Keeping up with old friends

Every year we always exchange Christmas cards complete with a few words of "hope you're keeping well, must catch up with each other soon" and then we seldom do.  Does this sound familiar?

Yesterday I looked up one of my friends, who fitted that situation perfectly.  It was definitely worth the drive and time to catch up with a long standing friend.  I reckon we have known each other for about 36 years.  Yes, THIRTY SIX YEARS!  That's over half my life.

It was nice talking about people we knew as college friends, wondering what had happened to them.  It is amazing to think how we have all gone off in different directions from those days when we were all full of ambition and optimism.  Most if us, myself included, were very idealistic in wanting to make our mark on the world, or even change the world in some small way.  Where are we now?  How many of us are on the same career pathway which we started in the early 1980s?  The answer to that is just a few, a very small minority.  I can't count myself amongst those, in fact I was one of the first to realise that career pathway wasn't for me and subsequently went off in a different direction.

I met my friend's mother, she's now 97 or 98 and still has her marbles in tact.  We shared a pot of tea, a pizza and a can of coke, just like the old days.  My friend still smokes a bit but was respectful in keeping a distance between us when he needed to have a puff.  He lives in the same house, he has the same bedroom and although the house has been renovated, it still has a good number of features which I remember from years back.  I remember staying there for a couple of nights when there was too much snow to hitchhike home, the low ceilings and all the china nick-nacks all around. There are some fir trees in the front garden; I remember when they were quite short as opposed to the lofty trees which they have grown into.  I remember his Mum's home cooking and being told I was too thin and needed plenty of Polish sausage meat to build me up.  I remember going there so often!

As I drove home, I reflected on our lives.  While we had much in common back in the 1980s, how much do we have in common nowadays?  Our lives have gone in different directions, our values, aspirations, our family life and almost everything else is very different.  We show the effects of ageing a few decades as well; the leanness of youth has almost gone, hair is thinning or going grey and our short term memory is shocking.

And yet there is still a bond of friendship that's still there.  Why?

There is something special about a long standing friendship.  My friend could remember some things which I had completely forgotten, places we'd been to, conversations we'd had and so on.  We have shared something of our lives with each other and known each other well in our early adult lives.

As the years have flowed by, I asked myself if we would be friends if we met nowadays?  Being brutally honest about this, the answer is probably negative.  No, we wouldn't strike up a friendship these days but that doesn't detract in any way from the friendship we already have.  Because we've been friends for such a long time and done all kinds of crazy things with each other, our friendship has stood the test of time.  And long may it continue!

Related: The importance of saying "thank you"

The importance of saying "thank you"

This is my friend Geoff.  We have known each other since the last century when I lived in Hereford and I recently paid him, his wife Lorraine and his collection of bicycles, a visit.  I had wanted to do this for quite some time but it was hearing a radio programme which made me do it for sure.

The radio programme was Saturday Live and it's broadcast each Saturday morning on Radio 4 (and I do like Radio 4!) and presented by the smooth talking Rev Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.  It is a kind of chatty magazine programme which includes a section where listeners can phone in to say "thank you" to someone.  Often these are people wanting to express their appreciation for something which happened many years ago.  As they say on Saturday Live "it's never too late to thank someone".

The "thank you" which caught my attention was someone calling to thank a Dr Ivor Chance (yes really, this was his name).  The woman calling in said that she was only alive through the work of Dr Chance.  Apparently her mother was in Uganda, pregnant with her and went into a difficult labour, fortunately she was able to find her way to a remote mission hospital where Dr Chance was able to deliver her.  The labour was very difficult and the mother lost a lot of blood, so Dr Chance donated some of his own and therefore saved the life of the mother and the newborn baby.  Rolling forward many decades, it was time to say "thank you" to Dr Chance for saving her life as a newborn baby and her mother.

The remarkable thing about the story was [the late] Dr Chance's daughter was listening to the radio programme and was stunned to hear of her father being talked about on the radio.  So she contacted the Saturday Live programme and explained, the following week, how much she had been moved by hearing the account of her father.  It had also spurred her on to make a point of saying "thank you" to a number of people in her own life who had made some kind of impact or long lasting impression through friendship.

So that's why I decided to thank my friend Geoff for his friendship over the years.

The bonus was also being able to have a poke around his garage at his collection of bicycles, many of which I could remember.  You see, Geoff, appreciates nice bicycles and cars (he has restored the old Ford Anglia in the above photograph to a high standard).

I love the Moultons he has.  There's a couple which date back to the 1960s and what I think of as being a modern contemporary version which actually dates back to the 1980s - this could be an AM7 or 9 - this is my favourite.  There's also some Curly Stay Hetchins, a curious Flying Gate which I hadn't seen before and apparently the first one made by the frame builder.  A nice Dawes Galaxy, a titanium Raleigh MTB and the list goes on.  All lovingly restored and cherished.

I love hearing all the anecdotes about each of these projects; the stories in acquiring the bicycles (and cars) followed by the research and steps taken to restore them.  Sometimes it's a case of restoring something to the original factory condition, other times it can be appropriate to update or improve the original specification.  Each time this is done, there's always quite a bit of thought taking place to ensure it would be honouring to the original design and concept.

So, old friends rightfully thanked for their friendship; to admire the handiwork, to be nostalgic and reflect on where we've been in life.  As the years tick by, it's good to reflect on the lives that have touched my life for the good - right from long standing friends to fleeting acquaintances - these are all cherished and valued.

Chatting to an elderly runner at Weston

Last weekend I visited my Mother in Weston-Super-Mare.  As she lives near the sea front I generally have a run along the promenade or perhaps the beach.  I have done this many times before and normally the other runners are friendly enough.

So on the Sunday morning run I ran past a runner who looked quite elderly.  He was about my height and a little slimmer, grey hair.  As I went passed him I noticed he was quite elderly.

I was thinking about him as I continued and couldn't help but wonder how old he was.  Perhaps in his 70s?  He certainly looked in pretty good shape and I couldn't get him out of my mind; curiosity about his age was bugging me.  So I simply decided to go back and ask him.

I turned around, took a few strides back and then ran alongside him.  We said "good morning" to each other and exchanged a little small talk.  Then I decided I had to ask, doing my best to ask in a pleasant friendly way.

"Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?"

He looked a little wary and so I quickly followed it up by asking "I was wondering how old you are, I hope you don't mind me asking".

He explained he was 81.  I said something about being seriously impressed with the hopes that I can still be running when I'm his age.

"Have you always been a runner?"

