Yorkshire 10 mile fundraising heroes - Kev
We'd like to introduce you to another of our brilliant Yorkshire 10 mile runners, Kev. Kev's been running for quite a while now but fancied setting himself a bit of a long distance running challenge. And most amazingly he wanted to do that whilst fundraising for AAM. Thank you, Kev! We caught up with Kev recently to find out more about why he's running for AAM.
Why did you decide to raise funds for Accessible Arts & Media?
One of my friends works for AAM and I have seen firsthand the positive effect it has on all the people involved.
If you had to sum up Accessible Arts & Media in three words, what words would you choose?
Making a difference.
How would you describe the difference Accessible Arts & Media makes?
It brings joy to people.
How's your training going?
I ran a marathon 4 years ago but have never run further than 6 miles since. With 6 weeks to go, I looked up a training plan and it soon dawned on me that I'd really have to focus my efforts. I gave up my beloved cycling and got up at 5:30am on a few occasions. It's been challenging but also incredibly rewarding to both get the buzz from running over time and distance, and from knowing that I was doing it for a worthwhile cause.
Do you have any top training tips for others looking to run a 10-mile race?
Find a training plan online and stick to it as it will make the day of the race much easier and something to enjoy. Two of the best pieces of advice I had were "run as much as you can; think of it like layering paint" and "don't stop because the hardest thing is to overcome is that mental barrier that is telling you to stop". Also, it's important to vary your running and your routes, and once you start running regularly it can become an addiction.
We love music here at AAM - what's the track guaranteed to get you going when you're out training?
I'm a big movie fan and have experienced absolute euphoria when running to the theme from Rocky.
Good luck with the run Kev, and thanks again - we'll be that really loud bunch cheering at the end ;)
If you'd like to support Kev's Yorkshire 10 mile fundraising you can make a donation on his JustGiving Page.