Why Run?

Diane Church

The physical benefits of running are well-documented, but how does it aid our mental health and well-being? In each show, host Diane Church talks to a different guest about how running has helped them through a particularly difficult or challenging time. Life feels better after a run. If you are interested in how people overcome adversity and/or are looking for inspiration and motivation to go running, subscribe today. For more information visit: www.whyrun.uk Follow on Instagram at #whyrunpodcast on Facebook @whyrunpodcast

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Top 10 Why Run? Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Why Run? episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Why Run? for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Why Run? episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Living life to the full after 40...and running

Why Run?

04/29/23 • 38 min

In her 30s, Annie Simpson experienced birth and loss - both of which have very much influenced how she approaches life today.
Desperate for a baby, Annie was told by her consultant in her mid-30s that the only treatment for her fibroids was a hysterectomy. Annie loved children, had always dreamt of becoming a mother, and the thought of infertility was devastating.
"Every time someone got pregnant, I'd get tearful and think 'why not me?' 'what have I done?' and it got to the point where I just felt my body was letting me down."
A second medical opinion gave Annie hope and after successful surgery to remove her fibroids, Annie became pregnant. However shortly after receiving the joyful news , Annie found out that her mother had terminal breast cancer. She died after a brief illness.
"My mother-in-law said that she was really worried my little boy would come out crying, as I grieved so much during my pregnancy. But if anything, it's made him strong... he's quite a strong little boy."
Life brings many challenges ...more as time passes...and how we come to terms with the painful and distressing experiences in our lives has a huge impact upon our mental and emotional well-being today.
In her early 40s, Annie started walking to be more active. A keen track and field athlete in her teens, Annie was aware that movement could help her physical and mental health. It was also to give her some "me time" from a busy life teaching and bringing up small children. Within a year, Annie decided to complete the Couch to 5k. Running on her own, Annie didn't see any other black women on the streets and connected with Sabrina Pace-Humphreys of Black Trail Runners and then Tasha Thompson of Black Girls Do Run Uk (BGDRUK), movements aimed at increasing black women's representation in running.
Within a year of taking up running, Annie completed the London Marathon and numerous other races. She is now having swimming lessons - as she never learnt as a child. This is because she wants to complete her first triathlon this year.
Dressed in bright, colourful outfits and full of kindness and encouragement, Annie has now become a mental health ambassador for BGDRUK and is using her fortysomething energy and outlook to support others. She has also started personal coaching and is aiming to complete more than 19 events this year.
"You've only got one life. Make sure you're living it for you - (whatever your age). When I turned 40, my perspective really changed revealing more to me about life. We have to be brave enough to take the first step."
Instagram: Coach_anniebee
Facebook: SweetSimpson
Linktr.ee: Coach_anniebee

Thank you for listening today.
For more details on Why Run? visit: www.whyrun.uk
Follow @whyrunpodcast on Instagram and Facebook
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Meditation and running

Why Run?

10/13/22 • 43 min

Nita started running about ten years ago at the age of 48. At the time, she was severely depressed and found it difficult to even summon energy to get dressed or clean her teeth. It took Nita 20 weeks to complete the nine-week Couchto5k programme, but she did it! Since then, Nita has gone on to complete many long distance events, including half-marathons, marathons and ultra-running events.
Nita is diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and and she now describes running as one of the key elements in her self-care "toolkit". The other elements are: meditation, writing and medication.
This week, Nita has published her second book Make Every Move A Meditation - Mindful Movement for Mental Health, Well-Being and Insight (2022). The book brings together Nita's running, writing and meditation practices. For too long, she says there’s been a focus upon the need to take time out to meditate, whereas in reality, meditation on the move really does make sense. Particularly when it is applied to daily activities and fitness – including running.