"No, not always.  In fact I've always been a cyclist until I had an accident a few years ago".

He went onto explain he's had an accident with a pedestrian stepping out in front of him in town.  He fell off his bike and shortly afterwards had a brain haemorrhage.  This caused his wife to say he shouldn't cycle anymore.  She was worried for him.

So instead he started walking around as a way of getting some exercise.  This wasn't enough so before long he started jogging and then running with regularity.  He certainly looked good.

I said "I hope I'm still running when I'm 81" and then I needed to peel off as I was nearly back to my Mother's road, just off the sea front.

Many times I've thought about him since.  I really did admire him as he was very unassuming, modest and in such good shape.  He was in exceptionally good condition and, to be honest, would put many a thirty year old to shame.  Certainly hope I remain in good shape for the next thirty years!

Fossilised brain?

I have some lovely colleagues in the Council, including some who are not inhibited in speaking their mind.  One of my colleagues who is managing to survive on a slice of cucumber for lunch (and looking increasing like a stick insect) happened to give my executive lunch box the once over.

She has my best interests at heart as she peers in, commenting on this and that.  She thinks I'm a real heathen for having peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches , let alone having three fruits each day.  Then I often have a little plastic pot with a few nuts and seeds (healthy eh?) to make sure I get some of those really good omega oils.

However it was the dried fig which caught her eye the most.  She reacted in a way like she's never seen a dried fig and asked what it was.  I explained I like to have these from time to time and they do have quite a few nutrients tucked away in them.  This includes being a useful source of magnesium, manganese, potassium and so on.  All of these minerals survive the drying process and bring their own health benefits.

"But they look revolting!  How can you possibly eat something like that?".

"Simple, it's no problem.  THey're a little chewy but actually they taste quite nice, fancy trying one?".  I offered her the little pot with a fig left in it.

"Yuck that looks disgusting! Actually it looks totally inedible, like a stone or something"

The rant continued as she ate a thin slice of cucumber.  She said she couldn't possibly contemplate eating something which looked like a cross between a rock and the brain of a dead animal.  But then, she knows of the terminology we use at home in describing some of the food I eat, so we'' just have to add figs to the list.....

• Muesli = gravel
• Watercress = pond weed
• Salad = compost
• Ground coffee = mud, soil, dirt
• Dried fig = fossilised brain

Strokes in middle age

At forty three years old Simon Hall was not exactly a candidate for having a stroke.  Far from it as he was a non-smoker, sensible weight, he took regular exercise as a kayaker and enjoyed good all-round health.  And yet this all changed one ordinary morning in 2013 when, completely unexpectedly and without any warning, he had a stroke.   Happily Simon Hall has recovered and it appears has been helped through regular kayaking.

“It was an ordinary day when I was getting ready for work and I simply dropped my socks on the floor.  My arm started flapping around uncontrollably and I had no idea what was happening” explained Simon.  

He quickly found himself in hospital.  Although he was initially sent home as they’d believed he’s simply had a “minor” stroke, he was rushed back a couple of hours later as it was clear the stroke was far from being minor.  

“The NHS treatment then was brilliant.  They invested a great deal in trying to find out why the stroke had happened but concluded it was ‘cryptic’ which means there is no obvious reason.  They did all sorts of tests on me to try and find out why I’d had a stroke.  This included looking at my heart to see if there was anything abnormal like a wide opening in the heart or an area where the blood is pooling but nothing was found; there was no reason why I’d had a stroke".

"Having a stroke was incredibly debilitating for me, I had almost three months off work.  The immediate impact on me was chronic tiredness and fatigue.  The Doctor I saw at the hospital recommended I sat at home, rested and pottered around”.    This is exactly what Simon did but soon became restless.

"After being in the house for a week or so, I leapt at the opportunity to go shopping with my wife Elizabeth to nearby Milton Keynes.  When we got there we went to a cafe which was only 50 years away, I couldn’t even make it that far and had to go back to the car for a sleep.  This is because my brain was working so hard to repair itself, that is why I was so exhausted. People tend to look at the physical effects but it is actually a brain injury and it takes a long time to heal".

"Then there was a period of recovery and it was the canoeing which I missed so desperately.  Even when I was in hospital I remember thinking how I’d miss canoeing for my own sanity and sense of well-being.  I became despondent after a couple of months, I was wondering if I’d ever be able to go canoeing again".  

The Doctors couldn't tell Simon how precisely his recovery would go as the impact of every stroke is different.  After three months there was enough improvement to allow Simon to return to work on a part time basis.  The turning point was when his own GP recommended he continued kayaking having recognised the benefits (other health professionals had suggested exchanging his canoe for a set of golf clubs).  Something like kayaking his a non-contact sport and therefore relatively safe for someone in Simon’s position.

Simon was greatly encouraged by one of the other club members to pick up kayaking again in a K2.  This was a helpful way of easing back into the sport and it was reassuring to know someone was always close at hand for Simon.  Gradually Simon regained some of his strength and fitness.   He believes the regular pattern of paddling as been helpful in his recovery, having to co-ordinate the left-right-left-right rhythm.  

Now it is three years on from his stroke.  Simon describes his recovery as being almost complete.  He says the grip in his left hand is not being quite as strong but otherwise he’s regained his strength, fitness and confidence.   Although very modest and unassuming, Simon is clear that he owes so much to kayaking.  His stroke could not have been predicted; he was fit, healthy and ordinarily far too young for a stroke.   Simon believes it was his underlying all round level of fitness that helped him recover and, most importantly, provide a focus for his rehabilitation.  

And now a photoshoot!

I love running and cycling as you already know.  I also love it when unexpected things happen - sometimes product reviews, writing for someone else and now I can add a photoshoot to the list.  You know, I've never been in a photoshoot before, or be a model, or be a film extra, or...... anything.  So with the invitation to be included in this photoshoot,  I was happy to volunteer for as it sounded fun as well as supporting Amy at the kayaking club.

Amy has already produced some lovely images of kayakers paddling with LEDs attached at dusk, just after sunset.  Taking it a little further Amy was wanting to do exactly the same with some runners and cyclists.  So last week I met up with Amy, her two assistants and alongside Jacqui and Beth.  Having been asked to wear dark clothing, we were fitted with LED lights - only on our left hand side.  I pointed out that I was wearing my dirtiest running shoes especially for the evening and I think that was appreciated (they really were horrible). There was one LED on the side of my head, elbow, wrist, knee and foot.  The colours were gradually changing, adding to the interest.

