IN THE SADDLE, WITH A
LITTLE LESS HORSEPOWER
YOU’RE
!
AMA ZING
BY THE NUMBERS
RUSSELL COOK
HAYLEY
STOCKWELL
22, WORTHING, RAN FROM ASIA TO LONDON
INSPIRED BY a chance meeting in Kenya with an Italian who was cycling the world,
Russell Cook set out to become the first person known to run from Asia to London,
a journey of almost 2,000 miles. He trained hard for his extraordinary adventure. ‘I prepared
mentally by visualising situations I might be in and how I would feel, such as camping in the
pitch-black forests hearing animals all around me. I did this so well I often had déjà vu on the
run.’ He adds, ‘After Bulgaria, I really believed nothing could stop me.’ And it didn’t.
1,913 miles
OR, IF YOU LIKE, 73 MARATHONS IN 68 DAYS. ‘QUITE A DAUNTING NUMBER WHEN YOU’RE
STARTING OUT, BUT I JUST BROKE IT DOWN AND TOOK IT DAY BY DAY.’
7 DAYS ONE 250KM
‘I slept in bus-stop shelters, shop doors,
forests, woodsheds, abandoned buildings.’
But once a week he treated himself to a bed.
8KG
WO R D S : DA M I A N H A L L , R I C K P E A R S O N
WEIGHT LOST DURING
HIS ADVENTURE.
5.5 HOURS
Slept on average.
‘Less than four and
the next day was a
slog. I never slept
for more than two
or three hours in a
row without
waking up.’
Number of people
on the trip. ‘I guess
I’m a bit of a
lone wolf.’
11
Countries: Turkey,
Bulgaria, Serbia,
Hungary, Austria,
Czech Rep,
Germany, Netherlands, Belgium,
France, England.
5 HRS PER DAY
THREE
BEING SURPRISED BY THREE MATES IN BELGIUM
WAS, ‘THE BEST. I’D BEEN ON A BIT OF A DOWNER.
THEY FOUND ME LYING DOWN AT A BUS STOP.’
DISTANCE RUN IN
RUSSELL’S BIGGEST
TRAINING WEEKS.
EIGHT
LITRES
WATER DRUNK PER
DAY IN THE HOTTEST
COUNTRIES.
AVERAGE TIME RUNNING. ‘I WOULD
AVOID THE MIDDAY HEAT AND RAIN
WHERE I COULD, AS EVERYTHING
GETTING WET WAS A PROBLEM.’
4KG
Starting pack
weight. But he found
the nights too cold
and had to add a
sleeping bag.
3
Pairs of shoes gone
through. He’d have
used up five if he’d
had the money.
Mother of five
who wins ultras
Hayley Stockwell recently finished as
first women and eighth overall in the
King Offa’s Dyke Race, a 185-mile
ultramarathon through Wales. She
ran it in 72 hours and 26 minutes,
sleeping for only five hours in total.
Stockwell, a mother of five, is no
stranger to a lack of sleep and has to
be super-efficient when it comes to
fitting in her training. ‘I run at lunchtimes on the weekend, when my kids
and husband are having lunch, and do
a couple of club runs during the week,’
says the Stroud and District AC runner.
The longer races appeal to Stockwell,
as there is a narrower gap between
men and women. ‘It is a motivator to
beat some of the blokes,’ she says. ‘It
comes down to more than running;
it’s about strategy, nutrition and how
you manage any niggles.’ Races are
also a family affair. ‘I have to say a
massive thanks to my husband and
my kids, who followed me all the way.
I hope I’ve showed the kids you can
do anything you put your mind to.’
SUSAN BARLEY
Run 40 marathons
in her 40th year
When West Midlands runner Susan
Barley turned 40 earlier this year,
she decided to run 40 marathons.
In doing so, she’s helped to raise
thousands of pounds for two charities
close to her heart: CALM and Wigan
and Leigh Hospice, where her father
was cared for before dying from
cancer. ‘This has been the hardest
thing I’ve ever done but it’s been
worth it,’ says Barley. ‘I’ve made
many friends at marathons all over
the UK and it was lovely that three
of these new faces ran with me every
step of the way in the final marathon
at Glastonbury. I’m now looking
forward to taking it a little easier as
far as marathons go, but I won’t be
putting my running shoes away.’
uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SusanBarley1
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 031
032 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
THE RUNNER’S BRAIN
Smart
Moves
Running is a tonic for the mind as well
as the body. Feed your brain with the
latest science on how our sport boosts
memory, mood and so much more
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 033
ou’ve probably heard that
logging miles is good news
for your grey matter, but
talk to neuroscientists and
researchers and the first
thing you hear is how much
they still have to learn.
The study of what running
does to your brain remains
in its infancy, and framed
as much by what we don’t
yet understand as by what
we do. And while cunning
new experiments are being
devised all the time by
ingenious scientists, there
remain some fundamental
barriers to research. You
can’t run in an MRI machine.
And you can’t slice the
human brain open to see
how many new cells have
been born. Well, you
probably wouldn’t get many
volunteers. Yet despite
our very human limits of
understanding, the last
few decades have seen an
explosion in knowledge.
And what we do now
know about your brain on
running will quite possibly
blow your mind.
034 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
Thought process
Back in 1999, scientists at the Salk
Institute in California, US, made
an astonishing discovery: mice
who were given access to running
wheels developed bigger brains than
those who did no running. Their
brains had actually grown and,
consequently, they performed far
better in memory tests than their
coach potato labmates. Ever since,
researchers have been trying to
understand the mechanisms that
cause this – and how, and why, the
same thing happens in humans.
Running causes a chain of reactions
in the body and brain, which work
together in a complex interplay: an
increased flow of blood to the brain,
growth in the network of blood
vessels supplying it, increased levels
of certain hormones. But the key
process is that new neurons – the
fundamental units of the brain – are
created. Until just a few decades ago,
this was not believed to occur at all
in adult humans. We now know that
not only can it occur, but that exercise
stimulates it. And subsequent studies
have shown that exercise also raises
the levels of a protein called brain-
WO R D S : KAT E CA R T E R
Y
THE RUNNER’S BRAIN
BUNDLES OF JOY
Running causes a series
of reactions that lead to
the birth of new neurons
and the structure and performance
of the young, pre-adolescent brain.
And it’s not just doing it for the
kids – a wealth of research now
shows that aerobic exercise improves
memory, attention span, decision
making and multitasking abilities
and, crucially, that it’s never too
late to see the benefits. Rewards
come quickly, too: a 2015 study noted
hippocampus growth in adults after
only six weeks of regular exercise.
Not only does running improve
the structural hardware of your
brain, it also has a more immediate
impact on memory formation. Studies
on language students found that
physical exercise during revision
helped them retain vocabulary.
And there’s lots of evidence showing
that exercise later in life combats
age-related decline. Scientists at
the Salk Institute found that aerobic
training increased the size of the
anterior hippocampus in older adults,
leading to a two per cent improvement
in spatial memory. And even in adults
with degenerative diseases such
as Alzheimers, studies show that
exercise can have a beneficial effect
on cognition.
When Teresa Liu-Ambrose, an
associate professor at the University
of British Columbia, Canada, carried
out a study on the effects of endurance
and resistance exercise on women in
their 70s and 80s who were already
experiencing mild cognitive decline,
she was surprised by the results.
Liu-Ambrose explains that, at best,
they hoped to see a slowing in
decline, but ‘instead we saw actual,
measurable improvements,’ she
says. Both active groups performed
better in spatial-memory tests – but
the endurance exercisers showed
greater gains in verbal memory.
I L LU S T R AT I O N S : J O H N D E VO L L E
Fuel for thought
derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF),
which helps both the birth and
survival of fragile newborn neurons.
Moving on to two-legged runners,
a study at the University of Illinois,
US, found nine and 10-year-old
children with higher fitness levels
had larger hippocampi – the
hippocampus is the area of the brain
essential for memory formation and
spatial navigation, and is particularly
susceptible to age-related decline or
neurodegenerative diseases. The
fitter kids performed better on
memory tasks and there seems to be
a direct link between aerobic fitness
So just how much can boosting our
mileage benefit our brains? Is there
a threshold after which we no longer
see cognitive benefits? ‘We actually
don’t know,’ says Liu-Ambrose.
‘That said, overall, the evidence
suggests that there is some linear
relationship, so that the more
you do, perhaps the more you reap.’
But surely there’s a point where
the returns diminish or we risk
mental overload? If not, then all
marathoners would be in Mensa
and ultramarathoners would knock
Einstein off the pub quiz team. ‘I’ve
worked with high-level athletes,’ says
Liu-Ambrose, ‘And there is always
a concern of overtraining, in which
training becomes a stressor. We
know for brain health that it should
be a multimodal lifestyle approach –
regular exercise, enough quality
sleep, good nutrition plus good
stress management. Frequent doses
of moderate amounts of exercise
over the long haul is likely the best,
and for maximum benefit, exercise
has to be a habit that is sustained
over the lifespan.’
Here’s an extreme example: in
2012, German scientists conducted
MRI scans on the brains of athletes
about to undergo the TransEurope
Foot Race: 4,487km in 62 days. As
you’d expect, the runners lost a
considerable amount of weight during
the race. Less predictably, and rather
alarmingly, their brains also shrank,
by an average of six per cent. When
you consider that shrinkage in old
age is normally around 0.2 per cent
per year, that’s pretty dramatic.
Fortunately, the story ends happily:
when scanned eight months after the
race, their grey matter volume had
returned to normal, and no lasting
damage was found.
As to precisely how far or how
long you need to run for benefits to
peak, the jury is still out – though
extremes are probably best avoided.
Some studies have suggested that
you do not even need to raise your
heart rate in order for exercise to be
‘neuroprotective’ but others suggest
that there is a ‘dose-response’
relationship – ie the bigger the dose,
the greater the gain. It’s an area that’s
hugely important for future research
– for instance, most studies have
looked only at moderate aerobic
exercise and not high-intensity
training. For now, you can be E
content in the knowledge that all the
research suggests whatever running
you’re doing is benefiting your mind
as well as your body.
Smiles ahead
Every runner probably has their own
individual experience when it comes
to the fabled runner’s high. For some,
it’s an intense moment of euphoria.
For others, it’s a milder but longer
lasting glow. For many, a combination
of both. One experience that many
regular runners will recognise is the
realisation on a longer run that they
have zoned out – that the body has
followed a route but the mind has
drifted elsewhere. Or perhaps a
seemingly intractable problem has
untangled itself in the background.
This meditative state we find in our
local park or on the pavement of the
B238 is no illusion; it has now been
recognised by science with the grand
label of the ‘transient hypofrontality
hypothesis’. Essentially, the idea is
that the brain prioritises the areas it
needs for running over those needed
for the highest level of analytical
thinking – the prefrontal cortex. So
that cortex is, if not actually powered
down, then at least put on standby.
A study at the University of Arizona,
US, that scanned and compared the
brains of collegiate cross-country
runners and those of sedentary
people, also found interesting
evidence of running’s poweringdown effects. ‘We found differences
in what we call resting-state
functional connectivity,’ says
Professor David Raichlen. ‘You’re
looking at regions of the brain
that light up in concert with each
other. We found differences that
suggested runners have some
stronger connections, especially in
areas that are associated with things
like executive cognitive function,
planning and decision making.’
Resistance
is not futile
Strength training can boost
our running performance,
and help to prevent and
rehab injury, but could it
also boost your brain?
When Brazilian researchers
split rats into running and
resistance-training groups,
they found that both groups
improved performance in
memory tests. The runners
had increased levels of
brain-enhancing protein
BDNF, while the others –
let’s call them gym rats –
did not. But the gym rats
did have substantially
higher levels of another
protein, insulin-like growth
factor (IGF). It, like BDNF,
helps promote and support
new brain cells.
Further research, at
the University of British
Columbia, Canada, found
both aerobic and resistance
training brought measurable
improvements in older
women with cognitive
decline. ‘There is a growing
recognition of resistance
training in brain health; it is
less studied, but what has
been done does suggest it
provides benefit as well,’
says study author Teresa
Liu-Ambrose.
The science suggests
that while both endurance
exercise and resistance
training benefit the brain,
the mechanisms by which
they do so seem to be
slightly different. Another
reason why occasionally
lifting a dumbbell rather
than lacing up your running
shoes is a smart move.
THE RUNNER’S BRAIN
FAST THINKING
Running gives the
brain time and space
to sort out problems
Then there were the areas of the
runners’ brains that didn’t light up,
namely what’s known as the ‘default
mode network’. This is a series of
linked areas in your brain that fire
up when we are doing nothing, just
sitting around twiddling our thumbs
and quite possibly getting anxious or
over-analysing. Having an overactive
default mode network has been
associated with depression. So the
runner’s high – or the runner’s
ongoing glow of contentment –
might stem partly from running’s
amazing ability to disconnect us
from the processes that usually act
in analysing (or over-analysing)
our worlds in minuscule detail.
As for the biochemical and
neurological processes behind the
euphoric runner’s high, until recently,
the theory was these feelings of
euphoria were all down to raised
endorphin levels. Endorphins, of
course, are the ‘happy hormone’ and
the theory ran that endorphins
produced when running acted as
a sort of opioid. Research back in
the 1980s established that longdistance runs increased endorphin
levels in the body. And as that
increase was correlated with positive
mood changes, the theory was that
endorphins must therefore cause
the runners high.
But there was a problem. The
endorphins may indeed have been in
the body, but humans have a bloodbrain barrier, separating the brain
from the body’s circulatory system.
This is crucial in protecting the
central nervous system from
potentially toxic substances. So
were endorphins crossing it?
Until recently, it wasn’t possible
to measure this. Then, in a German
study, runners were injected with
a very slightly radioactive tracer E
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 037
Mind how you go
Key areas where your brain
and your running connect
compound designed to bind with
endorphin receptors in the brain,
before they were sent on a twohour run. A 3D radioactivity detector
was then used to track the amount
of endorphins being absorbed into
specific brain areas, confirming that
‘endogenous opioids’ were found in
the brain after sustained running,
closely correlating with perceived
feelings of euphoria.
Case closed, it seemed, but then a
different, class of chemicals came
into the frame. Endocannabinoids
are neurotransmitters that bind
to the cannabinoid receptors in the
brain. This causes similar effects
to those of the active component
in – as you may have already guessed
– cannabis, such as pain relief,
relaxation and reduced stress. And
unlike endorphins, endocannabinoids
have no issues crossing the bloodbrain barrier. Research into the
endocannabinoid system is relatively
new, but a recent study at the
University of Heidelberg, Germany,
found mice who had been running
had elevated levels of both endorphins
and endocannabinoids. The result
was they were less anxious, less
pain sensitive and, generally, much
happier rodents.
With these seemingly conflicting
findings, a study at Pennsylvania
State University, US, sought to get
a definitive answer – is the runner’s
high caused by endorphins or
endocannabinoids? Researchers
analysed ‘MicroRNAs’. These are
the signalling molecules in the brain
that regulate how different genes are
expressed in your cells. By looking at
them, scientists could work out which
brain pathways were actually active
during the runner’s high.
Dr Steven Hicks, a former collegiate
runner, recruited a group of college
runners who exhibited symptoms
consistent with a runner’s high.
Examining their results against a
group of 12 who did not experience
the high, there were clear differences.
Six of the microRNAs examined
showed significant changes in the
runner’s high group – and some were
those associated with opioid responses
to endorphins. However, others were
associated with endocannabinoid
processing. And yet others were those
known to respond to a neurotransmitter associated with sedation – or
rather, the sedation effect delivered
by drugs like benzodiazepines. So in
other words, all the theories seemed
to be true. It seems the runner’s high
can vary in both cause and effect
038 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
Prefrontal cortex
This area is associated
with executive
functions such as
planning and analysis.
Dysfunction here
is associated with
depression, but running
is associated with
damping down excess
activity in this region.
Hippocampus
The area associated
with learning and
memory formation. This
is also a main site for
the formation of new
neurons (neurogenesis),
which we now know is
stimulated by running.
Parietal lobe
Concerned mainly with
spatial orientation and
processing information
from the body’s senses,
such as realising it’s
time to take a layer off,
or picking up on painful
sensations.
THE RUNNER’S BRAIN
Occipital lobe
Concerned mainly
with visual processing,
ie making sense of
what we see; crucial
for navigating the
landscape as we run.
Cerebellum
This area receives
information from
the sensory system
and regulates motor
movement – including
posture, balance
and coordination –
as we run.
from one individual to the next. And
whether it happens at all may be
down to a complex array of factors,
from fitness and expectations to
gender and genetic profile.
Forward thinking
As runners, we’re happy our hobby is
good for our grey matter. But what
about those who can’t, or don’t want
to, run? As research goes deeper, will
the scientists be able to mimic – in
pill form – the positive effects exercise
has on the brain? The antidepressants
known as ‘serotonergic agonists’ –
like fluoxetine (Prozac) – seem to
enhance cell genesis and reduce some
forms of anxiety, just like running. So
could scientists theoretically develop
a pill that mimics that, and all the
beneficial effects of running?
