Parkrun got the whole family running

How parkrun introduced a whole family to the joy of running

One runner launched his local parkrun and it wasn't long before his extended family followed suit.

by Sam Murphy, Lindsay Blair

Photography by Ben Knight

When Andy Fisher launched the Albert parkrun in Middlesbrough, eight years ago, the whole family was dragged along to help out. ‘We had 26 runners at the first event,’ says Andy, a keen runner, who stumbled upon parkrun while on a work trip to London. The Middlesbrough event soon became a weekly ritual for the extended family. Tracey Quinn, Andy’s sister-in-law, was there on day one to volunteer. ‘I never thought I’d end up actually running,’ says the 49-year-old. ‘But 5K seemed achievable. Initially my sister June and I would run a minute, walk a minute, but it went from there and we soon got the bug!’
It took Tracey’s niece, Louise (June’s daughter) a little longer to be convinced. ‘At first I and my two cousins Alice and Lily just didn't understand why anyone would want to put themselves through the pain,’ she laughs. It was her mum’s diagnosis with breast cancer in 2009 that led to Louise run. She took part in a Race for Life with her aunt and cousins to support June, who cheered them on from the sidelines.
Running also helped June regain her strength after the cancer treatment. ‘Going down to parkrun, even when I couldn’t run, raised my spirits and gave us a chance to spend time together as a family,’ she says.
The family’s running exploits have gone far beyond the 5K mark. ‘In 2012 I, mum, Tracey and Alice signed up for the Great North Run,’ says Louise. ‘It was on the date that would have been our late nanna’s birthday, so it felt just right. We trained together, which was brilliant.
It was very emotional when we crossed the finish line – the four of us broke down in a sobbing mess.’
Tracey has taken over from Andy as parkrun event director. ‘I just love the many friends I have met through running and parkrun,’ she says. ‘I’m a believer in completing, not competing, and I encourage runners of all abilities and ages.’ Even her 16-year-old daughter, Lily, has succumbed, completing her first half marathon in May this year.

This October, Tracey will clock up her seventh marathon, in York. And earlier this year she, Louise and June took on the London Marathon. ‘Mum was plagued by injuries and struggled with the longer runs in training, but we were the three musketeers and we were going to do this!’ says Louise. ‘Race morning was the most surreal morning of my life! There I was with my 58-year-old “marathon virgin” mum, about to run the world’s best marathon. We ran the whole way together and crossed the line holding hands, in tears. We found the rest of the family waiting with champagne and as we stood there I thought about how far we’d all come together. I can’t imagine our lives without running.’

The Trouble With The Treadmill

The treadmill is a tempting option when the cold weather begins to bite, but it shouldn’t completely replace your outdoor running

As the cold weather and longer nights set in, we all tend to hibernate a little.
Moving our training to indoor sessions on the treadmill is one of the easiest switches people frequently make.
Is this potentially a recipe for muscle imbalances and injuries? It’s certainly worth thinking of the implications of training exclusively on treadmills before you embark on a winter indoors.
When we run outside, the ground beneath us does not move; it provides a solid surface that opposes the forces placed upon it by the sole of your foot. Running outside, we use our hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles to push off against the ground.
When we run on a treadmill, however, the ground underneath us moves freely away from the foot. The problem here is that when the foot has nothing to push against, it just flows away from the body effortlessly. The hamstrings, glutes and lower back are no longer required to produce large amounts of effort, so they activate far less.
“Why is that a problem?” I hear you ask.
Well, your glutes are one of the major stabilisers of your spine. If they are not firing, then you are creating a situation where your quads and hip flexors are doing all the work.
If you spend an entire winter indoors, then start moving outside in the spring, you have created a big risk factor for injury by over-recruiting your front muscle groups and under-recruiting your rear muscles.
I see a lot of hamstring tendon problems in March and April due to hamstrings suddenly being asked to switch from doing 10K indoors to 10K outdoors. Your cardiovascular system will cope, but your muscular system will not.