The first few shots proved it was still a little too light as Amy was needing to shoot the photos with long exposure times - I think 4 or 6 seconds were being used.  Eventually it was sufficiently dark and we could move across the shot at normal speeds with the LEDs being picked up by the camera.  We took it in turn to run or cycle singly through the shot and we also ran a few times together and I think these work best of all.

The resulting images are, in my view, really fascinating with an interesting quality through being shot at twilight.  This strikes me as being an interesting time to photograph things in, especially now in mid summer with long, slow sunsets.  Somehow trees and the countryside take on a different appearance with dark, shadow areas growing to engulf everything for the brief night ahead.  Just as you see this taking place, the LED trails waft through the scene and show the incredible movements made by the human frame in doing what it is designed to do.

This, quite literally, puts a different light on seeing the human frame at work. Seeing, for instance, how our feet move from one stride to another appears completely different and unexpected through these images.  Absolutely fascinating and with an unusual beauty.

Thank you goes to Amy for asking me to help with this for allowing me to share your images.  Thanks also to Jacqui and Beth who made it such fun.  I enjoyed it and look forward to seeing even more of these in the future.

For Amy's website - click here

Unexpected company

Yesterday my long run went according to someone else's plan and not my own.  It turned out to be the most enjoyable, hard, thought provoking run I think I've ever had.

Even the start of the day wasn't quite how it was anticipated.  A friend of ours, Paul who is a faithful Christian and from Birmingham, phoned late on Friday evening, hoping to call in on Saturday to see us.  The only window for Paul was breakfast and it was truly great to see him.  We had breakfast as a family together with Paul joining in and it was certainly nice to have his company; he's always a blessing for us.

A little later on in the morning my thoughts were on getting in my long run.  By that I mean something over two hours.  Owing to the complexities of getting two teenage daughters to their respective hobbies (kayaking and tap dancing), I went to Luton and started my long run from there prior to resuming the fatherly taxi service.  I had run for less than one mile when I bumped into my friend Jon!  Jon is another friend with a strong Christian faith and it certainly shows itself in his day to day life.

Bumping in to him was amazing.  Seconds later we would have missed each other.  How does this kind of thing happen?  Coincidence?  Something else?  Read on....

Both Jon and I know the value of running in terms of staying in good shape and that's just the tip of the iceberg.  For both of us running is a fantastic way of sorting through things in our minds, working through problems, generating solutions, being reflective and the list goes on.  It was wonderful we could share 90 minutes of each other's company and we probably did around 10+ miles.

The run itself
I was on Jon's territory, not mine.  Instantly Jon suggested a general route which I was happy to go along with.  It included pausing once or twice for "I think this is the right way Doug" and "there might be a footpath over there".

Now that "over there" involved sneaking through a small wood near someone's grand house (we were just inside the prosperous Hertfordshire at this point and clearly on someone's land, as opposed to a footpath over farm land).  Next was skirting around a little boggy area before climbing over a vicious barbed wire fence and through a hedge with all kinds of sharp twiggy bits. "Man" I thought "I remember running with Jon before and having a nasty fall - just as well I'm not superstitious!".

And we were fine.  No barbed wire mishaps, no angry landowners (or their dogs) or anything to lessen the impact of this being a lovely run.

Included in the run was a sharp climb.  It was called the "Baulk" or something like that.  Now I had a quick call of nature at the foot of the climb, Jon continued out of politeness and so I could meet him at the top. Wow that was a fantastic climb, I could feel some of my leg muscles burning and I knew I was at the limit.

"But there's Jon!... I think I'm closing the gap.... yes I am, no I'm not, YES I AM!...."

And I wouldn't let up at all, in fact as I could see the top was so close I pushed on even harder, really to the limit and more - and then there I was, at the top with Jon.  We both paused, gasping and getting our breath back before we carried on, at a somewhat relaxed pace for a little while.  I can tell you, I could really feel my quad muscles burning in the last few yards.

The miles drifted by and it seemed almost disappointing that we got back to Luton as quickly as we did.  I had some time on my hand, before switching into Dad Taxi mode, plus I needed a few more miles.

So off I went on my own for a loop around King's Walden
This was the hardest part of the run by far.  Biggest problem was "running on empty" as I was starting to feel thirsty, almost to the point of my lips becoming dry.  I also knew I was in my third hour and I think every runner running non-stop over two hours should be thinking about fuel in me - i.e. getting a bit of energy inside.  And at that point I remembered I'd tucked an energy gel inside my shirt key pocket.  Turned out it had gone off, past the "use by" date and useless.

I pressed on, not quite realising how many miles I had run, I was starting to get a bit confused in trying to work it out.  Should be simple enough trying to work it out but I knew I was becoming muddled.  My running was becoming slower to the point the last 3 miles were at 10mins/mile.

Fortunately the hills were neither long nor steep.  Nevertheless the slopes sapped my energy further.  The last quarter mile was up an incline and (please don't do this at home) I just went for it as fast as I could.  Now I should say "just went for it" does not mean a dramatic increase in speed. Instead it was squeezing the last bit of energy out of my tired legs before they turned to jelly.  I made it, with 5 minutes to spare!  Phew!

Afterwards I was sweaty, achy and buzzing alive with a wonderful euphoric feeling.  Must be all those endorphins and a rush of Runner's High.

So who's plan was it?
Seeing my friend Paul at breakfast time was lovely, encouraging and long over due.  Seeing my friend Jon was remarkable; second later we would have missed each other and yet we both needed a good run, probably for slightly different reasons but running together was all part of the day and how we were being blessed.

So unexpected, so hard, so wonderful.  Each one of those 18.7 miles was incredible and I loved each one.  Who's plan was it?  I think you might already know.

Thank you so much!

Staying active helps in old age

I have blogged before about elderly people running and the immense benefits of a healthy life style.  This is supported further by an article I spotted recently in the The Telegraph.  The article explains how in 1979 a group of 2,500 men were asked to follow a healthy lifestyle and were then monitored to see how healthy they were in the years that followed.

Photo: Wales News Service

They were given five easy steps to follow:

• Eat well (plenty of fruit and vegetables)
• Work out (i.e. get some exercise)
• Drink less alcohol
• Maintain a healthy weight 
• Never smoke

Astonishingly only 25 of these men had actually stuck to those principles over the 40 year period.  That is a tiny 1% who actually managed to completely do the right thing.  These are now the fortunate ones who have, according to the study, drastically reduced their chance of suffering the main killers in the western world - cancer, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.  Even the prevalence of dementia has been reduced.

