Reflecting on the year that was 2022

My parkrun Birthday (yes, it IS a thing!)

Great North Run - Ruth’s reflection

So, the dream that began on my sofa watching the Great North Run culminated in us running our race on Sunday 11 September…finishing it. Thinking back over such a momentous weekend, it’s hard to find the words to express what completing GNR means to me and how much this entire journey has shifted my perspective.

 

Despite all the training and preparation, GNR seemed to creep up on me and I did not feel prepared. I’d been busy with work, I’d had exams and I got injured. Although my physio told me I could participate, I still had to be careful. I had to tape my achilles and walk portions of the run. I felt I hadn’t trained much and I was nervous. Add to that the Queen’s passing and for a moment, we wondered if the race would even go ahead. All of this made me anxious but the real route of my nerves was born out of a fear of not finishing. 

I was fine about walking, fine about the crowds and, if anything, quite excited about the event. But what if I couldn’t finish? What if I had to face all those who had given so much to us in donations and tell them I’d jumped on the bus at mile 6 and hadn’t completed the race? 

 

We travelled down to Newcastle full of laughs and anticipation. It was a joy to be sharing the weekend with Sam and Katy who had both been such a huge part of my journey along-side the other 2 forces that make up the dream Team Rikobel. We were joined  by my husband who was pretty strong and stoic in the face of 5 uber-expressive women. We had a wonderful 2 day race prep attending local parkruns and enjoying great food, company and laughs. Yet I didn’t dare express my real nerves. I texted a few friends back home silently admitting that I was worried about not finishing. Then I just prayed and hoped for the best. 

 

The morning of the race flashed by in a blur; dropping our bags, finding our start line and just like that Team Rikobel were on our way. As we crossed the line, Nik said,

‘this is what dream realisation feels like Ruth, you are realising your dream!’

And she was right.  I knew then that whatever happened, I had to finish this race; it was the real lap of honour following all our hard work.

 

People tell you about the magic of GNR, they tell you about the crowds, the live bands, the love, the positive energy, the masses shouting your name, the incredible sights and stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things for charity and those they love. People tell you all that but nothing prepares you for the true wonder of GNR; you just have to drown in it for yourself. People screamed my name and, through smiles and tears, I screamed thanks back cheering them on, lapping up the love and feeding it forward. The cheers became wings on my feet and, though the injury niggled, I kept surging forward. The day became hot unbearably so at times but our incredibly Issy kept us cool. Rushing to collect ice poles from bystanders and  chucking ice water over me at each water station (I did tell her to, honest),

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know I’ve never really gained a working understanding of distance. So, given that and the injury issues, I’d asked the team not to tell me about mile/KM markers, ignorance was bliss in my view.  But, I knew the guide dog bus was at mile 6; when we reached it the tears began to flow. My biggest worry had been that I’d reach the half-way point with nothing left in the tank.  Instead, I reached the half-way point feeling like I could go on;  I started to believe I could finish.

The miles rolled on, I did tire and, as predicted, I had to walk. Isobel’s stride training meant I was able to keep the walks energised and strong, using long strides that made it easier to stretch out the injury and move back into running again when it loosened up.

8 miles became 9, then 10, then 11, and then we turned that famous corner that you see on TV, when the runners run down the hill and the sea finally comes into view. The breeze carried the salt air to me along with an even larger cheer from the crowd; the scent of a BBQ hung in the air- I was going to do this. Then, within what felt like seconds, we had crossed the line. We stood on the grass at the finish, in tears, overwhelmed crying and smiling from ear to ear. None of us had words, we just held each other in a group hug realising we had made it. Sam and Katy finished their run and we all spent a beautiful evening soaking up the energy in South Shields, sharing a fantastic meal and lots of celebratory vibes with Guide Dogs UK our chosen charity. 