‘I’ll borrow an idea from a professor
at UC Riverside, Ted Garland,’ says
Raichlen. ‘He wrote a New Yorker
article in which he said what we
should be doing is finding a pill that
makes people exercise. Could you
find some pills that push around the
system here and there? Probably. But
exercise benefits pretty much every
organ system. So instead of putting
our resources into pills that mimic
something free and easy to do, why
don’t we find ways to make it even
easier for people to get out there? It’s
not like we need to make everyone run
a marathon: the biggest gains are in
just going from coach potato to active.’
For all that we now know about
exercise and running, there is much
left to discover. For Raichlen, the big
question is the how: ‘We know you can
change your brain if you exercise, but
we don’t understand the mechanism,
how exactly these processes work
with humans,’ says Raichlen. ‘Will
we ever fully get to that point, where
we can understand on a molecular
level what’s going on when people
exercise and how that affects the
brain? That’s the holy grail.’
We also don’t yet know why people
react in different ways, as in Dr Hicks’
experiment. If we could work this
out, we could ‘prescribe’ exercise in a
much more individualised way. And,
of course, there is the question of why:
just why is running so good for your
brain? Raichlen has developed an
evolutionary hypothesis. ‘Our idea is
that when you are a hunter-gatherer,
physical activity is a part of daily
life. And when you’re active, you
are cognitively engaged, constantly
using memory and spatial-navigation
skills, you’re planning and engaging
decision-making cognitive domains.
And so we think that provides a nice
framework for understanding why
exercise might have such a beneficial
impact on the brain.’
Whatever the evolutionary origins,
we know that although every organ
system that benefits from exercise
does so in unique and complex ways,
the broad picture is the same: ‘Your
cardiovascular system responds to
aerobic exercise because you are
continually asking it to improve its
capacity as you train,’ says Raichlen.
‘And so it adapts. Your bones and
muscles do the same thing. You’re
asking them to deal with higher
loads, they adapt. Your brain is the
same. It’s all the same sort of bigpicture mechanism, despite there
being unique mechanisms in each
organ system.’ Food for thought,
indeed, for your next run.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 039
Recharge your body’s batteries with a nutrition plan
that supports your workouts and your work day
040 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
E N E R GY M E A LS
D
on your tempo
runs? Dropping off at your desk
after your lunchtime trot? If your
energy levels need a boost, it’s
time you met James Collins. After
completing his master’s in sport
and exercise nutrition, Collins
landed the role of perfecting the
plates of Team GB athletes for the
London 2012 Olympics. Then
came a stint as a consultant
nutritionist for Arsenal FC and the
England football team. Now he’s
committed his performanceenhancing formula to paper.
In his book, The Energy Plan,
Collins explains how to make
your meals work to support your
training, whether that’s fuelling
muscles with carbs (glycogen)
following a tough session, with
protein to support recovery and
adaptation, or remembering to top
up your personal water tank during
the working day. At Arsenal, Collins
had a colour chart installed in the
toilets and encouraged players to
cross-reference the shade of their
urine. Not a terrific design choice,
but it highlights his commitment
to making sports nutrition work.
‘The chances are, unless you’re an
athlete, you might take on a tough
training session one day, then
spend the next two sitting at a
desk for hours on end – and your
body’s nutritional demands will
differ between these days,’ he
explains. ‘Eating the same things
habitually, regardless of your
energy output that day, doesn’t
make sense.’
On the following pages, Collins
provides a blueprint to apply to
your own training week, with
recipe suggestions for a rest day
and a training day. It’s time to
power up your plate.
GOOD
START
There are 20g of
protein in this breakfast,
plus your daily RDA of
vitamin B12, to support
oxygen transport and
energy levels.
WO R D S : E M I LY P R I TC H A R D. P H OTO G R A P H : G E T T Y. I L LU S T R AT I O N S : S H A R O N FA R R OW
ROPPING OFF THE PACE
M
MAINTENANCE
PLATES
This is the first step
towards building
every meal. These
dishes are higher in
protein to support
muscle repair and
regeneration after
your workout.
F
FUELLING
PLATES
These are meals
focused on slowreleasing carbs to
give you the energy
to perform at your
optimum so you
get the most out of
your workout; and to
support your energy
levels during the rest
of the day. Perfect
before your run, but
also at breakfast or
lunch to maintain
all-day energy.
TRAINING DAY
This plan is for a singlesession training day – with a
cardio or resistance-based
workout – and is made up of
two fuelling plates and one
maintenance meal. ‘The ideal
structure when starting an
exercise programme is to
have a fuelling breakfast
before training to maintain
your energy levels,’ says
Collins. ‘Presuming you train
in the morning, pre-fuelling
reduces stress on your
bones, which is important
for prolonged weightbearing exercise.’ He also
recommends a snack for
recovery if you’re not having
lunch until later, or taking an
early lunch as your recovery
meal. An afternoon snack
and maintenance meal in the
evening will meet your fuel
needs for the rest of the day.
If you do work out at lunchtime or in the evening, follow
the same formula, fuelling
before your workout. Can’t
eat before a morning run?
‘This is training low: doing so
can prime your body to burn
more fat during training, but
for intense sessions you
might be short of energy,’
adds Collins. To avoid a dip,
he suggests a fuelling snack
before training or a fuelling
meal the night before.
F
BREAKFAST:
SEED AND SPICE
PORRIDGE
Simmer 50g porridge
oats in 350ml semiskimmed milk for
approximately 8 mins,
adding a pinch of salt.
Top with 1 tsp each of
pumpkin, chia and sesame
seeds and a pinch of
cinnamon and nutmeg.
MIX IT UP
Cherry and apple: Chop
2 dates, 3 cherries and
½ apple and combine with
a pinch of cinnamon for a
topping that’s high in calcium
– crucial for bone health and
muscle contraction.
Pomegranate and cacao:
Combine the seeds of
¼ pomegranate with 1 tbsp
cacao nibs, 1 tsp maple
syrup and a pinch of
cinnamon for the energyboosting benefits of
B vitamins.
Passion fruit and mango:
Chop ¼ mango and 1 tsp
pistachios and combine with
½ passion fruit and 1 tbsp
dried coconut flakes for a
topping packed with zinc,
vitamin C and B vitamins. E
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 041
F
MORNING SNACK
POMEGRANATE
YOGHURT POT
Top 150ml Greek
yoghurt with 1 tbsp
granola, 2 tbsp
blueberries and
1 tbsp each of
pomegranate seeds
and dried
cranberries.
MIX IT UP
Cherry and nut: Top
with a few cherries
and 1 tbsp each
of almonds and
pumpkin seeds for
a protein-rich snack
that’s also high in
zinc and copper.
pistachios, chia and
sesame seeds.
Lemon and nut:
To keep hunger at
bay, zest and juice
1 lemon and add 1 tsp
each of poppy seeds,
macadamias and
almonds.
DINNER
MEDITERRANEAN
FISH PARCEL
INGREDIENTS
1 cod fillet • 1 large
sprig of tarragon •
1 banana shallot,
sliced into thin
rounds • 2 lemon
wedges • 2-3 basil
leaves • 2 tbsp
frozen peas • Salt
and pepper
Peanut butter
and banana:
Mix ½ banana
with 1 tsp each of
polyunsaturated fatrich peanut butter,
METHOD
1 | Heat the oven
to 200C. Lay the
cod in the centre of a
M
large piece of tinfoil,
layer all the other
ingredients over the
fish and fold the
foil’s corners to make
a parcel, leaving
plenty of space for
the fish to steam.
2 | Bake for 8-10
mins, or until the fish
is cooked through.
MIX IT UP
Salmon and fennel:
Swap the cod for a
salmon fillet with
½ bulb of sliced
fennel, a sprig of
fresh rosemary and
the zest and juice of
½ an orange.
TOTAL
NUTRITION
Quinoa is a complete
protein and the vitamin C
in sweet potato enhances
the absorption
of vegetable (nonhaem) iron.
F
LUNCH
CHICKEN
SKEWERS WITH
QUINOA SALAD
INGREDIENTS
1 chicken breast,
chopped • 2 spring
onions, sliced into
1-inch lengths
For the marinade:
2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp mirin
For the quinoa salad:
50g quinoa • 1 tbsp
medium curry
powder • 1 tbsp olive
oil • 4 florets of
cauliflower, sliced
• 1 sweet potato,
diced
• 25g pistachios,
chopped
• 1 tsp sultanas
METHOD
1 | Mix the marinade
ingredients in a small
pan and simmer for
4-5 mins until slightly
reduced. Once cool,
use it to coat the
chicken and leave
in the fridge for at
least 30 mins. Heat
the oven to 200C.
2 | Rinse the quinoa
and place it in a pan
with 100ml water.
Bring to the boil
before simmering
for 10-15 mins until
tender. Set aside.
3 | Mix the curry
powder and oil, use
to coat the cauliflower and sweet
potato, then cook for
10 mins in the oven
until just tender.
4 | Thread alternating
pieces of chicken and
042 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
spring onion
onto 2 skewers.
Grill the skewers
for 3-4 mins each
side, until cooked.
5 | Tip the cauliflower
and sweet potato
into the quinoa, add
the pistachios and
sultanas and stir to
combine. Serve with
your skewers.
MIX IT UP
Satay skewers:
Replace the
marinade with
1 tbsp peanut butter,
1 tbsp soy sauce,
½ tsp turmeric,
½ tsp curry powder,
½ cm piece ginger,
juice of 1 lime and a
handful of coriander,
blended in a food
processor – then
cook as above.
SOMETHING
FISHY
Packed with flavour,
omega-3-rich oils and
high-quality protein,
these combinations
make for a speedy
dinner win.
M
AFTERNOON SNACK
TRAIL MIX
Pour 2 tbsp honey
over 75g hazelnuts,
75g almonds, 75g
macadamias and
2 tbsp sunflower
seeds. Add a pinch of
cayenne pepper and
1 tsp smoked paprika.
Bake 20 mins at 150C.
MIX IT UP
Chilli and lime: Bake
500g cashews with
the zest and juice of
1 lime, a pinch of chilli
powder and cayenne
powder and salt.
Moroccan-spiced:
Bake 500g cashews
in the zest and juice
of one orange and a
pinch of cinnamon,
cumin and salt. When
cool, combine with
50g dried apricots
and 25g sultanas.
Honey and chilli:
Season 100g
hazelnuts and 100g
almonds with 2 tbsp
honey and a pinch of
salt. Sprinkle with
chopped red chilli
and rosemary.
E N E R GY M E A LS
REST DAY
FULL
STRENGTH
A protein-packed
brekkie will keep you
satiated for longer. This
is also rich in B vitamins
– crucial for energy
production.
M
CRAB AND
ASPARAGUS
OMELETTE
This meal plan is for a rest day,
with two maintenance meals
and one fuelling plate. Applying
this formula on a rest day means
that you’ll have enough protein for
your body’s maintenance and less
carbohydrate,’ explains Collins. ‘Your
body won’t use as many carbs on
these days, so reducing carb intake
outside of the middle of the day – when
energy demands for activity and
concentration are usually highest – is a
crucial part of the strategy.’ But there’s a
caveat: Collins recommends monitoring
sleep and energy levels, both of which
can be negatively affected by low
energy intakes, as can mood.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs • salt and
pepper • 1 tsp butter
• 50g white crab
meat • 3 asparagus
spears, chopped •
¼ red chilli, finely
chopped • Handful
of baby spinach
METHOD
M
F
MORNING SNACK
PROTEIN SHAKE
LUNCH
Protein shake made
with 30g whey or
plant protein and
300ml water
VERSATILE
MEATBALLS
INGREDIENTS
For the meatballs:
125g turkey mince
• 1 tbsp finely
chopped fresh
oregano • 5 basil
leaves, shredded
• 1 garlic clove, finely
chopped • ½ red
chilli, chopped
• 1 beetroot, cooked
and grated • salt and
pepper
For the salad: 60g
couscous • 50g
broad beans • 50g
peas • small bunch of
mint, finely chopped
• ¼ cucumber, diced
• Juice of 1 lemon
METHOD
1 | Add the meatball
ingredients to a bowl,
season and mix well.
BREAKFAST
Divide into 4
meatballs and chill
for 30 mins in the
fridge. Heat the
oven to 180C.
2 | Meanwhile, cover
the couscous with
boiling water and
leave to soak for
15 mins.
3 | In a pan of water,
boil the beans
and peas for 1 min,
then drain.
4 | Bake the
meatballs for
10-12 mins until
cooked through.
5 | Once the
couscous is ready,
add the beans, peas,
mint, cucumber and
lemon juice to finish
the salad. Serve with
the meatballs.
1 | Heat the grill to
high. Whisk the eggs
in a bowl and season.
2 | In a pan, melt the
butter over a medium
heat and pour in the
eggs. Add the crab,
asparagus, chilli and
spinach and, once
the base has set,
place under the grill
until the spinach
is wilted and the
omelette puffs up.
M
DINNER
PERSIAN
CHICKEN SOUP
WITH SPINACH
INGREDIENTS
1 chicken breast,
sliced • 1 tsp
cinnamon • 1 tsp
cumin • 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove,
crushed • 250ml
chicken stock • juice
of 1 lemon • 60g
chickpeas • Handful
of spinach
METHOD
1 | Heat the oven to
180C. Season the
chicken with half of
the cinnamon and
cumin, then bake
for 8-10 mins until
cooked.
2 | Heat the oil over
a medium heat and
cook the garlic for
1 min without
colouring, before
adding the chicken,
stock and remaining
cinnamon and cumin.
3 | Add the lemon
juice and chickpeas
and simmer for 10-12
mins, seasoning to
taste. Finally, add
the spinach and stir
to wilt before serving
in a bowl.
ON
THE BALL
SOUPER
CHARGE
On non-workout days,
you need most fuel in
the afternoon. These
meatballs are packed
with energy-boosting
amino acids.
This low-carb meal
fulfils the energy needs of
a rest-day evening. It also
has vitamin B6, which
aids nervous-system
function.
M
AFTERNOON SNACK
YOGHURT WITH
BLUEBERRIES
170g Greek yoghurt
and a small handful
of blueberries
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 043
↘
George Etzweiler,
running with his
hearing aid and
stopwatch around
his neck, at Tussey
Mountain in
Pennsylvania
044 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
THE SUPER VET
SIX OLD MEN gather for a run in the mountains
outside State College, Pennsylvania, US. ‘Old’,
of course, is a relative term. If you’re 25, 60
seems impossibly ancient. And if you’re 55, 60
is, handily, the new 50. But by any measure,
these runners shuffling down the mountain
in the morning mist qualify as old. They are
grey-haired, hunched over a bit, creaky in the
knees, a little hard of hearing — everything
you’d expect from chaps who came of age before
the Beatles crossed Abbey Road.
They are ‘The Old Men of the Mountains’.
But you’d be wrong to call them elderly. They’re
runners, after all, and not just occasional
plodders but members of a 50-mile relay team
that’s famous in these parts of the Allegheny
Mountains. The youngest runner, ‘the kid’,
recent ly t u r ned 67. The oldest , G eorge
Etzweiler, is 99 years old. He was born in 1920.
That’s the same year Charlie Chaplin’s silent
movie The Kid was released.
Shor t in stat ure, and breathing like a
struggling freight train, George leads his team
on a training run around mountain switchbacks
and gravel roads on this cool June morning.
The boys are preparing for the annual Tussey
Mountainback 50-miler. Since 2007, George has
coaxed and cajoled other older runners out of
their armchairs for the event. E
W O R D S : A N D R E W D AW S O N
PHOTOGRAPHS: BRETT CARLSEN
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 045
Washington Road Race, for which George is a hall-of-famer.
He has run that one 14 times and is gearing up for a 15th next
June. Otherwise, George sticks to two local races — a nearby
5K and Tussey — every year.
‘Yep, that’s him all right,’ replies Knepley. ‘That’s George.’
George waves to the driver and flashes a smile.
‘I’m a freak, you know,’ he says. ‘Someone called me a freak
of nature once for what I do. I don’t know if it’s true or not,
but there aren’t many people who are 99 and still living, and
not many running a mile, I guess.’
Many people hang up their running shoes as the decades
slip by, but George has other plans for down-and-out oldtimers who still have some pep in their step.
••••
T H E
A black Chevrolet speeds up the gravel road as the men
pause for a rest stop. ‘Car!’ yells John Knepley, a four-time
Old Man of the Mountain. Everyone makes their way to
the side, except for George, who, even with his hearing aid,
doesn’t acknowledge the warning.
‘CAR COMING, GEORGE!’
‘Oh,’ says George, caught off guard. ‘Good grief.’
The men assist George to the slanted edge of the road as
the car pulls past slowly. But then it stops beside them. The
driver rolls down the window and points at George in his
orange jacket. ‘Hey, that’s the guy, right?’ she says. ‘The old
guy who runs.’
