Teaching Accountability

Will Finlay (: 00:01

Okay, hello everybody and welcome to the very first episode of Run Together, Run Forever. I'm your host Will and I'm joined today by Sharl and Emily, two friends who hold each other accountable when running, not only to keep each other safe, but also to put the miles in. Hello guys. Hello, how are you?

Emily Painter (: 00:18

Hello.

We're okay, thank you. Yeah, good, thank you.

Will Finlay (: 00:23

Good,

good. Now, I just want to jump straight into it and I want to know firstly, what your sport background is and how you've transitioned from potentially other sports into the sport of running because I know people sort of flickering and out of running, but how has that sort of been your, how have you sort of gone with that?

Emily Painter (: 00:46

I'll go first because I'm older, she's going to make me go first. I always played a lot of sport when I was at school, so I did loads of sports. I GCSE, PE, A level and then went to uni to do sports science. So sport was always part of my daily diet at school. did any sport that I could.

play all the time. My main sport was football as I was growing up and that's what I started playing at uni and actually I was thinking about this, the first run I would say the proper run, first run I ever went on was at uni and it was for the first team trials, it was part of the trials and one of my friends that I played football with in Leicester was the first team captain and she was in her second year, she was like, you're love football and we got there the first session of the trials and she was like

Right, we're doing this run round Selly Oak and I was like, run? What do mean run? And I remember thinking, oh don't really, I don't do running, never done much of that in training. I was a striker who didn't stand in the spot. And off we went on this run and I remember thinking, oh God, I just didn't, I didn't really like that. And for me then, I think obviously running is part of training, but I didn't actually start running as a sport in its own right until after I finished uni.

And actually it was another one of my friends who was a little bit older than me. She was in third year when I was in first year, but she was someone I'd stayed friends with who worked in the women's football environment. And actually she started running initially to lose weight. And then she got into the London Marathon and she basically took a tribe of us. There was lots of us that started running because she started running. And that was sort of the journey really. So it probably started in my mid-twenties.

Will Finlay (: 02:24

Thanks.

Emily Painter (: 02:31

when I started and then that was sort of my journey into it really.

Will Finlay (: 02:37

Yeah bro, and how about you? ⁓ shall?

Emily Painter (: 02:40

So mine's not as exciting as Emily's. So I've played football since I was about 10 and that, no sorry, sorry, since I was younger than that. And then obviously joined a team when I was about 10. ⁓ was all I ever wanted to do. would be the thing I did when I woke up in the morning and the last thing I did before I slept. If you'd asked me at that time to run and just go on air and I'd be like, no, thank you.

No interest, but if you kicked a ball and asked me to chase it, bit like a dog, I would have done it. It's done my MO until uni. Completely stopped everything at uni. Well, for reasons why some people go to uni. And then started playing football up again. And I would probably say I didn't start running until... I'd run sporadically, the 5Ks here and there.

when I played football, but there was nothing ever more than that. And then when I started properly running like some distances would be when I stopped playing football. ⁓

One, was probably more so because you were doing it. Yeah. So I'd just follow you. And then the next time, think more so recently would be as a result of high rocks, training for high rocks. So yeah, that would be more so why we'd do 10 Ks really for me. I'd just run around everywhere to be honest.

Will Finlay (: 04:05

Thanks. Nice.

That's yeah.

Very good. No, I can I completely see where you're coming from because would you say what you said, I think what you said there is like, you know, it's like your football, you play in a team setting in a group setting and to be to have that to get through the door with running, you also need that group mentality where we're going to go out and do this together. Is that something that you both feel got you out the door with running, even if you stood like maybe now or in the last couple of years, you've gone out on your own?

Emily Painter (: 04:44

Yeah, I mean definitely when I first started, like I said, it was because of a friend who'd started running, but I think for me, once she started, she lost a lot of weight and she would put that down through the amount of running she was doing. And actually, if I look at my journey,

I, over a number of years, lost about five stone and that was through changes in lifestyle, one of the things was, one of the things, just eating a bit less, know, but one of the things was running as well, definitely. And I think that sort of, we, did have friends then that started running and we all wanted to run together and we'd start and we'd do park run. And then it became a bit, I guess for me, it became a bit addictive. Like there was the times when,

Will Finlay (: 05:08

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah,

Yes.

