Why Running?

In September 2015 I decided to take up running. I had been running an orienteering club at school and enjoyed watching the children compete. I have always had a love for maps, Geo-Cashing and treasure hunt activities so orienteering was an attractive option for me to compete in during the winter season when my first love of cricket was not happening. Running enabled me to get fitter and compete better.

I was also concerned by my weight. I always used to think that BMI was irrelevant and not a real test of healthy weight. But I began to notice at professional cricket and rugby matches that athletes who I always considered bigger than me on tv, were in reality built much slimmer.

I clearly remember stepping on the scales in August 2015 and seeing the scale measure 92.9kg, well above what I realised was a healthy weight.
These factors combined caused me to take up running.

At a similar point in time my wife Claire was investigating the benefits of whole foods, and the impact of sugar on our health. Incidentally this was shortly before the media explosion into the harmful effects sugar can have. She would spend hours telling me about the harm processed foods have and the hidden killer that is sugar. She then adapted our family’s diet.

She set out the following rules:

1. We were only allowed 1 “sometimes food” a day
2. There were to be no sugary drinks or cereals
3. No low fat, or processed foods.
4. We would make our own bread
5. Buy whole foods, with less than 5 ingredients.
6. Where advisable, buy organic.

By December I had lost 12kg and weighed 81kg. This was the primary objective to make my BMI move into the ‘Healthy’ range. I now took running more seriously and could see the benefits improving; my 5km times in September were about 29 minutes (if I stopped my watch half way round while I had a quick break!) but by December I was running a 5km in 27.5mins, and I was finding it much easier. I found myself less lethargic, I was more active in and around school. 

My goals and motives for running are:

• To gain a top 1000 ranking in the GB Orienteering list. 
• To run a marathon, preferably the London one.
• To possibly improve my cricket. 
• Visit parts of the countryside I wouldn’t other wise see.
• To have a health body in the “healthy” BMI range.
• To give me a competitive sport over the winter.
• To assist my mental health. 

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