3 ways to avoid muscular imbalances

1. Train smart: do shorter sessions outdoors to avoid the worst of the bad weather
2. Cross-train: use bad weather as an excuse to go and work on your deficiencies (weak core, poor flexibility, etc)
3. Mix’n’match: try to limit your treadmill sessions to 50% of your total running time

8 ways to be a more positive runner

Approach a run with a positive outlook – you’ll improve your health and your performance.

by Diane Stopyra

Getty Images

We run to release the tension of a bad day. We run when we feel down and need a pick-me-up. We run to silence the inner critic who tells us we aren’t clever, talented or slim enough. And it works. Thanks to those wondrous morphine-like chemicals called endorphins, running is a surefire way to lift your mood when you feel stressed, sad or insecure. But if you use running only as a coping mechanism to escape negativity, you’re missing out.  ‘Exercise doesn’t just improve happiness; happiness can improve exercise performance,’ says Alfred Bove, professor emeritus of medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, US. Sure, not every day can be rainbows and butterflies, but by making an effort to approach your workouts with a positive, upbeat attitude, you’ll run better than if you set out feeling dark. ‘We tend to think of being joyful as a personality trait, but it’s actually a skill you can acquire,’ says sociologist Dr Christine Carter, author of The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work (Ballantine Books). Here’s how to set yourself up for a good run.
Eat well
You’re used to thinking of food as muscle fuel. But good nutrition is also important for feeding your brain, says Dr Drew Ramsey, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York City and co-author of The Happiness Diet (Rodale). ‘It’s impossible to feel positive in a sustained way if you’re low on nutrients such as magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron and vitamin D.’ Mood-boosting foods include kale, oysters, mussels, pumpkin seeds, Greek yoghurt and dark chocolate.
Sleep
It’s hard to feel excited to run when you’re exhausted. Although sleep needs vary, consistently getting less than your optimal amount (usually six to eight hours) can affect how you process a positive experience. In one study, people who were sleep-deprived did not feel happy or proud after an achievement compared with the experience of a group that had had more sleep.
Belly breathe
Activating the vagus nerve – which runs from the brain to the abdomen – produces a calming effect. Deep, controlled ‘belly breathing’ can help stimulate it. Inhale deeply while counting to five, then exhale very slowly while pursing your lips.
Press play
It’s well documented that music can distract athletes from pain and fatigue. In fact, Costas Karageorghis, of Brunel University, who has studied the exercise and music connection extensively, wrote in a review of the research that music could be considered a ‘legal performance-enhancing drug’.
Mantra up
Negative thoughts (such as ‘This is boring’, ‘I don’t want to do this’ and ‘I’m just not fit enough’) will increase muscle tightness and this, in turn, intensifies the sensation of pain, says Jim Afremow, author of The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive (Rodale). At the start of a run or race – or whenever you hit a rough patch – repeat a positive phrase over and over, such as, ‘Stay strong’, ‘Light and quick’ or ‘Relax and roll’.
Be social
Pre-race jitters can sap you of energy and hurt your performance. Afremow says it’s a good idea to chat to other runners at the starting area about their training and what they hope to accomplish in the race. ‘It gets you out of your head and distracts you by focusing on them,’ he says. Plus, research shows that offering encouragement to others improves your own mood and well-being.
Buy a good time
Experiential purchases – but, sadly, not materialistic ones – have been shown to boost happiness levels. Booking a running or fitness holiday in an exciting place, signing up for a fun run with a group of buddies or treating yourself to a relaxing massage after a hard period of training can help you feel more positive about your running life.
Explore nature
Trade your time on the treadmill for the trails whenever you can. Being in the great outdoors improves cognition, mood and health. One study found that simply looking at a lake or a river can induce feelings of calmness. Plus, increasing vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) by absorbing the sun’s rays helps produce a happier disposition. And you don’t even have to be outside to feel the benefits of nature. A study at Rutgers University, US, found that receiving flowers produced heartfelt smiles in study subjects, and they also reported greater levels of happiness for the following three days.