Emily Painter (: 05:28

I was trying to go a bit faster and I was always trying to beat my park run time and I'd lost weight and I was feeling good. And now, now I'm a bit older, it's never about getting any faster, it's just about doing it for... Yeah, having a coffee after and... Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 05:40

Having the coffee after. Yes, absolutely. But no, I think it's

so right what you say where it's like, I know that my mum and dad are big advocates for it, where it's get as many people there as you can because it's a really important way to make friends and bring people out of their shells almost. ⁓

when maybe footballers won't have as long a career as runners. So it's something that you can do as you get much older, isn't it? So it's great in that way. I want to ask, so obviously you guys are from the Midlands, so am I. I'm recording this in Sheffield at university at the minute. And I wanted to ask, what are your favourite races that you've done in the Midlands? Because I know I've got mine, but I'd love to know some of the ones that...

Emily Painter (: 06:09

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, you know what and I are you off quite often and there's never really I Must feel so drabby saying this will but like I don't I don't love running like I know there's purpose to it, but the

Will Finlay (: 06:32

Looking back on them, maybe not when you're doing them, but what's your favourite?

No, that's fair.

Emily Painter (: 06:50

this run that the Lichfield to Tamworth. you love perfect. The 10 mile. Yeah. Unreal. It's ⁓ beautiful, beautiful trail. It's probably a perfect distance. And I mean, that's the scenery is fantastic. That is Bob on Bob on run. I can't my favourite.

Will Finlay (: 06:56

think that's all we have.

Yeah, nice.

Emily Painter (: 07:20

I I... I mean, Minchal, we did a lot of running this time last year and actually I was training with another friend, a mum that I met when I was on maternity leave who was training to do the London Marathon and I was doing a lot of runs with her and actually I just really enjoyed those runs where I didn't really know the route, she planned the route and we were doing like half marathon distance but it went through certain parts quite often and out onto some random...

roads and then down the valley and then it was it was just the getting the distance in but me not really knowing the route ⁓ and i mean obviously i've done so much running in certain park and i think certain park despite its hills has got to be one of my favorite my favorite place to run probably and i think the fun run is not fun in the 8.5 mile fun run but actually the the atmosphere on the day and the

Will Finlay (: 07:57

Yeah, no.

Emily Painter (: 08:16

towards and the sort of vibe of the whole day. We've done the film a number of times together, we both cried in it probably, I think we as well, but like I think that just the atmosphere on that day I'd say has got to be one of my favourite runs as well definitely. we did, when we first did the film, we did, it was in May they do like, I don't know if they do it anymore, like Kingsbury Park 10k and we did that a couple

Will Finlay (: 08:43

Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 08:44

It was real random group of us. was like me and Charl and Tash and left here a few football girls and then Randall another friend from work when the guys from work and we were all reasonably early on in our running like journey then and we did a couple of years in a row doing that Kingsley run and one of the years it rained loads and but it was on the evening when it was just getting lighter in the evenings and I think I remember really enjoying those runs as well. And we did one. Me and you, do remember one?

Will Finlay (: 09:10

for me.

Emily Painter (: 09:11

lasted out like a 15k. yeah, one night. And that was around so. That was around, that's when I in the Jewelry Quarter. Yeah. That was ace, I did enjoy that. Maybe the random one was the best. And not knowing where you're going, I think that's... Yeah. Yeah. 100%.

Will Finlay (: 09:21

Alright guys.

Just in spontaneous moments.

Brilliant, brilliant. Because I think the first time, well, I don't know if we actually caught up at the end, but I met Sharl was at that Cannock Chase 10K. Do you remember that? It was, was not, it was, and it was.

Emily Painter (: 09:38

Yeah. Probably not be about hotel rooms. Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 09:45

That was a long time ago, a couple of years ago, but I remember that and that was a hardcore, that was lovely as well. But yeah, so no, that's good because I think the Midlands, I want to echo it in this podcast is like one of the best places to run. I think it sort of gets a bad rap sometimes of roots, like I've got some guys who I'm playing on.

Emily Painter (: 09:49

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 10:13

who coming on from Redditch and like I love all the bits round there about the Molven Hills round there and I think, you know, it's got very similar routes to where I am in Sheffield

now where it's like you can all of a sudden you're out in the countryside and I think the Midlands is great for that. I think it's think it's brilliant.

Emily Painter (: 10:27

Yeah, I think I grew up in,

well you've done a run in Leicester actually really near where I grew up and went to school because I saw the route and like even there like the yeah, route that I would do for my mum's house is just like a real simple 5k and it goes through one of the parks there called Western Park which is a really nice park so like

Yeah, I think the Midlands for me it's definitely been good. There's so many spots to run and places to run. 100%.

