Hello and welcome to another episode of Run Till You're Done.
This week's guest brings another great story about the running
journey. Not only are they a runner, but
raise awareness on congenital heart disease, something very
close to my Co host heart, pun intended.
It also happens to coincide with Congenital Heart Disease
Awareness Week. Thank you and welcome to the
show, Laura Jones. Hi, thank you for having me.
No problem. So first questions first, where
how did you get into not necessarily running, but outdoor
sports? Yes.
So I I actually got my heart diagnosis when I was about 28.
So it was actually missed at my birth and it was picked up when
I had pneumonia. So yes I was like 28 ish.
And after this I found myself stuck in a bit of a rot.
I was obviously I was feeling quite down about it and a bit
shocked and I sort of lost my way in life a little bit.
And so because my dad has always run his whole life, he sort of
approached me and said, I've got an idea.
If you run a race with me, I will buy you a pair of
innovates. I was like, what are innovates?
And because I was completely clueless at this point and he
showed me his shoes and he and we looked on the website and I
was like, oh, these are really cool shoes.
And I thought, all right, then I'll do it.
So his his sort of goal was really to help me and Get Me Out
of this route after what I'd sort of just learnt.
So I thought, OK, let's just let's just go for it.
So there was a, a winter league race coming up at a place called
Sebba and dad was running it and he said let's do this one.
So I, I turned up at this race, didn't have a clue what I was
doing. Also these terrible Rd. shoes
trying to run an off road course.
So I was slipping all over the place, didn't have the right
gear whatsoever. And all I thought was in my head
was if I just get round this race, just don't come last, then
that's like a big achievement for me.
And so that's what I did. I didn't come last.
I was about 10th from last, so I was happy with that.
And it was, that was like my first experience really of
running off off road as an adult because I did it as a child from
a childhood into late teens and then stopped when I was about
17. So it was a good sort of 10 year
gap really. And did you not have any heart
problems, are it? Well, we'll get on to that a bit
later. But any inclination that
something was going on when you were younger, that that's just
come totally out of the blue when you were older.
Yeah. So no signs whatsoever.
I'm really lucky because I've only started now to become
symptomatic. So my whole childhood, me and my
two brothers, we were brought up living in the Lakes.
So every weekend, Saturday and Sunday we'd be walking miles.
We walked all the Wainwrights, we walked in Scotland, we walked
in Wales, we we ran the little fell races, cross country.
It was just like full on active childhood.
My, my, my mum's idea of after school fun was she'd pick us up,
we'd drive to a water called Rydal and we'd swim like across
Rydal into the little island and sort of we thought nothing of
it. We just thought this is just
what you do. So yeah, luckily I never had any
symptoms or signs of a heart condition whatsoever.
But whether or not that's due to my parents creating such an
active childhood and whether or not that gave me, I don't know,
some strength somehow or, or it would have happened anyway, I
just don't know. They you're saying that your dad
was going to buy you a pair of innovates.
Did did he buy you a pair of innovates?
He did. He bought me Innovate 212, they
were called, and yeah, they were my favorite pair.
I've still got them. I kept them, but I run them into
the ground. There's nothing left of them
now. Is that Yeah, I think I've had a
pair of them and I can't remember if they're are they ex
talons? Yes, Ex Talon.
Yeah, ex Talon 212. Yeah.
So they're quite, quite a, quite a big lug.
So you're good for off road running?
Yeah, brilliant for off road running and my son.
I've got my son a couple of pairs OF21 twos now as well so I
keep it going. And you've had a relationship.
I don't know whether that involves sponsorship with
Innovate. They tell us a bit about that.
Yeah. So once I started doing the
running, I thought, oh, I might create an Instagram page because
it's quite motivating for yourself, isn't it?
If you, you go and run and then you post your run and post your
views. And because I had these
Innovates, I thought, oh, I'll tag them thinking nothing of it.
And I kept going and kept tagging them.
And then I got approached one day by a guy called Innovate who
works in Innovate. Sorry, a guy called Adrian who
works for Innovate, which is based just the office is down,
down the road at Staveley from me, just about 10 minutes.
Yeah. And he approached me and had
said would I be interested in being in this campaign with a
guy called Jay Martin. Have you heard of Jay?
He he was on SAS. Who Dares wins?
Yeah, I've held. Have you?
Yeah, you might have seen a pic. You might recognise him if you
see a picture. So yeah, so I went and had a
meeting and and discussed that with them and basically it was a
three day adventure around the Lake District and it was filming
their venue, Rock Lite Innovate Boots.
