Stride magazine - Spring 2023

Inside

How Frame Running got me moving again – a feature for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day

First glimpse of this year’s jogscotland Virtual Challenge medal!

Running and autism

We love Jeffing – the walk/run phenomenon

Our fun, friendly jogging groups are perfect for people who want to get active for the first time, or more experienced runners. Nobody is “too slow” to join jogscotland –total beginners welcome!

Mums on the Run helps mums enjoy the physical, social & psychological benefits of being active outdoors. You can take your wee one to class with you in the buggy too!

Running has never been so easy!

Whatever your age, whatever your ability

Morning, noon and night • Towns, cities, villages Parks, pavements, trails, woodlands, beaches, schools and workplaces For more information visit www.jogscotland.org.uk or call 0131 539 7341 www.facebook.com/JogScotty • www.twitter.com/jogscotland jogworks

Our Junior jogscotland resource pack is full of games to help you show primary school age children that physical activity is fun!

Encouraging employees to be more active makes good business sense. Jogworks can help avoid some of the physical and mental health issues affecting the workplace.

Meet the Jog Crew

Development officer

jo.stevens @scottishathletics.org.uk 07903 180 453

sue.gyford@ scottishathletics.org.uk 07880 037 574

david.fallon @scottishathletics.org.uk 07960 582 838

07983 080 688

Membership

membership @scottishathletics.org.uk 07391 845 783

Stride – the jogscotland members’ magazine

Editor: Sue Gyford Designer: Adrian Hallam, 3fiftysixmedia Ltd

Photography: News pages, snowdrop run: John Rennie

Inverness Half Marathon: Charne Hawkes Photography

Julie McElroy, Framerunning: Gordon Innes; Mark Ashby, Mark Gibson.

Sue Gyford Digital communications and press officer

Jo Stevens

David Fallon

Head of Development

Carol Robison

administrator

Laura Kirkland Coaching administrator (Jog Leader course bookings) coaching @scottishathletics.org.uk

by Sue Gyford Stride magazine | Spring 2023

Welcome to the Spring edition of Stride magazine. Isn’t it wonderful to see the evenings getting lighter? I hope you’re all enjoying the seasonal changes.

We’ve a really interesting selection of stories for your this edition, opening windows on a range of different experiences of running. Mandy Williams shares her thoughts on being a runner with autism, highlighting some of the things that neurotypical people might not be aware of, that can make running in a group challenging. With Mandy’s help, we’re so pleased to be piloting a group for autistic runners, that will take some of these things into account – turn to page 10 to find out more.

Julie McElroy tells us how using a Frame Running trike has enabled her to enjoy the freedom of running, after an accident took her mobility, already affected by cerebral palsy. The supportive relationship she has with coach Gordon shows just what a difference it can make, to have the backing of a great club or group when we want to achieve new things. It’s the perfect read to mark Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day on 25 March - read more on page 16.

In support of running and athletics charity, Athletics Trust Scotland, Pam Thomson tells us how she went from hating running to falling in love with it – and controlled her diabetes along the way. Even our columnist David Syme is talking about a different experience of running this issue – as he tells us about his return to activity after hip replacement surgery (p27).

We’ve news of our next Virtual Challenge – and a fabulous new medal to go with it, which we can’t wait for you to see. There are photographs from our Tag Along campaign and Inverness Half Marathon, tips on the walk/run phenomenon that is Jeffing, and all the regular features, including book reviews and our news round-up. Wherever your spring running takes you, enjoy the journey into 2023!

Sue Gyford, Editor

p10 Mandy Williams

Julie McElroy

Tag Along campaign

News and events

Welcome to our new members!

The start of the year is always a busy time for jogscotland, as those New Year’s Resolutions kick in. And this year was no exception, with more than 500 new members joining jogscotland groups around the country to take their first steps into a more active life - some of them pictured below. Welcome, each and every one of you! To encourage people to come along, our existing members took part in the Tag Along campaign, sharing their own messages with friends and family, explaining all the great things they get from running with jogscotland. Turn to p8 to find out more!