Will Finlay (: 11:02

⁓ So I think the overall message of this podcast is something a bit more serious and it's sort of looking at how women and girls should keep safe when running. Emily, I know that you're a teacher. Charlotte, sorry, I don't actually know your occupation. ⁓

That's fair enough. Emily, I know you're a teacher and I know that obviously it's, you know, ⁓ keeping children safe in education is important. But also when they're running, I think it's a really important topic where as it gets lighter now, you'll have more women and girls going out running because it's lighter at night. But then you get into those winter months and we've dragged through them and some of them won't.

keep running because of the safety, whether it's running along canals or running late at night. What are your opinions on this and how was it something you ever thought of when you started running, to be honest?

Emily Painter (: 12:09

I mean, I've got quite a funny story from when I first...

when I started running this was early on and I lived over in the south side of Birmingham, so in Wheely Castle, which is, I don't know if you know this story, which is not really renowned as a very nice area. And I'm a pretty slow runner, I've always been pretty slow. when, and I was on this run and I can remember I'd gone over a crossroad and I'd like looked over my shoulder, it wasn't dark or anything. And as I looked over my shoulder, saw this.

guy like walking behind me and I was a bit like, that's a bit strange. So started going bit faster and as I started going faster, he started going faster and I was thinking you're actually chasing me. So I'm like running thinking what on earth am I going to do, where am I going to go and this car pulled over. So I like sprint up to this car and there was a woman in there and I like knocked on the window and like let me in, let me in, please just let me in because I thought this man was actually chasing me and she let me in. was like what's wrong with this man, he's chasing me, he's chasing me and the man got to the car.

The man wasn't chasing me, that person in the car was picking him up and that's why he was running, because he was running after the car. But I literally had thought that he was chasing me and that was the end of my run because I was knackered because I was sprinting to the car. And then the man was like, we were laughing about it, but he was mortified because he obviously wasn't chasing me, he was going to the car. I felt scared then, did, felt that he was chasing me.

Will Finlay (: 13:22

Yeah, weird way.

Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 13:36

If I'm really honest, think there are a few times when maybe in the evening in the dark I have felt a little bit uncertain about it. think I often run early in the morning with my dog and I don't feel scared then because I've got my dog and he's a boxer. He's a big dog. Anyone who wants to come near me, my boxer's going to get him. Don't say that. Because he's a wimp.

Will Finlay (: 13:36

Yeah, yeah.

He's a beautiful dog, yeah. You don't mess with him, you're him.

Emily Painter (: 14:06

I, if I run in the evening, I definitely choose where I run and I would definitely stay on main roads. I wouldn't be going on a canal through the park or anything like that and I would rather run with somebody else. Does it stop me running? The thought of something happening? No, it doesn't and that's me. But if I would run with, if I could run with somebody else, I would definitely pick to run with somebody else. But

I predominantly would do that, not I don't think as a safety reason, but because I feel like it's better with somebody else, they just spur me on, I can keep them going, I think I would think about routes definitely and where I'm going and 100 % Maybe more so than the men have to think about that I think probably. Yeah, I mean there's definitely places I wouldn't be like

Will Finlay (: 14:46

Yeah, fine. Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 15:05

I wouldn't be running in the park when it's dark. No way. No way. And I think I'd be similar to yourself. think if we, if I am running with you, I don't know whether it'd be for the pair of us for security type purposes. I think we just like running together. But I think I've got a similar experience, not with someone physically following me, but I was on a run in the dark once and I had to go, you know, that alley there. Yeah. Had to cut through the alley there just cause I was probably trying to make my run a bit shorter. And um,

thought I saw like a shadow and I thought, well that's it, that's it, I'm gone. Anyway, so started doing what I sprinting, I saw the shadow again, I thought, oh that's it, I don't think I'd even have the ability to scream at this point because I'm out breath. I turned around me and realised it was my own shadow. as I was running past the lights it was my own shadow. I thought, then like you said, don't know if men experience that, where they do have that fear of...

Will Finlay (: 15:41

Yeah

Emily Painter (: 16:04

I don't. You're in shadow. don't. And I think for us, we run, the people we run with are all female. Yeah. I think, but the other thing is, well, that you have to remember, like, you're a fast runner. I am not fast. So if somebody's going to get me, they're probably going to get me. Like, you're all right with your- That's why they're Your three-minute caves or whatever they are. For us, we're- It's double.

Will Finlay (: 16:08

Yeah.