The old guy who runs is well known not only on his home
patch in Centre County, but at many other race venues in the
Northeastern US, such as New Hampshire’s famed Mount
046 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
O L D - T I M E R
W H I S P E R E R
George follows today’s workout with a postrun nap and
then sits down for lunch. The microwaved hot bowl of
pinto beans, rice and vegetables cools as he sifts through a
stack of lined graph papers, his running log, dating back to
1969. The graph paper was an obvious choice when he was
an electrical engineering professor at Pennsylvania State
University. And even in retirement, he keeps it up to date,
logging almost every run.
After noting the day’s mile splits — with an 11:49, his fastest
so far this year — and mileage, he pulls out another folder
of sheets. These go back only a decade at their oldest, but
they are the record of The Old Men of the Mountains races.
Here, George has listed every person he has charmed
into joining his running team. He does his own scouting,
scouring race results, consulting current members and
cold-calling potential runners. This has been his method
since the group formed in 2007 out of a spontaneous
interaction on the morning of the 2006 Tussey Mountainback
50-Miler. George, an avid fixture in the local running scene
at, back then, a spry 87, was suited up in an orange vest as
a volunteer for the morning shift, directing cars. As he
did, the race director crossed his path and said in passing,
‘Couldn’t someone get together a team of old guys to run
that 50-mile relay?’
George got the hint. He took to the phone book and
started tracking down runners over 65. Finding them was
one thing, but then he had to convince them to sign up for
the race. That was the hard part. Yet George has a way with
people. His demeanor is relaxed. His humour is legendary.
His persuasiveness, though occasionally a little abrasive and
abrupt, gets the job done.
Take Ed Keller. Ed was a long-time runner who had been
slowed down by his joint problems, but a decade ago, he did
a 5K in his 70s. It was noted and two days later, he got a call
from George.
‘Are you Ed Keller, the runner?’ George said on the phone.
‘Well, that really depends on how you define running,’
replied Keller.
Keller was having a hard time convincing himself that he
was still a runner. He was a marathoner who could no longer
go the distance. But George was persistent. He saw Keller’s
THE SUPER VET
‘ Someone called me a freak of nature
once for what I do. I don’t know if
it’s true or not, but there aren’t many
people who are 99 and still living, and
not many running a mile, I guess’
time and knew he had what it took to run a leg at Tussey.
Keller wasn’t so convinced.
‘I’m not sure I’m ready to run competitively,’ he said.
‘Look, I’m going to be doing a training run up Tussey
Mountain,’ George replied. ‘Why don’t you stop over and
pick me up and we’ll go to the mountain?’
The two did indeed go up the mountain, and Keller has
since done 10 races with The Old Men.
That’s how many have found their way onto the team.
George phoned them, fed on their uncertainty and showed
them that if he could do it, so could they.
Now 33 runners are now listed on the sheet in front of
George as he eats his lunch. A black X marks the number of
times each runner has competed with the team. Only one
row across has each box marked, and, of course, that’s for
the 99-year-old slurping away at his vegan lunch.
••••
A
R U N N I N G
L O V E
S T O R Y
George reckons genetics, or perhaps sheer stubbornness,
has a good deal to do with his extraordinary running
longevity. But something else has played a defining role, a
romance that dates back to 1937. George was a year out of high
school at the time and working at the Lewistown Electrical
Company. A friend introduced him to Mary Richard,
who had a light that needed fixing. George was more than
happy to oblige.
The light didn’t lead to a date, but two years later Mary
needed a lift to a campfire picnic down at Penn Roosevelt
State Park, just outside of town. George, the proud new
owner of a 1929 Model-A Ford pickup, offered to take her.
‘She was just friendly and nice, compassionate and very
much concerned about the underdog,’ George says of Mary.
‘She was always cheering for the underdog for both sports
events and the battle of life.’
Mary and George fed off of one another’s passion for
life. They married in 1942. After serving in the US Navy,
George earned an electrical engineering degree from Penn
State University and eventually returned as a professor.
Mary worked part-time and volunteered, drove the car and
cooked. George was a handyman, fixing everything around
the house. They were happy and they did everything together
one way or another.
When George first started running, in 1969, Mary initially
joined him. George, then 49, did his first mile at the urge of
his fellow Penn State professors. The creeping curve of an
↖
George and Mary
were inseparable for
the entirety of their
68-year marriage
↗
Thirty-three
people, including
three women,
have been able to
call themselves
‘Old Men of the
Mountains’
expanding belly had plagued him since his Navy days, so
he started running, though he claims it nearly killed him
that first day.
But he survived that week and Mary bought him his first
pair of army-green running shorts. He still has them and runs
every race in them. Mary soon joined him on his runs for a
few years, until her joints forced her to give up.
Mary still supported George in every race and every run.
For decades she patched up those tattered green shorts. In
their 80s, she would drive him to Tussey Mountain for his
training runs, drop him at the bottom, drive to the top to
wait for him and then, when he finally arrived, she’d drive
him back down so he could do it again.
But it wasn’t until Mary’s last days that George realised
the real reason why he still ran. E
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 047
‘I’m proud
of you’
Mary first became ill in 2007, when she was diagnosed
with mycosis fungoides, a cancer in the lymphatic tissues,
in her stomach and back. She would beat it, but for the next
three years, she was in and out of the hospital.
Then, in July 2010, Mary was diagnosed with pulmonary
fibrosis, a scarring of the lungs that made breathing difficult,
and she was hospitalised again. But she encouraged George
to keep running. This was the fourth year with his Tussey
50-Miler relay team. Despite her ill health, Mary insisted
that he do it. George took the fifth leg, as it was the earliest
that didn’t require doing a second. George planned for their
daughter Shirley to pick him up after his run and bring him
back to the hospital to be with Mary.
But when George neared the end of leg five, it was Mary
who greeted him, sitting in the back of Shirley’s car with her
oxygen tank. Neither George nor Mary had much breath.
When Mary was able to, she spoke four words that George
will never forget: ‘I’m proud of you.’
Mary lost her battle with pulmonary fibrosis in December
2010. Though she’s gone, George still talks to her, often when
he’s running, which he continues to do because he feels Mary
would want him to. ‘I always think that she’d be encouraging
me to keep doing this,’ says George. ‘“I’m proud of you.” That
hangs there in my mind.’
••••
W
E
L
O
V
E
Y
O
U
G
E
O
R
G
E
George is racing without his fellow Old Men of the Mountains
today. He’s got his army-green shorts out for one of the annual
races he attends beyond the Tussey Mountainback relay –
Master
class
Three more runners with
more than 90 candles
on the cake who are
still putting in the
miles and holding
back the years
Diane
Hoffman 91
Earlier this year
the evergreen
sprinter set a new 400m
world record of 2:44.25
in the 90-94 age group.
She also still plays tennis
competitively, which she
credits for much of her
speed and fitness. A late
starter, she ran her first
track event at the age of 90.
048 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
the Mount Washington Road Race in New Hampshire’s
White Mountains. The 7.43-mile road climbs up more than
5,000 feet to reach the highest point in the Northeastern
United States.
From the start of the race, George falls to the back of
the pack accompanied by his grandson, Bob, who acts as
George’s pack mule, carrying jackets and George’s homemade
lemonade — the only thing he consumes while running.
Every runner goes by him, many taking pictures or wishing
him luck: ‘Go, George.’ ‘We love you, George.’ ‘You’re an
inspiration, George.’
The word inspiration troubles him, though: ‘I haven’t
died yet,’ he says. What George means is that people see
an elderly runner beating back age through a measured
shuffle. Yet they don’t see his entire story. They don’t see
him calling other elderly runners on the phone and working
to reignite the flame inside them when they think they’re
done. They don’t see the champion of the everyday runner,
who could have quit years ago. When he retired in 1993. Or
when Mary passed away. Or even after this, his 13th time
racing up Mount Washington.
But they do see a hero, an icon, charging up the mountain
until he finishes in 4:04:48 — a minute faster than last year.
As soon as George arrives back at the starting area, where
there is a postrace feast in full swing, he is rushed onto
the main stage, where he is greeted with a minute-long
standing ovation.
‘You made a promise to us,’ says the race announcer to
George, ‘and you keep delivering on that promise that you’re
going to keep going, right?’
‘I’ll try,’ says George.
As he exits the stage, he is rushed by the crowd of tired,
cheering runners wanting to speak and take pictures with
him. A young child tugs on her mother’s shorts and whispers
a question. Her mum crouches and points to the legend before
them. ‘You know who that is?’ she says. ‘That’s George.’
Roy
Englert 96
At the USATF
Masters
Outdoor Championships in
July, serial record-breaker
Englert added another to
his haul, with a 42:30.23 in
the 5000m. Englert runs
two to three miles a day,
but ramps up to three or
four miles and adds speedwork in the run-up to races.
Ida
Keeling 104
At 102, Keeling
broke the 100+
100m world record and
celebrated by dropping to
the floor and cranking out
some press-ups. Now 104,
she’s still running regularly.
‘My doctor tells me I’m as
healthy as a 25-year-old,’
says Keeling. ‘I have no
intention of slowing down.’
THE SUPER VET
↑
George leads an
Old Men training
run at Tussey
Mountain.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 049
The immersive, hands-on
experience of logging your
runs in a Bullet Journal can
fire your mojo, boost your
progress and bring the joy
In this digital age, tracking – and
sharing – our training by bluetooth
syncing of watches to the cloud has
become the norm. But thanks in part
to digital platforms such as Instagram,
an analogue alternative is trending,
too: bullet journals. Search the hashtags
#bulletjournal or #bujo on Instagram
and you’ll find over seven million
photos of them. So what are they?
The Bullet Journal system –
brainchild of Ryder Carroll, a New
York designer – involves creating
your own planner to track what
matters to you. Starting with a
notebook, you decorate it with
illustrations, designs and charts,
using coloured pens, stickers,
highlighters and tape – using bullet
points as a core structure. These
‘bullets’ denote tasks, events and
other items in a list. Designs vary
from the sparse to the intricate,
but they all serve a purpose beyond
gaining social media kudos. ‘The
simple act of writing down your
accomplishments cements them
in your psyche,’ says coach Janet
Hamilton of RunningStrong.com. And
DIY-ing a log lets you create space for
variables other than time and distance.
‘Having a paper diary is the first
thing I suggest to every athlete that I
work with,’ says sports psychologist
Dr Josie Perry. ‘I don’t mind if you
use Strava as well, but it’s ideal that
you have a paper diary where you can
write down how you are feeling, so
you can keep really good track. It’s
a much better way to boost your
confidence because you can look
back over it and see what worked
well, when you had great sessions
and what your strengths are.’
For some, part of the appeal is
sharing their creations for kudos and
connection to the digital running
community. But with an analogue
journal you have the default option of
staying off-grid, which can also offer
benefits, as no one else sees it. Ready
to #BuJo? On the following pages are
tips on how to start and inspiring
examples from other runners.
050 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
1
A key makes it easy to recall your
goal paces for workouts and it
saves you the step of having
to note your results postrun if
you stick to the plan.
# B UJ O
Using different colours to
correspond with different variables
(such as cross-training activities)
lets you spot trends simply by
glancing at a page.
1 / Print your plan
If you have a goal race,
start by recording the
workouts you intend to do
in your BuJo. ‘By copying a
plan over rather than taping
it in place, you are delving
into the progression,’ says
Hamilton. You’ll get a
big-picture view of your
training cycle and you won’t
be surprised when it’s time
for a tough workout.
2 / Add volume
3
Whether you run by time or
distance, it’s a good idea to
keep track of your weekly
volume. ‘If you need to look
back at the log due to injury,
one of the things you want
to look at is base mileage
and how quickly you
progressed,’ says Hamilton.
3 / Monitor mood
2
Try a smiley face for ‘felt
good’, a frowny face for
‘felt bad,’ and a neutral face
for in-between days. Too
many sad faces may mean
you’re overdoing it. And
when you have a ‘nirvana
run’ that feels great, says
Hamilton, ‘you want to
register that in your brain
and remind yourself this is
why you run by recording it.’
4 / Track it all
If you’re trying to make
other lifestyle changes that
may affect your running,
incorporate those into your
journal. ‘If you find you have
a glass of wine the night
before your long run and
you feel better than if you
don’t, that would be worth
noting,’ says Hamilton.
‘Finding out what works for
you is the reason you’re
keeping this journal.’ E
4
Research shows that wearing
two or more shoe models
lowers injury risk, which
makes it important to track the
mileage on each pair.
2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 051
‘My “why’”statement
(‘it centres me, clears
my mind and makes me
feel good’) is helpful to
read on days when I
need extra motivation.’
‘I simply shade in grey
whenever I run. I aim
to run every other day,
so it ends up looking
like a chess board,
which adds a little fun
to the logging process.
I want to keep that
pattern going.’
‘I created a couch to 5K spread and then a 5K to
10K spread to help keep track of my runs. I also
included my beats per minute and how often I
was in the different ranges.’
052 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
‘I started my journal in
January but in March
my gran lost her battle
with cancer. I wanted
to do something to
take my mind off
things, so I signed up
to Race For Life 10K.
The journal helped
me to plan when to
run and to see if
I was getting better.
Recording it in my
journal has helped
me to keep going!’
# B UJ O
‘I work as a business
analyst, so I am very
plan-driven in all
areas of my life – I
thrive on organisation
and keeping a bullet
journal is the perfect
way to plan and track
my running (as well as
other areas of my life).
When I first started
running, I followed
a couch to 5K on an
app, then 5K to 10K.
Since then I’ve always
followed a plan, so I
have a couple of pages
dedicated to 10K or
10 miles so that it’s
easy to follow.
‘I spend all day in
front of a computer,
so it’s great to get
my coloured pens
out once a day and
fill in my journal – I
find it relaxing and
there’s a great sense
of satisfaction when
you tick off a planned
run. I also track how
I feel each day in the
journal and I find it’s
motivating to see that
days when I exercise
definitely tie in with
the days where I have
felt great.’ E
‘I list my results, too; every race I’ve done is in
there, with dates and finish times. I mark where
there’s a PB so it’s a real motivation to go out
and chase one.’
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 053
‘I colour in a square
for each mile I run.
It’s fun to see the
page fill. There is no
significance to the
colours – they just
create a bright pattern.
On the right, I record
when I complete selfcare habits as part of
my morning routine.’
‘By drawing a scene
(each tree represents a
run), I become excited
to see the scene
evolve. I find drawing
to be meditative and
I want to run more
often so I can fill
the page. I keep the
format simple to avoid
putting off logging.’
054 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
WO R D S : M E G H A N K I TA , J E N N Y M CCOY A N D J O E M AC K I E
‘Sticking with one
black pen is less
overwhelming and
it makes it easier to
transport my journal
and log things even
while away from home.’
# B UJ O
‘I based the design on what
a homemade recipe book
would look like – a book
filled with random scraps of
paper with recipes on them.’
‘This format gives me
the freedom to choose
which workout I want
to do. Rather than
assigning a number of
miles or type of workout to specific days, I
give myself the option
to choose whatever I
am feeling up to. I also
have trouble thinking
of what to make for
dinner every night, so
I created a log of go-to
dishes I can refer to.’
Journal
The Leuchtturm1917
Medium notebook
comes in 21 colours
with four ruling
options.
£16.50,
leuchtturm1917.co.uk
Pens
P H OTO G R A P H S : L U C K Y I F S H A R P, M I TC H M A N D E L , M AT T R A I N E Y. P O R T R A I T I L LU S T R AT I O N S : C H A R L I E L AY TO N
The Staedtler Triplus
Fineliner 20-pack
covers your needs
(a fine point) and
wants (colours!).
£8.99, amazon.co.uk
‘This is where I track my running and
walking mileage and step count. It’s
helpful to identify days where I should
have moved more – I try to make sure
that I’m not sedentary all day, which can
be hard when I’m stuck in meetings.’
Ruler
‘I decorated the front
to distinguish it
from my others and
I put this “sweat is
magic” quote on here
to remind myself
that I’m not running
because it’s hard or
brutal; I’m doing it
because it makes me
feel awesome.’
The six-inch length is
easier to manoeuvre
on the journal’s
pages. Choose a
transparent ruler
to better see how
things line up.
Washi Tape
Advanced BuJo-ers
use this not-toosticky tape to liven
up pages. You can
find a wide variety
of colours and
patterns.
MT Washi Tape,
£2.99, ryman.co.uk
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 055
If you’re looking for something a little
different to spice up your 2020 race
calendar, dive into our eclectic selection
from the brutal and beautiful, weird and
wonderful world of wacky races
056 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
WA C K Y R A C E S
01
Mount
Marathon
Race
The ‘toughest 5K on
the planet’ is a climb
and descent of Mount
Marathon, starting and
finishing in the town of
Seward, Alaska. So
what’s so tough? Try
3,022ft (921m) of
elevation gain and an
average gradient of
34 degrees on the
mountain; then add
cliffs, scree fields,
mud, waterfalls and
various other terrain
torments. This is
utterly insane and
also qualifies for the
overused ‘iconic’
badge. It’s been run as
an official event since
1915 and has attracted
modern mountainrunning royalty such
as Kilian Jornet.