Snowdrop run

jogscotland Dunfermline hosted a social run for local jogscotland groups in March, with donations going to West Fife Woodlands and Shiresmill Therapy Riding Centre Charities. The JSD 5K Snowdrop Trail Run took place to coincide with the annual Snowdrop Festival, and the route took runners through the snowdrop woodlands and heritage trails in Valleyfield Woods. There were handmade wooden medals and spot prizes. Co-Run Director Lana McInnes said: “It was great to see so many runners of all abilities, come together for our JSD social run. We couldn’t have asked for a better day weather-wise, and it was lovely to see everyone chatting with a coffee and cake afterwards.”

jogscotland Dunfermline have also shared with us in this edition how much they love Jeffing – turn to p19 to find out more!

New members: On the Run Cumbernauld Ellon Sole Mates

Galavanters

Invergowrie Couch25K graduates

Wooden medals

Dyanne Arthur and Lana McInnes

- Snowdrop Run Directors and jog leaders with Jog Scotland Dunfermline

SAMH 100

This year marks the centenary of our partners, SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health). We’re proud to have been part of their story in recent years, as we work together to spread the word on the benefits of being active for your mental wellbeing. Some of our team joined the launch of the centenary celebrations at Paisley Abbey (pictured). To mark the occasion, we’re planning another of our virtual running challenges with a fabulous medal – turn to page 13 to find out more!

Menopause Friendly webinar

Our Menopause Friendly Campaign is launched

We are delighted to have launched the new jogscotland #MenopauseFriendly campaign, to help our joggers learn about running through menopause, and help our jogging groups become as menopause friendly as possible.

We want to change the script around menopause. We can’t alter the physical facts of it, but we can help those going through it. We want to create a world where jogscotland members going through menopause:

We had the chance to spread the word about the jogscotland Menopause Friendly campaign this month, when we were invited to take part in an online webinar organised by Scottish Club Sport. They support local sporting activity around the country, and wanted to hear more about how to encourage people to stay active through menopause. We were pleased to talk about our work so far. If you haven’t already seen it, make sure to check out https://jogscotland.org.uk/active-living/menopause-and-running/ for lots of tips for joggers and jog leaders.

• Can feel strong, confident and proud of themselves, even when they’re facing difficult physical and mental challenges.

• Feel free to talk about their experiences without shame or embarrassment.

Train as a jog leader!

• Are informed and empowered, so that they can get the support they need from medical practitioners, friends and family.

• As a result of those things, stay active through menopause and beyond, at whatever level suits them.

As our #MenopauseFriendly campaign launched on 22 November, we published on our website three pages full of useful information for joggers and jog leaders:

• Running and Menopause – introduction

• Menopause – advice for joggers

• Menopause – advice for jog leaders

For those reading the print edition, just visit https://jogscotland.org.uk/active-living/menopause-and-running/ and follow the links.

The resources we are launching have been put together with the help of a small focus group of jog leaders with lived experience of running through menopause, our partners SAMH, and sharing information from the NHS Inform pages on menopause

Could you share your enthusiasm for running with others? If you love the idea of helping people make their first steps towards a more active life, why not become a jog leader? The Leadership in Running Fitness course teaches you everything you need to know to set up your own jog group, or lead with an existing group. You don’t have to be fast to be a jog leader – the key thing is having an enthusiasm for inspiring and encouraging others.

The course is taught through a combination of online learning and in-person practical sessions. We have two courses still available for booking this spring, with practical sessions in Inverness (15 April) and Tranent (16 April). Find out more at https://jogscotland.org.uk/ jog-leaders/jog-leader-courses/

continues over

Tag Along campaign

We know from our members that there’s no better way to encourage people to join jogscotland, than word of mouth. So we decided to make the most of it at New Year with our Tag Along campaign! We asked our joggers to tell us what they get from being active with their jogscotland group, write it on a giant luggage tag, be photographed with it, and share it, to encourage friends and family to tag along to their nearest jogscotland group.

It was a delight seeing all the photos coming in, and sharing them on our social channels. There were many common themes, as people told us they experience motivation, encouragement, friendship, inspiration, community and laughter.

Thanks to everyone who took part. Whether you did or not, don’t forget to tell your friends and family how great jogscotland is, and encourage them to tag along with you!

