35 Years Running

At the back end of 2013, I worked out that I had been a runner for 35 years. This realisation encouraged me to unashamedly reminisce on times past. What follows is a reflection on my introduction into the sport and the reasons why I have been a disciple ever since.

In September 1978 I was lucky enough to take a year out from my job as a teacher and enrol as a paid student on a postgraduate diploma course at Manchester University. In the previous years as a young dad and wage slave, my fitness had dwindled and the weight had started to pile on. Now I had a bit more time to do something about it. Inspired to lose weight and captivated by the burgeoning jogging boom, I began to run at night (so as not to be seen) in old clothes and shoes. Eventually I built up to 3 miles without stopping as I discovered that running was an exercise that you could manage to fit in even on a busy day. The weight began to drop off, unwisely I had started to diet also and became anaemic for a while, but gradually I became more comfortable with the healthy way to maintain my new-found fitness.

My first ever race came the following year in the Hyde 7. It was one of the few races in those days that allowed unattached runners to compete in the so-called Sportsmans class, all the other athletes being runners who were attached to clubs. I remember being afraid that I would be last to finish but this fear proved to be groundless! I do remember being outsprinted on the line however by a V60! I then plucked up courage to do the Lantern Pike race and the Kinder Downfall races the following year and learned that my trainers would be forever muddied. In 1982 I joined the newly formed Glossopdale Harriers and found my spiritual home.

For most of the next 10 years I was regularly putting in a weekly mileage of around 50 miles in winter and around 70 miles in summer. Running the 7 miles into work and back at least twice sometimes three times a week, 10 milers with the club on two nights, race on Saturday and a long run on Sunday, on the fells in summer, helped me to maintain this average. I was always a middle of the pack runner competing against many good standard club athletes: in those days 38.30 for 10K, 1.20 for a half-marathon, 3.28 for the Edale Skyline, 3.51 for Tankys for examples, would never be good enough to be in the top 100 of a race. The only prize I ever won was a bronze medal in the V45 category of the Tour of Tameside in 1991 when I was recording my fastest times. This was the 11th year out of an eventual 20 that I was lucky enough to complete this legendary double-marathon.

 The early 90s also proved to be a zenith in some respects for the Harriers also. Some of the runners who had been my team mates moved on to pastures new, some to other clubs throughout the decade. After a few lean years, the milennium seemed to signal a renaissance in the club and the start of the very special times that we are all experiencing just now.

As with the majority of my fellow harriers back in the day, I was always a runner who competed on a range of surfaces over a variety of distances from 5 mile road races to long-distance events like the Otter 40, Haworth Hobble and the 56 mile Bullock Smithy. Cross-country, a range of distances on the road, fell-races from short 3 mile dashes up to the longer Peak and Lakeland Classics, the Ennerdale being a particular favourite. I also thoroughly enjoyed the 2 day mountain marathons in particular the Saunders. I have had several injuries in my 35 years but, so far, have always been able to recover and return with renewed enthusiasm.

When I retired in 2004 I always assumed that I would be out running nearly every day. The reality is that my weekly mileage has dropped because I wanted to spend time doing other stuff such as swimming, hiking, cycling, spinning, working out in the gym, travelling etc. As a result of this I feel my all-round fitness has improved and that my enthusiasm for running has increased. The only downside is that I don't do enough weekly mileage now to do well in longer races; the wheels tend to come off after about 10 miles these days! But there are many positives too in staying fit and able to compete for age-group prizes in the last few years. I will always be grateful to Neil who was instrumental in getting me to carry on doing the cross-country races and am especially proud to have won 3 winners trophies in what can be very competitive leagues.

I have always been proud to run in Glossopdale colours and am especially pleased to be a member now in recent times as our little club has gone from strength to strength. It is nice to see so much new blood in the club, runners of all ages enjoying their sport and doing so well. I am delighted and enthused beyond measure and it makes me want to carry on running and racing to be a part of it!