Next race: July 4, 2020,
mmr.seward.comworldsfastest-marathon.com E
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 057
02
Dubrovnik
Wall Run
04
A tricky 2.5km up, down
and along the medieval
walls of the Croatian city
that starred as King’s
Landing in a little TV show
you may have caught over
the last few years. The
fortification walls run for
1,940m, encircling most of
the Old City, reaching a
maximum height of 25m
and offering amazing
views. Though not of
dragons, apparently.
Baikal Ice
Marathon
The course for this
one is entirely on the
frozen surface of
Siberia’s Lake Baikal,
the world’s largest and
deepest fresh-water
lake. Expect views of
vast icy wilderness
stretching in all
directions, with huge
ice ridges rising from
the surface. Although
the flat course is
mostly covered in a
soft layer of snow,
there are areas
of highly polished
ice that can be
treacherous, and
strong winds add
another challenge
to your balance and
internal-heating
system in the already
biting temperatures.
Expect your awe to
be struck and toes
to be chilly.
Next race: April 25, 2020,
du-motion.com/en
03
World’s
Fastest
Marathon
Yes, it is cheating. The
course starts high up in
Spain’s Sierra Nevada
Mountains, then follows
the sweeping curves of a
paved route down into the
historic city of Granada.
Less than a kilometre
is without a downhill
gradient and you’ll drop
a total of 1,938m at an
average gradient of 4.6
per cent. A gently bonkers
idea in an incredibly
beautiful setting; if you
don’t bag a PB, you’ve
gone the wrong way.
Next race: March 1,
2020, baikal-marathon.
Next race: Sept 2020 (date tbc),
worlds-fastest-marathon.com
Climb an immense 3,333
steps to a temple amid the
beautiful, humid forests
of southern Japan. You’ll
gain 600m of elevation
in just over 2km, but in
case you’re thinking that
sounds like a doddle, be
warned that the pros at
the front take 25 minutes
and plenty don’t make it
before the 60-minute
cut-off. Also, bear in mind
that once you reach the
top and recover, you have
to turn around the head
back down.
Next race: tbc
redbull.com/gb-en/events
058 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
06
London
Pantomime
Horse Race
You may not have got a
place in the London
Marathon, but there’s
another chance to run to
glory in Greenwich. This
year’s 10th-anniversary
race will see 30-plus panto
horses racing through
Greenwich dressed as Star
Wars characters, tackling
‘galactic steeple jumps’
and dodging ‘asteroid
belts’ along the quartermile route. As the
organisers say, ‘may the
horse be with you’.
Next race: December 15,
pantohorserace.org
WO R D S : J O E M AC K I E . P H OTO G R A P H S : J O E L K R A H N ( P R E V I O U S PAG E ) ,
E M I L E D U C K E , DAV I D S E T T E R, G E T T Y I M AG E S , P U F F I N G B I L LY
05
Red Bull
Haku Ryu Sou
WA C K Y R A C E S
09
Man vs Horse
Not ready to
take the train but tired of
racing other bipeds? Test
your gallop against fourlegged foes at this now
legendary ‘marathon’ (it’s
22 miles but makes up
the distance deficit with
its hills). You start from
The Square in the Welsh
village of Llanwrtyd Wells,
with a 15-minute head
start over the horses, and
you can run alone or as
part of a relay team.
Next race: June 2020 (date
tbc), green-events.co.uk
10
Running of
the Bulls,
New Orleans
Paying homage to the
running of the bulls in
Pamplona, this event in
San Fermin, New Orleans
replaces marauding
bovines with roller-girls
dressed as bulls and
wielding plastic bats, whom
runners must try to evade
over the one-mile course.
Runners generally dress in
white with a splash of red,
as is the custom in the
Basque version.
Next race: August 2020 (date
tbc), nolabulls.com
07
Race the
Train
When dentist Godfrey
Worsey dreamed up the
idea of going head-tohead with the steam train
on the Talyllyn Railway
back in 1984, he probably
didn’t envisage that, 37
years later, the race would
be a fixture on the global
running calendar. The main
event is a 14-mile route –
with roughly a quarter of
the field beating the train
– but there are also 10K,
5.5-mile and 3.5-mile
options if you think you
may run out of, er, steam.
Next race: August 15, 2020,
racethetrain.com
08
The Great
Train Race
In Melbourne, Australia,
you can pit yourself
against The Puffing Billy
steam train. To the eternal
envy of all Southern Rail
commuters, Puffing Billy
hits a blistering 8.7mph, so
you’ll need to duck under
seven-minute/mile pace
over the undulating
8.2-mile (13.5km) route
to beat it.
Next race: May 3, 2020,
puffingbilly.com.au/events/
great-train-race
11
Escape from
Meriden
This cult race challenges
‘prisoners’ to ‘escape’
from the centre of England
(Meriden, West Midlands),
with the winner travelling
the furthest – on foot, by
any route they choose –
as the crow flies from the
start point, all under
the watchful eye of ‘The
Crow’ via race-tracking
technology.
Next race: Nov 2020 (date tbc),
escapefrommeriden.co.uk E
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 059
15-22
12
Crystal
Mine
Marathon
Heights of
madness
Take your running
to a new low with
a marathon (or halfmarathon or 10K if
you prefer) run
entirely through the
underground tunnels
of an old salt mine in
central Germany. It’s
tough going on rock,
encrusted salt and
steel, but at least
you won’t have to
pack the sunscreen.
If you’re ready
to step up
to a bigger
challenge,
these are the
tallest tower
runs on the
planet. Things
are looking up
Next race: February 16,
2020, triathlonvereinbarchfeld.de/
wettkaempfe-events
Shanghai Tower,
Shanghai
3,398 steps
One World Trade
Center, New York
2,226 steps
Willis Tower,
Chicago
2,115 steps
Menara Tower,
Kuala Lumpur
2,058 steps
Taipei 101, Taiwan
2,046 steps
Fancy a day out at the
beach? How about two
brutal half-mile laps on
Margate’s sweep of
sand on a sadistically
engineered course that’s
jam-packed with giant
sandcastles, dunes and
trenches. It’ll be the most
exhausting mile you have
ever run, and if you do it
quick enough, you get
to do it all over again
in the semifinal and
final. A second UK
location for 2020 is
set to be announced
soon, too.
Next race: Sept 2020 (date
tbc), redbull.com/gb-en/
events/red-bull-quicksand
14
Vertical Rush
With 932 steps
over 42 floors in London’s
Tower 42, this isn’t a giant
in the tower-running
world, but it is a brilliant
event organised by, and
raising funds for, the
homeless charity Shelter.
A thousand runners take
it on and there’s a very
lively postrace party.
Here’s what RW’s Rick
Pearson had to say about
it: ‘Vertical Rush is a
lung-burning brute of a
challenge that’ll make you
truly appreciate the genius
of the modern-day lift. Do
it for the bragging rights
and the view at the top.’
Next race: March 12, 2020,
england.shelter.org.uk
China World
Summit Wing
Hotel, Beijing
2,041 steps
Eureka Tower,
Melbourne
1,642 steps
Empire State
Building Run Up
1,576 steps
P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S , M I C H A E L W E R L B E R G E R,
BA R RY A L S O P/ E Y E S W I D E O P E N I M AG E S
13
Red Bull
Quicksand
WA C K Y R A C E S
23
The
Australian
Dunny Derby
As part of the Outback
Festival in the Queensland
town of Winton, this event
turns dunnies (outdoor
toilets) into chariots. Two
runners push and two pull
the dunny and a ‘jockey’
over a 200m obstaclefilled course. Possibly the
only race in the world with
no pre-race toilet queues.
Next race: Sept 2020 (date
tbc), outbackfestival.com.au
24
25
The challenge of running
as many laps of Tooting
Bec Athletics Track in
London as you can in 24
hours promises spiritual
transcendence and much
chafing. The field is limited
to 45 and, amazingly, it’s
always oversubscribed.
The longest certified
footrace on the planet
loops 5,649 times around
a single city block in
Queens, New York, for a
hard-to-believe 52 days.
The organisers say it
challenges runners to
‘overcome the entire
world’s preconceived
notions of possibility’.
Sri Chinmoy
Self-Transcendence 24 Hour
Track Race
Next race: Sept 26-27, 2020,
uk.srichinmoyraces.org/
london-24
Self-Tran
scendence
3100 Mile Race
Next race: June-August 2020,
3100.srichinmoyraces.org
26
Inov-8
Descent
Race
For those among you
who enjoy tough
descents, this event
launches runners
down the nearvertical gradients of
one of the world’s
most notorious
downhill ski slopes
– the Hahnenkamm
in Kitzbühel, Austria.
Starting from the ski
gate at 30-second
intervals, runners
weave through ski
flags on a 350m
(thankfully snowfree) slalom course
down the iconic
ski run, which hits
an insane 80 per
cent gradient. The
course record is
a remarkable
54.65 seconds.
Next race: October
2020 (date tbc), inov-8.
com/descent E
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 061
27
Burro Days
World
Championship
First staged back in
1948 to celebrate
Colarado’s mining
heritage, this event
sees runners guide
(not ride) a burro (the
Spanish for donkey)
over a 29-mile course
in the mountains
around Fairplay. This
is as spectacular as it
is quirky, but it’s a
tough one. The trails
are challenging,
there’s a 4,000m
ascent of Mosquito
Pass and your running
buddy may well be a
bit of an ass.
Next race: July 2020
(date tbc), burrodays.com/
pages/burro_race.htm
28
Cooper’s Hill
Cheese Roll
Today this slice of British
eccentricity, which some
say dates from pagan times,
attracts runners from all
over the world to Cooper’s
Hill and Brockworth in
Gloucestershire. Safety
concerns and multiple
injuries have seen the
traditional 3-4kg block
of double gloucester
replaced with lightweight
foam replicas, but the
hill you chase it down
remains insanely steep
and utterly treacherous.
Next race: May 25, 2020,
officialcheeserolling.com
29
North Pole
Marathon
Did you feel on top of
the world last time you
finished a marathon? This
26.2 delivers that feeling a
little more literally, as it’s
run on the ice floe around
the geographic North
Pole. You fly from Norway
to the North Pole camp,
then you’re helicoptered
to the pole itself for what
the organisers reasonably
claim is a ‘once-in-alifetime experience’. At
£15,900, you’re unlikely
to do it twice.
Next race: April 13, 2020,
npmarathon.com
062 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
30
Gawthorpe
Maypole
World Coal-Carrying
Championships
Starting outside the Royal
Oak pub, runners carry a
sack of coal (50kg for men
and 20kg for women) for
1,012m to the maypole on
Gawthorpe’s village green.
Apparently the result of
animated conversation
in the Gawthorpe’s
Beehive Inn back in
1963, it’s now hugely
popular, with a veteran’s
race, women’s race and
three men’s races.
Next race: April 13, 2020,
gawthorpemaypole.org.uk
WA C K Y R A C E S
31
Coakham
Bloodhounds
If you find a rival runner on
your tail brings out the
best – or beast – in you,
how about a pack of
hounds and full hunting
party? The Coakham
Bloodhounds hunt ‘the
cleanboot’ (human scent
left by a runner ahead of
the pack). ‘The quarry’
– generally cross country
runners high on fitness
and guile – set off 45
minutes ahead of the
hunting party and the
day finishes with tea
and sandwiches. It’s not
a ticketed event, but
Coakham are open to
people contacting them
to play vulpine.
Next race: tbc,
coakhambloodhounds.org.uk
32-33
Bisbee 1000
and Ironman Ice
The crumbling staircases
cut into the hills around
the Arizona town of Bisbee
– a relic of the town’s
copper-mining past – play
host to unique race on a
4.5-mile course, with nine
staircases and over 1,000
steps (hence the name).
Also worthy of mention
is the shorter course,
which adds the quirk
of competitors carrying
a 5kg block of ice.
39
40
ÖTILLÖ
Swimrun,
Isles of Scilly
Chiditarod
An incredible event in an
incredible setting, in which
teams sea swim and trail
run between and across
the islands off the southwestern tip of Cornwall.
Unsure of your sea legs?
This year, an ‘experience’
race distance (with only
three swims, the longest
at 400m) was added to
suit newbies to swimrun.
Chicago’s
homage to the 1,000-mile
Iditarod dog-sled race
in the Alaska wilderness
sees humans (rather than
huskies) pull shopping
trolleys (rather than sleds).
Teams of five (four pullers
and one musher) don
fancy dress and pull
trolleys filled with food
for donation. It’s a fastmoving carnival for a
worthy cause.
Next race: June 13-14, 2020,
otilloswimrun.com
Next race: December 15,
chiditarod.org
41-60
Red Bull 400
This series of races
in 20 locations
around the world
including Germany,
Canada, Korea and
Kazakhstan, requires
competitors to run
400m up snow-free
ski jumps. You’ll gain
around 140m of
altitude in a cruelly
steep few minutes.
Next race: April September 2020,
redbull.com redbull.
com/int-en/events/
red-bull-400-int
Next race: Autumn 2020
(date tbc), bisbee1000.org
P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S , R E D B U L L CO N T E N T P O O L
34-38
Stadium Stomp
Cricket fans can choose
between Sydney Cricket
Ground, Adelaide Oval,
Melbourne Cricket
Ground or The Gabba in
Brisbane for this event.
Rugby fans can try New
Zealand’s Eden Park. The
full course sees you run
up and down over 6,000
stadium steps. There’s also
a ‘Stomp Unlimited’: you
keep going until you drop.
Next race: 2020 (dates tbc),
stadiumstomp.com
61
NiesenTreppenlauf
Alpine views and the small
matter of 11,674 steps to
take you to the summit of
a Swiss mountain, running
alongside the Niesenbahn
funicular railway. The
race is a vertical mile
– you run from the 693m
valley floor to the 2,362m
summit – and the incline
approaches a horrifying
70 per cent in places.
Next race: June 12-13, 2020,
niesen.ch/en
62
Maldon
Mud Race
Dirty weekend in Essex?
Head for Promenade Park
in Maldon for a 500m
dash from bank to bank
across the (very) thick
mud on the bed of the
River Blackwater at low
tide. Fancy dress is
strongly encouraged, but
don’t plan on getting your
deposit back if you rented
the Princess Leia costume.
Next race: May 3, 2020,
maldonmudrace.com
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 063
Improving your running mindset...p68
Jo Pavey on moving to road runs...p70
How to add spice to your running...p71
Mouthwatering pasta dishes..........p72
Protecting your toenails...............p75
How to run strong as you age......p76
REACH your PERSONAL BEST
PASTA MASTER
P H OTO G R A P H S : LU C K Y I F S H A R P, T R E VO R R A A B
Admit it, once in a while you
experiment with pre-race
fuelling, but you always return
to pasta. And when it looks as
good as this, who can blame
you? No one. That’s who.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 067
TRAINING
GROW AND
BEHOLD
WHEN YOU SUCCEED, YOU
CELEBRATE ; when you fail,
you learn. A cliché, but, like
many platitudes, there’s
truth to it. By developing a ‘growth
mindset’, runners can make the most
of races and training runs that don’t go
to plan by allowing them to feed into
and inform future decisions. The idea
of a growth mindset was developed by
the psychologist Carol Dweck. In the
simplest terms, it comes down to how
you look at yourself. Do you believe
that your talents and abilities are fixed,
or do you believe that you can improve
through effort and focused practice?
How do you respond to a race that
doesn’t go to plan? Perhaps you picked
up an injury and had to stop running,
or the wheels came off at mile 20 of a
marathon, or maybe you developed an
injury and didn’t make the start line at
068 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
all. What was your response to these
setbacks? Did you tell yourself you
were rubbish? Perhaps you said, ‘I’ll go
back to my favourite distance, that’s
exactly why I don’t do marathons (or
whatever).’ A fixed mindset can be
seen in our desire to go back to our
comfort zone and shy away from
challenge. With a growth mindset,
you embrace the possibility of failure
– you reframe it as a necessary
foundation for success. If you have
setbacks, you will have systems in
place to learn and improve in future.
To make progress you need to stress
your body. When you rest and adapt
to this stress, you improve. When
adopting a growth mindset you will
be prepared to create that stress, to
challenge yourself and get fitter.
A growth mindset also keeps you
focused on what it takes to succeed,
not just the success itself. Every race or
session is an opportunity to learn, as
opposed to an exam to pass or fail. This
can have the positive effect
of reducing stress levels
around racing, as you are less
focused on just the outcome;
you are just as interested in
the process and what that
tells you about yourself. In
short, a growth mindset is a
way that you can manage
the anxiety and nerves many
runners feel about racing.
When you have a growth
mindset and fall short of a
goal, you simply view this as
an opportunity to improve.
You reflect and put in place
a new plan – perhaps you
need different training sessions or
more strength training, or a different
YOUR TARGETS
NEED TO STRETCH
YOU BUT NOT
BREAK YOU
P H OTO G R A P H : G E T T Y I M AG E S / U W E K R EJ C I
How a growth mindset can help push
your running to the next level
GET GROWING
Give running a
piece of your mind
out of 10 on a spreadsheet. It covers
a wide range of areas, including
fitness, psychology, lifestyle and
recovery techniques. Against each,
we note ways to improve in the
short, medium and long term.
