What I took from RunFest
Well, I’ve definitely changed in recent years - I never thought I’d spend a Friday night in a school hall listening to people talking about running! However, when I saw the line up for Bristol’s RunFest (Running Geeks Convention as my husband called it) I thought it would be an opportunity not to be missed.
I tagged along with a friend and her Emersons Green Running Club buddies (thanks ladies). There was a bar there, however as I was driving I had a diet coke (honestly, I wouldn’t recognise myself!).
There were two halls with speakers running simultaneously so we didn’t get to see everyone unfortunately 😢. I was gutted to miss Claire Tiley, but I’ll have to try and catch her some other time
So, Diet Coke in hand, we settled in to see my old running club mate Nick Bennett, as he talked about his journey from Fat Nick to Fit Nick. When I first met Nick, I had just assumed he had always been fit — he was a brilliant runner, the fastest we had in the club, but very modest and a really good guy. It was only when he came out to Little Stoke parkrun (💔 #RIPLittleStokeparkrun) and smashed out his sub 18 minute PB, that he shared some of his backstory with us. He may hate me for this, but this is a photo he showed us from his early 20's..
Nick talked about how he first started going to the gym to shift the lbs, then got talked into trying a 5k race. Then he tried a 10k, but that would definitely be it… he would never run distances. Then he accidentally entered a half marathon, that was fun, but he wouldn’t ever run any further than that. Then, he ended up entering an Ultra marathon. Not just any ultra, but the 50 Mile Lakes In A Day Ultra (see the link for the video, it really is epic!).
This is Nick last month at Ashton Court parkrun. I think he came 6th that day!
He still has an incredibly lighthearted attitude to his running, and clearly really enjoys it, which is of course the most important thing!
Next we moved rooms to see Phil Collard talk about how he overcame some serious health issues, surviving cancer as a child but being told he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, to completing IRONMAN Sweden, and he’s still going! Simply not accepting defeat and pushing himself to reach his goals, truly inspiring.
Then a lighthearted talk from Chris Blackabee & Colin Johnson. Chris is completely blind and Colin is his guide runner. The pair of them set up VI Runners Bristol, matching the visually impaired with running guides, removing their barriers to running. I’m hoping to tag along to one of their club nights with a friend who is a guide runner with them, and report back in more detail. They shared some funny stories including how Colin will often describe the scenery at races, although it’s not always about the rolling countryside but rather the sea of lycra clad ladies in front of them!
Next up was Kate Percy of Go Faster Food. Her motto is ‘Real Food Fuels You Better’. I completely agree with this. I’m not a fan of the synthetic gels and shots, but as they’re so easily accessible it can take a bit more planning and organisation to get it right with more natural foods. I was pleased to hear that you can now buy her Go Bites online and in some local shops. I tried the Apricot &Seed flavour on the night and they were yummy. Looking forward to sampling the other flavours too. (Date & Coconut and Hazlenut & Chocolate)
We then saw Kim Ingleby — she’s an Award Winning Mindset & Performance Coach. She had some really interesting ideas, including finding the joy in each training session, asking yourself what’s working for you, and surrounding yourself with positive people. And also giving back time, energy and kindness with your community. I could’ve listen to her for hours.
Last up was Jim Plunkett-Cole. His story is far too long to put into this blog but you must read up on him if you can, or better still, try and hear him speak. This guy hasn’t missed a day of running in 5 years. He’s currently running on average 17 miles a day and doesn’t plan on stopping until 2020. His passion is not the running itself but to engage and inspire the next generation. He’s toured America to get their kids fired up and passionate about running. I’m involved in my local junior parkrun, and it’s just so rewarding to see the kids getting out there and enjoying being active. This is something I could go on and on about, but I’ll leave you with this picture of Jim inspiring the children on his US tour.
Thank you Michelle for organising such a great evening.