 

I could write pages about the magic of the day- the people we met, the costumes we saw and the amazing laughs we enjoyed. If you are at parkrun over the next few weeks, you’ll hear it all from us 1000 times over. Ultimately, it comes down to exactly what Nik said to me at the start - dream realisation.

This incredible journey has taught me something I thought I knew, that dreams really can come true.  If you have a goal in mind and are prepared to work on it, anything is possible.  We all know this but dreams feel easy to realise when you are young. Perhaps, with age, we lose the confidence to follow our dreams and our hearts.  Perhaps we lose the certainty to believe in our gut, to believe that we have what it takes to change our own destiny. The moment that medal was hung around my neck, I realised it was true and made a new commitment to do exactly that. I also realised that it is critical for us to keep on raising the bar for ourselves in life, even more so if we have a disability, as society will never do that for us.

 

Most of all I realised that we truly are interdependent. The wonder of my journey is not what I achieved but the beauty of the component parts that brought it all together. From Andrea telling her co-worker about parkrun, who reached out to Moira and put us in touch. To everyone at Strathclyde parkrun who welcomed me into such a loving, passionate and inclusive community. To everyone who has guided me on my runs (we counted 14 at the last count and its growing all the time), everyone who has volunteered and cheered me over the line, to all those who donated to our page and shared our story far and wide. Before this journey, I tended to compartmentalise my connections never getting too close to anyone for fear of not really being seen or accepted. The parkrun family gave me an equal and affirming space in which I could simply be myself, that has been the biggest miracle/light on the path.

 

Most of all, I owe the biggest thanks to Nik and Isobel for everything they did to make this dream a reality. Their kindness, support, organisation, logistical planning (because I have absolutely none), and their unshaken belief in me is truly humbling and inspiring. My thanks to Nik for being an amazing friend, for her patience and passion on the journey, for all the late night runs after work, for all the deep chats, the hugs, the coffee and the laughs - you are a friend for life.

To Issy, for being an inspiring guide, for giving me back my childhood love of free running, for being a great baker, for being all round ‘mum’ to our group and keeping us right and being an utterly phenomenal wing woman on Sunday- we could not have done it without you!

 

Some of you might be asking so what next? Up till now, I’d always truly believed that GNR was my goal and once done I’d be happy to revert back to my spectator sport of watching runs from the comfort of my sofa; both Nik and I agree that vision2run can’t end here. We don’t know exactly what next; I need to rehabilitate the injury and pass my finals.  We do know we want to do some awareness raising work, especially among visually impaired children and families. We want to share the joy of running I’ve discovered with so many others. We want to continue the blog and I, for one, want to cash in on Nik’s exceptional marketing skills demonstrated all over our socials.  Also …, I might have signed up for the GNR Ballot reminder service for 2023 … ya know, … for information purposes only!

We don’t know exactly what’s on the horizon but we know there is more to do.  I know for sure that parkrun has been the best part of my journey and will be a key part of my life forever.

Thank you each and everyone of you for making my dream come true. You are all beautiful people and I could not have done this without you.

Guide Dogs for the Blind

When I first committed to doing the Great North Run, I knew I wanted to do it for a charity. Part of my attraction to GNR was sparked by the volume of funds raised while having an amazing run and a lot of fun.

The issue was what charity to support. There is so much that needs to be done in the world, there are so many things that matter to me. When I met Nik, this added a new dimension. Whilst we are passionate about many of the same issues, inspired by our own life and work experiences we support different charities.   We could have run for different organisations but the partnership element is key to everything we do and so, we wanted a charity that represented both of us.

I’d been putting this decision off really unsure how to pin it down. The final decision was made on New Year’s Day over coffee (aren’t all good decisions made that way?). We had been to the New Year’s Day parkrun (by far the best start to a New Year I’ve ever had). During the post-run coffee (the best part), conversation turned to the various run challenges the parkrun pals had coming up during 2022; GNR being one of them.  I mentioned that I was really hoping I’d achieve my GNR dream this year, but of course, it was all dependant on what happened with the ballot.  It was Isobel who told me about the GNR charity sponsors who have a number of guaranteed places for those who fundraise for them.  She suggested I take a look at the list and consider applying that way. Sam brought up the list and 3rd from the top was Guide Dogs UK.  Something clicked inside my head, this seemed like the perfect charity fit for us.