Like Why Run? host Diane Church, Nita loves to run with her Labrador dog, who is called Scarlet. He has his own hashtag #ninetyninepercentgooddog . Nita Sweeney's first book is Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running With My Dog Brought Me Back From the Brink (2019).
In today’s interview, Nita talks about a lonely childhood, a successful career in law that didn’t ultimately fulfil her, her bi-polar and how running and meditation help her manage life today. “I’m not cured” says Nita, "but running definitely helps keep me alive".
Trigger warning - please note that there are references to suicide in this interview.
Facebook @nitasweeneyauthor
Instagram @nitasweeney
Check out Nita's full story here

Self-worth and running

Why Run?

09/23/22 • 34 min

As a boy, Shakil was obsessed with football. He loved to play, but was routinely overlooked and excluded from playing for his community team. The criticism and rejection led to feelings of low self-worth and he lost a lot of confidence.
In his mid-20s, Shakil's friend introduced him to running. "I used to think it was boring, but it's changed my life."
Shakil says the difference between the football and running communities is like "the difference between night and day". Through Adidas Runners, Shakil has found encouragement, support and gone on to run in numerous Adidas events across Europe. This week, he is running the London Marathon 2022.
Adidas Runners describes itself as" is an international community comprising people from different backgrounds and walks of life, united by a desire to become better: better runners, better athletes and, ultimately, better humans."
Running has also given Shakil the confidence to pursue new opportunities. He is now a coach /sports teacher at two primary schools in a deprived part of south London. He has also volunteered at major sporting events, including the Women's Euros this year.
Running has given Shakil has purpose, confidence and he is an inspiration to others.
Check out Shakil's full story here
@Whyrunpodcast on Instagram and Facebook
@shak_active Instagram
Uneven Playing Field - Interview with Shakil about disadvantage in sport at: www.outdoor and active.com
For further information, visit: www.whyrun.uk

Depression and running

Why Run?

03/14/22 • 30 min

After uni and unable to find work, Dan sunk into a deep depression. “That’s where it all went wrong," he says. He didn't want to go out, stayed in bed for much of the day and lost the will to live.
"If you’ve ever been unemployed, you’re applying for everything to be fair. I don’t think (people) realise how much of an identity a job gives you and how much not having one takes it away.”

Eventually Dan went to the doctor and was put on antidepressants. Over time, his medication was changed, increased and he says the medication helped numb the worst of his feelings some of the time, but they didn't make him feel happy. "That's something that I’ve learnt on my mental health journey - only I can do that," he says.

Dan seriously considered suicide and had a letter written for a long time. “I took quite a practical approach to the matter. If I was going to do it, I was going to get it done. I couldn't imagine having to deal with life after a failed attempt. I know it shouldn’t be a stigma, but at the time you’re in a different head space. It was a very difficult time."
In 2013, Dan got a job and life began to change for him. His first run was a charity event organised at his work in aid of St Michael's Hospice. He raised £200, enjoyed the experience and felt a real sense of achievement - something that has been key in helping improve Dan's mental state. He made friends at work, started to develop a social life and got positive feedback in his job and a pay rise, improving his self worth.
For the first time, Dan felt able to open up to one of his closest friends about his depression and, as a result, then had the confidence to talk to his parents too.
CBT through work was 'intense' but it really helped Dan to challenge his negative thoughts. "If you go in with a core belief that you're useless and then talk about how you've achieved this and that, you find yourself losing your own argument."
Dan then ran the London Marathon for his work charity, Guide Dogs UK, and got involved with Tough Mudders - a challenge that is far less about individual success than team work and camaraderie. "I love it, because you can run along with people, help them and talk to them along the way."
Through his running, Dan has displayed a real mental strength and determination. He admits he's quite an extreme person and loves the thrill of completing events - Park Runs, 10Ks and particularly ultra events like the Man Vs series that others would struggle to finish.
Having something to focus on has been key in Dan's mental health recovery and management. "It seems to be one of the key things for me. With depression, I spent hours lying bed hoping it would go away, but it doesn't and life just becomes more difficult."