TIPS FOR RUNNING IN FANCY DRESS

9 tips for running in fancy dress

We spoke to two Supermans and a rhino to get the lowdown on how to run in costume.

Gorilla Steve takes on his local trails. Getty Images

1/ Practise in your outfit before the big day

You know the rules - nothing new on race day, hilarious costumes included. Take your fancy dress out for a test run before your goal race – maybe a local 10K if you’re aiming for a half marathon. ‘This will bring to light all manner of awfulness such as how animals respond to you, where it rubs, chafes and generally mashes up tender bits of your body,’ says Jim Mowatt, who horns his way through Parkruns in a rhino costume to fundraise for Save the Rhino International.

2/ Adapt your costume

Once you’ve undertaken your test run, make tweaks to your fancy dress if necessary. ‘Though I had to lose a little cuteness, the tail of my rhino costume made me want to massacre everyone within a five mile radius after only about 5 minutes! I had to unfortunately tuck it up and out of the way,’ Mowatt says.

3/ Get lubed up

As with any running attire, costume material rubbing repeatedly can result in nasty chafing. After probably finding out the hard way where this is likely to occur during your practise race, you can safeguard your skin by lubing up with Vaseline or a specialist anti-chafe product such as BodyGlide. Make sure you use plenty while you’re at it – ‘Better to be safe than chafe!’ says marathoner Tim Jones, who's taken on 20 events in full Superman attire.

4/ Set your sights low

Let’s be honest, if you’re dragging round a hefty costume for miles and miles, it’s not the day to be aiming for a PB. ‘If your costume weighs a lot, you will have to allow extra time when competing,’ says John Wallace, who’s undertaken 297 marathons since 1986 dressed in his very own Superman ensemble.

5/ Think practical

Take into account practical issues such as how you’ll get to the toilet – easier said than done in an all-in-one get-up. If your costume covers your head or includes a mask, make sure you can drink in it without it causing you major bother. If they obscure your vision (for example, a Big Ben outfit), get a running buddy to accompany you. ‘Having a friend that can help prevent you ploughing through the crowd and causing a major incident is not a bad idea!’, Mowatt recommends.
Bear in mind that if your costume if particularly hot or heavy, that can bring its own issues. ‘Take care not to overhydrate, but remember you might sweat more and thus need to drink more,’ advises Jones.

6/ Prepare for form to take a hit

If you’re in a particularly heavy or bulky costume, it may be very difficult to maintain your usual running form. Until you’re confident you can get through a long distance without compromising technique and risking injury, stick to shorter races or, dare we say, less outrageous costumes. To give yourself the best chance out there, get in relevant training – Jones suggests running with a weighted backpack.

7/ Include activewear

Most fancy dress costumes are designed for no more activity than swanning from party to party, so they aren’t made from optimal running materials. Mowatt suggests wearing a dry-fit or similar short-sleeved technical running top underneath to help reduce sweat saturation, plus a headband to keep sweat out your eyes.

8/ Choose your race

While it’s not uncommon to see a multitude of costumed runners at any big race, some events go all out on the fancy dress vibes. Surrey Bacchus Half Marathon and France’s Medoc Marathon are both fancy dress extravaganzas (with a little wine added for good measure).

9/ Enjoy!

In amongst a sea of sweaty, tired runners, you are a dazzling mermaid (figuratively, and perhaps literally). ‘Crowds love the effort you have put in to run in fancy dress and engage with you,’ says Jones. If you can get past the physical effort of running in full costume, soak up the atmosphere, high five the spectators and enjoy the experience!

I though this was a  great blog, found on the runners world.  YOU COULD ALWAYS TRY A VIRTUAL RUN IN FANCY DRESS AND WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE PHOTOS.