Look back
Self-reflection drives a growth
mindset. In order to learn, you need
to spend time reflecting on your
training and racing – what has
worked and what could be improved.
T R Y T H I S Keep a full training diary – a
written reflection on your training.
This is not just about how far and
fast your ran, but how you felt and
what were you thinking. You can
create a rich source of useful data
by noting what pacing approach
and nutrition worked best for you,
what your stress levels were and
how well you have been recovering.
Think big
pacing approach or fuelling plan. Over
time, as you make these changes, you
become a better, more prepared athlete
and this will show in your race results
and general performance. But simply
‘believing in yourself’ isn’t enough –
it’s not just about thinking positively.
It’s about systematic self-reflection.
A growth mindset requires work and
effort. Here’s how to start.
Set a baseline
It’s difficult to measure progress
unless you have a starting point.
Spend time at the start of each
block of training considering where
you are and where you want to be.
T R Y T H I S I ask all my athletes to carry
out a self-assessment of their
current strengths and areas for
development, using a simple score
It’s very hard to grow if you only
set yourself goals you know you
can achieve. We have a tendency to
manage pressure by downplaying
expectations and limiting our
ambitions. It’s not always about
going longer, though; perhaps you
want to target getting faster over
shorter distances, or try your hand
at racing cross-country or on the
mountains or trails.
T R Y T H I S Being ambitious isn’t the
same as being reckless – your
targets need to stretch you but not
break you. So if you’re moving up in
distance or targeting a big step up
in speed, allow enough time to get
there without burning out.
Broaden your horizons
Put in place a range of ‘success
measures’ beyond just paces or
PBs, covering ‘process’ goals for
your training and racing.
T R Y T H I S Consider approaching races
with a different mentality. ‘Today,
success will be a negative split,’
‘I’ll race without a watch and aim to
manage my own perceived effort,’
‘Today, success will be measured by
sticking to my fuelling plan.’ These
create opportunities for learning
that you don’t get by just focusing
on a set number on a watch.
Be hungry for feedback
Do you shy away from criticism?
If so, you may well be limiting
your chances of growth. Find
opportunities to gather feedback
and different viewpoints.
T R Y T H I S Consider joining a local club
and chatting to the coach about
your training and running. If you
can’t do this, get together with a
group of running friends and share
your training plans with each other
to generate ideas and get feedback.
Purposely ‘fail’
It’s hard to know your limits unless
you are prepared to risk failure.
T R Y T H I S Target a low-key race or
parkrun to take a risk: start quicker,
go out with runners you wouldn’t
normally try to run with. Be open to
any result; if you need to slow down
or stop, you’ll be much closer to
understanding your current limits.
Implement change
Don’t just record and reflect; create
an action plan to make progress.
T R Y T H I S Arrange for ‘review meetings’
with yourself every four to six
weeks. Reflect on your plan and
your training. Are you progressing
in the way want to? If not, what
needs to change? Update your
action plan and stay committed
to continued improvement.
Vary your training
The most obvious example of a fixed
mindset with runners is that we tend
to like and embrace what we already
do and are good at. So do not be
surprised when you plateau if you are
doing the same training every week.
T R Y T H I S Make sure you are creating
opportunities for variety as your
training progresses. What are you
doing to create a new mental and
physical stimulus? Mix up the
surfaces, the people you train
with, the routes you run and the
sessions you include in your plan.
Endurance coach Tom Craggs has an MSc in
performance coaching and works on the
Athletics Academy of Sporting Excellence
Programme for British Athletics.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 069
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
BY OUR RESIDENT OLYMPIAN
BY JO PAVEY
Jo’s tip:
set new
goals
STEP
CHANGE
Time to hit
the road
I’m new to running and most runs have
been on treadmills. What changes
when you move onto the road?
Treadmill workouts will have improved
your fitness and helped condition your
body to running. But it’s best to introduce
road running gradually to avoid injury, as
there are differences between the two.
Road running puts a higher impact force
through joints and muscles, so try to do
some outdoor runs on softer surfaces such
as trails. The treadmill belt also requires
less force to propel your body and there’s
no wind. Research suggests putting a
treadmill on a one per cent gradient helps
to equalise these effects, though muscles
such as the glutes and hamstrings may
have to work a bit harder on the road.
Road running also tends to promote
a greater heel strike compared with the
increased tendency to midfoot strike on
a treadmill, which affects forces through
the calf muscles, too.
Other biomechanical differences
include a reduced stride length and
070 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
increased stride frequency when treadmill
running. A shorter stride length can cause
hip flexors at the front of the hip to become
tight but also overused, as they work to
bring the leg forward from a moving belt.
The natural undulations of the road
are another factor to consider. Downhill
running is not experienced on a treadmill,
either. Over time, you’ll improve joint
proprioception (awareness of your body’s
position) on the road, as well as adaptation
of the muscles. Pace judgment may also
take a bit of getting used to compared
with the consistent pace of a treadmill.
Interestingly, studies have shown that
runners run slower on a treadmill if asked
to match an outdoor pace because a
treadmill can make you feel like you’re
running quicker. Running outdoors should
help you enjoy your running more, as it
means you can find new routes, enjoy the
scenery and, perhaps, enter some events.
As the year nears
its end, it’s a
good time to
start thinking
about setting
those new year
resolutions.
What changes, if
any, do you need
to put in place to
make progress,
reduce injury
niggles and
ensure that you
continue to enjoy
your running? It’s
a great time to
set some new
goals to aim for,
too, to make you
feel motivated
and excited
about the year
ahead. I feel
there’s always
more to learn
and things to
improve upon.
It’s natural for your legs to
feel tired when you’re in a
tough phase of training.
But be sure you’re hitting
the target times in your
harder workouts. If these
sessions are going well, a
slower pace during easy
runs could just reflect the
pace needed to recover for
the next session.
But if you’re struggling
with every aspect of your
training and experiencing
any other symptoms of
overtraining, you probably
need to take an easy week
or so. Signs you need to
back off include feeling
generally fatigued and less
motivated, and noticing
constant injury niggles or
muscle soreness. The
purpose of a taper is
to ensure your body is
refreshed so you can reap
the benefits of your hard
work. If you’re overtraining,
it will take longer than a
normal taper to fully
recover and your body
can’t adapt to the stimulus
of hard workouts. Try to
listen to your body to get
the best out of your
running and enjoy it.
Is the ‘runner’s high’ a
thing? How does it feel?
It refers to the feeling of
happiness, elation and
reduced sense of exertion
that runners sometimes
get during and after a
workout. It’s caused by
the release of endorphins
and endocannabinoids
(feelgood chemicals). It’s
thought the runner’s high is
more likely if the workout
takes between one and two
hours and if the intensity is
hard but not flat out, ie
tempo (‘comfortably hard’)
pace. Like many runners,
I often feel a mental boost
after a good workout – it’s
a good stress reliever and
I finish in a more positive
frame of mind.
P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S . * P L E A S E N OT E : J O PAV E Y I S U N A B L E TO R E S P O N D D I R E C T LY TO Q U E R I E S
My easy pace is getting
slower near the peak of
my race training. Is this
normal cumulative
fatigue that should go
away during the taper, or
a sign of overtraining?
NUTRITION ADVICE FOR
HEALTHY, HUNGRY RUNNERS
Curcumin, a compound in
turmeric, is a powerful
antioxidant and antiinflammatory. Persistent,
low-grade systemic
inflammation has been
shown to lead to disease
and speed up ageing, so
keeping your inflammation
levels in check is important.
Turmeric not only supports
general health, it’s also a
great choice for runners, as
it combats exercise-induced
muscle damage and helps
to ease aches and pains.
BY KIM PEARSON
SPICE UP YOUR RUN
to your diet: for example,
include crushed fresh garlic
in your homemade salsa
or guacamole.
These five cupboard favourites could supercharge
your run and light up your tastebuds
HOW? Add turmeric to your
postrun scrambled eggs,
cooked with a little coconut
milk; throw in some spinach
for a recovery-boosting
meal. A morning turmeric
latte is also a tasty way to
get your spice fix. Pukka
makes a great one, which is
sure to get you in the mood
for that morning run. Try
Pukka Turmeric Gold Latte,
£4.99 for 90g,
hollandandbarrett.com.
1
Not only is ginger an
anti-inflammatory, it also
aids digestion and supports
immunity to help stave off
winter bugs. Recent studies
have shown that ginger
enhances thermogenesis
(energy production in the
body caused by food) and/
or energy expenditure,
suggesting that including
ginger in your pre-run meal,
juice or smoothie might
improve your performance.
HOW? Add a small piece of
ginger to your morning
smoothie. Try combining
avocado, banana, almond
milk and ginger with a
scoop of ginger protein
powder for a zingy morning
energy boost. Or try
FreeSoul Vegan Ginger
Biscuit Protein Shake, £24
for 600g, herfreesoul.com.
3. Garlic
Nothing can derail your
running routine quite like
pesky winter bugs, so stay
fighting fit by adding plenty
4. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a warming,
seasonal spice and it also
provides antioxidants and
many health benefits, from
reducing inflammation to
lowering cholesterol.
Studies have shown it can
also lower blood sugar levels
by slowing the breakdown
of carbohydrates and
improving insulin sensitivity.
It is also a great postrun
spice, as it can also help to
combat oxidative stress
after exercise.
HOW? Add a sprinkle of
cinnamon to your morning
protein porridge for a
warming health kick.
Combine 50g oats with
200ml water and 150ml
nut milk, one scoop of
protein powder and a pinch
of salt in a pan and cook
for 4-5 minutes, stirring
constantly. Sprinkle with
cinnamon and walnut
pieces before serving.
2
2. Ginger
T H E A DV I C E O F YO U R G P W I T H A N Y Q U E S T I O N S YO U M AY H AV E R E G A R D I N G A M E D I CA L CO N D I T I O N .
P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S , LU C K Y I F S H A R P. T H I S I N F O R M AT I O N I S N OT I N T E N D E D TO B E A S U B S T I T U T E F O R P R O F E S S I O N A L M E D I CA L A DV I C E , D I AG N O S I S O R T R E AT M E N T. A LWAYS S E E K
1. Turmeric
3
5. Cayenne pepper
This spicy pepper variety is
great for adding an extra
kick to your winter diet, and
it has several benefits for
runners. Capsaicin is the
active compound that gives
cayenne pepper its heat,
and studies have shown
that including it in your diet
promotes fat oxidation and
boosts energy expenditure,
without increasing blood
pressure significantly. It
also has pain-relief effects,
making it ideal both before
and after a run.
4
5
of immunity-boosting
garlic to your diet. Garlic’s
many medicinal properties
are largely thanks to the
compound allicin. It has
been shown to help combat
the common cold and
studies have also shown
heart-health benefits, as it
can help reduce cholesterol
levels and keep blood
pressure in check.
HOW? As well as cooking
with garlic, give your
immune system a boost
by adding some raw garlic
Kim Pearson
is a qualified
nutritionist
who loves pasta
and running in
equal measure.
kim-pearson.com;
@kimmypearson
HOW? Add cayenne pepper
to your evening chilli or
curry. Or, for a tasty
postrun weekend brunch,
add a teaspoon of cayenne
pepper to your shakshuka
(tomato-baked eggs with
onion, garlic and peppers).
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 071
FUEL IN YOUR FAVOUR
Put down the spiraliser – autumn is a job for the runner’s
staple. These bowls are bursting with taste and nutrition
1 / Lentil pappardelle
This fibre-filled meal includes plant-based protein to
fire up your runner’s metabolism, stop that stomach
rumbling and delight the most finicky of taste buds
Kcals 610 Fat 17g
Protein 24g Carbs 90g
Serves 2
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely
chopped
150g brown lentils
2 bay leaves
500ml water
200g dried pappardelle
2 tbsp fresh parsley
add the bay leaves and
500ml of water.
2. Once the liquid starts to
boil, leave it on a medium
heat for 30 minutes. Some of
the lentils will have softened,
the rest will be whole but
tender. If it looks too dry,
add a little more water.
3. In a separate pan, boil the
pasta until al dente. Then
drain it, add it to the lentil
pan and mix it well. Stir in
some fresh parsley for that
fancy finishing touch.
HUNGER
BUSTER
1. Heat the oil to a medium
temperature and add the
onion and garlic. Fry until
both are fragrant, then add
the lentils to the pan. Next,
2 / Lobster spaghetti
Lobster is as rich in protein as steak, but contains just
half the calories, making this the perfect meal to help
you crack your fitness goals. Decadent and delicious
Kcals 361 Fat 1.5g
Protein 24g Carbs 59g
Serves 4
2 whole lobsters, precooked
300g dried spaghetti
2 red chillies, chopped
2 garlic gloves, finely sliced
50ml white wine
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp fresh basil
2. Bring a pan of salted
water to the boil and cook
the pasta until al dente.
3. In another pan, mix your
chillies and garlic with white
wine and the lobster meat
and cook for three minutes
on a medium heat.
4. Mix it all together, along
with the tomatoes and
herbs, then plate up.
1. Twist and crack open the
claws, legs and body of the
lobster before peeling the
shell and pulling out the
meat; slice into mouthfuls.
072 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
LEAN AND
MEAN
FUEL
3 / Sicilian spaghetti
HEARTHEALTHY
This scrumptious Sicilian dish will transport you from
the kitchen table to the Mediterranean – abundant in
omega-3s, it’s hearty, healthy and wholesome
Kcals 584 Fat 20g
Protein 33g Carbs 72g
Serves 4
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 handful wild fennel
5 anchovies in oil
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 handful cherry tomatoes
80g sardines
2 tbsp hot water
320g wholegrain spaghetti
and chilli. Boil the fennel
for five minutes before
chopping. Keep the water
aside for the pasta.
2. Add the anchovies to the
pan, then add the pine nuts,
fennel and tomatoes. Then
mix in the sardines along
with the hot water. Cover
and leave for five minutes
before breaking up the fish
with a wooden spoon.
3. Remember that fennel
water? Bring it back to
the boil and throw in the
spaghetti. Cook for 12
minutes and add it to the
sardines mixture. Plate up.
WO R D S : A B B I E S C H O F I E L D. P H OTO G R A P H S : L U C K Y I F S H A R P. L E N T I L PA P PA R D E L L E A N D TAG L I AT E L L E
R AG U R E C I P E S B Y JACO B K E N E DY, C H E F- PAT R O N O F B O CCA D I L U P O ( B O C CA D I LU P O.CO M ); LO B S T E R
S PAG H E T T I B Y A N G E L A H A R T N E T T ’ S CA F É M U R A N O ; S I C I L I A N S PAG H E T T I A DA P T E D F R O M S I C I LY B Y
KAT I E A N D G I A N CA R LO CA L D E S I
1. With a frying pan on
medium heat, warm the oil
and sweat the onion, garlic
4 / Tagliatelle ragu
Training plan called for a punchy refuelling dish?
Supercharge yourself with this mix of carbs and protein
ENERGY
BOOSTER
Kcals 615 Fat 25g
Protein 63g Carbs 88g
Serves 2
1 tsp olive oil
350g chicken livers
½ onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
150ml dry marsala wine
100ml white wine
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
200g dried tagliatelle
2 tbsp fresh parsley
40g butter
Salt and pepper
1. Heat a frying pan until it’s
smoking hot. Add the oil and
seasoned livers to the pan.
Fry for two minutes on each
side, remove and chop.
2. In another pan, fry the
onion, celery and garlic with
some salt and pepper over a
medium heat. After 10 mins,
add the chicken liver and its
juices, the marsala wine and
white wine. Simmer gently
for an hour until the sauce
is thick. Add the rosemary
and take off the heat.
3. Boil the pasta in another
pan and add a splash of
water to the liver sauce
to thin it. When the pasta
is al dente, drain and add to
the creamy liver sauce with
parsley and butter. Serve
and enjoy.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 073
BODY+MIND
THE NAIL
FILE
How to stop black toenails
from ruining your runs
BOTH A BANE TO RUNNERS and
– in a strange way – a badge
of honour, the black toenail,
or subungual haematoma,
is blood collecting under your nail.
It can occur from acute or chronic
injury, says Jordan Metzl, a sports
medicine doctor at the Hospital for
Special Surgery in New York City. The
chronic repetitive trauma can range
from mild (a small, painless, black-andblue discoloration beneath the nail) to
severe (large, bloody blisters between
nail and nail plate), adds podiatric
surgeon Jacqueline Sutera. Here’s
what you need to know.
1
2
3
4
Prevent them
A common culprit is repetitive trauma,
caused by the motion of running and
exacerbated by ill-fitting footwear,
eg if the top of your shoe rubs against
your nail or your toe slams into the end
of your shoe. So keep your toenails
short and make sure there’s a thumbwidth distance from the tip of your
longest toe to the end of your shoe, says
Quinton Yeldell, founder of footcare
company Southern Hospitality. Then
look for shoes that are wide enough
that your forefoot rests comfortably
in the shoe without hitting either
side. Going up a half size in running
shoes or wearing a thinner sock can
help ease the pressure and protect
toenails, says Metzl.
