By Hayden Shearman // Last Saturday 5283 hardy souls trudged their way over the unforgiving, boggy, stampede-ridden hills of Hampstead Heath at the annual English Cross Country Championship. And it was epic!

The English XC Champs are quite possibly the longest running athletic event on the planet. It started in 1876 and has run every year since, minus the years during WWI and WWII. Yet, like Jolyon Attwooll so brilliantly described in the Telegraph, few hear of or even know of this incredible event and the 5283 individual stories that compose it. 

The world of cross country running is comparable to a Picasso-like genius who might paint day after day in their backyard but keep all their masterpieces stowed away in a broom cupboard. You hardly ever hear about the winners of the National XC in the media (and the same can be said of the World XC Champs), the runners' GPS files make for horrible reading due to the tough terrain and slipping-and-sliding, and you don't see the selfie onslaught on social media that you get after the obstacle and mud runs that so frequently clog our Instagram feeds. 

Instead, cross country battle tales are shared in pubs, trophies are stowed away in dusty clubroom cabinets, and the runners return home for a cold hosing down—a humbling undressing of the north London mud that acts like a finishers' medal covering them from head to toe. 

Finishing a cross country race doesn't get you any accolades at the office water cooler on Monday morning, but it boasts an intrinsic reward that is stupidly hard to find in our wifi-connected, centrally-heated worlds. 

I think it's something that every runner, know matter your speed or experience or ability, should try at some stage in your running lifetime. I'd argue that you'll never feel as cold, as exhausted, as muddy, and as part of a close-knit-team as you will running cross country. And at the very least it makes you feel super fast once you return to the smooth roads in the spring!

Keen to give cross country a go? 

Well, the season is basically over, but you've got the next six months to find a local club and purchase a pair of spikes ready for the next season which will kick off in October. 

In the meantime, enjoy these pics and video from Saturday's epic Cross Country Nationals and peruse the list of former winners below. 

Photo credits: Tim Hawkes. Video: Phil McElhinney.

ENGLISH CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS: SENIOR WOMEN
Year Venue – Team – Individual

