Human movement has always interested me.  I am fascinated by the feats that people can achieve.  Transformations, record breaking attempts, pushing to physical limits and beyond.

As a young person I always wanted to be active but never found my sport. I tried hockey, netball, badminton, sailing, gym classes, rock climbing and touch rugby. Nothing really stuck.  In my mid-twenties I attended a two-week course in Outward Bound New Zealand.  This changed the trajectory of my life.

Many years later after training to be an osteopath, I challenged some of my own beliefs about the adaptability of bodies through movement.  I believed that I was not made to run. I had run in the past but always got injured.  So I joined a beginner’s running group in 2014 with the Sheen Shufflers.  They introduced me to the wonderful, free for all, event that is Parkrun in Richmond Park.  I have since taken part in Parkrun events in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.

Since dealing with breast cancer (2015) I have been exercising every day.  I believe that physical fitness is preparation for the rest of my life.  This daily exercise has opened my world and prepared me for things I had never thought possible. My regular activities now include running, walking, cycling, outdoor swimming, yoga and Crossfit.  My favourite open water swimming location is Shepperton Open Water Swim.

In 2016, with 5 children between the ages of 4 and 10 years in tow, my husband, friends, and I climbed Mt Snowdon.

In 2017 I took part in long distance walking events including the Ultra Challenge Winter Walk (20km), the London Moonwalk (42 km), the Ultra Challenge London to Brighton half (56km) and the big one, the Oxfam Trailwalker (100km).  I competed in the Hever Castle Triathlon series at Super Sprint distance (400m swim, 20km cycle, 4km run).  We also climbed Skiddaw in the Lake District with the Mt Snowdon crew.

My 2018 physical challenges included walking the Yorkshire 3 Peaks (42 kms), running in a Gauntlet Triathlon relay team (21km) at Cholmondeley Castle, and the Sprint Plus triathlon (800 swim, 40km cycle, 8km run) at Hever Castle.  Our mountain for the year was Cadre Idris in Wales.

Challenges for 2019 included Blenheim Palace Sprint Triathlon (750m Swim, 20km cycle, 5.4km run), Royal Windsor Triathlon (1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run), Derwent Water Island Hop Adventure Swim(3km), Chillswim Coniston End to End (8.44km), Kew Gardens 10km run and the Windsor & Eton half marathon (21.1km) run.  I also took up kayaking with the Richmond Canoe Club.  There was no mountain this year due to half our climbing crew being off travelling the world.

2020 started with a list of potential physical challenges but most were cancelled or postponed.  During the lockdown I became aware that the number of activities I was doing was making me unavailable for family life, so some of them were shelved when the world reopened.  I did manage to walk and complete the Chiltern 50km Ultrachallenge.  No mountain again this year due to Covid 19.

In 2021 I took part in the Crossfit Open, doing the foundations workouts. I finished the Cotswold Classic, a half ironman distance triathlon and climbed Ben Nevis with the usual crew of adults and now slightly older children.

These physical efforts help me to understand just how adaptable the human body (and mind) really is. They provide me with motivation to be better every day and stronger than ever.

New Year, Same Wonderful You

There are so many people who love you for who you are, and how you are. You don’t have to make changes, and you don’t need to change because of a number on a calendar. Yes, we can all work to be better versions of ourselves. Today might be the right day for you to make some changes, but please consider your reasoning carefully before jumping in to a ‘new’ regime.

This is my controversial request for the New Year. Please don’t make drastic resolutions or sweeping changes. Don’t deprive yourself. Life is too short. If there is something you want to change then please consider ways of adding rather than subtracting. Add something small and achievable. So small no one else will notice. Make it something you could continue to do for a very long time, if required. Give yourself credit when you do it. When you feel it has integrated into your life, add something else.

Setting incremental goals is a way of giving yourself little dopamine hits. Dopamine is one of the brains happy hormones. Rewarding experiences can give you an extra burst.

Suggestions of small things you could add to your life (just pick one or choose your own adventure). 

• Ten minutes outside in daylight first thing in the morning to reset your body clock for better sleep.
• An extra glass of water in your day.
• In bed 10 minutes earlier than usual.
• Read 2 pages of that book you are trying to get through.
• Keep a running list of ‘Ta Da’ things you have accomplished.  Read it daily.
• When you are about to sit down, stand up again the second your buttocks touch the seat. Do this once or set a number. Before you know it you will have added at least 20 squats to the course of your day.

Make sure you ‘pat yourself on the back’ each time you achieve your small step to bigger things.  The dopamine alone is worth it.

Are you built to run?

Have you ever watched the London marathon?  Have you noticed that marathon runners come in all shapes and sizes? This was a revelation to me when I first realised. I had assumed that in completing the training required to undertake a marathon, the competitors would all be trim and athletic looking. And of course, they are, for them. We haven’t seen their starting point. They obviously have amazing fitness levels. It takes months and sometimes years of regular running over increasing distances to prepare for the 26-mile (42.2 kilometre) race.

“I am not built to run” is a common claim that I hear in my role as an osteopath.  And it is something I used to say about myself. After my osteopathic training, I would often dwell on this statement. How could it be that only some people are built to run? And what differences do ‘runners’ have that make them more able for running.  Treating runners with osteopathy is no different to treating anyone else.  After all, each one of us generally has same amount of bones, ligaments and muscles as the next person.

My own previous attempts at running had resulted in calf strain and achilles tendon problems in both legs. But this was before I had trained as an osteopath. I hoped that with my current anatomical knowledge and some support it might just be possible to overcome these issues.

In March 2015 I joined a 6-week beginner’s running group with the Sheen Shufflers and set off for my first run. About 10 minutes into the run I felt a familiar twinge in my right calf. It was not enough to stop me but as I ran on, I soon felt a similar pain in my left calf. I managed to walk/run and then limp to the end of the circuit. A few days later I visited an osteopath for treatment and advice.

I missed the run the following week but was back on the circuit for week 3. This time I made it further into the run before the problem started and I was again limping by the end. I had another week off, did some stretching and strengthening exercises, and then tried again on week 5. This time I managed to complete the circuit with only slight twinges. None of the runs during this time were easy or even comfortable. As with most exercise the best part was finishing.

By going through this process, and by talking to both the beginners group and some long-time runners, I discovered that the difference between those who can run and those who can’t, is often as simple as those who do run and those who don’t run. Most of these runners had overcome the limits that their bodies had tried to put on them.

Human bodies are amazingly adaptable. Size and shape do not particularly matter when it comes to running. What matters is the will to do it. And then comes the patience and persistence. If you think you can’t, then you can’t. But if you think you can, then you will find a way.

The thing to do is start. I started in March 2015 and after a few setbacks am still running regularly. If you get out there and start, you can slowly and carefully build your stamina and distance and you may find that like mine, your adaptable body conforms and is built to run after all.

Please consult your health professional if you have any concerns before undertaking a new exercise regime.