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Why I am running Belfast Telegraph Runher 2010
We asked some of our Runher participants why they run and how it inspires them. Read their stories and see how you too can do it.....
The Belfast Telegraph Runher 2010 launched in the Belfast Telegraph on 26th April. Below are some of the stories from those who have taken part before or who will do so on 13th June. Many thanks to those who shared their story with us and some of the reasons why they themselves run. It is inspiring stuff.
Click on the link below article to view more stories..... Thanks to North Down AC and Up & Runners amongst others for their help with this article.
Roberta Dornan (35) is a clerical officer living in Bangor with her husband Desmond and their children Peter (13) and Stephen (5). She says:
When I was 20 I was training to be a riding instructor and I was thrown from a horse. A vertebra above my pelvis was fractured and compressed on one side.
I had to spend six months in a cast and a year of physiotherapy after that. Afterwards, I was allowed to do sports but they had to be low impact; cycling, swimming and things like that.
It was five years before I could do anything more and in 2001 I started running. I need to keep the weight off so that there isn’t too much pressure on my spine.
Even during my pregnancies I was only allowed to put on a stone and I had to have physio afterwards.
I decided to do Runher in June 2008 and ended up winning the race. I won the one in 2009, too. I wasn’t expecting that at all. At the event, people suggested I join the North Down Runners.
Being in a running club is great. It’s very social and it helps you keep motivated. You can run at your own pace because there are people of all sorts of abilities. I’m running really well at the moment and I’ve had lots of personal bests recently in training. I would love to win the event again but I think I’ll have to stop entering if I do!
Diane McCaughan (40) lives in Bangor with husband Sherrard and children Ben (10) and Emma (8). She says:
My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. She went through treatment and recovered from it. I found a lump in my breast and was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2006.
I was given a full mastectomy on Valentine’s Day 2006 and then had courses of chemo and radiotherapy. They gave me so much treatment because I had a family history and because the cancer can be aggressive if you get it when you’re young and I was only 36.
They discovered that Mum’s cancer was back in June 2007. She wasn’t feeling well and went to the doctor who examined her abdomen. It turned out that it had spread from her breast to her liver. She didn’t live to see the end of August.
What happened to mum was a real shock to me and I decided it was time to get the weight off and get more active which is why I started to run. I started training for a race with my friend and when she dropped out I kept going. I joined the North Down running club who were fantastic. They even created a slow group for me.
Last year I ran both of the Runher events in June and October, the Great North Run and the Dublin Marathon. You get bitten by the running bug.
Heather Wilson (40) is a countryside access officer from Belfast. She says:
Last year I started training with a friend for Runher and I haven’t stopped. Training with someone else is great motivation so I joined a running club too. Running is great.
Once you get over your pain threshold it’s all about pushing yourself. There’s a lovely atmosphere at Runher and it doesn’t seem hard at all. I’m going to push for the 10K run.
Michelle McGrath (40) is a retail manager. She lives in Bangor with her husband Johnny and son Finlay (7). She says:
I used to walk a lot to keep fit but, one day as it was coming up to holiday time, I decided to run. I managed to run two miles on the first day. My husband Johnny has been running since he was at school and was astounded I’d done so well.
I was dreadfully embarrassed at the start and I used to get my son to cycle along with me. I became more confident, though, and I ran the Runher 5K in October and loved it. The atmosphere was great and it was very casual so everyone could run at their own pace.
I also ran with Eddie Izzard last year when he came to Bangor on his 43 marathon challenge.
Eddie asked if we fancied joining him for a bit so we did. I ran six miles that day which was the furthest I had ever run.
His legs were amazing, they’d become so toned. I’m currently running about five times a week with a long run at the weekend.
Naomi Magowan (29) is a civil servant. She lives in Newtownards with her husband Scott. She says:
I’ve been running for a couple of years but I mostly do it on my own. I decided to join the Up And Runners last October.
I wanted to be safer and to have a bit of company while I was out on the road. It’s been great for motivation.
I love Runher because it’s a relaxed event and everyone is out just to have a good day.
I’m running the 10K one this time around so I run about three or four times a week.
My husband Scott even cycles alongside me sometimes.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/bt-woman/i-broke-my-back-took-up-running-mdash-and-won-14781817.html#ixzz0nukQ7Qlx