Dan has realised that has his depression has no one specific factor, he needs to develop his own self care. "I still have periods when I get down. But I tell myself, 'I have to do this'. I've learnt I have to s

Turning 80...and running

Why Run?

07/18/23 • 32 min

Kate turns 80 this year. Together with her sister Hilary and their friend Ros, who are both in their 80s, they have formed a highly personal running group called The Old Crones. A lifetime of friendship and around 40 years of shared running experience are membership requirements. The Old Crones are a very exclusive group indeed.
Through their group, The Old Crones share their runs, provide support and encouragement and meet up at events when they can. They now live hundreds of miles apart, but keep in touch through their exclusive What's App group of three.
"We may be shuffling along slowly but we can still do it," smiles Kate. "So while we can, we do."
Diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes, running three times a week, is an essential part of Kate's physical health too. She also does pilates and has recently started Tai-Chi.
Kate watched the first London Marathon in 1981 and remembers her friend saying then that it would be wonderful to do the race. "At the time, I thought 'What! I can't think of anything wonderful about that'...but something stayed with me...and then when it became a race anyone could do...not just elite runners...I thought well...yes."
Kate has completed the London Marathon and numerous Great North Runs with her son Nick, who loves running too, although he is somewhat faster than his mother. "In fact the last time (we did the Great North Run), he was back home in the hotel having a shower before I'd even started," she laughes.
Kate is a passionate advocate for ParkRun, with its motto of Movement For Everyone. We both agree, this movement has widened the joy of running to a whole new audience and Kate does her local ParkRun at Wycombe Rye most weekends. And when she doesn't run, she volunteers.
"Anyone can go...It's very inclusive," says Kate of the ParkRun movement. "There are no judgements. It's terribly encouraging and doesn't cost you anything."
When asked why she runs, Kate said: "I'm not a natural runner at all, but I think you owe it to your body to do it and, even if you have to drag yourself out on some days, you definitely feel better when you get back," she smiles.

Eating disorder, becoming a mum... and running

Why Run?

01/01/23 • 34 min

My guest today is Vicki, who developed an eating disorder in 2011. This was a particularly busy and stressful year for Vicki with lots of changes going on in her life. She moved area, she got married, she started a new job and she struggled to cope with all the changes. Initially, restricting her eating and focusing upon food gave Vicki a sense of control over her life, but it wasn’t long before she realised the eating disorder was controlling her and not the other way round.

Vicki struggled with her eating disorder for seven years with it resurfacing after the birth of each of her two children. In 2017 she was diagnosed with anorexia. Fortunately she was able to access support and received treatment as a day patient at a specialist eating disorder service.

1n 2019, Vicki decided to start running. Her family were concerned that it could be a new purging activity to control her weight, but instead, it has transformed her life. It’s given her strength, a sense of fulfilment and friendship through her running group the Chippenham Harriers.

This year, Vicki says, life came full circle when she ran her first marathon – the London Marathon - raising funds for Oxford Health, the charity that supports the specialist eating disorder service where Vicki was treated.

This is a particularly poignant interview for me, for as some of you know, I had an eating disorder and was bulimic during much of my teens and 20s and this is referenced in the interview. ..because we do share common ground in some ways. And like Vicki, running is a key part of my relationship with my body today – but in a really positive way.

TW - Issues around eating and eating disorders are discussed in this show. for any of you out there struggling with eating issues at the moment.
You can follow Vicki on Instagram @vickidoesnotlikehills

Prostate cancer...living for today...and running

Why Run?

10/30/22 • 35 min

Tony started running in his mid-40s to improve his physical health and fitness...only to discover he was rather good at it. Having always been competitive, he was soon entering events and went on to complete marathons in under three and a half hours.

Five years ago though, Tony experienced a sharp pain in his groin and on investigation, was told that he had terminal prostate cancer and was given two years to live, as the cancer had spread to his spine, neck and skull.