1927 Luton – Middlesex Ladies AC – A M A Williams (Littlehampton Ladies AC)
1928 Chigwell – Middlesex Ladies AC – L D Styles (Littlehampton Ladies AC)
1929 Perivale – Middlesex Ladies AC – L D Styles (Littlehampton Ladies AC)
1930 Wolverton – Westbury H – L D Styles (Littlehampton Ladies AC)
1931 Epsom – London Olympiades AC – G A Lunn (Birchfield H)
1932 Coventry – Birchfield H – G A Lunn (Birchfield H)
1933 Warwick – Airedale H – L D Styles (Haywards Heath Ladies AC)
1934 Kettering – London Olympiades AC – L D Styles (London Olympiades AC)
1935 Longbridge – London Olympiades AC – N Halstead (Radcliffe H & AC)
1936 Chidwell Row – Small Heath H – N Halstead (Radcliffe H & AC)
1937 Perry Barr – Birchfield H – L D Styles (London Olympiades AC)
1938 Luton – Birchfield H – E Forster (Civil Service AC)
1939 Rugby – Birchfield H – E Forster (Civil Service AC)
1940 No Championships
1941 No Championships
1942 No Championships
1943 No Championships
1944 No Championships
1945 No Championships
1946 Cheltenham – Birchfield H – P Sandall (Birchfield H)
1947 Oxford – Birchfield H – R M Wright (St Gregorys Ladies AC)
1948 Sutton Coldfield – Birchfield H – J Kibler (Birchfield H)
1949 Worsley – Birchfield H – E Johnson (Airedale H)
1950 Parliament Hill – Birchfield H – A Gibson (North Shields Poly Ladies AC)
1951 Tadcaster – Ilford AC – P E M Green (Ilford AC)
1952 Perry Barr – Ilford AC – P E M Green (Ilford AC)
1953 Birmingham – Birchfield H – D S Leather (Birchfield H)
1954 Aylesbury – Birchfield H – D S Leather (Birchfield H)
1955 Leeds – Ilford AC – D S Leather (Birchfield H)
1956 Sutton Coldfield – Ilford AC – D S Leather (Birchfield H)
1957 Enfield – Ilford AC – J Bridgland (Southampton AC)
1958 Winton, Lancs – Highgate H – R Ashby (Coventry Godiva H)
1959 Birmingham – London Olympiades AC – J Byatt (Hampstead Heath H)
1960 Morden Park – Ilford AC – J Byatt (Hampstead Heath H)
1961 Sheffield – London Olympiades AC – R Ashby (Coventry Godiva H)
1962 Wolverhampton – London Olympiades AC – R Ashby (Coventry Godiva H)
1963 Richmond Park – Mitcham AC – M C Ibbotson (Longwood Ladies AC)
1964 Bury – Bury & Radcliffe AC – M C Ibbotson (Longwood Ladies AC)
1965 Birmingham – Maryhill Ladies AC – P Davies (Selsonia AC)
1966 Watford – Maryhill Ladies AC – P Davies (Selsonia AC)
1967 Blackburn – Barnet & District AC – P Davies (Selsonia AC)
1968 Coventry – Cambridge H – P Davies (Selsonia AC)
1969 Aldershot – Barnet & District AC – R Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC)
1970 Blackburn – Cambridge H – R Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC)
1971 Wolverhampton – Coventry Godiva H – R Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC)
1972 High Wycombe – Cambridge H – R Lincoln (Essex Ladies AC)
1973 Rawtenstall – Cambridge H – J Smith [Byatt] (Barnet Ladies AC)
1974 Leicester – Barnet & District AC – R Ridley [Lincoln] (Essex Ladies AC)