Guide Dogs are a charity close to my heart perhaps for obvious reasons. I don’t personally have a guide dog yet. Training for a dog is intense and takes time but its definitely on my to-do list after I finish my degree. Through my work and friendship groups, I’ve seen first-hand what a difference having a guide dog can make giving a blind person increased independence and confidence, rather like running has done for me.

 

Like many charities, Guide Dogs have been hit hard by the pandemic. Their inability to train during covid lockdowns meant that many blind applicants couldn’t get a dog at all. Many of the new puppies lined up to be trained had to be rehomed as the training window had passed for them due to inactivity. One of my work colleagues had to retire his dog during 2021 due to ill health. He has a very active lifestyle with 2 small children and a job that has him flying the length of the UK on a weekly basis. His guide dog is pivotal for all he does however he has been told that he may need to wait up to 3 years for a suitable match. This has, quite literally, thrown his life into a state of flux. Taking his kids to school, or going to the train station have all become major challenges. He now uses a white cane to get around, as I do, however he hasn’t had to use one for many years.  Re-learning this skill takes so much longer. Increased funding will enable the charity to address this shortfall, acquire more potential guide dogs and employing additional staff to train the dogs and their human companions.

 

Guide Dogs do much more than training and matching guide dogs to new owners. They also support blind people with rehabilitation skills, training them in the use of a long cane so that they are fully independent while waiting for a dog. They can help with daily living skills for those with newly acquired sight loss, and do a range of awareness raising work to create improved built environments for the visually impaired and for guide dog users. Funding helps to support all of these areas making a massive difference to so many. It creates a legacy simply by supporting people to maximise their potential through mobility and independence. 

 

To me, my journey with Nik was representative of all of these aspirations making Guide Dogs such a good fit for us. Running has empowered me, it has given me confidence, expanded my friendship circle, and enabled me to raise awareness of both running and sight loss in ways I never could have imagined. By being my guiding star, Nik has acted as my eyes; the way Guide Dogs do for their new owners turning their lives around. The work going on really mirrors our journey. On top of all that, Nik and I both adore dogs of all kinds; it was an effortless match all round. I registered to run for Guide dogs on that same New Year’s Day;  the rest is history. Well not quite as this is where we need your help.

 

To support our efforts for Guide Dogs, we have set up a fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/vision2run Already, we have been blown away by the generosity of friends, colleagues, family members; and all those beyond our circle who have heard about our efforts and offered their support. It would mean the world to Nik and I if you could support our efforts by making a donation. Any donation will make a tremendous difference to Guide Dogs and will truly inspire us to train hard and run strong for you at GNR. Even if you can’t support us financially, you could help us out massively by just sharing our fundraising link, spreading our story through any on or offline channels open to you encouraging others to help where they can.

In the coming weeks, our training will become more intense. We’ll be increasing distance to make sure we can run the entire 13.1 miles that is the Great North Run. We’ll have to think about how we keep hydrated and energised throughout the run. We’re not aiming to complete it in a particular time; we just want to enjoy our first joint experience of running a half marathon. We are already so thankful to everyone who has followed, shared and, hopefully, been inspired by our journey. You are the driving force behind every step we take. Thank you in advance for any support you can offer, it all makes a difference and really does motivate us as the big day gets ever closer.