So it was me and and Jay and I thought, oh, how am I going to
keep up with a guy off the off the SAS?
But I'm just about managed. But yeah, it was a great
experience and it just sort of went from there, really.
And what does it, when you say it went from there, what does
that involve do? Were you going out and doing?
Yeah. Yeah, so it involves, I did lots
of photo shoots, campaigns for new, new hiking boots, mainly
because I, I will never, I've never been what you'd call a top
runner. I just ran for fun and because I
enjoyed it and because it gave me the mental freedom really
from after finding out about the heart condition.
It was a way for me to to feel stress free.
So yeah. So I, I never advertised any of
the running shoes as such, just more on on my channel.
But so, yeah, so I, I got to meet some, some great people and
I met James Forrest and he he's like a record-breaking ultra
hiker, so that was good. And obviously I met Jay off off
the SAS, so that was good as well.
But yeah, so it was mainly, oh, I was so sorry.
I went to Glysdale Forest as well and advertised some of
their trails in innovate gear. So I did some runs around that
area. So that was nice, but I mainly
now I mainly just promote the innovate clothing and shoes just
off my channel. OK.
With since she's done that first race as an adult with your dad,
you said the running is just for fun purely, and you sound a
very, very active person. Do you?
What would you say? Do you have a favorite thing
that you like to do or do you just mix it all up?
Oh, I just, I think it is mainly a mix it all up.
But now I have to think a little bit more.
Now my heart condition has reached a more serious stage.
So I can't just say to my kids, oh, come on, we're going to go
and swim in Buttermere or, you know, wherever because the water
temperature will be too cold for me and I, I can't risk the shock
of it on my body. So I get, we'll still swim, but
then I'll just wait until say, may time.
And so just sort of switch things up a little bit.
I can't run anymore, unfortunately at the moment, but
I can after the surgery. And so I just my main thing at
the moment is probably walking, fast walking, because I'm having
to keep up with the kids on the bikes.
And, and my son, he, he trains a lot during the week.
So I, I go along to his training and I'll, I'll hike up the hill
and sort of stand halfway whilst he's running up and down it.
So things like that. Yeah, I just have to think a
little bit more about what I'm doing.
But that's fine. I can, I can still do plenty.
So that's fine. We've, we've gotten on to the
main subject that was about the congenital heart condition,
which we've had lots of spoilers.
You've obviously said that you've, you, you have a
condition. I don't know how open I've been
with people on the podcast, but I, I've myself, I've got a
general heart condition. I've had surgery about four or
five years ago. And for me, I used to run no
symptoms before and then I gradually got more and more
symptoms. And then I went to see this the
doctors about it. And Long story short, it's not
about me, it's about you. So how how did?
What symptoms sorry did you get when you were running?
I started when I was running up when, when I leave my house, I I
run up a hill to get to anywhere.
Basically, I, I, I live near the sea and you've got to go uphill.
I used to be able to run up no problem.
And then gradually I was getting slower and slower.
And then eventually I felt like I had a, a weight on my chest
and then it became a weight on my back and chest at the same
time. So pushing in, as soon as I got
up to the top of the hill, it all went away.
And then after a while, it was like my, my daughter was born.
I would sort of bend over to pick her up from her cot and I
would feel it when I was bending over like that.
Just little things like that. And then looking back on it now
is like 10 years ago when I was doing this race, I felt like
that afterwards. That was probably because of
that, probably, yeah. At the time I didn't think about
it, but now thinking about it, it's like that was related.
So talking about you, what sort of symptoms were you getting?
So I actually haven't had any symptoms until the last year or
so, especially the last six months.
And what happens is if I push it too much, I get hit with
fatigue, really awful fatigue where it's just no escape from
it. And all, all I'm left with
really is just to lie on the sofa all day.
It takes about a day to feel slightly normal again.
And then next day I'm like, OK, we can carry on now.
But that sort of that has got worse the last six months where
I find it hits me sooner. So I, I definitely can't run or
they told me don't run, but I remember just before I stopped
running the same as you really, if I hit a hill or even just a
slight incline, it felt like I was, I was hitting a brick wall
almost and something was just like stopping me.
I would have to break into a fast walk instead.
So it sort of creeps up on you, doesn't it, over time?
But that that's fine. I've lasted this long, whereas I
know a lot of people with what I have I think can be really
breathless, bad fatigue, they can get chest pains.
So I think I've been let off lightly to be honest.
So tell me about your experience about actually getting
diagnosed. You you were obviously fit and
healthy beforehand and you started getting the pains.