Running and autism

By Mandy Williams

When Mandy Williams received an autism diagnosis in her mid-40s, many things fell into place – including how stressful she found the social aspects of group running. Now she plans to change that, and is partnering with jogscotland to pilot a jogging group tailored to the needs of autistic runners.

I started running to get fit for an RAF application medical while at Stirling University. Before that, I didn’t participate in any sports, and it’s fair to say I didn’t enjoy any physical activities. I then started to enjoy running and used it to relieve stress while raising a family. However, once I find something I enjoy, it soon becomes a special interest. I started running marathons, triathlons, ultras, then mountain running, running for the GB Masters team at the Worlds and getting a bronze.

It was my partner who encouraged me to get help for my anxiety and mental exhaustion. Then I was diagnosed as autistic at 45 (I’m now 47), and it was lifechanging, I finally feel like I can accept who I am and be myself. I had always struggled with anxiety and depression, and now I can look back and understand the triggers – sensory, social occasions, changes in routines etc. I never understood how I felt so different to my peers and I felt like I spoke a different language. I tended to do everything to the extreme and become hyper-focused,

which can be amazing, but also led to poor mental and physical health if not monitored or regulated. However, masking is a huge part of autism - women especially learn from an early age how to fit in and pretend to be someone else for social acceptance. After I was diagnosed I have learnt to unmask and now finally live an authentic life.

One thing was how challenging I found being a part of an athletics club, and I would hide and cry in the car before any training. The social aspect of club running was more challenging work than the physical training and left me emotionally exhausted afterwards.

After my diagnosis, I finally understood my relationship with running, the rhythm, the routines, and the only wanting to run alone in silence. I could run for hours alone and be so free and happy – it was an escape from the “real world” I found so exhausting. However, I also understood how I could be very suspectable to overtraining and not listen to signals such as pain from injury or adapting my training at any time. Tapering for a race or having a rest day was impossible as it broke my routine.

Mandy Williams – running and autism continued

I found a lack of autistic athlete role models, especially for women. I also found so many excellent benefits for my mental health that came from exercise, and I wanted to share these with others who also may be struggling. These two things inspired me to look at setting up autistic-friendly groups. So many barriers needed to be removed. Everyone is different, but barriers can include big groups, bright lights on a track, noisy running routes, social set-ups around groups. Everything has been designed with a neurotypical runner in mind. I wanted to set up groups that allowed autistic people to enjoy running.

I work for a Scottish charity called SWAN (Scottish Women’s Autism Network), a new job I started after my diagnosis. It is autistic-led, and I manage a team of 26 amazing autistic volunteers. I have never been happier in my work life, working alongside autistic people. Through SWAN, in partnership with jogscotland, we are looking at starting a pilot autism jogscotland group in the spring. I am so excited to inspire and advise other autistic people on how to enjoy exercise.

It doesn’t have to be difficult – for example, having smaller groups, quiet routes, and telling everyone in advance what to expect, can all make group exercise much more accessible for autistic runners.

As well as running, I now lift weights and compete in Hyrox, which combines running with obstacle stations. I’m only just getting started, and at 47 years old I have never been fitter!

The Big 100 –Choose your (Virtual!) Challenge

This year marks the centenary of our partners, SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health). The charity traces its roots back to 1923 and the pioneering work of Dr Kate Fraser CBE, from Paisley, who worked to improve the conditions and treatment of people with mental health problems - visit https://www.samh.org.uk/ about-us/centenary to find out more.

To mark the occasion, we’re delighted to be planning The Big 100 – a virtual event where you can earn our specially-designed, jumbo-sized medal! It follows the success of our own 20th Birthday Virtual 5K last year. We hope lots of jogscotland members will sign up to take part, celebrating the SAMH centenary, and enjoying getting active in exchange for that all-important race bling! It gives you something to work towards this spring/summer, and proceeds will help support jogscotland’s work in getting the nation active.

For The Big 100, we want you to Choose your Challenge – and it can be anything which features the number 100! Think of something which will get you walking, jogging, running or pushing, and pose a bit of a challenge. Some ideas might be:

• Add up your exercise, and walk, jog, run or push a total of 100K, over a period of time.