1975 Paliament Hill – Cambridge H – C Tranter (Stretford AC). Guest D Nagle (Guiness AC) 1st
1976 Blackburn – London Olympiades AC – A Ford (Hounslow AC)
1977 Stoke – Sale H – G Penny (Cambridge H)
1978 High Wycombe – Sale H – M Stewart (Birchfield H)
1979 Runcorn – Aldershot Farnham & District AC- K Binns (Sale H)
1980 Rugeley – Birchfield H – R Smeeth (Aldershot Farnham & District AC)
1981 Colchester – Sale H – W Smith (Hounslow AC)
1982 Carlisle – Sale H – P Fudge (Hounslow AC)
1983 Warwick – Sale H – C Benning [Tranter] (Southampton AC)
1984 Knebworth – Aldershot Farnham & District AC – J Furniss [Shields] (Sheffield AC)
1985 Birkenhead – Crawley AC – A Tooby (Cardiff AC)
1986 Leicester – Sale H – C Bradford (Clevedon AC)
1987 Bexley – Sale H – J Shields (Sheffield AC)
1988 Leeds – Birchfield H – H Titterington (Leicester Coritanian AC)
1989 Birmingham – Parkside (Harrow) AC – A Pain [Hulley] (Leeds City AC)
1990 Rickmansworth – Parkside (Harrow) AC – A Whitcombe (Parkside [Harrow] AC)
1991 Birkenhead – Parkside (Harrow) AC – A Whitcombe (Parkside [Harrow] AC)
1992 Cheltenham – Parkside (Harrow) AC – L York (Leicester Coritanian AC)
1993 Luton – Parkside (Harrow) AC – G Stacey (Bromley Ladies AC)
1994 Blackburn – Parkside (Harrow) AC – P Radcliffe (Bedford & County AC)
1995 Luton – Parkside (Harrow) AC – K McCandless (Parkside [Harrow] AC)
1996 Newark – Parkside (Harrow) AC – A Wyeth (Parkside [Harrow] AC). N Lynch (Oxford University AC) 1st – disqualified non-registered foreign athlete
1997 Havant – Leeds City AC – A Whitcombe (Parkside [Harrow] AC)
1998 Leeds – Shaftesbury Barnet H – M Myers (Parkside [Harrow] AC)
1999 Newark – Shaftesbury Barnet AC – A Newport (Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC)
2000 Stowe – Shaftesbury Barnet AC – T Kryzwicki (Charnwood AC)
2001 Durham – Sale H Manchester – L Yelling (Bedford & County AC)
2002 Bristol – Shaftesbury Barnet H – L Yelling (Bedford & County AC)
2003 Parliament Hill – Chester-le-Street & District AC – H Yelling (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC)
2004 Leeds – Bristol AC – B Dagne (Belgrave H)
2005 Birmingham – Bristol & West AC – H Yelling (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC)
2006 Parliament Hill – Charnwood AC – E Hall (Herts Phoenix AC)
2007 Sunderland – Winchester & District AC – L Yelling (Bedford & County AC)
2008 Alton Towers – Winchester & District AC – L Yelling (Bedford & County AC)
2009 Parliament Hill – Charnwood AC – Hatti Dean (Hallamshire Harriers, Sheffield)
2010 Charnwood AC – Stephanie Twell (Aldershot Farnham & District AC)
2011 Charnwood AC – Louise Damen (Winchester & District AC)
2012 Hallamshire Harriers – Gemma Steel (Charnwood AC)
2013 Aldershot Farnham & District AC – Louise Damen (Winchester & District AC)
2014  Parliament Hill - Lillian Partridge (Aldershot Farnham & District)