How did you like what made you go to get diagnosed, assuming
you went to a doctor? Yeah, well, well, actually what
what had happened was me and my son Charlie, we got really sick
with a nasty winter virus and mine had turned into pneumonia.
So I ended up where I'd passed out on the bathroom floor and I
was really struggling to breathe.
So the next minute I knew I was in an ambulance and I had about
a week in in the hospital and because of the pneumonia,
they've done an echo scan on on my chest and this is when it was
picked up and they said, oh, were you aware that you have a
bicuspid aortic valve? I was like, what's that?
I have one clue about the heart or how it works or I'll see you
rubbish. I was like, no.
And they said, oh, well, it's you've been born with, with
this. It must have been missed at
birth. So it was a bit of a shock, but
they I was still didn't have symptoms.
It was just that the pneumonia had made it really difficult for
me to breathe. And then so in a way I get, I
guess I should count myself lucky that I had the pneumonia
because I might have never picked up on it.
And now as it's developed, I've actually got an aneurysm in my
aorta as well, which does put me at risk of sudden cardiac death.
And so I am on the surgery list now.
But if it hadn't have been picked up and I hadn't have been
put on the surgery list, I, I might not be here in a couple of
years time. So I guess it's funny how life
works sometimes, isn't it? How things.
Yeah, something negative to turn into a positive.
It's like you were lucky that you were sick.
Yes, it seems a bit weird. I also think it's funny that the
doctor can turn around and go here's this blah blah blah blah
blah in in Latin. Do you know you've got it?
I didn't even understand what you just said.
Yes, what? So I thought.
It's not quite a lot of people the, I'm assuming like you got
this diagnosis and you maybe done your research.
I work in healthcare and we tell everybody don't Google anything
because the first thing you do is you Google everything.
Yeah. Is there quite a lot of people
that can live with this and never know that they have it?
Yeah, I believe so, yeah. I mean, if, if they're lucky
like me and as well and don't have symptoms and maybe don't
push the body to a limit like they don't run and they just
carry on with life. And I think there is quite a lot
of people that this can happen to.
But I I don't know how rare it is, how rare mine was to be
missed at birth. I don't, I don't know.
So I guess in a way though, I'm, I'm glad that it was missed at
birth and picked up later on in life because I think my parents
might have put a limit on me. They might have been a bit
worried. We might not have been hiking up
Snowden and you know, on scarf L And I mean, the weekend we'd
probably walk sort of 1213 miles as kids.
And I think all that might have been stopped or lessened or they
might have not let me sort of be as free as I was because I, I
guess I would have had appointments and scans and all
from my childhood if, if it had been picked up.
So it's sort of bittersweet, isn't it?
I think you got to think about it.
It's like it probably wouldn't have been picked up unless you
were pushing your body. But the reason why you've
survived this long without any symptoms is because you're so
fit and healthy. That's why I got so told about
it. It's I was when I had surgery, I
got told that I was the quickest person to be at the hospital.
I had the surgery on the Tuesday and I was home by the Friday and
that's because I was healthy, because I was fit.
I was out doing stuff. So you'll be exactly the same.
It's. You're good to know.
Yeah. You.
Sorry. Go on.
No, sorry. It was well and about me.
It's supposed to be about you. Yeah, it's.
No, it's good to know that you, because of this, you were in and
out so quickly because at the moment it's on my mind that the
waiting list for surgery is up to six months unless suddenly I
deteriorate and then you get brushed in.
And, but I'm quite happy to have the six months because I'm
thinking, well, I can use this time to keep myself fit and
healthy and just try and get as strong and in a decent condition
so that when I do go in for surgery, hopefully I'll be out
quick and my recovery will be quick as well.
That's what I'm hoping. Yeah, the, the one thing that I
didn't appreciate beforehand is I brush my teeth twice a day as
you're supposed to, but you don't appreciate that, that
little things. I I had an Abscess in my tooth
and they were like, oh, you're going in for heart surgery
that's coming out. It doesn't matter if it's a
maybe we can treat it or whatever.
If you've got something wrong with your teeth because you
don't look after your teeth, that's the primary route in for
a thing called endocarditis and that can affect your heart and
then that leads to a lot of complications.
So look after your teeth and it's just like looking after
your body as a whole. You don't realize just.
Yeah, the impact, you don't, you don't realise, do you know, I, I
actually didn't realise about the the teeth thing either.
And I have a letter from my surgeon who has specifically
asked that at my next checkup, the dentist has to send a letter
to confirm that everything is healthy and fine.
But I've been quite on top of when I did my research after I
found out I've been quite on top of my teeth and making sure that
I go to the dentist frequently and anything that needs doing, I
saw it as soon as possible. Because yeah, I didn't realize
that it's links to infection, doesn't it?