• Get together with your jogging buddies and cover a total of at least 100K on the same day – perhaps 20 people from your jogscotland group will do 5K each, or 10 of you could attempt 10K.

• Find and photograph 100 items on a theme while you run – 100 trees, or blue things, or shops.

• Jog leaders identify a series of 100-themed locations in your town (for example, five different addresses where the street numbers all add up to 100) and challenge members to run between them all, taking a selfie at each to prove they made it. Make sure to use addresses which you know won’t mind being included and photographed!

Entries for the event will open a little later in the year, but we wanted to give you a heads-up now, so that you can start to dream up your challenge. Keep an eye on our website and social media and we’ll let you know when you can sign up to receive your medal!

Half Marathon

One of the first big events of the road running calendar is Inverness Half Marathon, which this year took place on 12 March. We always love seeing jogscotland members taking part! Congratulations to everyone who braved a particularly chilly race day – we hope you had a fantastic day and are proud of yourselves for getting out and running.

How Frame Running got me moving again

By Julie McElroy, Victoria Park City of Glasgow

Six years ago, I was robbed of my mobility following a traumatic accident. I also have cerebral palsy, which affects my walking and co-ordination, along with speech and hearing impairments. I wear two hearing aids on a daily basis. Prior to my accident, I was involved in a variety of volunteer roles, physical challenges, cycling, swimming, assisting in the leadership of excursions for those with disabilities, Duke of Edinburgh Award ambassador, and many other activities. I understood how important it was for my disability to be physically active. The accident had a significant impact on my ability to maintain this level of devotion to my fitness, with the constant pain having a noticeable demoralising effect on me. Three years ago, I started looking into adaptive sports that would allow me to become involved with sports again. My neighbour Nicola is a physiotherapist who has worked with athletes with disabilities. She suggested I try frame running and seated throws, and signposted me to Victoria Park Glasgow Athletics Club. Frame running (which was previously known as RaceRunning) is an athletic discipline for disabled athletes or ‘racerunners’. Athletes use a running bike – a three-wheeled frame with a saddle, body support and most notably, no pedals. The club is based at Scotstoun Stadium and leisure centre, where I had been using the gym for last sixteen years. It’s four minutes from my doorstep in the car. I was apprehensive about trying the adaptive sport of frame running as the impact of the injury left me in chronic pain and prone to feeling nauseous. My confidence was also diluted too.

Julie at parkrun with Victoria Park Roadrunners

When Nicola and I met Gordon Innes, a coach at Victoria Park Glasgow AC, it was a door into the unknown of being able to go on a frame runner and build up trust, with Gordon understanding my needs and capabilities. Two years later, Gordon and I have built a formidable pathway to enjoy my freedom on my own frame runner, and we train regularly together at the Scotstoun track. It wasn’t long before I volunteered to secure over £14k of grant funding for the club to buy some frame running trikes. Gordon relished the opportunity of having athletes with physical disabilities – and his perseverance and hard work have paid off. It has also required discipline from me in keeping myself pain free and the frame runner gives me that relief. I feel very fortunate to have met another outstanding individual in Gordon, who is generous with his time, a wealth of experience and empathy that he could work with my challenges. He has helped rebuild and shape my next chapter in my life. My future is brighter.

Frame running has given me freedom, and I access the track on a daily basis. The frame runner compensates for the challenges I faces in keeping myself fit. It’s been a game changer to be able to enjoy recreational pursuits again. The challenges of frame running are the specialist equipment itself - my frame runner was custom-made in Denmark. After a conversation with Gordon, it was suggested that I would be better suited to having my own frame runner, and continues over

With coach Gordon

How FrameRunning got me moving again continued

looking back, it was one of the most expensive decisions I’ve ever made, but would be key to keeping me mobile.