WO R D S : R.W. S C I O LO. P H OTO G R A P H S : L A KOTA G A M B I L L
Treat them
In mild cases, no treatment is needed,
and the black nail will simply grow out.
But in some cases, the subungual
haematoma can cause pain – the more
blood under your nail, the more it will
hurt, says Metzl. If this is the case,
head to your doctor. He or she can poke
a few holes into the nail to drain the
blood, which relieves the pressure and
will also help save the nail. Prompt
action is crucial here, however: the
procedure must be done within the
first few days of the injury. So if you
feel pain, don’t play the waiting game.
This is a procedure that needs to be
done at the doctor’s. Despite what
you may hear about it being a DIY
trick, attempting this yourself can
leave you at risk of infection.
You may be tempted to hide the
discolored toenail with nail polish, but
nail polish does not allow the nail to
breathe and you could risk losing it
altogether, says sports doctor William
Roberts. Reserve that move for special
occasions, not everyday wear.
Heal them
In cases of repeated microtrauma
– hitting your nails against the shoes
when you run – the nail can simply
fall off without any bleeding or open
wounds. If that’s the case, you should
still use an antibiotic ointment and a
bandage to guard against infection. By
the time the nail comes off, your nail
bed is usually less sensitive and the pain
should be minor, says Metzl. Sometimes
there is already a new nail growing
beneath it. ‘As long as it doesn’t hurt
too much, you should be fine to run,’ he
says. A new nail should take between
six and eight weeks to grow in.
TAKE THE PRESSURE
OFF YOUR BIG TOE
Lacing your shoes differently can help relieve
pressure in the affected area. Try this:
1 / Thread one end of the lace down through the
eyelet closest to your big toe. Pull the end of that
lace up to the top eyelet on the opposite side,
bringing the lace through to the outside. Leave
just enough slack at the top to tie a bow.
2 / Take the other end of the lace straight across
toward the outside of the shoe, down through
the eyelet, then diagonally up toward the inside
of the shoe.
3 / Repeat until all of the eyelets are laced.
4 / Tie in a bow.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 075
RUN STRONG
FOR LIFE
Running strong as the decades pass calls for a little
care and attention, says Selene Yeager
076 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
EIGHTY-ONE? I shook my head in disbelief and surreptitiously
(or so I hoped) leaned over to get a better look at the number
written on the calf of the tall, lean and considerably older
woman setting down her running shoes in the transition
area next to mine. Yep, I’d read it right. The woman was 81 years old.
I, meanwhile, was a callow 26, and taking part in my first triathlon.
My primary goal was to survive the day. My next ambition, I suddenly
decided, was to grow up to be that woman, who was still lacing up and
toeing the line in her ninth decade of life. Happily, it turns out that’s not
such a far-fetched goal. Research on ageing runners shows that you can
not only stay in the game, but also – contrary to popular belief – keep
crushing it far longer than you may think. Here’s how. (For more proof,
see page 44 for our feature on 99-year-old runner George Etzweiler.)
TRAINING
In your 20s
This is a time you can get away with
not worrying much about recovery,
says orthopaedic surgeon Nicholas
DiNubile. It’s also the age when
you’re building the foundation you’ll
carry with you, so play it smart.
Start by cross-training. You may not
realise it, but you’re developing stresses
and imbalances that build up and can
reach a breaking point, says DiNubile.
If all you do is run, you’ll develop more
issues that can haunt you down the
road. ‘Cross-train twice a week with
another sport or strength-training to
create balanced fitness,’ he says.
To maximise skeletal strength,
follow hard runs with a protein- and
carb-rich snack such as a whey-protein
fruit smoothie. Men and women hit
peak bone mass by the age of 30 and
while women are at higher risk for low
bone density, research has found young,
lean, active men, such as runners in
their 20s, are also at risk. That doesn’t
mean you need to stop running; it
just means you need to eat enough
to fuel your recovery, which, in turn,
maintains bone-mineral density and
testosterone, and, for women, prevents
menstrual cycle dysfunction, says
exercise physiologist Stacy Sims, of the
University of Waikato in New Zealand.
P H OTO G R A P H : G E T T Y I M AG E S
AGE AGAINST
THE MACHINE
Growing older does
not mean hanging
up your shoes
RESEARCH ON AGEING
RUNNERS SHOWS THAT
YOU CAN STAY IN THE
GAME FOR FAR LONGER
THAN YOU THINK
In your 30s
Life can get complicated in this decade
(career, family, home), so balanced
intensity and recovery are key to
maintaining form on a time budget.
Train with intervals. VO2 max – how
much oxygen your body can use during
exercise – slips 10 per cent per decade
after the age of 30. Running can help
you stem the decline to about half of
that, but intervals may even boost it,
says exercise physiologist Paul Laursen.
When you do high-intensity intervals,
your heart rate stays elevated during
the recovery periods, so you’re still
tapping into and developing your
aerobic energy system. Go for short,
hard intervals such as 400-800m to
build your aerobic system while
also recruiting fast-twitch sprint
fibres, which diminish with age.
Performing three to six of these
leg-burning efforts, allowing one to
two minutes of recovery in between,
can have impressive effects.
Then prioritise recovery, something
too few goal-oriented runners do.
The solution: limit hard workouts
to twice a week; take one rest day a
week and make sure 50-75 per cent
of your training is endurance intensity,
in which you can talk easily. E
RUNNERS
REWRITING
HISTORY
We’ve all heard that
athletes peak in their
late 20s and early 30s
and that it’s all relentlessly
downhill afterwards. But
that assertion is based
on data that was collected
decades ago, explains
Iñigo San Millán, associate
research professor in
human physiology and
nutrition at the University
of Colorado, US. ‘We
have to look at ageing
differently now,’ he says.
When scientists studied
track athletes aged 50-85,
they found only a small
decline in performance –
less than two per cent per
year – between the ages
of 50 and 75. After 75, that
decline grew to just eight
per cent per year – more
pronounced, for sure, but
still not all that remarkable
In fact, back in 2004,
Canadian Ed Whitlock,
then 73, ran a recordsetting 2:54:48 marathon,
which beat the winning
time at the first modern
Olympic marathon in
Athens: 2:58:50 by
23-year-old Spyros Louis
in 1896. In 2016, a year
before he died, Whitlock,
then 85, became the
oldest person to run a
marathon in under four
hours (3:56:34).
We’re not only living
and staying active longer,
but we also have more
knowledge on how to
train, recover and fuel to
keep us in the game. It’s
never too late to apply it,
and maybe even set a
personal best, says San
Millán, who recently
helped a 60-year-old
client shave 75 minutes
from his marathon PB.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 077
LIFELONG TR AINING TOOLS
Recovery, flexibility and strength work become key to
keeping the body in tip-top running shape as we get older
1 / JADE HARMONY
YOGA MAT £70
YOGAMATTERS.COM
Its grippy texture
provides slip-free
traction while
also offering
cushioning and
stability for yoga
or stretching.
1
2 / RUBBER HEX
DUMBBELLS
PRICES AND
STOCKISTS VARY
Stash a set at
home to fit in
regular strength
sessions when
it suits you.
2
3 / THE STICK TRAVEL
STICK £32.58
PERFORMBETTER.
CO.UK
3
This portable
version of the
popular massage
stick makes it
easier to hit tired
muscles when
you travel to
races or runs.
4 / ROLLGA FOAM
ROLLER £28.08,
AMAZON.CO.UK
Get pressure
where you need it
with this uniquely
shaped foam roller
that contours to
your body.
4
5 / TRIGGERPOINT MB1
£14.28
ORIGINFITNESS.COM
5
078 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
This massage ball
is small enough
(2.6 inches) to
hit hard-to-reach
knots and just soft
enough to make
your massage
feel great.
OLD SCHOOL
If you don’t mind,
age doesn’t matter
In your 40s
Muscle mass starts declining after the
age of 40, and the risk of runningrelated injuries jumps significantly
after 45. You need to be strong to stay
in the sport, so start strength-training
twice a week throughout the year.
‘[Losing strength] may be imperceptible
at first, but it’s happening and it sets
you up for injury, since your muscles
support your joints,’ says DiNubile.
Then let injuries heal completely.
Sixty-nine per cent of masters athletes
try to push through pain to stay active.
You might have been able to get away
with that when you were younger, but
not now. ‘Little nagging pains can
become full-blown injuries,’ warns
DiNubile. Prevent injuries through
cross-training, strength-training and
recovery, but if they do crop up, it’s
important to let them resolve so they
don’t become chronic.
In your 50s
Muscles become tighter and your
connective tissue loses its elasticity, a
one-two punch that can lead to injury
and force a shortened stride, which
will slow you down. Make range of
motion a priority. Warming up is
TRAINING
3 WAYS TO RUN
STRONGER
FOR LONGER
By strength-and-conditioning
specialist Jeremy Shore
When I tore my medial meniscus [a
fibrocartilage structure in the knee] in
my 30s, there was a chance I might
never run like I had – whenever I
wanted, for as long as I wanted, on
any terrain, at any intensity. I set a
goal: instead of surgery, I would
rehab my knee so I could still run with
excellence. I set up an appointment
with a physio who specialises in
working with runners. I did everything
he asked and learned a lot on my own,
too – not just about my knee and my
body, but also about how to train as I
aged. These lessons are universal,
and they benefit anyone who wants
to run well for as long as possible.
Here are three key lessons I learned:
P H OTO G R A P H : T R E VO R R A A B ( P R O D U C T S )
Incorporate intervals
essential now, says DiNubile. ‘Get the
blood and synovial fluids flowing to
lubricate your joints, especially before
hard training or racing a 5K.’
Then make stretching your new best
friend. A survey of masters athletes
by Vonda Wright, author of Fitness
After 40 (Amacon), revealed that half
of them spent five per cent or less of
their total training time stretching,
most of them less. ‘You can lose 10-15
per cent of your range of motion and
not even know it,’ says DiNubile.
‘Runners commonly develop tightness
in the calves, lower back, hip flexors
and hamstrings,’ he says. That hinders
your stretch/reflex response, literally
removing spring from your step and
slowing your pace. ‘Yoga is a great
complement for runners. At the very
least, try to perform a static stretching
routine in the evening.’ Finally, be sure
to foam-roll.
In your 60s
Maintaining both your balance and
proprioception (the ability to sense
the position of one’s body in space) is
essential. Both start to decline during
this decade and put you at risk of
trips, falls and orthopaedic injuries.
T’ai chi – a Chinese low-impact,
slow-motion exercise – can keep
your balance and proprioception
sharp. It also builds total-body
strength and can help you maintain
your stride. In one study of active
sixty-somethings, those who practised
t’ai chi had significantly better
proprioception than their peers who
ran or swam. Plus, it can relieve joint
pain from arthritis, which affects
almost half of adults aged 65 and older.
Swap long runs for shorter, intense
sessions that include sprints. Intervals
are good for your heart, training it to
pump at its max and then quickly
recover. They also target the highly
metabolic fast-twitch muscle fibres.
To run off body fat, interval sprints
in any form are the way to go.
Recover more
Ageing can make anyone wish they
had a personal massage therapist,
but a ball and a foam roller can get
the job done – for a lot less. These
self-massage tools can help you free
up tight spots, making muscles more
pliable and responsive to stretching.
Jump!
Into your 70s and beyond
Good news! If you’re still running
now, you’ve avoided or overcome
injury and disease that can sideline
runners in their later years. This,
perhaps not surprisingly, is the
decade when most runners notice
performance decline. Now is when
you should prioritise strength work.
Lean muscle slips away precariously
quickly after the age of 70, at which
point you can lose 40-50 per cent of
your strength, so it’s important to do
some strength training once or twice a
week. And you’re never too old to start:
a study of adults aged 85-97 found that
after 12 weeks of strength training, leg
strength improved by up to 47 per cent.
Our soft tissues can become more
prone to injury as we age, making
exercises such as power lifts or
plyometric drills more risky – many
people avoid explosive movements
altogether. But there’s a safe way to
get the benefits: use just your body
weight (or a resistance band). Start
at the bottom of the movement,
from a dead stop, then explode. For
example, to do a jump squat, slowly
lower into a squat; hold for one to
two seconds, then spring up and land
softly. This targets difficult-to-train
fast-twitch fibres, puts a spring in
every step and helps you charge
uphill. Proper form is key, so study
the movements you want to make.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 079
GEAR
GIVE YOURSELF the EDGE
BEST IN TEST
2019
GROUP TEST
COVER
ALL
BASES
A British winter comes
in many forms. We
tested the best jacket
options for each of them
Inov-8
Ultrashell Pro (men)
£250 | inov-8.com
80 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
A FEATHERWEIGHT jacket with heavyweight
protection. It weighs a near-irrelevant 106g
(for the medium) and does an exceptional
job. We’d like to say it was so comfortable we
didn’t notice it, but we did, because it kept us
bone dry even in atrociously wet conditions.
Also, the hood stayed in place and – praise
be – moved well with the head, never
limiting our peripheral vision (a bugbear of
the whole RW team). Despite the excellent
protection – aided by the taped seams
throughout – we didn’t feel too warm, and
there’s a discreet arm pocket for small items.
Ideal for runners who want to keep the
weight down and don’t mind shelling out.
•••••••••
P H OTO G R A P H S : LU C K Y I F S H A R P
GoreTex Shakedry Trail
Hooded Jacket (women)
Icebreaker
Incline Windbreaker (men’s)
£259.99 | gorewear.com/uk
PR ICE:
QUITE AN INVESTMENT, but the performance
justifies the outlay. It packs down into a ball
you can hold in one palm, the cut allows total
freedom of movement, and the fabric is
waterproof and impressively breathable. It’s
tough, too, surviving several brushes with
branches unscathed. A forehead-hugging
elasticated hood and a waterproof peak keep
the rain off your face.
•••••••••
A TOAST Y OUTER layer. The inner lining is
merino wool, which not only will keep you
warm (it’s firmly in the ‘Arctic weather’ camp),
but it’s also antibacterial, so it won’t stink no
matter how sweaty you get. The cut allows
for a slim layer underneath; breathability and
ventilation are excellent; and the outer layer
didn’t flinch at a couple of accidental forays
into bushes. The lack of hood is a letdown.
••••••
ON THE PLUS SIDE, this is extremely weatherresistant, has a standard cut and hangs down
nicely over the bum. The hood is adjustable,
and the two zip pockets are big. However,
it needs a little work on the ventilation front.
On bitterly cold days, it’d probably work a
treat but we tested it in autumnal conditions
and found ourselves undoing the zip after a
few miles.
•••••
On-Running
Waterproof Anorak (women)
Salomon
Bonatti Pro (men)
Soar
Ultra Rain Jacket (men)
£320 | on-running.com
PR ICE:
IS ANY RUNNING JACKET really worth this much
money? We’d say no, but this is still a lovely
garment. That it’s extremely good at keeping
out the elements is a given, but it’s the small
details that grab the attention. It’s rustle-free
(unusual for an outer layer) and there are
hidden vents front and back to keep you from
overheating. The hood is adjustable, the fit
relaxed and it’s superbly breathable.
•••••••••
THIS JACKET HAS few bells and whistles but it
does the basics extremely well. That means:
an outstanding ratio of weather protection to
low weight, and extreme durability. There
are no adjustable cuffs or hems, and the
articulated hood is decent without being
amazing. There’s one chest pocket. This one
is best kept for colder weather and go up one
size from normal, as it comes up small.
••••••••
£160 | icebreaker.com/en
£190 | salomon.com/uk
Berghaus Deluge Pro
Waterproof Jacket (women)
PR ICE:
PR ICE:
£100 | berghaus.com
£175 | soarrunning.com
THIS IS ALMOST an amazing jacket. The fit is
nigh-on perfect: slim enough to feel athletic
yet loose enough to allow for a chunky base
layer. It’s windproof and waterproof, which
makes the lack of hood baffling, and we
think the bottom hem should be a few inches
longer. There’s a large waterproofed rear zip
pocket, and it features reflective details on
front and back for visibility. E
••••••••
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 81
Brooks Nightlife Jacket (men)
£100 | therunning works.net
PART OF THE BROOKS Nightlife range, the fluoro
sections across the chest and back will keep
you seen and safe at a distance. It’s not the
warmest, so a decent base layer will be
needed for anything approaching 0C, but we
love that it’s light and durable – the ripstop
polyester weave means you don’t have to
treat it with kid gloves and you won’t need to
replace it any time soon.
•••••••
82 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
Ronhill
MomentumAfterlife (women)
New Balance Light Pack
Jacket (women)
£75 | ronhill.com
£175 | newbalance.co.uk
A ‘COVERS MOST EVENTUALITIES’ option, with
reflectivity and a roll-away hood, this
provided good wind protection and held up
well in a heavy rain shower. Breathability
is an issue, though, and the 100 per cent
polyester construction means it tends to
smell when you sweat. The longer length and
relaxed fit will be a crowd-pleaser. Durable
and cost effective, but unsophisticated.