ENGLISH CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS: SENIOR MEN
Year Venue – Team – Individual

1876 Buckhurst Hill Declared void (32 ran)
1877 Roehampton – Thames Hare & Hounds – P H Stenning (Thames Hare & Hounds)
1878 Roehampton – Spartan H – P H Stenning (Thames Hare & Hounds)
1879 Roehampton – Thames Hare & Hounds – P H Stenning (Thames Hare & Hounds)
1880 Roehampton – Birchfield H – P H Stenning (Thames Hare & Hounds)
1881 Roehampton – Moseley H – G A Dunning (Clapton Beagles)
1882 Roehampton – Moseley H – W G George (Moseley H)
1883 Roehampton – Moseley H – G A Dunning (Clapton Beagles)
1884 Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield – Moseley H – W G George (Moseley H)
1885 Manchester – Liverpool H – W Snook (Birchfield H)
1886 Croydon – Birchfield H – J E Hickman (Godiva H)
1887 Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield – Birchfield H – J E Hickman (Godiva H)
1888 Manchester- Birchfield H – E W Parry (Salford H)
1889 Kempton – Salford H – E W Parry (Salford H)
1890 Sutton Coldfield – Salford H – E W Parry (Salford H)
1891 Prenton, Birkenhead  – Birchfield H – J Kibblewhite (Spartan H)
1892 Ockham – Tie between Birchfield H and Essex Beagles – H A Heath (South London H). In the subsequent run-off Birchfield H won by 35 pts to 43 pts
1893 Redditch – Essex Beagles – H A Heath (South London H)
1894 Blackpool – Salford H – G Crossland (Salford H)
1895 Wembley – Birchfield H – S Cottrill (Thames Valley H)
1896 Water Orton – Salford H – G Crossland (Manchester H)
1897 Trafford Park – Tie between Salford H and Manchester H – S J Robinson (Northampton & County AC)
1898 Horton, Northants – Salford H – S J Robinson (Northampton & County AC)
1899 Wembley – Highgate H – C Bennett (Finchley H)
1900 Rotherham – Finchley H – C Bennett (Finchley H)
1901 Leicester – Essex Beagles – A Shrubb (South London H)
1902 Lingfield – Highgate H – A Shrubb (South London H)
1903 Haydock – Birchfield H – A Shrubb (South London H)
1904 Wolverhampton – Highgate H – A Shrubb (South London H)
1905 Lingfield – Highgate H – A Aldridge (Highgate H)
1906 Haydock – Sutton H & AC – C J Straw (Sutton H & AC)
1907 Colwall – Birchfield H – G Pearce (Highgate H)
1908 Newbury – Hallamshire H – A J Robertson (Birchfield H)
1909 Haydock – Birchfield H – J Murphy (Hallamshire H)
1910 Derby – Hallamshire H – F C Neaves (Surrey AC)
1911 Taplow – Hallamshire H – F N Hibbins (Thrapston H & AC)
1912 Haydock – Hallamshire H – F N Hibbins (Thrapston H & AC)
1913 Wolverhampton – Birchfield H – E Glover (Hallamshire H)
1914 Chesham – Surrey AC – C H Ruffell (Highgate H)
1915 No Championships
1916 No Championships
1917 No Championships
1918 No Championships
1919 No Championships
1920 Windsor Great Park – Birchfield H – J Guillemot (France)
1921 Doncaster – Birchfield H – W Freeman (Birchfield H)
1922 Hereford – Birchfield H – J Guillemot (France)
1923 Beaconsfield – Birchfield H – C E Blewitt (Birchfield H)
1924 Doncaster – Birchfield H – Cpl W M Cotterell (Royal Corps of Signals)
1925 Hereford – Birchfield H – Cpl W M Cotterell (Royal Corps of Signals)
1926 Wolverton – Birchfield H – J E Webster (Birchfield H)
1927 Crewe – Hallamshire H – E Harper (Hallamshire H)
1928 Leamington – Birchfield H – J E Webster (Birchfield H)
1929 Beaconsfield – Birchfield H – E Harper (Hallamshire H)
1930 Sheffield – Birchfield H – W B Howard (Kettering Town H)
1931 Kettering – Birchfield H – J H Potts (Saltwell H)
1932 Wolverton – Birchfield H – J A Burns (Elswick H)
1933 Alderley Edge – Birchfield H – T Evenson (Salford H)
1934 Himley Park, Dudley – Birchfield H – S Dodd (Wirral AC)
1935 Beaconsfield – Belgrave H – F Close (Reading AC)
1936 Alderley Edge – Birchfield H – J H Potts (Saltwell H)
1937 Stratford-upon-Avon – Birchfield H – H D Clark (York H)
1938 Reading – Mitcham AC – J T Holden (Tipton H)
1939 Worsley – Belgrave H – J T Holden (Tipton H)
1940 No Championships
1941 No Championships
1942 No Championships
1943 No Championships
1944 No Championships
1945 No Championships
1946 Leamington Spa – Belgrave H – J T Holden (Tipton H)
1947 Apsley – Sutton H & AC – A A Robertson (Reading AC)
1948 Sheffield – Belgrave H – S C Wooderson (Blackheath H)
1949 Bromford Bridge, Birmingham – Sutton H – F E Aaron (Leeds St Marks AC)