Eighteen months later, after Gordon improved my technique on the frame runner, I took my frame running venture further to join the club’s jogscotland group, Victoria Park Road Runners, at the Victoria Park parkruns. I wanted to experience the camaraderie with fellow runners. Parkruns offer inclusivity in the community and everyone is supportive and encouraging. The terrain is different from track sessions but it is good stamina and endurance workout. Presently, I don’t train with the Victoria Park Road Runners as it is too dangerous on pavements which aren’t suitable, however with lighter nights coming, I hope to join them on their own park runs in the evenings. I’m an advocate of equality, inclusion and accessibility and am keen to ensure that people with disabilities such as frame runners are part of mainstream events. It is about working with organisers and educating people what is realistically possible and feasible. I’m keen to improve the integration of frame running into events. Clubs across Scotland are good at including athletes with disabilities so running events should follow suit.

I’m now keen to explore what other sports I can get involved with. Recently, I was asked if I would take my frame running exploits to another level by doing the Glasgow Kiltwalk in April, and I jumped at the opportunity! The funds raised will go to the club, to buy a new para throws chair.

Joining the club has been a lifeline for me, as I’ve found new ways to become involved with sports again through adaptive sports. To anyone else in the same situation, I’d say be bold and join your local running club!

We love Jeffing!

By Christine Garvie, jog leader with Dunfermline

Jeffing - ‘What on earth is Jeffing?’ I hear you say! Well, it’s not a substitute for a sweary word, but a training technique that’s been around for 50 years. Founded by Olympian Jeff Galloway, it is basically a jog-walk technique similar to intervals which can be used to gradually get people fit for the transition to more continuous jogging or, as with our Jeffing section at jogscotland Dunfermline, to provide a manageable activity for those content to just jog-walk for fitness. It is even used successfully by some people to achieve longer distances, such as half and full marathons.

Our group members especially like the walking part of the session as it gives them time not only to recover but to have quick and often humorous, light-hearted chatting with their running buddies, keeping the group morale high at all times. As a ‘getting slower’ septuagenarian jog leader, I find that using this method allows greater flexibility with the training and enables me to keep going forward, while the younger, faster members use the walking interval to reverse and regroup. We can easily accommodate members returning from illness or injury, and it all comes together on a session evening to provide a way of achieving fitness and wellbeing, which many of us are in great need of at the moment.

How did it start?

When Jeff Galloway found himself coaching a group of beginner runners back in 1973, he quickly realised that incorporating walk breaks would enable them to build their abilities gradually, without getting exhausted or injured. It’s the same principle that jogscotland’s own Learn to Run programme is built on! Galloway soon realised that, for many people, these alternating walk/jog intervals were a good way to continue running long term, with quicker recovery, avoiding injury and in some cases making them faster than when they were running non-stop! He suggests Jeffers take time to work out the exact walk/jog ratio that will work best for them - find out more at http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/run-walk/

Jeff Galloway JSD’s Jeffers

First Aid training now mandatory for all jog leaders

When applying for or renewing a jog leader licence, leaders must now take the appropriate level of first aid training for their group’s activities.

UK Athletics and the Home Country Athletics Federations (including jogscotland’s parent organisation, scottishathletics) have announced that new mandatory first aid training will be introduced for all jog leaders whose licences are due for renewal from April 2023.

In 2019 UK Athletics introduced mandatory safeguarding training for all coaches and leaders. This has helped licenced coaches and leaders identify those who might be vulnerable, recognise signs of abuse and neglect, and determine the most appropriate course of action.

UKA has also now revised its policy on first aid provision for leaders and coaches so that it is aligned with the Health & Safety Executive requirements. As a result, there will be a requirement from 1 April 2023 for UKA Licensed leaders and coaches to have an appropriate level of first aid training, based on the activity and environment in which they operate. First aid training should remain current and is therefore renewable every three years in line with the re-licensing process.

Further information on the first aid requirement can be found at https://www.uka.org.uk/coaching/first-aid-faqs/

There is a guide to renewing your jog leader licence at https://jogscotland.org.uk/jog-leaders/safeguarding-licensing-jog-leaders/

Queries regarding first aid and safeguarding training should be directed to coachdevelopment@uka.org.uk

Book corner

Jog leader with Anster Allsorts, George Findlay, dips into the ever-growing genre of ‘books about running’ and reviews some of his favourites.