The volunteers were all from Caerphilly, in Wales, and were expected to maintain a recommended level of physical activity which could be walking a couple of miles each day or cycling or 10 minutes each day.  This combined with all of the other healthy steps meant that the volunteers who stuck to the programme were statistically far less likely to suffer from any of the diseases.  Now of course, there is never going to be a guarantee that keeping to the rules will make you immune from any particular illness but the chances are they are less likely to occur.  Or if they do occur, they may come later.

My own view

My own view is exactly the same; I'm more able to avoid any of these diseases by maintaining a healthy lifestyle but I cannot be 100% certain.  After all, I could go running or cycling, have a road crash and end up in hospital, or worse!  However, I know I'd be ever so optimistic that I would be able to recover quickly from any mishap.  I cannot go through life wrapped up in a plastic bag, just in case something untoward might happen.

So why is it....?

We all know the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle and it amazes me how people disregard a healthy future in order to "enjoy" an alternative lifestyle in the short term.  There seems to be a few different groups of people in the UK who either:

1. Don't know about healthy living at all, or
2. Do know about healthy living but not ready, able or empowered to make the changes, or
3. Do know about healthy living but have consciously taken a different route, or
4. Do know about healthy living and are doing okay, or
5. Do know about healthy living and are obsessed 

Now I know these groups are a bit crude and it might be difficult to put everyone into a group.  Different communities will have different needs as will different age groups.  Some might argue poverty has an effect, perhaps limiting people to group 1 or 2 - this is plausible, to an extent.

Sometimes when I'm at work in Stevenage, I will take a lunchtime stroll through the town centre shopping area.  Perhaps you might think I am being bigoted or snobbish, but I have been astonished at the huge numbers of unhealthy people waddling around.  One of my friends would be talking about Mrs Lard and her little lumps of fat following her around, though I won't be quite so indelicate.  The people I am talking about here are often significantly overweight, smoking, hanging around McDonalds while they wait for a bus.  Could be of any age but often young parents with tattoos and pushchairs and bags of shopping.  Older people buzz around on mobility scooters, sometimes steering one handed and puffing away on a cigarette with the other.

Stevenage is in Hertfordshire.  Hertfordshire as a whole is prosperous, well educated and has a generally good life quality for its residents.  There are pockets, however, of real deprivation and Stevenage is one of those places where there are a few wards of higher social needs.  This shows itself as increased levels of unemployment, physical and mental health problems, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, crime, debt and so on.

Why is it like that?  Undoubtedly a complex picture and no easy single solution.  In years gone by the  "on your bike" mentality might have been applied by those who should know better.  Nowadays I think Public Health people will be doing their best to address these problems and improve the picture.

Caerphilly might have a few things in common with Stevenage and yet the 25 men who have chosen a healthy lifestyle show what can be done.  It is saddening to note only a small minority have stuck at maintaining such a healthy lifestyle and it's things like this that spur me on in staying in good shape.

Related:

Cheap healthy diet on £15 a week?

Running in old age

The benefits of running little and often

Fauja Singh marathon record breaker at 100

Alive, kicking and still blogging

I cannot believe we're in to February and this is the first blog post of the year - time flies!  Here's a little round up of what's what but first of all I must tell you about the above photograph.

Running with Jon

That's me on the right with my good friend Jon in the white shirt.  This was taken a few weeks back on a Saturday morning run.  First of all, please let that be some reassurance that I am still running.

Jon, well he's a great pal but it has to be said he is not into cycling. In fact, he's made a point of that in his own blog.  While we were out running we spotted a handful of cyclists and Jon plucked up courage to ask me about cycling.... why I like it, what's the buzz and so on.  Naturally I wasted no time in telling him all the many reasons why cycling is such a great thing to do and why it fits alongside running so well.  It makes you wonder whether he might be secretly wanting to take up cycling, or at least to taste some of the many benefits but cannot bring himself to take the plunge.  He doesn't know it but there's a good chance of this happening as they say the best predictor of future behaviour is to look at what has already happened.  Years before he took up running, he was far from that.  Nowadays he's far (outwardly) from being a cyclist, so who knows....?

Anyway.  We went for a really nice run over one of his courses - about 8 miles and out into the countryside around Breachwood Green.  I already know this area, the network of country roads and lanes, through my commuting to Stevenage.  It was a great run, we kept up with each other in pace and conversation.

When we got back to Jon's house that's where things started to get interesting.  Locked out.  Yes, the front door was locked, so too was the back door.  Locked out.  Being a Saturday morning we shouldn't be reading anything into the fact the family cars were there in the drive way, and as Jon explained, they would be taking the dog for a walk.  We waited, got cold and waited a little more with a little shiver thrown in.

To keep warm and be distracted from Jon's embarrassment we jogged around the neighbourhood hoping to spot his family.  Not successful at all.  We asked some dog walkers, looked in the usual places where Jon reckoned they might be, all to no avail.  We got back to his house, gravel, stones, bigger stones all hurled at the upstairs windows. "Anyone in?" desperatley went through the letter box.

Yes, someone was in and so we got into his house.  Just as well really as I wasn't going far without getting my car keys back.  Nevertheless a humbled Jon took all the flack on his chin very well and certainly not putting us off having another run some other time.

The thing about running with other people

I'm sure I've blogged about this before, the pros and cons of running on your own or with other people.  Like many other runners I probably lean more to running on my own but when you get to run with someone else, who is like-minded and runs at a similar pace, why not?

I had been thinking I ran slower on my own, perhaps I do sometimes but I also like to run in short blasts to get myself totally out of breath when any kind of conversation is impossible.  When running with Jon it feels like we start off quicker than I would normally on my own.  It always seems to take me 20 minutes or so to get warmed up and running well, Jon, on the other hand springs into life a bit quicker than me.

Overall I think it's great to run alone but then with the right person, why not run with someone else?  All adds depth and variety!

Interview with Jon Cobb - runner, blogger, general good egg....

I have been looking forward to publishing this little interview with my friend Jon, a man who we have known for sometime.  We rate him highly for many things - which includes him being a fellow runner.  Here's our conversation:

"Jon, what led you into becoming a runner?  What kind of distances and times do you run?"

When I was at school I ran the 800metres, but I remember coming last in the Luton all schools final for over 16’s and the lad who won the under 13’s got a faster time than me so I was no Coe or Ovett! I also was a smoker from the age of 13 which obviously didn’t help. Yes I played rugby and Soccer but when I left school I completely gave up all sports, becoming an armchair critic and taking the easy option of buying bigger sized jeans each year. I look at photos of me in my thirties and they really are quite scary, I wasn’t looking after myself. 