1950 Aylesbury – Sutton H – F E Aaron (Leeds St Marks AC)
1951 Richmond, Yorkshire – Sutton H – F E Aaron (Leeds St Marks AC)
1952 Great Barr, Birmingham – Victoria Park AAC – W Hesketh (Manchester A & CC)
1953 Reading – Birchfield H – D A G Pirie (South London H)
1954 Birkenhead – Bolton United H & AC – D A G Pirie (South London H)
1955 Bedford – South London H – D A G Pirie (South London H)
1956 Warwick – Sheffield United H & AC – K L Norris (Thames Valley H)
1957 Parliament Hill – South London H – F D Sando (Aylesford PMSC)
1958 Birkenhead – South London H – A F Perkins (Ilford AC)
1959 Peterborough – Sheffield United H & AC – F Norris (Bolton United H & AC)
1960 West Bromwich – Derby & County AC – B B Heatley (Coventry Godiva H)
1961 Parliament Hill – Derby & County AC – B B Heatley (Coventry Godiva H)
1962 Stanley Park, Blackpool – Derby & County AC – G North (Blackpool & Fylde AC)
1963 Cambridge – Coventry Godiva H – B B Heatley (Coventry Godiva H)
1964 Leicester – Portsmouth AC – M R Batty (Thurrock H)
1965 Parliament Hill – Portsmouth AC – M R Batty (Thurrock H)
1966 Sheffield – North Staffs & Stone HAC – R Hill (Bolton United H & AC)
1967 Norwich – Portsmouth AC – R Taylor (Coventry Godiva H)
1968 Sutton Coldfield – Coventry Godiva H – R Hill (Bolton United H & AC)
1969 Parliament Hill – Tipton H – M Tagg (Norfolk Gazelles)
1970 Blackpool – City of Stoke AC – T Wright (Hallamshire H)
1971 Norwich – Shettleston H – D Bedford (Shaftesbury H)
1972 Sutton Coldfield – Tipton H – M Thomas (Thames Valley H)
1973 Parliament Hill – Gateshead H & AC – D Bedford (Shaftesbury H)
1974 Sheffield – Derby & County AC – D Black (Small Heath H)
1975 Stopsley, Luton – Gateshead H & AC – A Simmons (Luton United AC)
1976 Leicester – Gateshead H & AC – B Ford (Aldershot Farnham & District AC)
1977 Parliament Hill – Gateshead H & AC – B Foster (Gateshead H & AC)
1978 Leeds – Tipton H – B Ford (Aldershot Farnham & District AC)
1979 Stopsley, Luton – Gateshead H & AC – M McLeod (Elswick H)
1980 Leicester – Tipton H – N Rose (Bristol AC)
1981 Parliament Hill – Tipton H – J Goater (Shaftesbury H)
1982 Leeds – Tipton H – D Clarke (Hercules Wimbledon AC)
1983 Stopsley, Luton – Aldershot Farnham & District AC – T Hutchings (Crawley AC)
1984 Newark – Aldershot Farnham & District AC – E Martin (Basildon AC)
1985 Milton Keynes – Aldershot Farnham & District AC – D Lewis (Rossendale H & AC)
1986 Newcastle – Tipton H – T Hutchings (Crawley AC)
1987 Stopsley, Luton – Gateshead H & AC – D Clarke (Hercules Wimbledon AC)
1988 Newark – Birchfield H – D Clarke (Hercules Wimbledon AC)
1989 Epsom – Tipton H – D Lewis (Rossendale H & AC)
1990 Leeds – Valli H – R Nerurkar (Bingley H & AC)
1991 Stopsley, Luton – Bingley H & AC – R Nerurkar (Bingley H & AC)
1992 Newark – Tipton H – E Martin (Basildon AC)
1993 Parliament Hill – Bingley H & AC – R Nerurkar (Bingley H & AC)
1994 South Shields – Blackheath H – D Lewis (Rossendale H & AC)
1995 Wigmore, Luton – Blackheath H – S Duval (Cannock & Stafford AC)
1996 Newark – Bingley H & AC – J Nuttall (Preston H & AC)
1997 Havant – Tipton H – S White (Coventry Godiva H)
1998 Leeds – Bingley H & AC – D Bannister (Shaftesbury Barnet H)
1999 Newark – Tipton H – J Pugsley (Birchfield H)
2000 Stowe – Tipton H – G Tromans (Coventry Godiva H)
2001 Durham – Bingley H & AC – M Openshaw (Birchfield H)
2002 Bristol – Bingley H & AC – S Haughian (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC)
2003 Parliament Hill – Leeds City AC – M Smith (Tipton H)
2004 Leeds – Belgrave H – G Tromans (Coventry Godiva H)
2005 Birmingham – Salford H & AC – G Tromans (Coventry Godiva H)
2006 Parliament Hill – Leeds City AC – P Riley (Leigh H & C)
2007 Sunderland – Leeds City AC – F Tickner (Wells City H)
2008 Alton Towers – Leeds City AC – T Humphries (Cannock & Stafford AC)
2009 Parliament Hill – Newham & Essex Beagles – Francis Tickner (Wells City H)
2010  Aldershot Farnham and District AC – A. Vernon (AF&D AC)
2011  Leeds City AC – S. Vernon (Stockport Harriers & AC)
2012  Leeds City AC – K. Gerrard (Newham and Essex Beagles AC)
2013  Morpeth Harriers and AC – K. Gerrard ( Newham and Essex Beagles AC)
2014  Parliament Hill - Charlie Hulson (Sale Harriers)