It was funny,

I was speaking to my mum about this and she said to me yesterday, she said, you know, have you ever thought about it if somebody was to chase you down the canal? Because I ran around, if I run here, I'll run down the canal. And I said, I just run away from them. And it's like, you know, but it's, know, the, the, think the message that you said there, it's twofold really is the, the fact that you two run together, not only spurs the pair of you on, but it also makes you feel safe. So the actual,

Emily Painter (: 16:42

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

Will Finlay (: 16:59

you know, sense of community, which is what this podcast is all about, is actually works in multiple ways and actually keeps people safe. And maybe the message that I think everybody tries to say I'm running, it doesn't matter who you are, it's just more important to do it together more than anything. that's the message. You you spoke about experiences that you'd had there and that, you know, they were quite, quite,

Emily Painter (: 17:02

Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 17:28

quite funny. I'm just trying to sort of think, is there anything at school Painter where you'd have children in PE lessons who want to start running? Because I know that you guys have been doing things like couch to 5k and things like that. Have you got a big group of children now who are looking to get into running who you'd think, right, if we're going to do that?

Emily Painter (: 17:47

Hmm.

Will Finlay (: 17:57

We need to look at keeping them safe outside of school.

Emily Painter (: 17:59

Yeah, I think so. mean, yeah, we do the counts to 5k, so it's what we've started with the year sevens this year. it's been like, I mean, I've really enjoyed it. And I think when the head of PE set it up, think actually everyone in all the PE teachers were on board with it. And some people run, some of them don't. ⁓ But actually the buzz to see the children. we've got, there's one lad that I know is in the lesson that I do who...

or he runs 5k so he comes out and he has his phone he's always timing himself but actually for me it's not so much about people like him it's about the people that maybe the child that's a little bit overweight that hasn't stopped any week and I can think of one boy who just every week he just goes at his own pace and he plods, plods, plods. I think if we were going to look at talking to them about coming out of school we would talk to them about safety we would have to we'd talk to parents about it as well some of them do go out and run with their parents

Will Finlay (: 18:42

Yes.

Emily Painter (: 18:53

We have in previous years taken some students over to Cannon Hill and done like a park room with them there. And I think if we were going to do, I think it'd be great to try and do something with the year sevens after we finished the couch to 5K, where we give them like a park run and say, come and get involved in a park. When you do something like park run, people do feel safe, don't they? Because you've got, there's so many people, there's the stewards there. And that sort of environment is what I would encourage.

Will Finlay (: 19:11

Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 19:23

students to come and do because it's an organised event where people are not going to feel unsafe, well hopefully they're not going to feel unsafe doing that. But I think just the important message that that's given to our students about, for me it's not been so much about the physical side of it but it's about teaching them that resilience that so many of them didn't know that they had and like I said those students that are those students that like

Will Finlay (: 19:48

That's amazing.

Emily Painter (: 19:52

There's one boy in particular that I just think he thought I could never run, he is quite overweight and he literally every week he has just plotted and there are some students that still do the silly thing where they sprint and then they can't carry on but actually most of them have got so much better at that but for me it's about that belief in yourself, that resilience and that hopefully a lot of those students will take this and take it into their adult life and it will be something that they

Will Finlay (: 20:11

Thank

Emily Painter (: 20:22

They do, but I think it is about getting them through outside of school through something like Park Room where they would feel safe doing it.

Will Finlay (: 20:33

Yeah, no, that's ace. Sjarl, you were saying about Hi-Rox. So this is predominantly a running podcast. You were saying about you're sort of, running for things like Hi-Rox. How do you think it's helped you in terms of that?

Emily Painter (: 20:38

Yes.

physically won't

Will Finlay (: 20:50

in terms of your infinite at all. ⁓ that's

fair. My other question actually, gone. No, gone, sorry.

Emily Painter (: 20:59

No, no, I was going say,

I the nature of high rocks don't they, in terms of just longevity and... Well, I think to do something like high rocks, you've got to have an underlying base level of fitness, whatever level that's at. If you can't run, you're not going to be able to do a high rocks because you've got to be able to... It's a large proportion. You've got to be able to run in between your...

in between the stations and the exercises and it's difficult isn't it because you're all tired. ⁓

Will Finlay (: 21:32

Yeah.

⁓

I've always had like a big respect for people like who do high rocks because I just I couldn't imagine do it like the functional fitness aspect of it where it's like I don't think I could push a sled like that it's just like it's and to think like is 8k worth of running?