With thanks and love,

Ruth and Nik (Team Rik) for Guide Dogs x

Thoughts on yoga and running

I’ve written briefly about yoga on the blog; I speak about it all the time. If you ask any of the parkrun family, I’m sure many tire of me singing its praises. For anyone who’s not had the talk, I wanted to share a little about why it means so much to me and how it could help you improve your running. If you’ve never wanted to go to a yoga class and don’t necessarily think yoga is for you, this is the blog for you  

 

I discovered yoga in 2016 after various unconnected contacts had recommended it to me. I knew roughly what yoga was but had little interest in it. This was largely due to my aversion to attending classes and being unable to see/understand what was being demonstrated.

After doing some research though, I realised that yoga has a rich tradition of being taught 1 to 1, directly from teacher to student, in precisely the manner I needed to be taught.  So, I went and found myself a teacher and decided to give it a go. My first class was tough, painful and awkward due to my complete lack of flexibility. Even with all those aches and pains, I already knew I was hooked and that yoga would be a practise for life.

 

Yoga is an Indian wellness practise which sits within the banner of Ayurveda,  an ancient school of healing similar to traditional Chinese medicine. Yoga practises are wide and varied with differing practise styles and lineages. Most have originated from India but some take their origins from Chinese Martial arts. There is some evidence to suggest that yoga was practised among tribes in Western and Northern Africa.

 

The school of yoga I mainly practise is ashtanga yoga. Ashtanga means 8 limbs, and of these 8 limbs, physical practises, known as asanas, form a small part. Arguably it is this part that is most relevant to us as runners.

The other 7 limbs are comprised of attributes (such as non-violence, non-attachment, discernment etc), as well as breath control, meditation and focus.

 

How can ashtanga yoga help me as a runner?

So, how can ashtanga yoga help us runners? On a physical level, the ashtanga primary series is fantastic for building strength, endurance and flexibility, which are all key for runners. It helps to open the upper body and the chest, while the breathing practises contained within the series help to build lung capacity which is critical for long, healthy runs. Many of us in the West breathe through our mouths, which can be detrimental to our health and can impede the breath when running. Ashtanga helps to build strong, deep nostril breathing as well as combining breath to sync with movement, which is key when running.

 

Practising ashtanga yoga was my first introduction to free movement, and I now realise I would not have had the confidence to run without this grounding. Ashtanga is mainly taught 1 on 1. Even in group classes, students will come and practise the sequence alone, at their own pace and according to their own ability. The teacher will come and adjust/give feedback, based on the students need, like a 1 to 1 in a group setting. This way of working really empowered me, but also helped me understand my own body movements in relationship to others, and improve my proprioception/understanding where my body was in space, critical if you’re doing a headstand. 

 

Practically though, ashtanga has kept me strong, resilient and relatively injury free. Lots of runners tell me they don’t practise yoga, because they aren’t flexible, which always makes me smile. After all, if we were flexible already, we wouldn’t need it.

Long runs will tend to tighten the hips, knees and ankles, but yoga is the perfect way to strengthen the muscles and reverse any tightness or unnecessary tension that we carry. 

 

The ashtanga yoga primary series can be off-putting, it takes about 90 minutes to complete, and a traditional student will practise 6 days a week, with 1 day off.  If you run, work and engage in other sports, you probably won’t have that time, or even the inclination.  That doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate elements of ashtanga yoga into your life to improve your runs.

 

Here are a few links to teachers I know and follow, and some of their resources you might use to get more familiar with yoga practises to improve your runs.

Leading Yoga teacher David Swenson created ‘short forms’ which are extracts derived from the primary series which makes fantastic warmups before any run, and only take about 15 minutes to complete when you know them well.  Check out one of his short forms here:

https://youtu.be/dAySDECiM90

Glasgow based yoga teacher Mark Russell works extensively to Taylor yoga practises to meet the needs of runners. In this blog post, he shares thoughts on why yoga is so important for athletes:

https://www.fionaoutdoors.co.uk/2013/10/guest-blog-benefits-of-yoga-for-runners-and-triathletes.html

Finally, when it comes to your warm downs, yoga can be just as helpful. I think we’re all guilty of missing out the stretches when we get home, but they are critical if you want to build flexibility and stay injury free. Slower yoga practises such as yin yoga, can be incredible for helping ease tired muscles and aid recovery post-run, try this lovely gentle weekend flow that will take you less than 30 mins.

https://youtu.be/6MFo7p-wtxA

 

I hope some of the above do inspire you to try incorporating some yoga into your fitness routine. I’d love to hear about ways in which you use yoga to improve your running.