••••••
THIS IS PROTECTIVE enough in a moderate
shower and it’s breathable. It struggled in
heavy rain but dried quickly. The jacket can
be packed into the back pocket and was light
enough to be scrunched into a running belt.
The length is great for shorter runners, who
sometimes seem to be wearing their dad’s
jacket. It’s wind-resistant, but you’d need a
base layer underneath in cold weather.
•••••••
GEAR
The North Face
Ambition Wind Running Jacket (men)
£69.99 | sportsshoes.com
YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO BE caught in an
apocalyptic downpour wearing this, but if
you’re looking for an outer layer that will
protect you from the wind, if not the rain, it’s
a great option. It packs down into its own
pocket, fits snugly and looks extremely
stylish. We were also impressed with the
elasticated side panels, which allow you to
wear multiple layers underneath without
making the fit too cosy. Other plus points
include reflective details to keep you visible
at night, and a well-fitting hood. It’s a real
pleasure to run in – breathable and frictionfree – and will be a welcome companion on
dry-but-windy outings.
•••••••
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 83
RW / / PROMOTION
CONQUER
THE TRAIL
Prepare to take on the great outdoors with
our guide to essential trail-running gear
The physical toughness
and soaring highs of trail
running are unrivalled,
making it the ideal
challenge for any runner.
But before you take on
the forests, mountains or
fields, you’ll need to get
properly kitted out for
your environment.
Record-breaking
ultra runner Fernanda
Maciel is no stranger to
challenging mountain
trails and gruelling tests of
endurance, having been a
medallist four times at the
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
‘I start by deciding on the
place I want to explore,’
she says. ‘I check the
distance and what the
elevation gain will be. This
is important because a 10K
trail can be two hours
of running, whereas on
the road it might be
40 minutes. I then check
the weather and prepare
my backpack according
to the conditions.’
Having the right apparel
will make or break your
trail experience. Gear up
with these must-haves
and get ready to run.
YOUR
A L L- S U R F A C E
ESSENTIALS
1/
Backpack
Stash your
water and fuel
in a well-fitting,
comfortable
backpack, ideally
with a chest strap
to spread the load
evenly across
your upper body.
Be sure to take
a torch if there’s
a chance you’ll
be out after dark.
2/
Shoes
‘My
footwear has
to have good
grip for muddy
and rocky trails,’
says Maciel. Look
for a pair with
deep lugs to grip
rocky surfaces,
such as the Flight
Series Trinity
running shoes.
WHAT A
LIGHTWEIGHT
Be ready for any
weather with the
Futurelight Flight Series
jacket. Waterproof and
highly breathable, it
will shield you from
the elements, plus
the material makes it
easy to pack away.
084 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
39%
How much lighter the
Futurelight Flight Series
jacket is than a competitor,
at just 90g/m2*
ATTACK THE ELEMENTS
Don’t let your wardrobe hold you back. Once you’re
protected from snow, wind and rain, nothing stands
between you and the great outdoors. Keeping
comfortable will transform your running experience,
so gear up and get ready to tackle the trail.
Experience The North Face Futurelight Series jacket,
the world’s most advanced breathable, waterproof
outerwear technology.
Find out more and shop
at thenorthface.co.uk
WO R D S : G E O R G I A S CA R R. *CO M PA R E D TO T H E F O R C L A Z T R E K 500 WO M E N ’ S WAT E R P R O O F JAC K E T
3/
Jacket
‘I like to run
with free body
movements, with
no distractions
from my kit,’
says Maciel. An
all-rounder such
as the Futurelight
Flight Series
jacket will keep
you warm without
trapping in sweat.
GEAR
Veja Condor
£120 | veja-store.com/en
The shoe is composed
overall of 53 per cent biobased and recycled materials.
Veja says it’s exploring ways
of increasing this percentage
in future iterations without
compromising on durability
and performance.
Outsole is made from 30 per
cent wild rubber, 31 per cent
rice husk and 39 per cent
synthetic rubber. The wild
rubber is sourced from a
sustainable plantation in
the Amazon and involves
no deforestation.
Plant-based overlays
are made from castor oil.
Midsole foam is made
from 45 per cent bio-based
materials (eight per cent
banana oil, 22 per cent sugar
cane, 15 per cent rice husk),
making use of natural waste
materials and also avoiding
the use of oil in this portion
of the shoe
Sockliner is eight per cent
recycled EVA, 12 per cent
sustainable wild rubber,
12 per cent recycled plastic
bottles, 12 per cent jute and
56 per cent standard EVA.
The inner lining is 33 per
cent organic cotton and 67 per
cent recycled plastic bottles.
The mesh upper is made
from recycled plastic bottles.
FIRST LOOK
FLIGHT
OF THE
CONDOR
WO R D S : K E R RY M CCA R T H Y. P H OTO G R A P H S : LU C K Y I F S H A R P
The first running shoe from
the French fashion-footwear
brand has fine eco credentials
60-SECOND
GEAR GUIDE
Three
compact
bottle
carriers
Nathan Speedshot Plus Insulated
£26.55 / amazon.co.uk
This handheld bottle is perfect for
shorter runs. It holds 355ml and is
insulated to keep your drink cooler for
longer. It comes in a hand strap that
doubles as an expandable zip pocket.
Salomon Agile 2
£70 / salomon.com/en
A lightweight, stretchy harness that
holds 2 × 500ml softflasks securely
against your chest. There’s room for
small accessories (keys, phone etc)
and it feels secure on your back.
Osprey Duro Solo Belt
£35 / ospreyerope.com
The 600ml BPA-free bottle sits at an
easy-access angle, the inside of the
waistbelt is meshed for ventilation
and there are two pockets, one zipped
and one with a touchscreen window.
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 085
THE TEST ZONE
A R O U N D U P O F T H E K I T, T E C H A N D A C C E S S O R I E S W E ’ V E B E E N T R Y I N G O U T T H I S M O N T H
Drysure Shoe Dryers
£19.95 / drysure.co
These eco-friendly
dryers don’t use heat,
batteries or electricity
to do their work.
Instead, bags of
silica oxide beads
absorb the moisture,
neutralising odour
and the growth of
bacteria at the same
time. We stuck these
in after a puddlestrewn long run and
the shoes were good
to go again about five
hours later. The beads
can be ‘reactivated’
after every 10 hours’
use by removing the
bags and heating
them gently in the
oven for an hour.
••••••••
On Cloudventure
Peak 2 / £135 /
on-running.com
The first version of
this, On’s entry into
the world of offroad
shoes, looked like
a trail shoe but
performed like a road
one, slipping on
anything wet or
muddy. Also, debris
got stuck in the cloud
pods. But version two
is a joy to run in: solid
grip, low weight,
a lovely balance
of cushioning and
responsiveness,
greater flexibility
and a durable outer.
There are fewer
cloud pods and they
have smaller holes –
so almost nothing
gets trapped in
them now. This is a
superb upgrade.
••••••••
Kendal Mint NRG
Gel / £15.99 for
12 x 70g sachets
/ kendalmint.co.uk
No, your eyes are not
deceiving you. The
Mint Cake is still
alive and kicking and
now you can buy it in
gel, hydration-drink
and recovery-drink
form, too. The gels
come in mint, mint
choc and citrus mint
flavours. We tried
the citrus mint with
caffeine (100mg of
caffeine per gel) and
less than 10 minutes
after we took it, we
had lift-off (though
the comedown is not
gradual). These are a
fast-acting and mintyfresh pick me-up
when you need it
most in a race.
•••••••
Inov-8 Trailroc
280G / £140 /
inov8.com
The outsoles of
the Trailroc 280
contain graphene,
a substance that is
200 times tougher
than steel, so they’re
not going to wear
down any time soon.
The shoe is designed
for firm, dry trails;
cushioning was
ample and the grip
excellent. Superb
for longer, slower
outings.
Garmin Vivofit Junior 2 / £79.99 / buy.garmin.com
Who better to review an activity tracker for kids than an actual
child? Over to you, Lily Ingle (9): ‘I wear this all the time and
I use it for everything: swimming, running, tennis, PE and
running around the playground. It counts my steps and active
minutes overall. It’s really easy to use, although I had to get my
mum to connect it to her app to start with. She uses the app
to set up chores for me and when I’ve done them I get virtual
coins on the band as a reward. The only thing I think would
improve it would be a touchscreen version.’
•••••••••
WO R D S : K E R RY M CCA R T H Y. P H OTO G R A P H S : JAC K T E N N A N T
•••••••
Dryrobe Advance
Long Sleeve / From
£130 / dryrobe.com
Familiar in the
swimming world,
oversized overgarments are making
their way into
running. Dryrobe
makes long- and
short-sleeve versions
of these fleecy
layers, which are
part coat, part
blanket. The inner
lining is made from
synthetic lambswool
and the outer shell
is windproof and
waterproof. They’re
perfect for throwing
on after a cold race
and, because of the
roominess, they
are also great to
get changed in
if you need to do
a quick switcheroo
in the open.
•••••••••
Olverum Body Oil
/ £36 for 100ml
/ zolverum.com
This lightly scented oil looks
female-focused but it works
for guys too (as long as you’re
not too hairy). If your skin is
starting to show wear and
tear from repeated sweating,
showering and exposure to
the elements, slather this on
any dry areas half an hour
before bed. A little goes a
long way and we found it
absorbs quickly and after
a few applications it had
dealt with cracked heels,
dry patches on knees and
flaking skin. It’s made from
30 sustainably sourced
botanical oils and has
good ethical credentials:
it’s vegan and is free from
animal-derived products,
artificial preservatives,
silicone, sulphates and
parabens.
••••••••
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 087
RACE
LET YOUR RUNNING LOOSE
The Dallas
Marathon is not
as big as you might
imagine, given it’s in
Texas, but it’s just as
friendly as you could
possibly hope.
Y’ALL COME BACK NOW, Y’HEAR?
P H OTO G R A P H S : B M W DA L L A S M A R AT H O N /S UA D B EJ TOV I C
RW’s Joe Mackie is charmed by the surprisingly laidback Dallas Marathon
‘BIG THINGS happen here’ reads the Visit Dallas slogan,
which was certainly true of the Texan-proportioned
breakfast I couldn’t resist polishing off not quite long enough
ago, leaving my digestive system locked in its own pre-race race
as I enter the start chute. The city’s marathon, on the other hand, is
not the supersized affair you might expect. A field of just 2,500 –
relatively diminutive for a big-city 26.2 – edge with me across
City Hall Plaza, with the downtown skyline rising to our right.
There’s a distinct chill in December’s early morning air, but the
atmosphere is warm among the predominately local runners as the
8:30 start ticks closer and the all-American enthusiasm pumping
from the PA system reaches its peak.
From the start line we head away from the city centre and into
the green of Pioneer Park – an early hint that this is not the most
urban of city courses – then through Dealey Plaza, where JFK was
assassinated in November 1963. It’s a reflective moment as I look
right to the grassy knoll and beyond to the brick front of the Texas
School Book Depository, where the fatal shots were fired.
After a forgettable second mile around highway interchanges,
we skirt the edge of Dallas’s Arts District and by mile four we’re
following the gentle meander of Turtle Creek Boulevard, with the
tree-lined creek on one side and a decent showing of support
helping to power us up the first real gradient into the Highland Park
neighbourhood. Described by the guidebooks as ‘ritzy’, it feels like
we’re running through the affluent heart of the American dream.
Plenty of the well-heeled locals have sauntered down their expansive
manicured lawns to cheer us on, though, and we start to enjoy a
smattering of the smile-inducing signage you can rely on in US races.
Heading on into lively Lower Greenville, past the bars and
restaurants on Greenville Avenue, the crowd volume ramps up a E
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 089
RACE
DALLAS MARATHON
couple of notches and there’s live
music. This, combined with an end to
the uphill and reaching that marathon
sweet spot of around nine miles
when you’re fully warmed up but
fatigue hasn’t set in, seems to put
an extra spring in our collective step.
Or maybe it’s just that I’ve finally
digested those ‘breakfast potatoes’.
There were early signs this isn’t
a particularly urban route and at
12 miles any hint of a city seems to
disappear as we hit the White Rock
Trail, a waterside path that will take
us eight or so miles around White
Rock Lake, a reservoir that lies to the
northeast of the city. The field has
stretched and thinned, likewise the
crowds. The sporadic lakefront
mansions are set far back into the
distance and at times it almost
doesn’t feel like you’re in a race at all,
let alone a city marathon. Rounding
the top of the lake we pass the
sedately bobbing masts of the
Corinthian Sailing Club. I join, then
lose, clusters of runners, and while
well-stocked and -staffed aid stations
pop up at regular intervals, for the
most part this could easily be an
idyllic Sunday long run.
of a big-city marathon combined
These are highly enjoyable miles,
THE RUNDOWN elevation profile switches to gentle
with the good bits of a smaller event.
downhill for the rest of the way. We
strung out on the shoreline and
Dallas Marathon
On the downside, my jet lag is a
roll back onto the city streets, with
bathed in hazy sunshine. Winter in
(2018 stats)
reminder that the race is hardly
crowds getting thicker and louder.
the Lone Star State sees our local
convenient for UK runners. When
A band belts out some down-home
star at its most benign, and it’s now
First man: ColbyWayne
Mehmen,
there are serious travel miles involved
blues rock and we’re into the final
risen high enough to chase away
2:22:37
I reckon the place can be as crucial as
miles
through
Deep
Ellum
–
a
former
the early chill but isn’t hot enough
First woman: Anna
Corrigan,
2:50:27
warehouse district now fully
to make things uncomfortable. In
the race itself, so it’s important to say
Last finisher: 7:30:36
hipster-ised
with
craft-beer
bars
and
fact, Dallas in December has pretty
that in the few days I spend in Dallas,
Number of
finishers:
2,500
street-graffiti murals – then briefly
perfect racing weather, with average
I fall for the city, too. Like the race,
onto the major thoroughfare of
temperatures climbing from 2C at
it’s not as big and brash as I had
Young St and into the finish chute.
8am to 10C at 2pm.
expected; I’m won over wandering
Over a celebratory Sam Adams
Our final lakeside miles take us
among the sculptures and galleries
beer at the lively postrace party in
past the greenery of the Dallas
of the Arts District, watching the
City Hall Plaza, I reflect that this is
Arboretum and Botanical Gardens,
performance art of the Dallas
a less-is-more kind of a race. The
then over a bridge spanning White
Mavericks basketball team, (over-)
route is less city, but more beautiful,
Rock Creek, and I’m sad to leave the
eating imaginatively reimagined
than I had expected; the field less
shimmering waters behind, especially
Texan cuisine and rehydrating in
crowded; the atmosphere more
as we immediately hit the course’s
the hipster bars of Deep Ellum. Big
Finishing stats
laidback and friendly. It boasts the
second significant climb. There’s a
things may happen here, but the little
● 2:00-2:59: 2%
● 3:00-3:59: 25%
slick organisation, closed roads, live
timed hill-sprint segment on which,
things go a long way, too.
● 4:00-4:59: 41%
bands,
technical
finishers’
T-shirts,
despite the spectators’ best whoops,
This year’s Dallas Marathon takes place on
● 5:00-5:59: 25%
impressive bling and all the other ups
● 6:00+ 7%
nobody musters anything resembling
December 15th. Visit rundallas.com
a sprint. Gaining
134ft in elevation
makes mile 21
feel positively
mountainous
THE LOWDOWN
this deep into
GE T THERE American Airlines flies daily from London Heathrow to Dallas Fort Worth. Premium economy flights
a marathon,
for race weekend from $1,570 return. americanairlines.co.uk
but, thankfully,
STAY The Adolphus Hotel offers fully modernised landmark luxury in the heart of Dallas, five minutes from the
after cresting the
start/finish line. Rooms from $189 per night. 1321 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75202. adolphus.com
suburban summit of
WARM UP The 3.5-mile Katy Trail is a favourite route among Dallas runners.
Lakewood Blvd the
SIGHT SEE The Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Gallery; The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.
090 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
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READING ROADRUNNERS BRAMLEY 20/10 ROAD RACE
16 February 2020 – Bramley Primary School, RG26 5AH
10 Mile - affiliated £24.00 - unaffiliated £26.00
20 Mile - affiliated £28.00 - unaffiliated £30.00
readingroadrunners.org/races/bramley
MY TOP 3
RW readers’ rave race
recommendations
MEL WHITTAKER
Age: 45
Hometown: Macclesfield
Job: Telecom sales
Years running: 7
TISSINGTON TRAIL HALF MARATHON
ELSECAR RUNNING FESTIVAL AND SANTA DASH
The stats for this festive event near Barnsley, South Yorkshire
3:00:47
FINISHING TIME OF LAST YEAR’S MARATHON WINNER, TERRY FORREST;
JENNIFER SWINDELL WAS THE FIRST WOMAN HOME, IN 3:55:00.
42 4,762 87
230 2,000 7
TROPHIES HANDED OUT TO
ENTRANTS ACROSS ALL
THE EVENTS LAST YEAR.