Emily Painter (: 21:54

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 21:57

Yeah, like, geez, like,

it's a long way, really. It's impressive.

Emily Painter (: 22:01

It is and when you're

hayoed anyway, it's... Yeah, I mean, for me, I mean, again, I struggle with running, like know that I'm... We're not fast, are we? You're faster than me. No, I'm not. Cheryl's a very kind runner, so Cheryl definitely can run faster than me, but if we run together, Cheryl runs with... She keeps me going, don't you? Well, we have to run together. Whereas if I was faster...

Will Finlay (: 22:21

Okay.

There you go.

Emily Painter (: 22:27

I probably would have left her. Oh, 110%. 110%. Yeah, but she's faster than me. But yeah, it's definitely out of the high rocks, 110%, 100%. Because I think if I didn't have you to run with, there wouldn't be many times I'd go out and self-motivate myself to go and do a 10k especially or anything further. I just know that for a fact. I think as well, just coming back to the safety side,

Will Finlay (: 22:31

Yeah, very nice.

very good.

Emily Painter (: 22:56

I might be going off tangent a little bit but I was just thinking like when I went travelling in 2017, my ex-partner all, but when we went travelling we explored a lot of places by running and that's how we did it. So we did Central America, did Asia, we did Australia, New Zealand and I can remember the guys from work being like, aren't you scared about going to Guatemala? And I didn't actually feel that scared but culturally they're very different places but...

Will Finlay (: 23:12

Yeah, I must.

Emily Painter (: 23:25

The way that we saw a lot of those countries and a lot of the places that we went to is that we ran and when we first got somewhere we ran and we explored it and there wasn't any run that I did in any of those places in villages in Guatemala, literally in Vietnam, anywhere where I felt unsafe ⁓ and actually if I think about places like Vietnam where we went round some of the big parks there, were just so many people.

playing random sports that you've not seen before and to experience that whilst you're running ⁓ was like a real buzz. So I think would I have done that if I was travelling on my own? Maybe not, but because there was two of us and but I didn't feel unsafe and to me that was a it was a great way of when you're because we were very conscious when we were away that we still wanted to keep fit, we wanted to exercise and we did dip in and out of gyms when we could but actually

Will Finlay (: 23:59

Brilliant.

Emily Painter (: 24:23

running was a great way to get up, go and explore, see some places and then you could come back, reset and be like, oh, we saw that place on the run, let's go back there or... So for me that, like, if I hadn't started my running journey prior to that, I feel like I would have missed opportunities and missed things when we were traveling. So I just wanted to say that as well. No, it's true.

Will Finlay (: 24:46

No, that's brilliant. I think that is very true though. The thing with running is, and I've always found it, it's so, well, it's not cheap now because I've got eight pairs of trainers and things like that. it's like, the fundamentals of it are like, put your shoes on.

Emily Painter (: 24:59

Yeah.

Even if I throw stuff.

Will Finlay (: 25:15

Go out the door, you don't need to pay for a gym membership, you don't need to pay your subs every month like you do for football, et cetera. It's go out and run. And obviously, as I said, everything becomes expensive. But I think that's, again, a thing with running is like it's so cheap if you do it at its most basic level. Is that something that you've found?

Emily Painter (: 25:18

Mm-hmm.

Cough

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, I think so, definitely. And I think you're right there where you say about like the trainers, like I know now I've probably got about five different pairs of running trays and even though I'm so slow, I'm like, well, maybe they'll make me a tiny bit faster. maybe they'll make me a little bit Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I think, yeah, I think that's the thing. And I think if I think about the year 17, that's what we've said to all of them. Like, look, this is readily available for all of you. You don't need loads of stuff.

Will Finlay (: 25:53

We have a carbon plate.

Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 26:05

part of what we teach in GCSEPE about the fact that you don't need facilities, you don't need equipment to do it, you put on whatever you want to put on. And I actually had a thought to myself the other day, I was in a gym class but I was doing a class, it's a class called Blaze which has a cardio element to it, strength element and a combat element. And I looked at this guy next to me and he had like what I would describe like sneakers on, you know like what I mean, like a bit like Adidas canvassy. And I looked at him thought...

Well, why have you got those on? But actually that was just so ridiculous because I I had what I'd call my running trainers on but he was there and he did the session as as anyone else and actually it just made me think like you don't you don't like you can just wear a pair of trainers he could he probably goes out for a run in those and actually you don't need to spend a load of money because a lot of people these days don't have a load of money to spend on expensive running trainers and I think that's the look of it being able to to open your

Will Finlay (: 26:41

Yeah.