I think. Yeah, it's it gets in the, I'm
no doctor, so I can't say properly, but it gets into the
lining of the heart and that's the where the infection starts.
And I know somebody else that's had, I'm not going to scare you
with what they've had, but it's just be healthy.
And that goes for everybody. It's Yeah, I, I was 3738 when I
got diagnosed and you're saying that you didn't get diagnosed
early. You don't know that the
advantage that I've got now and you're getting the scan.
So you've got is afterwards we're going to know that we're
OK. People like Nikki here, she's
not had the MRI scans and the EC GS, the my perfusion scans, I
can't even name all the scans that I've had and you've
probably had the same things. But.
Afterwards, we know that we're healthy. 99% of people out there
don't know that, so all they can do is be as healthy as they can
be. Yeah, that.
Well, that's it, isn't it? Yeah.
If you're not showing any, any symptoms or you're not pushing
your body so you're going to notice that something's going
wrong, you just, yeah, just have to hope that that you're all
good, I guess. And like you said, just keep
yourself as healthy as possible. Because I was diagnosed.
They then scanned my two children just to make sure
because I think it can be genetic.
My it was actually my Nana actually had it and yeah, and so
then passed it to me. Thanks.
But luckily my my children don't have it.
So I can I can breathe. Saya, a breath of relief on that
one. My my condition isn't thought to
be hereditary, but there isn't enough research.
It's like such a rare condition, there isn't enough research done
to know that for certain. But I asked for my daughter to
be checked because, yeah, mental health wise, that would have put
stress on me. And.
But no, she is clear. So great.
We, we both, we sorry, I can't talk now.
We both know that we're clear. My wife doesn't know that.
So yeah. Yeah, no, it's that, that's
good. And now you've had your surgery.
Do you I do you have any symptoms post surgery or do you
feel completely normal? I, I feel completely normal.
The the only, it's, it's not even a symptom of the condition.
The only symptom that I had after surgery was I tried to run
early and I when I say early, I was, I went from a first run two
weeks after surgery. Oh.
My goodness. The the only symptom that I had
was a pain in my chest, but it wasn't my heart.
It was because the bones hadn't had a chance to merge back
together yet. So.
And imagine that's quite painful actually.
Probably more the broken ribs and the incision than anything
else I'd imagine you'll get. Painkillers I would imagine,
hopefully. Oh yeah, there's some wonderful
painkillers. Oh good.
But the other thing, I had surgery 3 weeks before the 1st
COVID lockdown, so it meant that things like physio, I wasn't
able to get any physio because the physio department was closed
down. So did you use YouTube and find?
Yeah, I I'm a I'm a self coached runner so I just self coached
myself and you're. Amazing, yeah.
Push my body harder than most people probably would and.
Brilliant came. Came out of.
Any further surgeries or now you've had?
Not not not that I know of. I had a follow up a year, I had
various follow-ups throughout the year and then I had a proper
follow up a year after surgery and they they said, no, you
don't need to come back after that.
As far as we're concerned, you've got a fully functioning
heart. My my condition means that my
coronary artery is still in the wrong place, but it functions as
if it was in the right place. So right.
Oh, that's great. At least mentally you know
you've got through the hardest part.
Yes. Now you can just carry on with
your life and rebuilding it and your body and running and
everything like that. And I'm actually going to be
similar they said, because I'm having a titanium valve fitted
and my aorta will be repaired. And hopefully, if everything
goes to plan and my body takes to it all well, I shouldn't need
another surgery in my lifetime, I hope.
Yeah, well, what people have said to me and it'll be exactly
the same for you, but I didn't have anything put in.
I just had plumbing rearranged. You're getting a bit of a
titanium. So think about it like this.
You are going to be part robot. So yes, exactly.
And you had a condition previously and you're gonna get
amended. So whatever you were doing
before, you were restricted. So just think about how strong
you're gonna be afterwards. Yes, that's what I'm looking
forward to actually. And I'm looking forward to
starting running again once I'm fully healed and feeling what it
actually feels like to be able to, like you say, function
normally. Because whenever I've ran I've
I've always, yeah, had restricted blood flow and just
not known about it. Yeah, and you, you thought that
was the normal and now your level is going to be higher.
So, you know, at least you hope so you can push yourself even
harder so. Yes, and if I do run another
race, I might even be higher than 10.
When you got diagnosed at 20 and that all came through in the
hospital, how have your family, how's your family coped with
that? Like you say, your parents when
your brothers were very active and then you've got the kids as
well. How?