Such profound and devastating news changes life forever. Learning to live with prostate cancer...with the side effects of his treatment (which is basically chemical castration)... and finding any purpose in living....has not been easy.

With counselling and the support of his family, Tony has had to completely reshape his approach to life. He takes every day as it comes, lives every day like it’s his last and does all he can to help others.
This year, he is running 5k every day of the year to raise awareness of the importance of movement when you have cancer and is raising money for the MOVE charity. He has also completed many other fundraising initiatives to raise money for prostate cancer and causes promoting movement.
Since being diagnosed, Tony has also given hundreds of talks about prostate cancer and the importance for men aged 50 and over (45 and over if you are Black or have a family history of prostate cancer) to ask their GP for a PSA test.
Most of all, running helps Tony with his own mental health. Struggling with the side-effects of medication and his prognosis, running helps Tony clear his mind and re-energise. "I force myself to go out (for a run) and once I get back from my 5k, it lifts the veil of fatigue and I feel rejuvenated for the next four to five hours."
You can find out more about Tony on Twitter @ethansgrumps
Facebook as Anthony Collier
Instagram as tonyendurancerunner
#movewithtony
To make a donation, visit Tony's JustGiving page at: 5k365days

Friendship and running

Why Run?

05/05/22 • 28 min

Steve used to go to a local running club, but being slow, he always finished last. The experience left him feeling humiliated and low, even though he went on to complete numerous running events, including the Brighton Marathon and Great North Run.
At the end of 2019, Steve split up from his partner and then came COVID. During lockdown, he decided it was time for a rethink and last year, he set up Norwich Social Joggers.
"At Norwich Social Joggers, everyone starts together and finishes together. No one gets left behind."
The group has been a huge success. In a year, it's grown to more than 200 members.
Recognised locally for its inclusive ethos, the group has members who’ve been referred from the NHS and local mental health groups...as well as much more serious runners. At Norwich Social Joggers it's all about meeting new friends and have fun.
"People come along for the social side - just as much as the running," says Steve.
After-run snacks including tea and homemade cakes...pub quizzes...social events...fancy-dress Halloween runs through churchyards... are just some of the activities that make Norwich Social Joggers so popular.
Steve used to come last at running, but now he is most definitely an absolute winner. Greatly valued at NSJ for his encouraging and supportive approach, he's helped numerous members discover the value of jogging for health, friendship and well-being.
Read Steve's full story here
As a Why Run? listener, you can claim free tickets to the National Running Show being held at Farnborough International on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May 2022. Just enter code: WHYRUN
Instagram: #whyrunpodcast
Facebook: @whyrunpodcast
For further information about Why Run? visit: www.whyrun.uk

"Gaslighting" relationship and running

Why Run?

03/21/22 • 30 min

In the summer of 2020 after the first COVID-lockdown restrictions were lifted, Coco met a new guy. The relationship developed quickly and intensively, as they’d both been on their own for three months. It soon became clear though, that things were not good.
He became controlling about how she looked, what they ate, what they did. On one occasion, he was physically violent, and it was then that Coco ended the relationship after four months. But events were far from over. Coco soon discovered that her ex-partner had reported her to the police, accusing her of trying to hack some accounts on his phone and of malicious communication.
Keen to put the record straight, Coco went to the police station and explained what had happened. Instead of being recognised as a victim of domestic abuse, she instead found herself arrested, handcuffed and viewed as a potential criminal and was told that she would be put on bail while the crimes were investigated.

‘It was an absolute emotional whirlwind of a day and by the end, I was feeling in such a depressed, bad state. I was quite suicidal,’ says Coco.

To help cope with the stress, worry and loss of self-worth and confidence that goes with domestic abuse, Coco turned to running. It was not easy initially, but over time, it really helped. It gave Coco physical and mental freedom, while her life was on hold and she waited the results of the investigation.

‘Running just felt so good every time,’ says Coco. ‘For me, running is always a kind of mindfulness. The exercise was quite life-changing,’ she explains.