Absolutely, Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 27:03

front door and think I can go for a run and I think that's the thing like I'm gonna run with the dog in the morning and I'll get up at like half five and on the days where I've struggled and I know I did this I've done this last couple of years particularly when it's dark in the winter I say to myself I know what my mum would be saying to me and she'd be saying to me be thankful that you're up and that you can run and that you're outside and that's what I tell myself and I'm thinking god this is too hard and Otis is pulling me

Will Finlay (: 27:26

Yeah, 100%.

Emily Painter (: 27:32

and I'm starting, I'm thinking you're alive, you're out running, like you're some exercise before you started your working day and you have to be thankful for that because there's so many people in the world that can't do things like that and that we live in a country where it's safe enough to go out on the street and run and there are so many people that don't have that privilege that don't live somewhere where they can just go out and run so I think that's important as well. Yeah, I completely agree.

Will Finlay (: 27:46

Yes.

Yeah,

it's all very true. think that running has got running, high rocks, all these ones that are quite recently sort of not up and coming, sort of have expanded since COVID. They've all now got a bit of snobbery about them, I think, in terms of, you know, it's like, oh, what shoes have you got, you know, et cetera. And I think, you know, you're completely right where it's like, there's a lot of people in our country who don't have

Emily Painter (: 28:12

Yeah.

Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 28:32

have a lot of money and it's like at its most functional level I think it's important to remember what it's stripped back to and that's what it is it's just very basic and I think that's where it can again can bring people together. So yeah that's good. So I was going to ask have you got any races in the summer that you are planning on doing or is it just now of

Emily Painter (: 28:33

you

Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 28:58

You know, it could be high rocks races, but if you've got any running races, I'd love to find out if you're doing any.

Emily Painter (: 29:05

I've got two hyroxies, haven't I? So I haven't got any runs, no. I did do a random. a certain fun run. Yeah, that's a given though, that's just a given. ⁓

Will Finlay (: 29:15

is that's every

year.

Emily Painter (: 29:16

Yeah, that's an annual one. I've only got a certain number and I am going to enter a Half Iron Man September 27th. So that's going to be my plan. I'm going to, yeah, that's my plan and I'm trying to rope Charlene to do it with me. So it's one in Nottingham Outlaw. ⁓ It's always, the one in Nottingham is always sort of in September. So. ⁓

Will Finlay (: 29:25

Wow.

Win.

They're

good. They're really good. Yes.

Emily Painter (: 29:43

Yeah, so that's the plan

to work for that, although I've not been on my bike since I've had my children, which is four years ago, so I've got to get back on my bike. And I can't swim. Yeah, I can't swim, but we both run. But yeah, I'm going to, I will enter some runs in the lead up to that once I build my running back up again, but I don't know, like I feel like I go in cycles with my running, like I said, like this time last year, I'd

Will Finlay (: 29:54

There you go. Perfect. Perfect.

Emily Painter (: 30:13

I just started running and I was doing so much running this time last year and like I said, I ran a couple of half marathons with my friend who was training to do the London Marathon and then I'd go out on my own some weekends and do a half marathon or I'd do 16K, 15K and it just became a real, real habit for me and then I guess as it goes into winter, I had a tough summer, I lost my mum and then just like going through that and then you come out of that cycle a bit and then for me now I've...

Will Finlay (: 30:30

Yeah, right.

Emily Painter (: 30:43

I've joined a new gym, so I'm getting into the classes there, but I still, me and Cheryl keep saying, right, we've to go out for a run, when are we going to go out for a run together again? Now the evenings get lighter, it just gives you, you don't come home and feel so tired and you feel like, right, let's go out and get a run in. So I think as it comes up to the summer, I think we will get some more runs done. And then I would like to, leading up to doing that half Ironman, which is my goal for 27, that.

Will Finlay (: 30:51

Yeah, yeah.

Emily Painter (: 31:12

I will enter some runs to be able to do that. We'll have to do the Cathedral to Castle as well, if that's your favourite one. No, but I don't want to do it again then in case... You don't like it as much? Yes, I like that memory.

Will Finlay (: 31:23

You've to a good memory of it. Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 31:26

Exactly. ⁓ To be honest with you,

I think in terms of my planning, in terms of like structured running and planned running, so know like the ones, the events that you pay for, your fradley 10k and all that, I think, and you touched upon it earlier and this probably sums me up a bit more, I refuse to attend those sometimes because of how much money they are. ⁓

Will Finlay (: 31:52

I've enough, I've got enough the video, yeah.