A Head for Running – Inside my ultra-marathon triumphs and disasters by William Sichel

On reading his autobiography, I suspect that I am not the only one who has not heard of this truly remarkable British ultradistance athlete. William Sichel is a phenomenon of distance running, having represented Great Britain many times and is a former 100K world champion for his age group. Based in Orkney, where he ran his first half marathon in 1992, he has since run 110 ultramarathons.

William’s initial sporting achievements were in table tennis, representing Scotland in the European Championships in 1980. Having switched to running, the book charts

William’s highs and lows on his journey to become a top class ultrarunner.

There are setbacks related to injury, diet, nutrition and personal loss but many triumphs of age group wins and world records. Chapters reveal his training methods and preparation for races such as the world’s longest race, the Sri Chinmoy 3,100-mile race in New York and the 48-hour race in the Bislett Indoor International Endurance Festival in which he became MV60 world record holder running 196.1 miles.

William’s race accounts are very detailed and his efforts almost superhuman. The 3,100-mile race involved running the equivalent of 118 marathons in 50 days and he became the first person to run the North Coast 500 route (8 days, 19 hours, 7 minutes). By 2020 William had achieved a lifetime 773 ultrarunning records, including 104 world age-group records.

This is a very enlightening book on endurance running and the mindset of an ultrarunning champion.

The Race Against Time – Adventures in Late-Life Running by Richard Askwith

As an official OAP, and firmly in the MV65 category, this was the book I have been waiting for. Like myself and about the same age, Richard Askwith is a life-long runner now having selfdoubt about declining ability and the ageing process which is affecting his running. In this book, Richard’s quest is to find out if it is possible to slow down this process to run longer and possibly better.

Inspired by attending the European Masters Athletics Championships, Richard interviews experts in sports science, coaches and many Masters athletes. Masters are athletes over 35 years, going up in 5-year age bands. Some interviewed were Masters world champions and record holders in distances from 100m to marathons, aged up to over 100 years old.

The interviews with the athletes are the most inspiring, especially in the older categories. Their achievements are incredible, such as Elena Pagu, the world record holder in 100m at FV90 and FV95 categories. Some have overcome huge personal adversity in their lives but their love of the freedom of running, the feelgood factor and the late-life challenges have kept them going.

Based on his research and findings, Richard adjusts his training regime to participate in the World Masters Championships in 2022. Will the experience prove life-affirming or will it end in disappointment?

Throughout the book, the message is to keep on running and don’t stop. The positive physical, mental and social benefits will always be there, at whatever age, even more so as you get older. This is a particularly inspiring book for everyone, not just older runners. An excellent read!

• A Head for Running is published by published by The Orcadian (Kirkwall Press) 2022. Available to buy online from The Orcadian Bookshop https://www.orcadian.co.uk/shop/ priced £23.49.

• The Race Against Time is published by Vintage Publishing

Transforming lives –Running help me control diabetes

By Pam Thomson

Athletics Trust Scotland is a charity that aims to support the development of athletics and running in Scotland through fundraising activities. The charity’s Transforming Lives project aims to increase participation in areas of higher deprivation and within underrepresented groups in Scotland. It hopes to access grant, corporate and legacy funding support.

ATS is sharing inspiring stories of people whose lives were transformed by running, including Pam Thomson, who went from reluctant runner to falling in love with the sport – and controlled her diabetes along the way.

My love for running began as result of a health scare about 12 years ago. I had been feeling very tired, falling asleep after my tea almost every evening. My doctor ran some tests, and it was a huge shock when he told me I was had Type 2 diabetes. The advice was to change my lifestyle to avoid becoming insulin or drug dependent. I was really disappointed in myself, neglecting my health and wellbeing to this point.

I saw the diabetic nurse at my practice who assured me with a better diet and exercise regime I could manage my diagnosis without medication indefinitely. And

so it started, I was very unfit, overweight and my motivation was zero. I reluctantly joined a jogscotland group at Aberdeen Sports Village, planning to go along for the 6-week introductory block only, hoping to stop my friend nagging me to go! On the first night we had to fill in a questionnaire and one question asked what sport you least enjoyed, my response was running!