Ruth X

Learning to Fly

It might sound strange to some but there were definitely a few years in my childhood where I didn’t really know I was blind. That is to say, the limitations and potential safety issues around having no sight were nowhere on my radar. During that time, I remember I ran about with friends; I knew my way to the playpark close to our house, I played hide and seek with the street kids, I climbed trees, fell over, ran into walls and ran across roads not really getting that cars wouldn’t stop for me.

Slowly, over time, and with my parents realising I had this blissful unawareness of danger, people gradually began to tame and restrict me. It was not their fault; free movement is obviously dangerous if you can’t see what is in front of you. Yet some free movement is necessary;  I didn’t register exactly what it was that I was losing because losing that childish care free attitude meant realising I was different in the eyes of society. It meant learning to walk with a cane, it meant trying to look/act sighted as far as possible. It meant missing out on sport/PE to learn braille and other practical life skills. It was years later, that I discovered yoga, and realised how much tension I held in my body. As I learned the ashtanga yoga primary series I found freedom in a degree of free movement once again.

The muscle memory began to return, the soul memory did too tugging at my heart and reminding me of a time when I had once ran all on my own with the wind in my hair.  A time that I wrote about here, a time when I ran all the way beyond the finish line at a school sports day. That was in the past though and wasn’t something I could ever get back … or was it?

Last Thursday and following our success at race for life, Isobel and I had agreed to meet up and train together. Isobel is a great coach;  she planned to do some drills with me - working on strides, slow jogs and fast sprints. I needed this to build up my confidence and balance. As part of her post injury recovery,  Isobel needed it too; so we were a perfect match.

On a quiet bank holiday morning, we headed over to the grassy football pitches a few mins from my house. The grass was firm enough to walk on, the pitches deserted owing to the holiday, the air cool and fresh. We did some slow jogs and slightly faster runs together. We worked on long strides and lunges, opening the knees and the hips. I was enjoying this, the movements similar to the yoga sequences with which I often begin my mornings. The soft, even grass was gentler on the feet and I enjoyed the feeling of boundless space and safety I felt around me.

Perhaps sensing this, Isobel casually said ‘why don’t you try some free running with me next to you? There are no obstacles here, no one else about, no trip hazards, what do you think?

That’s when I realised how wise Isobel was. I’d walked around this field with her several times by this point, I didn’t have to trust her word. I already knew the ground and she knew me. Her teaching/coaching instincts had got to the heart of something I didn’t even know I could still do, yet in that moment, it was all I wanted to do. I started to run, the wind blew over and through me. I smelled the dampness of the grass, breathed deep and ran, seeming to fly. Suddenly, having no sight was no barrier, in fact, I was seeing or feeling everything in HD; I was free flying and it felt brilliant.

After my first lap of the field, I just hugged Isobel; I didn’t have any words that came close to articulating what I felt. Reflecting on it now, it was just boundless joy, free, innocent and childlike. Yet there was nothing childish about it, because it was an adult, broken and bruised and blazing a trail. I was able to leave all my baggage at the end of the path and let go, be free, and fly over that grass. We covered a few more laps of the field as free runs even managing to work on turning technique. I improved my balance, and worked on use of my gaze point (yes, looking/facing where you are trying to go matters; even if you can’t see!) slowly my turns began to improve. 

I came home that day, letting Isobel know she had made my day, and letting everyone else know it too. From the neighbour I caught while putting out my washing to Katy who met me for coffee later that day; everyone got the story.