FOR MORE INFO ON CROSS COUNTRY RUNNING, PLEASE VISIT THE ENGLISH CROSS COUNTRY ASSOCIATION.

By Hayden Shearman // We all know that the most romantic thing you can possibly do on Valentine's Day is meet up with that special someone at some place nice and then get very sweaty together … [cough] … by going running. Here are my top spots for running in London this Valentine's Day: 

Hampstead Heath, perimeter 8.0mi (13k)
Lose yourselves in acre-upon-rolling-acre of woodlands and lakes. The views from Parliament Hill and the Pergola (West Heath) provide ideal picnic material, if only it wasn't February and so flipping freezing! 
Pros: Great views and great for romantic explorations. 
Cons: Some trails will be muddy. He or she may not like that, so be careful how you frame the comment "let's get dirty today". 

Home Park (Hampton Court Park), perimeter 5.0mi (8k)
The quieter of the Royal Parks, this is the ideal spot for some deep-and-meaningfuls while jogging through the gently waving grasses, past the glistening Long Water as herds of grazing wild deer watch you run by. 
Pros: Solitude (relatively speaking) and opportunity for a sweaty snog in front of a palace.
Cons: Your date may not be into sweaty snogs (pre-run snogs are usually your best bet). 

High Elms Country Park, perimeter 2.3mi (3.6k)
A nature reserve amongst sublime Bromley countryside. Start with a lap of the High Elms Trail and then run south to Charles Darwin's House where you can elaborate on the evolution of your love for each other (better not mention anything about survival of the fittest though). 
Pros: Feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 
Cons: Is a world a way from the city by the time you've caught the train to Chelsfield and then jogged 2.0mi to the park (might want to take the car to this one!). 

Valentines Park, perimeter 2.0mi (3.2k)
This east London park (in Ilford) has 50ha of formal parkland, a boating lake, plenty of ducks to feed, a palace, and two lovely cafes to grab brunch. Plus Wanstead Park is just 0.6mi to the west, meaning you can take your date on a big adventure through the southern reaches of Epping Forest and finish at this cute spot. 
Pros: Everything you'd expect from a park bearing this name. 
Cons: Everyone else in Redbridge will probably bring their Valentine here as well. 

Greenwich Park, perimeter 2.0mi (3.2k)
Nothing says "I love you" like running to the end of the world for the love of your life. Here you can technically do just that by running to our planet's longitudinal zero. Also add-on a trip under the Thames via the foot tunnel near the Cutty Sark. And if you're all starry-eyed, why not top off your run with a visit to the observatory?
Pros: Greenwich has that royal air about it that shows how much you care for your prince or princess. 
Cons: Don't try to beat your Valentine to the top of the hills—this is not the time to impress them with your incredibly advanced VO2max … save that for later… [cough]. 

By Hayden Shearman // When I was researching for the Runner's Guide to London I had the unfortunate coincidence of dealing with a rather nasty case of ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease). WARNING: graphic descriptions and mild toilet humour to follow. 

For about two years of my running life, going for a run meant getting the runs. My runs were either fartlek dashes between restrooms or cross country bush bashing between shrubbery with suitably-sized leaves. 

During this phase of having an over-active gut, the Royal Parks were a haven. A toilet block every mile is standard for most Royal Parks and they are well-maintaned, clean and tidy, and, most of all, open when they say they'll be open (I wish I could say the same for other London parks). 

However, the Royal Parks are feeling the pinch on their pennies. The £1.5million yearly bill to keep these, often life-saving, toilets clean and functioning has become too much. Faced with the option of shutting them or charging for their use, thankfully they've chosen the later, slapping us users with a relatively minimal 20p fee (beginning Feb 2015). 

At the height of my colitis mis-adventures nature could call 5-10 times in one run. So doing the math, I'd be looking at £1-2 for toilet breaks every single run. Ten runs a week and I'd need a bum bag just to carry all the 20p coins I'd need for emptying that same bum. 

Of course, my case was pretty extreme, and thankfully my bowels have settled down now. But the main issue for us runners is just the practical logistics of needing to carry 20p every time we head out the door with the trainers on. 

Where do you put that 20p? Under your inner sole? 

Rattling around in a jacket or shorts pocket? 

Or do you drill a hole through the 20p coin and tie it to your laces? Would this even work in the paying machine? Is it legal to drill holes in coins? 

And what about if it's just number-ones? Do you save your coinage for number-twos and just find a large enough bush? 

Children's toilets will still be free in Royal Parks, so you could always run with a small child in a buggy. Then get them to mind the buggy while you "inspect the loos". 

