Many of our runners talk of joining the MileShyClub because they used to run when they were younger and I’m no different. As an asthmatic, sickly child I was advised to take care when it came to running around during sports sessions. However, I’ve been reliably informed, that as a child I was a bit of ‘a handful’, with my mum quite often declaring that I’d been named correctly! My first proper memory of my asthma flaring up was when I was about 8 years old and having a night-time visit from my GP because my breathing was so laboured. Fast forward to high school and I decided to join the Cross Country Running Club. My parents sought advice and it was decided that it would be a good idea to exercise my lungs. I went out in all weathers, on Tuesday lunchtimes and ran a course which took me down the banks of the River Mersey. In my final year of Sixth Form I signed up to run the Manchester Marathon and in May 1983 (aged just 17) I completed my first 26.2 mile race. Part of the motivation for this was a number of people telling me that I’d never be able to run a marathon; being a bit overweight and an asthmatic! I did it though and got round in 4 hours and 38 minutes.

For the next four years I maintained my running and completed another 7 marathons, 8 half marathons and various other distances. A local race, The Davyhulme 15 was held a couple of times during this period – 3 laps of the local area, not far to travel! By the late 80s running had dwindled as other activities became more important. Into the 90s and 00s sporadic patches of exercise popped up now and again, and races were entered and completed including two more Manchester Marathons and two more London Marathons.

I suppose the seed for my latest running career was planted in May 2003 when the first Great Manchester Run was held. This along with the Sport Relief running events kept me running at least twice a year for the next nine years as I entered and completed just those two races and then a couple of Trafford 10ks. Hardly a running glut! To date I’ve run ten Great Manchester 10Ks and twelve Trafford 10Ks.

In April 2012 I decided that weighing over 18st was not doing me any favours and vowed to do something about it. I’d stood in the rain playing my tuba as thousands of runners passed by in the relaunched Manchester Marathon. I was going to run it the next year; decision made. I joined the gym and started to swim and worked on improving my general fitness and in particular my knees in readiness to start running again. In October 2012 I set off one lunch time and ran/walked 5k in 38 minutes. Then on the 5th January 2013 I ran my first parkrun at Worsley Woods, after being recommended it by a colleague who ran every week in Bramhall, and got round in 32 minutes. That was the game changer and helped me to make running a part of my lifestyle and not just a hobby. With the Manchester Marathon just four months away I followed their plan and started to realise the benefits as the weight shifted and a new wardrobe was needed. Part of this plan saw me run a Half Marathon on Anglesey in March 2013 and then the Blackpool Marathon just 2 weeks before the Manchester Marathon in April 2013. And the rest, they say, is history.

Running a parkrun every Saturday morning has become the norm – this week will be my 370th. I’ve ran parkruns and then gone on to run a 10K, a 5 mile trail race and even a marathon on the same day. Where I can I arrange to do a parkrun, even if I’m not at home and this has led me to parkruns in Scotland, North Wales, London, Cornwall, Somerset and Northamptonshire to name a few.

As I got more dedicated and started to enter more races I ran my first overnight lapped event in July 2014, the Thunder Run, completing three laps (30k) in a 24 hour period. The following year I did the same event but managed to do four laps, just short of a marathon. Later that summer in August 2015 I ran my first ultra distance covering 32 miles in 12 hours at the Dawn to Dusk event in Rotherham by running 10 5k laps.

My first Ultra race was completed in April 2016 when I ran from Liverpool to Manchester covering 47 miles in just under 12 hours. The year before (2015) I had entered my first Tour of Merseyside, which is a 6 race series covering 52 miles over 7 days and it is this type of event which helps you get used to running on consecutive days and on tired legs. I’ve now done this every year since and gathered a huge family of Tourists and because of this there’s usually someone you know when you turn up to run an event in the North West.

Towards the end of 2018 I noticed that a Sale based running group, the MileShyClub, were introducing a new club close to where I live in Flixton. Monday night was free so I decided to pop along to see what was on offer. Since January 2019 I have attended over 140 MileShyClub sessions at Urmston, Sale, Partington and Old Trafford, coaching at most of them and enjoying the experience of seeing new runners develop and progress. The whole experience has been enhanced by my brother Ian joining and later on my eldest daughter Emily. Both have also joined the coaching staff.

During the first lockdown in 2020 this family connection proved invaluable as we managed to continue running together covering a multitude of new courses just minutes away from our house. Between March and August 2020 we covered just over 650 miles including lots of Freedom parkruns and a host of virtual events. This proved that running with someone else makes the whole experience so much better.

Another couple of aspects of running which I’ve developed is pacing and guiding. I’ve paced at most of the Great Manchester 10ks since 2017 and more recently paced for the RunThrough team in the North West. This is a great way to help and encourage established runners achieve a specific goal. I’ve also guided a couple of runners with impaired vision around Marathons and Half Marathons. Again, this is a hugely satisfying experience helping others to enjoy what we do without thinking.

In the summer of 2022 I’m as busy as ever with a full diary of races and running events lined up. What’s very rewarding is to run with some of our MileShyClub 5K graduates through longer races; pacing them to sub-60 10s and sub 2 hour half marathons. Last week we got a shout out “Well done the Mile High Club!” and I laughed and said that’s a different kind of club completely!

The folk at MileShyClub have become an extended family. The coaches and the members of the various clubs are invested in what we all do. I’ve been complemented on how we look after each other during our runs; how we’re quite obviously a team. That’s kinda good I think?

How and why did you start running? School Cross country - To become fitter and healthier

What does running mean to you? Running is now a part of my life. If I don’t run for a few days, I notice. It’s an escape and also a means of meeting some great people.

What are your proudest achievements in your running journey? Still being able to run at a reasonable pace at 56. Completing my first Ultra marathon. Pacing people to PBs.

What part did MileShy play in your running journey? It was a new outlet, a new group of people to run with. Trained me up to be a LiRF. Allowed me to share my passion with other like-minded folk. It was at a MileShy interval session that I realised I was fitter (and faster) than I thought I was. My next parkrun was sub-25 for the first time!

What advice would you give to new runners? Just measure your success against yourself because everyone is different. Regularly look back at where you were so you can see how far you’ve come. You can do this – in your own time, in your own way and on your own terms.