What triggered a change was an odd thing: The decommissioning of Concorde! I had always wanted to fly in it and had this down as one of my goals. I realised it was too late and so I revisited my list of goals to see if there were any other ones in which I might be on a countdown. I had always wanted to try my hand at boxing when I was younger but my father was quite anti, so it had never happened. So, as a 45 year old I walked into a boxing gym in London and trained. Fear is a wonderful motivator and I very soon realised that the fitter I was the less chance I had of being hurt! After 6 months I appeared on a show, which my wife attended, and watched me have seven bells knocked out of me, and she told me I wasn’t doing that again! (I’d go back and do it all again tomorrow, I loved it!)

At that time I was quite outspoken against running, as I couldn’t see the point. I did a bit as part of the boxing training, but reluctantly. It didn’t help that I ran in a pair of fashionable Lacoste trainers and my hip always ended up very sore!

In 2008 I was talking to an old school friend who sadly had a hereditary condition that made him blind, and he asked if I would run with him in the London Marathon. Now that was a challenge that inspired me, and so the next night I went out and managed to run a mile. The next day I did it again, and bit by bit it increased. The rest is history, 10k’s, halfs, then full marathons. I absolutely love running now and can’t imagine not running. In fact, being unable to run is a fear of mine if I’m honest.

Wow, that’s interesting Jon.  It must have been an honour to be asked.  What was running alongside a blind person like? What’s involved?

Mark’s partially sighted, so I didn’t need to be attached to him or anything like that, he just ran alongside me and I basically had to commentate the whole time, if someone slowed down in front of him they were in danger of getting their heels stamped on and losing their shoe! It was in training that he really showed how brave he was as I would forget to concentrate and he would trip on a pavement or a pot-hole. His knees were covered in cuts. I have the fullest admiration for him.

I agree, I like the half marathon best of all and I think we run similar times.  I think many new runners like the idea of going straight for a half.  Do you think this is a good first race or perhaps a 10k?

My favourite distance is the half marathon, and my PB is 1;41;57 and I’ve definitely got a sub 1;40 in me, but my favourite race is the Oakley 20 which is a delightful 20 miler organised by the excellent Bedford Harriers. It’s undulating, in beautiful countryside, and just short of hitting the wall!

One of the problems is cost nowadays. I do feel that races are quite expensive, and therefore one has to be selective. The first year I trained for the London Marathon, I entered two 10ks and four halfs (Stevenage, Bedford, Watford, Silverstone) but today that may well cost you about £150 in entry fees alone. 

For that reason, I think it’s easy enough to incorporate 10ks into a training regime, and actually go straight for a half. I think the other thing is not to underestimate what a 10k can take out of you if you run off too fast! I remember doing the Luton 10k and for the first 3 miles I ran with the club runners up at the front and I thought ‘this is easy’ but by the fourth mile I was overtaken by a steady procession of runners as I had nothing left in the tank. That can be quite soul destroying, so there’s an argument to run those distances only as a training run.   

"What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you as a runner?" 

I ran the London Marathon in 2011 and I made a mistake and played football 10 weeks before and I went over and twisted my ankle. To be honest I should have pulled out, but I already had started to get sponsored for my charity, but I really wasn’t prepared on the day, I just hadn’t put the miles in, and it turned out to be a hot day. 

I remember coming up to Tower bridge at about mile 13 and I knew I wasn’t right. I couldn’t keep my gels down, and they found me at Canary Walk and a little delirious! I got taken into the St Johns ambulance tent and I can remember hearing the doctor say ‘this man is seriously dehydrated, we need to get fluid into him quickly!’ 

They told me my race was over, and they got my son & his girlfriend to come and fetch me, but I wasn’t missing out on my medal, so once round the corner I re-joined the race and finished. I came in in 5:15 but felt a bit of a fraud as I’d had a 45 minute lie down!

"How does running benefit you?"

Oh in so many ways other than health and weight control. Three times a week I do a five mile jog at lunchtime. I’ll vary it between 7;30 minute miles and 8:30 minute miles, but breaking up my work day definitely increases my productivity in the afternoon. I feel cerebrally fitter as well.

I have a pretty stressful job and I need time to process things. A run is ideal for this. 

"You're also a Christian.  Does running connect with your faith in any way?"

Massively. Jacob wrestled with God, and the Psalms are full of ‘why God??’ appeals. That’s me when I’m out running, but its also about perspective, because I believe he created the universe, including the world and including little old England, and I think he did a fine job of it. Stumbling across a herd of deer, a hare, the smell of cut grass, there’s so much to enjoy, and it’s a reminder that he’s both powerful and loving. If he wasn’t loving why would he create something so beautiful?

I was on holiday in Turkey and I was out running and I disturbed this bush which was just full of these yellow butterflies which I assumed were blossom. The whole bush exploded as they all flew up in the air. Incredible!

I can identify with that Jon!  It’s also been said we can worship God in all we do, would you go along with this with running in mind?

At differing levels Doug: One is that we are told that our bodies are temples, places where God dwells through his spirit, so we want to keep it clean & healthy. But additionally, the longer I’m alive and healthy, the longer I can serve Him. 

"With staying in good shape for running, do you do anything else?  

I enjoy going to the gym. I have to be careful because gyms can be pretty vain places and I don’t want to get into that whole ‘body beautiful’ stuff.   Keeping fit is about sustaining my life and not about ripped muscles and sixpacks, but I know that I could easily get into that when I’m surrounded by a bunch of body builders who make me look quite small. 

Muscular blokes don’t make particularly good runners anyway! But I do enjoy a good work out and typically a session will involve an 8 minute warm up on a bike, some cardio on both the rower and the stepper, and then a session on the mats with either kettle bells or medicine balls. 

I’m always conscious that after 45 minutes, nobody looks as sweaty and exhausted as me! 

Does this gym training help with running?

Not necessarily, but I guess any kind of cross training is better than nothing. I would suggest anything which works on your core is good for running, but as I’ve said before, you just have to be careful about getting carried away and bulking up when you go to certain types of gym. Arnold Schwarzenegger never ran a marathon as far as I can tell! 

"What would be your "Top Tip" for a new runner?"