How did they all deal with that diagnosis?
They were quite shocked because they were like, how like you, I
used to, you know, I would run races for and when I was in
secondary school and and I would win by quite a long, a long way.
And, you know, we do our school across countries.
And I'd be sat back in the changing room for like 10
minutes before anyone else turned up.
And yeah, so my parents are just like, how have you done that?
But I guess, I guess just because you you're born that
way, my body knows no different. It just especially when you're
young as well, you can do so much more.
Kai in. But yeah, they they were just,
they were quite shocked by it. And then we realised that my
Nana had the same thing, but she didn't have her operation till
she was in her 70s. So hers hers wasn't picked up
either, I guess. But yeah, just just shock, I
think. And now they've, they've sort
of, they've seen that I'm fine as well because they, they say
to me even now and they're like, yeah, I know you're on the
surgery list and, and what's facing you isn't nice, but
you're OK, aren't you? I was like, yeah, I'm fine.
I'm absolutely fine. I can carry on with, with life.
I just have to. If I feel the fatigue coming on
and I feel tired, I just have to take a step back and let my body
recover and then I'm fine to go again.
So you send fatigue, Do you get that on sort of daily activity
like doing the housework or is it when you're outside doing
active? So at first it was more when I
was active. So I can't, if I was to go out
and hike say 6 miles an hour with 2000 foot, say I could
probably, I could do it. But then when I got back, I
would probably wiped out maybe for about a week now.
And where I was in the past, I could go and do that.
I could come back and go for a run and next day get up and
carry on and do all the housework.
And you know, so it's, I definitely see a big decline on
that front. And but now I could, I could go
out and I could walk 3 miles, say, and maybe 1000 feet and I'd
maybe suffer for a day or two after.
But in my mind, I would rather go and do that and suffer than
not do anything at all because it just drives me crazy.
And I think it's just my life and I'd and I just, I would just
be lost without it, I think. As we said about being healthy,
I think if you're not doing anything, you're probably going
to go into decline more because you're not being active, You're
you're keeping yourself fit. Yeah, and mental health is a big
thing, isn't it? And I feel like I've really
suffered with with that actually, especially when I
found out when the surgeon surgeon actually said to me, no,
we do need to operate now. It hit me really quite hard, but
more so because I thought, Oh no, it's going to take away my
life. Like what am I going to do with
myself? Like what?
I don't know what else brings me happiness.
So when he said, oh, it's no, you're fine.
You can still walk. You just have to take it easy.
I thought, well, that's fine. I can, as long as I can get out
and I can walk, I can still enjoy the scenery.
And you still, I still get that boost and you know, you're still
getting dolphins. You can still feel good.
You just have to scale it back a bit.
And when you know on your adventures like you're saying
about scaling back, a lot of the times we get told to be safe and
take certain pieces of cat out, whether so you've got your basic
like what we would call mandatory kit.
Is there anything extra that you have to do and take out with you
in case God forbid something was to happen or?
Well, not really. I I mean, I always make sure I
have like say the basic kit. So if I was and if it was to
happen, I would be warm. So I have all the all the kit
that we take. I take some food with me,
usually something like a quite like the full fill bars.
Have you heard of those? Yeah, I quite like those.
So I'll make sure I have something, if I feel a bit
waffy, I could get a bit of a sugar boost and just make sure I
have water with me, make sure my phone's fully charged in case I
need to ring anybody. But I usually I'll tell I have
quite a big family around in the lake.
So I always make sure I tell someone where I'm going, what
I'm doing, how long I'm going to be and just have to hope for the
best really. As you say, though, you can't
really live your life too much in fear because, as you say,
mental health is such a big priority and just getting out
and getting the fresh air when you feel good for it, that's
really, really important. Yeah, yeah, definitely.
I yeah, I'll take the risk any day, to be honest, just for
mental health and to feel happy. And, and I guess when you're
waiting for something big like that, like a major surgery, you
don't want to be sat in the house dwelling over it and
thinking, oh, what if, what if this what you know, and I know
it's not very nice, but what if I didn't make it or if something
happened to me? I don't want to live the next
six months like that. Almost being a prisoner to
yourself. I'm like, no, I'm really want to
fight for happiness because it's yeah, even if I did have six
months left is there's no way I'm going to sit here wasting
the time unhappy. So I just I've forced myself
out. I sort of have a fight with
myself. I'm like, no, what you doing
that get out there. And I always feel so much better
after and glad that I get myself out.
Yeah, the the thing with I'm quite happily talking to people
about having a condition because for me it's sort of my
condition. If I can use that to help other
people by saying go out and get fit, if you've got any symptoms,
go and see a doctor. If I can get that message
forward, then it makes me having the condition seem worthwhile.