In the days since, I’ve reflected deeply on why that day was so special. There are the obvious elements of feeling free, capturing the enthusiasm of free running I’d not known since my childhood, but there are other more subtle qualities too. I’ve written before about trusting my guides but perhaps I don’t focus enough on trusting my own abilities. Nik has got to know me intuitively; she often calls me out on my lack of self-belief and rightly so. Others can tell you what you are capable of;  you can read and study and learn about running technique but ultimately, there must come a point when you believe you are a runner. When you trust your body and spirit to get you over the line. There is something else too, the element of surprise. By definition, surprise is just that, it is the joy of not knowing what is ahead. This can be naturally problematic if you can’t see (I don’t know there’s a tree ahead of me, I’d rather not face the surprise of running headlong into it!), but free running in this way gave me back that element of surprise and spontaneity, rather like you running out of your front door with no particular destination in mind.

While I won’t be able to free run my parkruns and races (for the safety of all involved!), I can find football fields, tracks and other safe spaces in which to keep enjoying this freedom. Not only that but as I capture more and more of it to memory, I can bring more and more of that free flying energy to my races. It can take both me and my guides to new heights and that’s when real magic can happen. So thank you Isobel for reading this blog and making something wonderful happen for me. Something that will benefit me and all of my guides, I absolutely loved learning to fly. 

My First Official Race

On the 22nd May I took part in my first 10K event; the Cancer Research Race for Life. On a bright Sunday morning, around 4000 of us gathered at Glasgow Green to walk, jog or Run 10K to raise much needed funds for cancer research. The Race for Life was one of the first races Nik and I entered. We wanted to get our distances up but we also wanted me to have some race exposure prior to GNR.

Sadly, due to Nik’s injury we were unable to run together. The parkrun family stepped in as they always do providing me with incredible guide running support. Best of all, Nik was there to support us and cheer us on from start to the finish.

Having never raced before, I didn’t really have any perceptions of what a race day would be like. I was a little nervous about being in unfamiliar surroundings, and not having run 10K plus for a few weeks I wondered if I’d be able to go the distance.

The energy of the day was electric, the music, the crowds, the warm up and build really fired up my adrenalin; being surrounded by familiar parkrunners from my home run made me feel at ease and added to the joy. The route was fairly flat so there were no major obstacles to contend with. I had to keep fairly close to my guide owing to the crowds, but in the main, I coped well with. When we could spread out and get into rhythm and move our arms, we did.

All along the routes, choirs, pipers, members of the public, volunteers, marshals and folks in cars cheered and spurred us on. Their kindness was so motivational. Honestly, the miles slipped by and I didn’t feel remotely tired. The day stayed cool for us for which I was grateful. I’m definitely more of a winter than a summer runner.. Most of our parkrun family running the Race for Life had challenges. For some of us, it was recovering from injury. For others, it was about building up distance again. For folk like me, it was about staying steady and maintaining focus and stamina. We all supported one another, keeping each other going when we began to flag.

Before I knew it, the final 200 meters were upon us and I was almost sorry it was over. We all made a great team but my 2 main guides, Sam and Isobel did an exceptional job. Sam kept our community posted with live updates on Instagram, as well as clearing the path to make way for Isabel and I who were obviously not single file.

Despite this being her first long run, Isabel stuck it with me all the way to the end, she coached, motivated and inspired, channelling Nik’s energy all the way round the course.

Nik and the rest of our support team were there to cheer us over the line; I honestly can’t describe the high at having finished. I was absolutely buzzing; it was my first race and the journey we had all been on to get there felt so significant. The people we had met along the way, the stories we had read and the support we had witnessed was humbling and inspiring in equal measure.

The medal I received yesterday is one I’ll treasure forever; it marks my first race. It also contains all of the joy, excitement and sharing of a fantastic day I’ll never forget. Thanks to everyone who made it so truly special; I hope it marks the beginning of many more for us.