A couple of things Doug: Firstly, running is great because it allows for easily defined goals based on either distance or speed (or both!) so there’s plenty of targets that will keep you focused during those early weeks. Keep it small to start, involving running and walking and build it up. Perhaps the first goal is to run a mile non stop, or to run non stop for ten minutes. The only person you are competing against is yourself. 

Secondly, get a proper pair of running shoes having sought advice at a dedicated running shop where they can asses whether your running style. I stupidly ran for quite a long time before I did this, and did a lot of damage to my hip. It isn’t comfortable, it’s demotivating if it hurts and you could be doing a lot of damage. There’s not a great deal of expense in running, and I buy all my tops in the sales, but you need to look after your feet with a decent pair of running socks and a decent pair of Asics, saucony or NewBalance running shoes. 

And Jon is also a blogger, so why not go over for a read on his site: http://cobbiescollectivecontemplations.blogspot.co.uk

Finally, thank you Jon for such a great run this evening!

Is being vegan healthy?

Rachel, Annabelle and Steve

Vegetarians and vegans are people who have plant based diets; they don't eat animal meat.  Vegans go further by completely avoiding any animal products which includes wool, honey, eggs, milk etc.  So, is being a vegan a healthy thing to do?  Are vegan children victims of child abuse?  Do vegans have good or bad diets?  Do vegans live longer than meat eaters?  These are all good questions which people ask and I've pondered some of these myself.  Well, since drifting from an intermittent meat eater to a complete vegetarian a few years ago, this has been on my mind for some time.

We only have three friends who are vegan: Steve, Rachel and their daughter Annabelle.  I  recently invited myself 'round to their house after work one evening for a scrummy meal and a natter.  We spent some time exploring the issue; I have only known them as vegans and I was keen to hear about their journey and what has taken them along that path.

Here goes.  We've known Steve, Rachel and Annabelle since the 1990s and we have always been impressed by their thoughtful, consistent and firm approach on a range of issues.  We admire them for their strong principles.  I think the world needs a few more people like them!  This was a good opportunity to get down to the wholefood reality.....

I asked about the drivers, the reasoning behind veganism.  For Steve and Rachel, they recounted the stories of young animals being exported to the Continent in appalling conditions: I instantly remembered those old news stories.  Young calves were being shipped in crates, shortly to become veal.  Horses were being transported for slaughtering, cattle were (and are) being bred for ever-increasing milk production.  They just didn't want to be part of that anymore.  For me, I sort of knew of this kind of thing had happened (almost everyone watches the news on TV or reads a newspaper) but it hadn't really moved me in the same way.  Perhaps I was starting to recognise my own selfishness; being a vegetarian was about becoming healthier and as a spin-off equalising the food distribution around the world was merely some kind of bonus.  That alone, I realise, is not enough.  Being a vegan because of animal welfare issues was clearly a matter of conscience for them, and for this they-  and the whole vegan movement - should be admired and taken more seriously.

Tell me about the health benefits of being vegan

Firstly, you only have to look at Steve and Rachel to see they're pretty healthy.  No sign of being over weight or anything like that; Annabelle is a delightfully healthy and lively teenage girl.  

We get down to the details and Steve starts to get more serious with me.  He explains the reality is, for vegans, they're less likely to have "lifestyle" health problems.  Vegans tend to live longer.  They are less likely to be constipated and never really need to worry about their weight.  Cancers are less common in vegans along with type 2 diabetes, heart disease and all of the modern-day killers.  Rachel adds that it doesn't happen by chance - you need to take care in what you eat and even vegans can get fat!  Being vegan on it's own doesn't suddenly make you thinner, leaner or healthier.  It needs a plan. 

In terms of eating a good balanced diet, in practice vegans know they can't just get by through chance.   The "shovel it all in and hope for the best" approach just isn't going to work and the thing about deficiencies in diets is that you might not realise there's a problem for quite some time.  Like most vegans, they take an interest in what they eat.  Steve explained how he had to point this out to a colleague who was a bit sceptical of him being a vegan.  He shared a list of the meals they eat, over a two week period and it's then you can see the variety, the wide range of foods and each with their purpose.  Steve's colleague was impressed, thoroughly out-witted and duly put in his place.  When you stop to think of all the fruits we can buy (and grow!), the vegetables, the nuts, the spices, the grains.... the list goes on and it really is an incredible range - surely you'll know it is far from a bland diet!

Steve and Rachel are in pretty good shape.  Even at 62 Steve talks about briskly shooting up several flights of stairs at work, taking it in his stride and yet others who are 20+ years younger huff and puff their way up.  Even body-building gym goers need to take note!  Rachel has practised yoga since her childhood and taught yoga for many years (click here for her website) and I'm now learning is more than being a fitness regime on it's own.  It's something I know little or nothing about beyond being supple and stretchy (hey - isn't that what good runners need to be?) and it is said to integrate mind, body and spirit.  

Are vegans modern-day hippies, tree huggers who always make you feel guilty?

Well, are they?  In a word - no.  But they could be.  So could you, me....

There is no doubt, there was a natural link between being vegan and the question of animal welfare, the environment, trading practices and a whole load of other issues.  Have you ever wondered why we have hungry people in the world? Have you ever wondered why we have such modern farming methods with very "efficient" milk and meet production and yet we have such poor economic use of the land?  If you imagine the amount of land you need to raise one cow which might be enough to provide food for one person, that same amount of land would be enough to feed 30 people from other vegetarian produce.  If this kind of issue was considered more seriously at government level across the world, the food shortages and the mistakes made in food distribution, could be corrected almost overnight.  

As the conversation went along with Steve and Rachel, I knew that I was going to be stereotyping vegans, sooner or later.  I asked if it was such a thing as an average of vegan.  Together we smiled at each other, I just knew I was getting onto tricky ground.  Rachel went on to explain that it's possible there are some gender differences between vegans.  It's possible that more women are vegans compared with men.  Some men might feel more threatened by vegans, perhaps. Some men might not feel as if they're being "real men" if they don't eat meat, or they might feel they are being less masculine.  Together we wondered whether men would be more wary of vegetarianism or being vegan.   Do women have more empathy for this kind of issue?  An interesting question.

Raising vegan kids is child abuse?

This issue might be a thorny hand grenade lobbed at vegan parents from time to time.  Steve dealt with this succinctly with "making your kids eat a MacDonalds meal is more abusive than being vegan could ever be".