If it helps somebody else, do it.
Yeah, definitely. And I think that's why I'm quite
happy to use my Instagram page. It's got quite a few followers
on there now and that I've built up over the years.
And I've started posting a little bit about what it's like
living with the condition and just adding bits in here and
there, especially with the British Heart Foundation
suggesting that we may work together in the future.
I just think it's, yeah, it's good to get it out there.
And if I can help anybody else, like you say, in the same
situation and let them know that it's, yeah, it's it's not nice
to deal with mentally, but you can fight against it and you can
actually find happiness during that really scary time.
You just have to switch your mindset, almost get angry with
yourself and like, no, you're not going to sit here and get
upset. We're going out.
I think the raising the Wellness as well is so important because
not only does it give people with any congenital heart
condition hope that people like yourself might get out there and
can still, don't even have to be a runner or anything.
You can go out and just go for short walks, even if it's around
the block and you're not very active to begin with.
Yeah. In the garden and get some air
about you. Even just 10 minutes round the
block, a flat walk, just the fresh air, it gives you such a
boost. I think, yeah, it doesn't have
to be anything big and crazy and not at all.
Just yeah, 10 minutes walking every day I think can just make
a big difference to everything. And you mentioned British Heart
Foundation. Is there anyone else that's
approached you for working with to raise and spread that word
overwhelmness? Yes, so there's there's a
company local to to me here in the lakes called Lake District
Jewelry. And it's a girl that I've just
been in contact with her. She makes her own jewelry and
based on the iconic views around the Lake District, so she makes
like rings that are in the shape of cat bells.
And she said to me, would I be interested in promoting her
jewellery? And in return she will give a
percentage of the sales to the British Heart Foundation.
So I thought, oh, that's brilliant because it's, it's
raising awareness, it's giving back to to their life saving
research that they provide and also the jewelleries.
Amazing. So it sort of helps everyone out
really. The the other thing that we
found out, we'd arranged this interview, but we found out it's
actually congenital Heart Awareness Week.
So timing is. Perfect.
Brilliant. Yeah.
You don't know. You couldn't write that one.
Yeah, that's great. So back to activities because
that's what the podcast is. It's not really it's about us.
Well you when you're out in your ventures, what kind of you
mentioned was it for fuel bars? Is there anything else that you
take with you fuel wise? No.
Well, I've I've tried various gels in the past and these
little cubes that you could could take, I can't remember
what the name of them is, but I've never really liked them
that much. I think my body works better off
proper food, so I'll just make sure that I have something
really decent before I go. And I prefer to have a banana
maybe instead of like a gel and also maybe one of these fulfil
bars. And I think they definitely give
me enough boost, I would say. And because I'm not doing masses
of miles, I know that a lot of people do rely on gels, don't
they? And I actually one time I did, I
ran the Kempmere Horseshoe and I was starting to feel a little
bit weak towards the end of my friend gave me a gel.
And that was beneficial to, to be fair.
But yeah, if it was my choice I would rather have something more
like a fulfill bar or banana. The the the blocks that you
can't remember. Probably Cliff shop blocks.
Yes, that's it. Yeah.
I I find them if you've been either pushing really hard or
running for a long time and you just can't stand eating, they
they go down quite easily because you they just dissolve
in your mouth. Yeah, because I guess you, you
might feel a bit nauseous. I, I'd imagine I just, I've
learned this actually off off my son.
Not that he goes some miles because he's only 11, but he, he
often can feel a bit nauseous if, if he's pushed himself to
the limit and he, he can't stand the smell or sight of any proper
food for about half an hour, which which I thought, oh, that
makes sense why people have the, the gels and the blocks.
They're just easier. Are they?
I think it's something you got to remember for somebody at that
age, their legs are half the size of your legs, so they're
doing double the amount of steps.
That's true. Yeah.
They might not feel like miles, but they've done double what
you're doing. So.
Yeah, very. True, yeah.
With your various activities over the years, even from
childhood with the family, is there any big adventures that
you've had that stand out, whether it be a formal event or
just something to get out? Well, yeah, I I always said to
myself when I started running, I thought I always look up at at
the horseshoes and Kempmere was one that I was always like, I
really would love to run that one day.
So I, I built myself up strong enough and, and I thought,
right, today's the day and I just went and ran the horseshoe.
So I felt so proud of myself. That was like a big, big like
achievement to me. And also one thing that I really
wanted to do was because this whole thing started off because
of my dad, I thought I would really love to be able to run
some mountains with my dad. And so I have done that.