That very quickly changed, and I swiftly fell in love with running and a lot of that is down to the support I received from my diabetic nurse (Gill) and the staff at ASV (Kyle and his colleagues). Thanks to them I was motivated and confident to set and achieve so many goals: Significant weight-loss, vastly improved health (I’ve never needed that insulin or other diabetes medication), signing-up for and completing first 5Ks, then 10Ks, an aquathon and even a handful of half marathons. I added swimming and different fitness classes to my regime and, not only loved exercise, but loved how much better I felt and looked.

From March through to November I’m regularly off on my local travels to running events and as a result I’ve made many new friends, enjoyed four-seasons-inone day on countless occasions and amassed a fair haul of medals – that’s my motivation – I never look at the elevation of a race route, the entry fee is a secondary consideration, my primary concern is if there’s a medal.

In October 2015 I ran my first half marathon - the Royal Parks HM in London, dubbed Britain’s most beautiful half marathon. It was a big birthday year for me and as I love London it seemed ideal, so I entered the ballot, and landed a place. This run takes in some of the capital’s world-famous landmarks, all on closed roads and including four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens. The medal was my first sustainable one - made from wood from the trees felled as part of the Royal Parks tree management policy.

I also decided it was a fantastic opportunity to raise money for charity, so I ran for Diabetes Scotland who provided me with a running vest, training plan and lots of encouragement. I asked people to sponsor me and to select their favourite song which I made into my playlist for race day. I raised £1,200 with the help and support of family, friends and my colleagues at work, and it was fitting that I crossed the finish line whilst my husband’s choice was playing – he is my biggest supporter. Diabetes Scotland also selected a picture of me on the start line of RPHM to feature on one of their fundraising posters (see image on previous page).

In recent years the medals, and the race events too, have become more sustainable, so the number of wooden medals is increasing rapidly. I’ve over seventy medals, all hanging in my office. They add a real splash of colour as all the ribbons are assorted colours.

First up for 2023 is the annual Newburgh Beach Bash, a local favourite that sells out within hours – that is another buzz you get from running – securing a place in the most popular races! After that, my running diary is currently empty, but I doubt it will stay that way for long!

It is hard to describe how running has changed my life – its not all about physical fitness and mental health, it is about fresh air, scenery, nature, friendship and the feeling of achievement. I never thought I would be a runner, or a poster girl or a writer – running has brought me a lot of joy! That initial diagnosis has a great deal to be thankful for – I was determined to control the diabetes, and not let it control me, and I successfully do, and I hope with running I still will.

David Syme

Jogging along by

Back in action

“Go on, you can do it! Not far now! Keep going! Nearly there!”

I encouraged myself as I ran. I was not pushing myself for the last 5K of a long run or race, or the last few metres to the top of a hill, I was lamp-posting along the flat, tarmac cycle path between Corstorphine and Balgreen. My strategy was to run for two gaps between the posts, then walk for two. The encouragement was needed as I approached the end of my second gap of running. My breathing was heavy and I felt very sluggish. This was my first run after a long period of inactivity culminating in a hip replacement.

It had been a wee thrill lacing up my trainers, another to set the mobile phone app, then a long, brisk walk to the chosen start point. Then, how weird it felt to be running again! Well, it was more of an ugly shuffle, but hey! Then another thrill when I met a runner coming towards me. I was able to give a cheerful greeting, one runner to another, instead of the wistful look or a half-hearted wave from someone “off games”.

I had asked my surgeon about returning to running. He had shrugged and told me just to be sensible about what I tackled. On this first outing I asked my body, and especially the injured hip, if it was happy to be back running. The answer was a subdued “Yes, but don’t go mad.” That’s good enough.

I ran 3.77K in 46 minutes, but that time included a stop at the paper shop and a few minutes of chat with Gordon and his dog Ida. I was delighted. My second outing will come soon; I will run for two gaps, walk for one, then on the third session I will run three, walk one, then the outing after that…

It’s good to be back.

Walk, jog, run with jogscotland

Get fit and have fun with our sociable, supportive jogging groups for all levels – beginners welcome! Affordable, friendly sessions with trained Jog Leaders.