Asking Annabelle why she thought being vegan was important to her, she explains how cruel it is to eat animals and adds "if it has a face I couldn't eat it".  Annabelle echoes her parent's views with the ethical and environmental aspects and doesn't grumble about the vegan diet at all.  In fact I asked if she misses ice cream and chocolate but I'm easily put in my place as there are vegan alternatives!  Most of the people she interacts with know she's vegan and bear that in mind, but just occasionally she might feel slightly left out but finds most people remember and will cater for her and usually bring something for her, so not too much of a problem really.

How do people react to you being vegans?

"Oh, it's easy for some people to bash vegans" Rachel explained.  For myself, yes, I can imagine that happening, sadly.  

"Other people", Rachel explained "will react differently.  It's true some people may sometimes be hostile, some even think we're mad but moreover many people are curious and interested, just like you Doug".  

We got onto talking further about people's reactions and perceptions.  Just as I have found, through being a vegetarian, restaurant menus can sometimes be a little limited it can be more of a challenge for vegans.  In fact, Steve and Rachel will sometimes call a cafe or a restaurant that they might be thinking of using, just to check vegans are catered for.  The reactions seem quite amazing, right through from the "yes, don't worry, we'll get something organised" and the restaurant goes the extra mile to ensure there's a good vegan meal waiting to be served.  The opposite extreme goes along the lines of "yes we do cater for vegans, we have some lovely Sea Bass on the menu"

"Well what about pasta?  Do you do any vegan based pasta meals?"

"Yes Sir, we do.  We have meat balls with pasta"

Sounds incredible, doesn't it?  Yes it does, but somehow I'm not too surprised and I am saddened by that reality.  Although we might laugh and joke about this lack of understanding, it does point to a level of misunderstandings throughout society and how being vegan is very much of a minority choice these days.  Through the conversation Steve picks up on this "just because [meat eaters] are the majority, it doesn't make it right.  Our morals, our integrity, our ethics all point to why we're vegans."

I feel challenged

Yes I feel challenged but Steve and Rachel were understanding about this.  There's a general feeling of us all being on a journey together, a journey through life.  Sometimes we can make profound decisions in life and will always know the exact date a decision was made.  Some of my Christian friends will point to an exact date when they made that commitment, for myself it was a more gradual commitment through gradually working it out in my own time.  Other times change can be even more gradual for different people and we can drift through changes - this can be right for some people, for others being more decisive is right for them.

I can recognise more easily the wide variety of reasons why people become vegetarian, vegan, tee total, drug free or whatever the choice is.  For each of us our values will be a little different: that's fine, we're all different and I'm thankful for that.  Sometimes we can be shocked into making those choices, like Steve and Rachel becoming aware of how badly animals were treated all those years ago.  Other times it is a gradual shift in our outlook taking place which in turn leads onto more gradual changes.

There's no doubt in my mind that being a vegetarian has been a positive step in my life.  I feel healthy, I feel as fit as I've ever been and I'm confident I've got a pretty good diet.  Now my own challenge is about reconciling all those strong arguments that point towards being a vegan.

Are you a vegan, perhaps a vegetarian?  Why?  Why not?

Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear some views on this, doesn't matter what country you're from, whether you're a runner or not.  I'd just like to hear your views...

"Hills hurt, couches kill"

"Hills hurt, couches kill" is a quote that caught my eye from the amazing 39 stone cyclist, Gary Brennan.  If you're overweight, obese or even morbidly obese please do not give up.  Follow the link below which will take you to his blog and read his story.  Better still, follow his progress, be inspired and maybe even support him in his quest to help other people.

In his 30s he weighed in at over 39 stone which is roughly three times what he ought to have weighed.  Just imagine, weighing three times the weight you are now: unbelievable!  As you can imagine he was having some health issues and, according to his website, discussed with his Doctor the possibility of a gastric band operation.  In the end the surgeon said his situation was far too dire for such an operation like that.  Cutting a longer story short he didn't have the operation but instead bought a bike and started cycling.

You might say the rest is history, which it is but actually I think it's more that just that.  It is a story of a man whose now on a mission.  He's outspoken, loud, to-the-point and effective with it.  He's totally dedicated to losing weight, keeping it off and yet there's a side to him which is far from his normal brash in-your-face style In his blog he refers to people's demons, the fear of over eating and ending up where he started from.

In his blog and he's got a style all of his own, you can read about his progress, take in all his comments about his bikes, components as well as the ins and outs of cycling in busy urban environments.  Take a look, especially if you're on the edge of wanting to do something positive like lose weight and ride a bike.

Follow this link: http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/about/

Sufferfest cycling activism group

At work I get a email bulletin from G4S from time to time. If I were Mr G4S I would be keeping a low profile these days in view of the Olympic security debarcle.   It's a circular email advising recipients of potential protests or flashpoints which could cause public disorder.  I was, however amused at the
following extract:


Sufferfest online cycling activism group intends to hold a counter-Olympic event at New Street, City of London from 1700 - 2200hrs. The event is supposedly to oppose the refusal of the Olympic committee for failing to recognise the movement. Any action is expected to be small, and is likely to assume the form of a bicycle event. Possibility of minor disruption.


It will take place on 2nd August (i.e. tomorrow).


Keep it peaceful and well ordered, people, please.  You have a right to protest regardless of whether we agree with each other.  If it turns into a "bicycle event" all well and good.

Inspiration from Wiggins

Source: Getty Images

No cycling blog could ordinarily be complete without mention of yesterday's exciting conclusion of the 2012 Tour de France with UK's Bradley Wiggins winning.

Wouldn't  it be a wonderful thing if the spectacular achievement by Wiggins inspires some younger children to follow in his tyre tracks.  If not by the Tour de France itself then perhaps by the forthcoming Olympic Games, here in the UK in just a few days time.

This victory is historic for the UK and congratulations must go to Wiggins and all of the Sky Team.  I'm not a TV sports fan but I can tell you I saw the highlights on TV with much enthusiasm, there on the very edge of my seat!  Wiggins comes across as an ordinary bloke without any sense of self importance or elitism; that must be another quality to admire him and his achievement for.

There is absolutely no doubt, as a nation we must become more active in the light of such compelling evidence from the health problems we are storing up for ourselves in this country.  Just take a look at the rise of obesity levels alone:

It appears to be almost relentless and a huge public health issue.  As if the general upward trend was bad enough, just consider the more troubling rise of obesity in children, as if anyone should be surprised by that.  If the number one priority of any parent is to care for and nurture their children, this must be a wake-up call.

Related:
The horrendous spectre of UK obesity
Active parents = active kids

Reasons to run (again)

Little did I know when Beckipeg photographed me last year, she would be running along here herself!