He got me up at something like 5:00 in the morning.
I felt sick. So and then he was like, right,
come on, we're going to go and run up Red Squeeze.
And so we made it up there and we watched the sunrise together.
And that's like a real sort of stand out moment to me.
So going forward after my surgery, I would love to be able
to run with dad again and stand at the top of the mountain and
watch, watch the sunrise and then run down together.
So that's like my goal at the moment.
I think that's a very admirable, good target.
I remember being in the hospital and they said of what?
What are your targets? And they were talking about
running because they obviously talked about that.
And I told them that, OK, my target is to do a fire mile run
or I can't remember if it's fire miles or a marathon by the end
of the year. And surgery was in February, so
I had almost a year. Yeah.
But actually in my head was I was doing 100 mile by the end of
the year and I did it 11 weeks after surgery, so.
Oh wow, that's amazing. Aim high, that's.
All I can say, yeah. You're you're more more capable
than you think you are. Yes.
Do you know what that is? That is amazing.
That's going to give me some motivation that.
Yeah, that's great. Did you feel OK afterwards as
well? Did you recover?
I I, I felt like I hadn't been training up in, like I had
stopped sort of properly running.
I can't remember 6 months before the surgery.
I felt like I had lack of training, but I was slower.
I was, yeah, I knew that I hadn't trained properly, but I
still, I did it. And that was the mental side of
things. It was proving.
It was proving to myself that I could still do it.
Yeah, yeah, that's it, isn't it? You just, yeah, I in my head,
I'm, I'm like right once, once I've done this surgery, I'm
going to do it for myself and I'm, I'm going to make sure I
run up red squeeze and back down again.
Yeah, that's that's the goal. Well, even if you, even if you
have to walk, crawl, whatever, as long as you know that you're
trying that, I think that's the main thing.
Definitely an info running as well.
Actually because it is so steep I think you can get away with
still calling it a road if you fast walk up and then run down.
So then, yeah. Nikki will tell you that you're
allowed to do that in flats as well.
Hey, the trail shoe is on. It's a trail running map.
Exactly, Yeah. Whether it be 50 meters or 500
or whatever, when you're going up your hills and out your
activities and your runs, what do you generally think about to
get you through? I think usually I'm I'm so blown
away by the views that I'm almost taken into a different
world. Sounds a bit extreme, but and I
and I sort of think, I usually think about how lucky I am to be
there, how lucky I am that I'm still able to be doing it.
And to be honest, I think I often have thoughts of how happy
it makes me and how amazing this life is and just feel free in in
that time. That's tend tend to be what I
think about. So it's good just to get up the
hills and just to, it sounds really bizarre, but to hear the
quiet just off when there's no one else.
If you're fortunate enough to walk my week, there's not very
many walkers out or runners on the hills and it's so still and
it's just amazing. I think that's why I often think
that it's like entering into another world because there
isn't anybody for miles and you can just like, say you can, you
can hear and feel the wind on on your face.
You can hear the birds. It's, yeah, it's it's just
brings you peace, doesn't it? Yeah, that's yeah.
And being out in peace, as you're saying.
I know that I've been out in situations which have been
stupid. I've quite happily admit you
shouldn't do them. Being up on For us it's
Monroe's, but for you it'd be Wayne Wright's.
I guess, being up in there and conditions.
I I've been out and in conditions that I shouldn't have
been on my own, not seeing anybody all day.
If something had happened because I had a condition that
at the time I didn't know about, I wouldn't be here.
Have you been in any situations like that that you think about
now? Let me think, I think I've
probably actually been quite sensible when I think about it.
The last sort of big adventure that I had before I I was told
that now I need surgery was on Coniston, Old man.
We did a round and it was really thick snow and ice and it
probably could have gone wrong because he it got very dark very
quickly when we're at the top. And because it's complete white
out, it's harder to navigate, isn't it?
But I was with somebody. So every time I've done
something that might be my parents might say that.
What you doing that for? I've always been with someone.
So yeah, I've never really put myself at risk like that.
Still done silly things, but yeah, but in company.
Well, you're more sensible than me.
Well done. Those are the best potentials
though. Yes, Yeah, that sounds good fun,
isn't it? You mentioned earlier about your
goal is to go out and run with your dad, A question that we ask
people. Have you got anybody that you
would dream about going for a run an adventure with?
Either a live not or fictional or not?
Well, I think to me my, my dad is my hero and so I think I
would just love to be able to run with dad again and also to
be able to run with my son Charlie, although I have no
chance of keeping up with him. But to be able to run with both
of them together would just be amazing to me.