Coco left her partner when she realised he was being unfaithful. With hindsight though, she says that someone cheating on you is not nice, but the fact she stayed so long when he was being emotionally - and on one occasion physically - abusive makes Coco most upset.
Advising other people who are in/or have been in emotionally-abusive relationships, which is known as “gaslighting” – Coco recommends: ‘If someone tries to change your behaviour or frighten you out of doing anything for no good reason, talk to a friend,...get a second opinion...because you can begin to doubt your own judgement.

Coco is convinced that if it wasn’t for running, she wouldn’t be around today. ‘That’s a very hard thing to say, but it’s true. Exercise saved my life.’

Read Coco's full story here
Follow on Instagram at: #whyrunpodcast
and on Facebook @whyrunpodcast

Recovering alcoholic and running

Why Run?

03/07/22 • 46 min

Sarah is a mother of four, a cafe manager, a recovering alcoholic...and a runner. Why Run? explores the mental health benefits of running and in this premier episode, Sarah speaks candidly and emotionally about her slow descent in to alcoholism over ten years and how running has been a key element in her recovery.
A front-of-house manager at a top London restaurant for many years, Sarah's problems with alcohol escalated after she and her family moved away to live in a Cambridgeshire village. Always a heavy social drinker, Sarah turned to alcohol increasingly to escape her loneliness and the loss of identity that goes with leaving a responsible job and close friends and being a new mum in a place where you don't know anyone.
Alongside Sarah's increased drinking, she started power walking to lose weight after the birth of her fourth child. This gradually progressed into running and provided a welcome outlet and element of control as she became more and more reliant on alcohol.. When Sarah's alcoholism was at its worst, she was drinking three bottles of wine a day and lost her driving licence.
Sarah talks about going in to rehab three times and the importance of running and exercise to her recovery. When not permitted to run in rehab, Sarah and a fellow patient skipped everywhere. "People did think we were mad," she laughed. "Imagine if you've just come into rehab and are detoxing from years of alcohol or drugs and you see these two mad women skipping everywhere! We needed it though. It gave us some sense of dignity and control."
Fascinatingly, Sarah talks about how her approach to running was transformed after completing a yoga course in rehab. Today, Sarah runs mindfully by focusing on her breathing, particularly during "the hard bits". "God knows how I did it before," she says.
Sarah has now been sober for eight years and running is a vital part of her new sober life. "You can be feeling rubbish and you go for a run and you come back with a completely different mindset...every time. I really believe I'll be running for as long as my bones allow it!
" The fact I am running after all I've been through is miraculous. If I can do it, then anyone can."
In 2019, Sarah took on the major challenge of entering the London Marathon which she talks about humorously. "All those bobbing heads...it goes on all bloody day. It was an amazing achievement though and when times are tough, I do think it (the marathon)."
Today Sarah is cafe manager at the Edge Cafe in Cambridge, a vibrant community hub, with staff and volunteers who are in recovery from addiction and those with other mental health issues.
Read Sarah's full story here
@whyrunpodcast
#whyrunpodcast

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FAQ

How many episodes does Why Run? have?

Why Run? currently has 20 episodes available.

What topics does Why Run? cover?

The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Depression, Running, Fitness, Podcasts and Alcoholism.

What is the most popular episode on Why Run??

The episode title 'Living life to the full after 40...and running' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Why Run??

The average episode length on Why Run? is 34 minutes.

How often are episodes of Why Run? released?

Episodes of Why Run? are typically released every 13 days, 12 hours.

When was the first episode of Why Run??

The first episode of Why Run? was released on Feb 3, 2022.

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Why Run?

Diane Church

Top 10 Why Run? Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Why Run? have?

What topics does Why Run? cover?

What is the most popular episode on Why Run??

What is the average episode length on Why Run??

How often are episodes of Why Run? released?

When was the first episode of Why Run??

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