As there are quite a few new blog readers taking a look from C25K, I thought you might be interested to know what drives me.  Click here  for a previous blog post so you'll know where I'm at and why Beckipeg (aka Coach, Mrs Ramblings etc) is supporting me.  Running is such a fantastic thing to do any would really encourage anyone to have a go and persevere.

For C25Ker's I was absolutely gobsmacked and delighted.  I had no idea at all about Beckipeg being SR, the Secret Runner, although I did recognise the clues but confess I hadn't pieced them together.  Thank you to everyone for your part in encouraging her to press ahead - that's really great - thank you and here's to the progress continuing!

Running and inspirational sights can mean so much.

Anne Atkins - courage in beating alcohol

I was very sorry to read Anne Atkins has a drink problem but it's good she's come clean about it, not an easy thing for anyone to do.  She is a well respected broadcaster and commentator here in the UK in bringing the Christian perspective on topical issues.  Although she has her critics, I have always found myself nodding and agreeing with her well founded common sense approach.

So, Anne Atkins and her alcohol problem have hit the newspapers this last weekend.  As she points out, it's the kind of thing which can creep on up people, perhaps even the most unlikely of people.  I find myself thinking "but for the grace of God....".

I trust that she will have every strength and ounce of courage to overcome this difficulty and believe some good will come out of it.  It is poignant for me, having recently blogged and rambled about why I'm tee total.

Guest blog by Tony Gavin

Tony Gavin, centre

I came across Tony Gavin via Progait on the web.  In my book, you cannot underestimate how important things like a gait analysis are in terms of taking care of yourself and enjoying going for a run. After all, I came close to giving up running before I went into a proper running shop myself (see below for related links) which led me to admire people who understand the biomechanics of running.   Tony Gavin explains some of his own journey and shares an insight into his profession as a Podiatrist:

I was delighted when Doug asked me to write a guest blog, as a Sports Podiatrist I often contribute to publications about gait analysis, running biomechanics, barefoot running, foot injuries, so for I change I thought I would be indulgent and talk a little about my running journey so far.

Always I wanted to be a runner, I always envied runners, in the same way I envied people who rode motorbikes. I envied there ability to do what they wanted, their discipline, their control, and most of all I envied their happiness.

I flirted with running in my early 20's, had a stab at the Great North Run, got injured, gave up, and returned to the familiar pattern of work, couch, kebab. I have worked with runners, helping them on their journey, often when they are at their lowest, when they are injured.

Having a highly developed skill of convincing athletes of how to modify their training so that they can be the best they can while reducing the risk of injury, but I could never do the same thing for myself. I often thought that these 2 situations were polar opposite, and in some senses they were; slender fit disciplined elite athlete vs overweight unfit binging swivel chair jockey. However, our goals were fundamentally the same, to navigate a path of training without falling into injury. The same approach is appropriate for both, maximum training stimulus with minimum excessive forces on areas at risk of injury. For an athlete this may have meant dropping a quality session each week, for me it meant jogging at a pace that walkers could overtake me for 2 months. I walked this path, which in honesty was dull, as I'm sure it is dull for the injured athlete to drop their intervals, but having one eye on the bigger picture was what I needed. 


In the past I often focused on my own injuries without looking at the bigger picture of where I wanted to go, even though I do it on a daily basis with my patients. The results have been great, 12 months running injury free, 1 Marathon and 3 Halfs completed, and tumbling PB's, I suspect now is when things are going to get tough.

The long term plan will last another 4 years, and I want to be all that I can as a runner, perhaps that will be a 1hr 20 half marathon, who knows?

As a podiatrist, we are specialists of the feet, and as most sports people use their feet for their performance we tend to see many injuries caused by activities. In my Practice I see a large number of runners, you may ask if this is because running is bad for you, or causes injuries, or is it because running is having another surge in popularity? Well, for an injury to occur, you have to place a stress on a tissue which is greater than its ability to withstand, and the easiest way to do this is to run too far, too fast, or too often. It is easy to see how this applies to a relative newcomer to the sport, where 5 runs a week may be too often, or 4 miles is too  far, so all of the variables (distance, speed and frequency) have to be specific for that athlete. Seasoned athletes know what their body can take, they know the weekly mileage they can sustain, they also know how many interval sessions they can do and how much recovery they need. Often this knowledge comes from periods of injury and learning.

Hopefully a podiatrist can assist with this period of learning, manage painful conditions, and reduce future risks of injury. This can take many forms, from exercise prescription, advice, footwear advice, orthotics, referrals for physical therapy, referrals for surgery, and many other options. Before a podiatrist can help in this way they may want to analyse your gait.

Gait analysis is studying the way that someone walks or runs, and can be done visually, with high speed cameras, on treadmills, and measurements taken over pressure plates. This allows both the podiatrist and the athlete to objectively see what is happening mechanically during the gait cycle. Excessive forces, and abnormal movements can then be seen, and it can be considered if they are leading to a current injury. From this information the treatment plan can be formed, which will be specific to your running gait.

So, should we all have our running gait assessed? It really does depend, and it depends on what are the risks of injury. For a new runner these risk of overloading tissues is high, so a trip to a running shop for analysis for appropriate trainers is the minimum I would recommend. The value of this is only ever known by those who start running in unsuitable footwear for them unfortunately. For conditions which are persistent, or before embarking upon a lengthy training programme with a specific focus, a trip to a podiatrist may be well placed. 

Related:

Progait clinic

Getting my gait analysis done

How to look after your feet
Having two pairs of running shoes

Francis Albaugh - 90 year old runner

I came across an article on Francis Albaugh as he was approaching his 90th birthday in February 2012 and couldn't help but think how amazing this kind of story is.  

Click here for the full article  by The Meadville Tribune on 23rd January 2012.

One of the remarkable things is that he didn't start running until he was 57 and I can't help but wonder if that is part of his youthful success in later life i.e. not wearing himself out too soon.  No matter, it's an inspiring account.  He's competed in numerous marathons and ultramarathons which is a credit for anyone, let alone as an elderly gentleman.  

He commented that "during my 70s, there was no stopping me.  I was racing and having just over six minute miles".  That's cool.  In my late forties I could do a mile dash in 6 minutes and 20 seconds.  The article goes on to share that he's needed a couple of operations which has slowed him down but certainly haven't stopped him.

I can very much identify with the quote that stands out the most: "When I run, I feel good" says Albaugh "if I would stop running, I would just slow down physically and mentally.  When I run, I'm awake and alive".

How true.