Emily Painter (: 31:54

don't get me wrong, they're lovely environments and but the cost of in theory a 10k run sometimes that you could do go and do yourself. I struggle with that and I get it's a business, get it, that's not really, it loses it for me I think really because then it does become like it by rocks where it's extortionate and it should never be the cost that it is.

Will Finlay (: 32:10

Yeah.

I don't really know.

Emily Painter (: 32:23

then I think that's where, yeah. You just like to go out with somebody else for us to go for a run and just feel. Sometimes you feel, I felt more of a buzz when I've got up on my own and ran a 15k than I have from entering a run because for us, for me and Char will it's not like maybe you do the race and you're in the top 10 line. get lapped about 15 times.

Will Finlay (: 32:32

I'll get that.

But I completely get what you mean. I look at it and there was a race that I entered and I didn't actually end up doing it because I just got to the day and I was like, really don't want to do this. And it was probably five or six weeks ago. it was the North Lincolnshire half marathon. I was like, why do I want to go to North Lincolnshire? it was like...

Emily Painter (: 33:07

Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 33:16

The entry was like 49 quid and I was like, I've literally spent 49 quid six months ago. like, you know what I mean? It's like, but it's, but no, I completely agree.

Emily Painter (: 33:19

Yeah. Yeah.

I would like to do one of those 24 hour ones where you do it in a team and you have to do a relay. Loops. I'd like that at some point with a group of people.

Will Finlay (: 33:39

They do

one of them rounds, it Stowe Pool next to Beacon Park? That's a 12 hour one I think, it's like, that's laps and laps.

Emily Painter (: 33:45

do that? Yeah.

Yeah,

I'd like to do something like that, the way you do it in a bit of a team, because I feel like something like that would be fun.

Will Finlay (: 34:00

Yeah, now that's it. Yeah, I'm just looking at the time and it's like, pretty much everything that I've noted down, we've really, really gone through. And I just sort of wanted to speak about before we close is what, is if you add a message, I think you've put your message across of how you guys love the aspect of going out and just running for the sake of running really. And it's not about.

Emily Painter (: 34:25

Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 34:29

your time, it's just more about putting one foot in front of the other. If you had a message to somebody who was sort of thinking of getting into the sport but they were like, know, are people going to judge me, things like that, what would you sum up the sport of running for them?

Emily Painter (: 34:48

I think for me it's about the feeling after the run, like the buzz that it gives me to think, well I've just done that and I've done it on my own.

Yes, I'll always look at my time, but it isn't about the time for me. It's about the, I've gone and I've done that and I feel better for doing it. For me, it's the mental health aspect side of it that keeps me going. If I didn't do any form of exercise, wouldn't be good for my mental health. I have to get out and I have to go and let off some steam somewhere. And I talked to lot of students that work in my role in charge of behaviour about the fact that

they need to let off some steam. And so I'd say to people that want to start running that it's just, you create your own journey through running and everybody has a, everybody has a different goal. And I know I've run with my sister over the years and my sister would say that she hates running and she's really slow. And I remember saying to her, well, why don't we do this? And then you might get a bit faster and then you might, she was like, well, I don't want to get any faster. I don't want to do more than five. And like, it made me think, well,

Fair enough, for me I was like, I want to get faster, want to... Everyone's got their own journey and I think that would be my message. It's your journey and actually that's what I love about running is that you can drive down the road and see someone that's running that's as fast as you will and I look at them and think, why do they look so comfortable? It's easy. And then I might look at somebody else that looks bit older or is a bit overweight and I think, go on, fair play. Everyone's on their own journey.

everyone in their own head when they run and doing it for their own reasons and that's what I love about it. Everyone does it for their own purpose and it's about finding your own purpose within it I think. And I think for some people it's transformational isn't it? I think running has transformed people's lives definitely from a mental health point of view but from a physical point of view, from a weight loss point of view and I think it's about finding your own purpose that would be my message.

Will Finlay (: 36:37

Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 37:00

Yeah, and I think to mirror what Emily says and I think this is so pivotal. Well, this is how I've shaped my sort of sporting career. It's not a career, but you know what I mean? And running, running progress is the fact that like comparison is a killer. Like I go to the gym and have done for God knows how long. I know I'm not the best in there, but that's never my MO. I go in there for myself. So.

