Colleagues at our Norwich office are undertaking the challenge of a number of races in the coming months.
Steve and Rob, both enjoy the challenge of bettering their own running times and the friendly rivalry between the two is clear to see.
“Working in fostering is a very responsible thing” explains Steve. “The foster children, foster carers and their families are all at the forefront of our minds in everything we do, every day and although I love my job and find it really rewarding, I look to running as my stress buster and it keeps me focused and fit.”
Steve’s training programme includes four visits to the gym each week “I go with my other half and we concentrate on core work to support the running. I’d love to say my running has inspired my colleagues at Nexus and our foster carers to take up the sport, but I don’t think it has! They are all really supportive, though. My colleague, Sue, ran a sweepstake for our MacMillan Coffee Morning last autumn. The aim was to guess the time it would take me to complete a forthcoming marathon. It was a bit of fun, but I try not to make each race into a fundraising event – you can’t do too many as friends and family begin to run in the other direction when they see you waving a sponsorship form around!”
“I’ve been running for about 12 years and am constantly looking at ways to shave off the odd minute or two each time I race. Every time I race, I compete with myself, regardless of the distance I’m running!”
Over the years, Steve has competed in over 90 races, undertaking anything from 5k runs to full marathons. “I try to run a couple of marathons a year and intersperse them with half marathons. This year, Rob and I are taking on a couple of runs together; the quaintly named ‘Humpty Dumpty’ 10k race in Norwich at the end of June and ‘Run Norwich’ in late August. Rob’s doing the Northbrook 10k in Coventry in July and will be a ‘Grunty Fen’ runner in Cambridgeshire in mid-September. I’m running the East Harling 10k in Norfolk in July and the Norwich Half Marathon in November. Doubtless, we’ll be booking ourselves in for additional runs during that time.”
If you’re a former runner or would like to get fit and make friends through this brilliant exercise, why not contact your local running club or visit the NHS’s Get Running from Couch to 5k webpage.