LITRES OF FREE BEER
POURED TO SATISFY
RUNNERS LAST YEAR.
GUESTIMATE OF JELLY BABIES HANDED
OUT TO RUNNERS OVER THE WEEKEND.
460
NUMBER OF RUNNERS
WHO TOOK PART IN THE
RACES LAST YEAR. EACH
FINISHER RECEIVED A
SELECTION BOX!
Miles covered by runners during
the 2018 festival weekend.
77
Age of the oldest
competitor
to have run at
the festival.
Grandmother
Hilary Wharam
from Leeds has
now run almost
100 marathons.
FANCY DRESS SANTAS
WHO TOOK PART IN LAST
YEAR’S DASH RACES.
The number
of races that
make up
the Elsecar
Running Festival.
They range
from a 5K
to a ma\rathon.
Derbyshire, September 2020 (date tbc),
nice-work.org
LIMESTONE TRAIL RACE
‘This is an amazing Peak District
17-miler, taking in the wilder peaks
and diverse landscapes of the area. It’s
an undulating route, with road, track,
fields and woodland areas, and
there’s wildlife-spotting galore (my
second-favourite pastime). Excellent
organisation and fantastic support
make it even more special.’
Derbyshire, October 2020 (date tbc),
trailrunningpeaks.co.uk
THE HATHERSAGE HURTLE
‘Can you tell I like Peak District races?
This one’s a fabulous 20-miler, with a
maximum entry of 400, and a mass
start of walkers and runners. The
feed stations have excellent baked
goodies and the final section features
a hard but lovely climb up the 458mhigh escarpment of Stannage Edge.’
Derbyshire, May 2020 (date tbc),
hathersagehurtle.com
221
Number of mince
pies handed out last
year, along with 10
cakes, 96 buns and
90 pieces of fudge.
*This year’s festival is on December 14 and 15. Visit itsgrimupnorthrunning.co.uk
The stunning
Hathersage Hurtle
WO R D S : A D R I A N M O N T I . P H OTO G R A P H S : A N D R E W S WA L E S ( M A I N I M AG E ), T H E H AT H E R S AG E H U R T L E
RACE NUMBERS
‘This takes in a disused railway line
in Derbyshire and is set against a
gorgeous Peak District backdrop.
I ran the inaugural event in 2015 and
it was also my first ever half. There
was a relatively small field of runners,
with walkers, cyclists and horse riders
also using the trail.’
ROUTE RECCE
CHILLY HILLY
RACE
MILE 3
MILE 2
Race director Clare
Griffin guides you on a
10-mile loop along the
Isle of Wight’s west coast
START
Runners gather at
the West Wight
Sports and
Community Centre
in Freshwater,
which lays on
the race as a
fundraising
event.
‘LAST YEAR WE
ATTRACTED 300 runners,
our biggest entry so far,’ says
Griffin. ‘It’s tough, with 426m
of ascent, but you are rewarded
with great views, such as ones over
Tennyson Down towards The
Needles. Two years ago the wind
was so strong that it literally blew
some runners off their feet, but
afterwards they said they loved
the challenge of trying to run into
gusts of force 12. We try to make it
a festive end-of year race, too.
For example, the medals have in
the past featured snow globes,
baubles and reindeer.’
You’re now on the
undulating Tennyson
Down. You pass
the monument
to Victorian poet
laureate Alfred Lord
Tennyson. He is said
to have walked here
daily during the
almost 40 years he
lived on the island.
After you climb
away from
Freshwater Bay,
you’re on open
downland, where
there are fine
views over both the
Channel and the
Solent towards
the mainland.
C OLWELL BAY
MILE 1
Look out for three pairs
of white-tailed eagles
around this point. They
were introduced to this
part of the island in
summer, 240 years
after they were last
recorded in England.
9
8
A3055
TOTLAND
FINISH
START
FRESHWATER
MILE 4
4
B3322
Ahead of you
on this exposed
expanse are
The Needles,
the muchphotographed
row of three
chalk stacks
that rise about
30 metres out
of the sea beside
the lighthouse.
MIDDLETON
7
1
2
6
3
FINISH
Soon after
returning to
Freshwater
village, you
cross the
finishing line,
where you
will receive
a festivethemed
medal.
9
TENNYSON DOWN
4
5
ALUM BAY
MILE 8.5
The concrete seawall
that you run on top
of will take you to
Colwell Bay, between
Totland and Yarmouth.
This popular spot,
with its brightly
painted huts and
sandy beach, is a huge
draw each summer.
Runners now skirt
beautiful Alum Bay,
with its famous
multicoloured sand
cliffs, before crossing
the heathland of
Headon Warren.
All finishers will
get a mince pie
and glass of
mulled wine
(non-alcoholic
if preferred)
before warming
up back at base.
MILE 9
Your landmark as you cross the
wooded Golden Hill is a hexagonshaped former fort built in 1859
under orders of the prime minister
at the time, Lord Palmerston.
492
HEIGHT IN FEET
WO R D S : A D R I A N M O N T I . P H OTO G R A P H S : G E T T Y I M AG E S
MILE 5
328
164
0
0
1.2
2.5
3.7
5
DISTANCE IN MILES
6.2
7.5
8.7
9.9
*The 2019 race is
on December 8.
For more event
information, visit
westwight.org.uk
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 093
THE START LIST
Our selection of the best, fastest,
toughest, quirkiest and most
enjoyable UK races this month
Edinburgh Christmas 10K
& 5K Run
Dust off your festive finery for this
family event around Inverleith Park in
Edinburgh. The two races take place
separately to cut down on congestion
and both should be finished in time
for the Santa Toddle and Parade,
featuring the big man and some of
his favourite reindeer (if Rudolph
isn’t about, there will be words). All
toddlers in the parade get a medal,
goody bag and certificate.
The Downland Devil 9
POLL
Who do you usually
Run Aintree
If the thrilling idea of running a half
marathon on the Grand National
course isn’t enough to have you
galloping to sign up to this, bear in
mind that the medal tends to be
impressive. Last year’s was not strictly
accurate (it featured horses, which,
thankfully, you will not be racing
against – have you seen those things
move?), but it was a fine bit of bling.
The event is raising funds for the
Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen
University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Liverpool, December 15, runaintree.com
race with?*
Lancing, West Sussex, December 3, nice-work.org.uk
72%
13%
I race alone
of ascent in total), but there are plenty
of fast sections, so a PB is well within
the realms of possibility.
Llandyrnog, Denbighshire, December 8,
out-fit.co.uk
I start with friends but
we don’t run together
8%
I start races alone,
but I chat to strangers
along the way
7%
I race with friends
WALES OF A TIME
Get your warm-up done well before the start gun because this challenging
route doesn’t mess around. Within 100m of the start at Coombe’s Farm,
you’re off on the first of around six steep ascents – it takes you up 60m in one
kilometre. By the end of this nine-miler you’ll have ascended over 300m on trail
and grass (if you’re lucky with the weather) or slippery mud (if you’re not). Cattle
grids add to the fun, but there will be refreshments at the farm afterwards.
HORSE PLAY
Southampton Common 10K
This used to be the location for a large
horse-racing circuit that, according
to local historians, ceased to exist in
1882 after an ‘increase in disorder,
rowdyism, drunkenness and crime’
at the races. This race should be a
more sedate event – unless the good
people of Southampton have a very
peculiar idea about what a Sundaymorning race involves. It’s just under
three laps of the asphalt paths of the
Common, which means the light
incline on the western side of the loop
will have to be dealt with three times.
Vale of Clwyd
Half Marathon
Southampton, Hampshire, December 1,
mccpromotions.com
This race is a fabulous tour of some
Welsh villages, and, for those who
don’t speak Welsh, pronouncing their
names (Llandyrnog, Llangynhafal,
Gellifor, Llanychan and Llanynys) may,
in fact, be more of a challenge than
the half marathon itself. The race
organisers warn of undulations (137m
Darkside Running – Sunrise
Ultramarathon
094 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
Ultras are few and far between at this
time of year, but this one is enough of
a monster to satisfy even the most
insatiable long-distance runners.
You’ll start at sunset in Snettisham
with the challenge of seeing how
far you can get before sunrise, around
16 hours later. If that sounds like it’s
a little too daunting, there is also a
Half Sunrise, beginning at 10pm in
the village of Cley Next the Sea, with
both events finishing at Brittania Pier
in Great Yarmouth. You’ll need to be
a competent navigator to find your
way in the dark on this mostly
unmarked route.
Snettisham, Norfolk, December 14,
darkside.run
Race The Light
This year’s iteration of a race that
usually starts at dusk has a bit of a
change – a midday start means
you’ll be racing the tide rather than
the light. The 8.5-mile route includes
two crossings of the River Erme
estuary and the weather will decide
whether you’ll have a gentle sandy
splash through a pleasant stream
or a thigh-high wade through a
surprisingly strong current. Judging
by the (overwhelmingly positive)
reviews of last year’s event, the
weather was atrocious and the
event was all the more fun for it.
Mothecombe, Devon, December 14,
sientries.co.uk
WO R D S : S T E P H E N G L E N N O N . P H OTO G R A P H Y: N I C O L E DAW ( T R U S T 1 0 S P E K E H A L L ) . * BAS E D O N A N R W O N L I N E P O L L W I T H 4 9 2 VOT E S
Edinburgh, December 8,
greatscottishevents.org.uk
STEEP AND CHEERFUL
START LIST
IN PLAIN SIGHT
Salisbury Plain Marathon/
Half Marathon
The organisers sum this one up well:
‘If the weather is good, it’s stunning,
and if the weather is bad, it’s an
amazingly brutal challenge.’ Sounds
good either way, though, right? In
reality, it’s both brutal and beautiful
regardless of the weather – just be
prepared for a variety of running
surfaces and plenty of challenging
ups and downs on the biggest military
training ground in the country. This is
also the largest Calcareous grasslands
in northern Europe, a fact you can
tell fellow runners along the way and
enjoy their puzzled expressions.
Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, December 7,
andovertrailrunners.co.uk
Boxing Day Worden Park 10K
The December race schedule tends
to be packed with festive fare that,
to some, might just be an irritating
distraction from the main business
of running. You’re already a pretty
serious runner if you’re willing to
move more than two feet from the
sofa on Boxing Day, so this one will be
RACE
Hazelbank 5 Mile
Christmas Run
right up your alley. No costumes, no
mistletoe, no pies and no messing
about – this is a simple 10K on an
undulating route around Worden
Park in Leyland, just a few kilometres
south of Preston.
Mega Meter Run
‘I left my flip belt
All of these Christmas runs are well
and good, but what if you don’t have
your own Santa suit to run in? When
registering for this race, you can add
Santa duds for just £3, leaving you
well equipped for future Christmas
runs. There’s also a charming Secret
Santa built into this race: runners are
given the number of another runner
and encouraged to find them and
offer a smile, a compliment or some
sort of morale boost – which can be
verbal or in the form of a mince pie
It’s too late for most of us to complete
this challenge for 2019, but it’s one
to get working on for 2020. For the
Mega Meter Run, runners accept
the task of completing 100 10K runs
(one million metres) in a year. That’s
the equivalent of running from
Carlisle to London and back. There
are also less-daunting options
available, 100 5K runs or 50 5Ks, and
all can be done as part of a team.
The community spirit is kept high
throughout the year and there are
monthly competitions/giveaways
for participants. The challenge
raises funds to support communities
in rural Gambia, West Africa.
[running belt] at
Belfast, December 21, racespace.com
Leyland, Lancashire, December 26,
ukroadraces.info
Tell us about your
most embarrassing
race day wardrobe
MEGA CHALLENGE
Glasgow, December 30,
megameterrun.com
malfunction
home for London
Marathon this year.
My husband had to
drive 100 miles home
to fetch it and then
100 miles back.’
– Eloise Nice
‘I went to Krakow for
a race and found I’d
packed odd shoes,
both left feet. Had to
rush out and buy
a new pair.’
– Fran Warren
‘Bought a low-quality
hydration pack.
It slowly leaked
during the London
Marathon and
I ended up looking
like I’d wet myself.’
– Freya Ann Sinclair
Sublime Peterborough
New Year’s Eve 10K
It’s hard to imagine a better way to bid
adieu to a long year of running than
with this quick 10K in Ferry Meadows,
Nene Park, just west of Peterborough.
The route loops around three lakes
– Gunwade, Lynch and Overton – and
the surrounding landscape includes
meadows and woodland. The race
begins at 10am, so you will have
plenty of time to clean up for the
end-of-year festivities to come.
Cambridgeshire, December 31,
eventrac.co.uk
RW ONLINE
RACE LISTINGS
SPEKE FOR YOURSELF
Trust 10 Speke Hall
This is a free run around Speke Hall estate on the fourth Sunday of every month.
It’s untimed and no registration is required, making it a no-pressure session or a
great starter for people looking to find their feet as runners. Speke Hall is over
400 years old and was built by a Catholic family who, according to The National
Trust, built a ‘secret priest hole’ for clerics to hide in during times of persecution.
Speke, Merseyside, December 22,
nationaltrust.org.uk
Thirsty for
more? Go to
runnersworld.
com/uk and
click on ‘Events’
in the menu
bar. This will
take you to our
comprehensive
race database,
where you
can search
hundreds
of events
by location,
distance,
date and more
RIVER RUN
Putney 10K
This is a lovely route along the Thames
in west London. It starts and ends in
Putney but crosses into Fulham over
the Putney Bridge (where the OxfordCambridge Boat Race begins. If the
race begins to seem too hard, imagine
you are sitting in a tiny boat and being
shouted at by an angry cox.) Just
when it feels like those buffeting river
winds may get the better of you, the
route veers into Bishop’s Park and
around Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage
stadium – watch out for the actual
cottage at the southeast corner.
London, December 1, eventrac.co.uk
DECEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 095
I’M A RUNNER
BEN ALDRIDGE
THE FLEABAG ACTOR, 33, ON TURTLE FEET AND HIS UNUSUAL RUNNING COMPANION
years there filming Lark Rise to
Candleford, so I know it well. Running
a half marathon is going to be hard, but
Bath feels like a good place to do it.
I LOVE RUNNING IN NATURE . I’m from
Devon, so when I visit my family I run
around the lakes and reservoirs. In
London, I go to Downhills Park. There’s
a stream and a woodland area. In the
city, I need to escape to something
wilder than the urban jungle.
INTERVAL TRAINING helped me
prepare for Tough Mudder. It’s just
over 12km, but you’re not running at
one pace the whole time. You’ll run for
maybe 2km, then you hit an obstacle,
or there’ll be a challenge involving
crawling, swimming or climbing –
then you run again. It’s great fun
and the atmosphere is amazing.
THE VOICE OF GOOGLE is a good
friend of mine, so I have a familiar
voice guiding me when I run in a new
city. I travel a lot for work, so I’ll go
out on the street and just start running.
I’ll hear my friend’s voice telling me
to turn left or right, and it’s hilarious
because she’s slightly robotic and
mispronounces street names. It’s crazy,
but wherever I am in the world, I’ve got
a friend directing me back to my hotel.
MUSIC MESSES WITH MY PACE.
I used to love running to a Beyoncé
workout playlist, but I’m quite musical,
so it made my pace inconsistent. Now
I run in silence or I listen to a podcast.
I like Dissect, which is for music nerds
– it analyses lyrics and the sensory
effects of music on the brain.
I’VE TRIED FANCY TRAINERS , but a
basic pair is fine. Spongy ones make me
feel like I’m running on the moon and
barefoot trainers freak me out. They
098 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK DECEMBER 2019
make me think of little turtle feet –
like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
I’ve had my gait analysed, but I just
wear a basic, black pair of Nike shoes,
without too much cushioning.
DISTANCE IS A CHALLENGE FOR ME .
I’m running the Bath Half Marathon
next year and I need to work on my
stamina. I’ve always been a sprinter
rather than a distance runner, but I
want to raise money for the charity
Send a Cow. I love Bath – I spent two
Be n A l d r id ge is a n
a m bas s ador for the
c ha r it y Se nd a Cow
sendacow.org
FILMING ABROAD has given me the
chance to run in amazing places. In
Los Angeles, I found a huge reservoir,
surrounded by deer; in Nepal, I ran in
the mountains; and in South Africa,
I ran along the promenades and
beaches, with the sea on one side
and the mountains on the other. It’s
an amazing place to run because the
sun’s beautiful but there’s a breeze from
the ocean, so it’s not too hot. That’s
one of my favourite places to run.
I N T E R V I E W: S A M A N T H A R E A . P H OTO G R A P H S : DAV I D TOW N H I L L
‘I’ve always
been a
sprinter rather
than a distance
runner’
I STARTED RUNNING after being
bullied at school. I’d never been sporty
– I was terrible at sport and afraid of it.
Dance was a huge focus for me, but
there was a stigma attached to boys
dancing and a school performance
at 14 resulted in bullying. Then a PE
teacher said that, being flexible, I’d be
good at hurdles. I think he was trying
to integrate me and it worked. I’ll
always be thankful because it was
like, ‘Oh, I can run and I’m fast.’