I that's how you've got to sort of approach running if you're starting up or I think that is solely to one, enjoy yourself like Emily said. It's a huge mental health boost. think nobody anticipates what it does for you upstairs. ⁓ And I think to be able to say that you've achieved something, I know that, and I'm gonna speak about my partner,

Will Finlay (: 37:52

Yeah.

Emily Painter (: 37:59

who has solely done it for her mental health and for weight loss and has smashed it. ⁓ And she's never ran in her ⁓ life, probably since PE actually. ⁓ she's done couched a 5K, ran a 5K, has run with me and I never thought that we would have ran together. ⁓

Will Finlay (: 38:22

That's ice.

I know that's lovely that you have, isn't it? It's like, it's just...

Emily Painter (: 38:28

Well that means more to me than anything else in the world really. Like the fact that we get to that together and we go with our daughter as well. Probably not so far because she doesn't really like running but she does, she goes with us. But yeah, it's just that comparison is a killer I think. If you go out and think, well she's doing more than I am or look how quick he is, you're gone, you're gone. And I just think that's not how I orchestrate anyway. just think just do it for yourself.

Will Finlay (: 38:30

There you go. There you go. That's good.

I know.

Yeah. No,

I couldn't agree with you more. It's like I look at it and I think, you joke about how I'm quicker and things like that, but I look at it. It's like I look at my group in Sheffield that I run with, I run with the University Club and I am the worst runner in my group. And it's like, think that's where it's so important to have people who push you on. as you said, you know, I don't compare myself to them because these guys are running

Emily Painter (: 39:12

Bye. ⁓

Will Finlay (: 39:23

14 minutes for 5k and it's like they may as well have six legs and and it's

Emily Painter (: 39:29

We were halfway through by then. ⁓

Will Finlay (: 39:31

Yeah, but it's,

know, joke about it, but it's like, it's where if it pushes you along, great, but it's at the same time, you've got to understand your own body. And I think running also is a great, why I've enjoyed it so much, because I've played football before and stopped playing football when came to uni to start running. I just love, like I ran London Marathon last year. I love the fact that I can be that close to the elites.

Emily Painter (: 39:39

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Will Finlay (: 40:02

and it's like you sort look at these guys, where, if play football you ain't gonna go and play against Erling Haaland or you ain't gonna go and play

against, like I'm not gonna go and play against him. But, you know, I'm the other side of the barrier to Kip Jogi and people like this. So think that's where I would say running is, as you said, it just works in ways that are unlike many sports because of the fact it's all just so easy to do.

Emily Painter (: 40:31

When you said there about the London Marathon, well obviously I came and watched you do the London Marathon and you were one of

five people that we were there to watch and I think I'd never been to the London Marathon before and I think that's what I mean when I say that people have their own purpose and their own journey like you were there doing it in the time that you did it, three hours, whatever it was and then the final person that we were there to watch did it in like just under seven hours but being there, we and we watched them near the finish and watching those people then that were slower runners that had taken that long but just

Will Finlay (: 40:57

Yeah, yeah.

Emily Painter (: 41:05

the spirit in those people, the determination in those people, the stories and the reasons behind why those people have been instilled to run is something that I think is so special and that's what I meant when people fought. For some people, running it saves their lives in many ways and I think, I remember watching a, I can't remember what programme it was years ago and it was one where somebody famous was talking to people where running it really

saved them and they were training for the London Marathon and there's one woman on there that I'll never forget and I've seen her on social media recently and she lost a child who was about three years old, he died really suddenly and then she had two other children and her husband and very soon after the three-year-old died her husband committed suicide because he felt that the three-year-old dying was his fault and she got into the end to sort of save herself and to give herself a purpose and I can remember watching, my god, like

Will Finlay (: 41:55

Bye.

Emily Painter (: 42:03

But there must be so many people that have a story like that. And for everybody, obviously, hopefully it's not as extreme as that. And for some, they want to get fitter or because it's a means to an end, I've got my steps in. But I think for some people genuinely, it's a sport like no other in that sense where people feel like they can genuinely save themselves. And I think that's one of the reasons it's so important as well. I agree.

Will Finlay (: 42:11

Yeah.

you

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Well, it's been great to talk to you. think that's, I'm looking at the time now. I think that's all we've got time for. So thank you for watching the first ever episode of Run Together Run Forever. That was Sharl and Emily who hold each other accountable.

Emily Painter (: 42:42

Thank you.

Will Finlay (: 42:52

I hope you tune in for episode two, which will be next week. Thank you very much.