Anyway, jokes aside, I must commend the Royal Parks for not making the disastrous move to board up the bathrooms for good and also the fact they've kept the fee low. And the majority of public toilets in London do already carry a small charge (10p to 50p seems to be the norm), so it's not that different to what we already manage elsewhere. 

But this carrying coins situation certainly presents a few extra logistical challenges for the runner.

Do you carry pennies for your peeing or do you just use the bushes? Share your tips below ...

Read the Royal Parks' official announcement. 

Hayden Shearman is the author of the Runner's Guide to London. 

By Hayden Shearman || 


If you've ever run the London Marathon, you'll be familiar with mental toughness as that thing you need most when you start heading west again from Canary Wharf. 

It's what gets you out the door on a cold rainy winter's morning and is that thing that keeps you running all the way to the top of Parliament Hill without a sneaky walk. 

It's a key component of any endurance sport, but how does it relate to injury and over-training problems? Is it always a good thing or can it actually be destructive?

Dr Josephine Perry has recently released the results of her study into the psychology, training habits and training mishaps of 591 amateur endurance athletes (runners, triathletes and cyclists) and her findings and recommendations are worth tucking away: 

1. Watch that Niggle. She found that over half of all injuries lasting over a week began just as a niggle. So to ignore a niggle can be risky business. Josephine says, "Get the niggle looked at and rest the area to prevent it building into something more serious." 

2. Mind Strength Is All Good. The study found no significant relationship between high mental toughness and overtraining or injury rates. Josephine explains that this "is positive and implies that mental toughness skills need not be feared. Therefore, if you get an opportunity to take some mental toughness training, seize it." E.g. take another trip up Parliament Hill while you're there!

3. Test Yourself. Finally, Josephine provides a short self-test to determine your own mental toughness. Give this a try now by answering the following statements (answer: A - very true; B - Mostly true; C - a little true; D - Not at all true).* 

• I worry about performing poorly 
  
• I am overcome by self-doubt 
  
• I get anxious by events I did not expect or cannot control 
• I get angry and frustrated when things do not go my way 

Scoring: D=4, C=3, B=2, A=1.

Here's Josephine's advice if you scored below a total of 11: 
"Learn to be honest with yourself and listen to what your body is telling you about when you are tired and when to rest. If you have a coach do not switch off listening to your body and just do everything they say, feed back to them openly and honestly about how you are feeling and any issues or niggles. 

In particular, if your main communication with your coach is over the phone or email describe how you are feeling and your concerns so they can adapt your training effectively. If you do get an injury recognise you have a greater propensity to go back to training quicker than advised and resolve to accurately follow the advice from the sports medical professional about how long to rest and recover for." 

If you have any questions or would like to know more about the research please contact: [email protected]

* Sheard, M. (2013). Mental toughness: The mindset behind sporting achievement. Hove: Routledge. Summary of research undertaken for the dissertation element of an MSc in Psychology

Some documentaries feel like you're sitting in on a spiritless first-year university lecture. Others use real life to take you on a journey, leaving you inspired and moved. 

100 Seconds--the story of 800m world record holder and London 2012 gold medalist David Rudisha—is most definitely one of the latter. 

This moving documentary follows, for 10 years, the unlikely duo of Rudisha and his coach Brother Colm (who leads a Batman-style double existence of being an Irish missionary and perhaps the most successful running coach in history). 

From humble beginnings at a teenaged training camp in Iten (Kenya), historical footage captures the beautiful humility of both these legends of running. 

Brother Colm has never run a race in his life, but understands the physche of the runner, and in particular the Kenyan runner, like few coaches on this planet. He openly explains that he has no training secrets, but that it is all about training the mind of the athlete. 

His techniques are a far cry from the multi-million dollar high performance centres we expect for our own athletes. Yet with his Olympic medal tally (of athletes he has coached at some stage) well into the dozens, it's hard to argue with his methods. 

The narrative arc of the doco starts with the rise of a young Rudisha as he claims the 800m world junior title but then runs into several years of injury and disappointment. At these times, the faith and stickability of both coach and athlete shine through, with the eventual happy ending of that incredible night two years ago at London's Olympic Park.