So hopefully if I go in for surgery, the end of summer, I'm
not sure whether to say by the end of the year is too soon or
not. I don't know about going off
what you said, though, and what you've done.
Then it's not unachievable, I guess.
So, yeah. To be able to run with them,
too, and stand at the top of one of the mountains and watch the
sunrise, that that would be, yeah.
That would just be perfect for me.
And are you going to use as motivation when you're halfway
up the hill and they tell you you're tired?
You say, well I've done it and I've got a hard condition.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna rub
that in everyone's face. Use it.
Use it for your weapons, yeah. Oh, I will.
Yeah. Definitely.
Yeah. When he if he if Charlie says
he's tired or complaints that he has to go to training, which he
really does, I'll definitely be pulling that out of the bag.
Good, good. So moving beyond that, even into
the likes of next year when you'll be fully recovered, have
you got any big goals, dreams like of Bones, anything that
you've got your heart set on? Yeah, well, we absolutely as a
family, we absolutely love Scotland and my my dad had
mentioned that once I'm fully recovered we should go and start
hiking Monroes. Yes.
So yes, so that I think that's going to be my first goal is to
be able to stand at the top of one of the Monroes, I think.
And then after that, if I can run and and race again.
And I always wanted to do run the ring of steel.
I don't know why, but it was just like a standout race to me
that I just think, whoa, I would just love to get rounds that.
And so it's a bit of a setting the bar high here, but I would
love to be able to run the Ring of Steel one day as well.
And the Monroes as well. Has my dad done them?
Did you say? Yeah, we've done a few when we
were kids. We've done a few.
I'm not sure which which ones we did now because also back when
we were kids, social media wasn't a thing and we didn't
even really take pictures either.
So now when people say, oh, what have you done?
I'm like, well, I've done everything, but I have no
evidence. If it if it's not on Strava, did
it count? So I'll have to start completely
from scratch. That'll be good then that it can
tell you which one. Which ones will be the good ones
to start off with. Makes quite a lot of experience
and a few of them. I've done 10 so far.
Oh well, messaging. You go pack our brains away.
Oh yeah, well, I'll be I'll be messaging you and asking for
info for sure. Well.
I think if you're wanting to set something that is definitely
achievable, go for one of the ones at Glenshie because you're
more or less parked at the ski center and you're more or less
halfway up. You can take all day just to get
up. It's basically a ski run's
worth. So that would be.
Perfect. Yeah, even now I think you could
achieve it. Yes, I need Oh well, and also it
is a coffee at the bottom waiting then that's always like
a good. Depending on the time of year,
and I'm not saying how good the cafe there is, good or bad, it
might be excellent, but yeah. Oh well, maybe I'll let you know
how it is. Leading on from that, what's
what's next? You've got surgery sometime.
You haven't got a date yet as far as I know.
Yeah, so I don't have a date. I'm placed it on the list.
And yeah, he said it's currently up to six months, which from
when he told me he's actually July, but I have said we've got
a big family holiday in August. And so I said, if I'm haven't
deteriorated any further and it's safe for me to do so, can I
delay the surgery? I'm thinking of my children as
well. I thought if if they're off
during summer, it won't be great.
I'd rather they're in school, in routine and I can just sort of
disappear without telling them. And then hopefully they'll just
be told after that I'm fine and they can come and see me.
So I'm thinking September time hopefully, hopefully get in and
get out as quick as possible and then it will be rebuilding
myself I guess, building myself back up and feeling what it's
like to have a fully normal functioning heart as well.
Apparently you have to get used to hearing a tick because it's
titanium and when it's really quiet you can hear it ticking
away, which might drive me mad, but I think eventually your
brain gets used to it and you don't hear it any any longer so.
Just think some people run to metronome so you've got built in
metronome so. It sounds like you've got you've
got an amazing support around you to help you with that
recovery, so there'll be no doubt that you'll be back up and
active again in no time. Yes, I am very lucky.
I have my my parents and my two brothers as well and they have
all said that they're going to be there for me.
I'm a kids at 100% and yeah, they said not to worry about
anything, they're just going to sort everything out for me.
So I'm very lucky. Yeah, I have a really great
support, so yeah. Well, I think we're going to end
it there today and just say it's been fantastic talking to you,
Laura and everybody listening. I'm going to speak for them.
We all wish you the best of luck.
Hopefully your surgery will happen when at a time that suits
you, but everything will go well.
And thanks Nikki for being Nikki.
Thank you, Laura, for joining us today and thanks everybody for
listening. And thank.
You goodbye for me. Thanks so much.