If you're a Londoner at all interested in running, no doubt you were glued to the screen (or at the stadium) while Rudisha lead from the gun at world record pace. He laid everything on the line and ended up holding on for the win and a new WR (the first man to go sub-1:41). In the process he dragged the rest of the field through for six either national records or PBs and one season's best. 

The race is arguably the greatest track race of all time, but what really makes it for me (and what makes this documentary so exceptional) was the sheer and uninhibited joy expressed by Rudisha in achieving his lifetime goal. No show-boating, no tough-guy poses, just pure, humble, uncontrollable joy. 

This brilliant BBC documentary captures the back story behind the two men that made that moment in athletics history happen. It celebrates running. It celebrates life. 

Book away 60 minutes to watch it this week. You'll be moved and inspired.  

Review by Hayden Shearman

By Hayden Shearman. 

I’ve run in cities all over the world, but none (so far) have come close to offering the teeming variety and abundance of London’s parks, woodlands and waterways. Here are five reasons why I feel so strongly:

1. The Empire Gives Back | Contrary to what you would assume, centuries of royalty and aristocracy are far more conducive to creating good running environments than nice, friendly egalitarian societies.

The reason for this is that, typically, the rich are the ones able to keep huge tracts of land and forest untouched by agriculture or industry in order to use the land simply for their own enjoyment. Whether they’re old hunting grounds (like Bushy and Richmond Parks) or private gardens for leisurely summer strolls (like the grounds of Chiswick Park), London is a patchwork of these incredibly old estate grounds.

In the last two centuries these private green spaces have been opened up to the public and, on the most part, borough councils and trusts have done an incredible job of maintaining and improving them.

2. People Actually Use the Parks | Victoria Park was created by Queen Victoria to help improve the life expectancy of East Londoners living in horrible conditions. And even today, it seems engrained in the psyche of Londoners to use the parks whether for eating, walking, relaxing or running.

For a runner, there is always something eerie about running in a city park with no one in it. You want this in the mountains and national parks, but not in the local woodland reserve. You like to see others out running and cycling. It makes the park feel safe and loved, and it reinforces your own sanity, that you’re not crazy going running everyday (even if that’s what the rest of the office calls you!).

3. Wooed by Water | The other great remnant left for London runners from the age of empire are waterways. Canals with their endless and flat towpaths, docklands with their expansive views, and the Thames with its many bridges, tunnels and riverside paths—they all provide the runner with a inviting running terrain and a welcome escape from traffic. 

And what is it about running next to a body of water that is so attractive anyway? Is the air more oxygen-rich? Or is it just the views? Or is it that mentally a body of water takes away the runner’s out-clause? What I mean is that when running between two bridges on the Thames you can’t just opt out and turn back early (that would involve doubling back). The only options are 1) keep running to the bridge or 2) swim across the Thames (the gravy-like nature of the river is obviously a good motivator to choose 1).

4. The Traffic | Above catching the Tube or bus or driving, the quickest way to get around the majority of London is to cycle. But cycling in any busy city inevitably places you at the bottom of the traffic food chain (a lorry is always waiting to cut you off). So this is where the running commute comes into its own.

And Londoners are catching on to this second-fastest and certainly much safer option of travel by their hundreds. In any rush hour you’ll see a solid stream of back-pack-laden joggers heading to or from work.

From my place (when I lived there) to Trafalgar Square was 3.2mi (5k) exactly. At rush hour I could expect to average 8min/mi, so a 25-minute total commute. TFL says that same journey at rush hour would take 42mins minimum using public transport and walking. Their cycling predicted time was 23mins (traffic light dependent of course). If I’m looking for ways to maximise my running training time and reduce the mind numbing commute, London is perfectly set up for running to work.

5. The Parks Themselves | Hampstead Heath has views and hills, Epping Forest has endless woodland trails, Bushy Park has wild deer, Hyde Park is ideal for pretending you’re Alastair Brownlee winning the Olympic Triathlon, Greenwich Park has history and sits on the longitudinal edge of the world, Richmond Park is just simply perfect, and I’m only getting started.

Soft under foot, easy on the eye, relatively fresh for the lungs, and as hard on the cardiovascular as you want to make them—London’s parks are second-to-none.