Hi there VRUK members, I’ve got a question for you.  What came first? The chicken or the egg?  An age-old debate that will rumble on and on for more years than I will be here!  Another question for you......  Which comes first the medal or the charity?  IDEAS    Well, the answer to that question is ‘both!’  We have been lucky enough lately to have had lots of charity nominations from you, our fabulous members, and we use this information to start the ball rolling.  We also have a huge list of Awareness Days that may be Natio ..read more

Personal trainers (PT) are great!! 3S's social medal guru Charlotte was a PT herself in a previous life and has put together this fab blog... But not everyone can or wants to go down the route of hiring someone else to design their fitness routine, so if you want to take charge of your own plan, here are a few tips you can use to become your own PT!! Be realistic and safe • We all want to push ourselves but it’s important to do this gradually and safely! • Set yourself weekly goals such as ‘Run 20 minutes 3 x per week • Assess goals monthly • When increasing think about intensity as well as d ..read more

Florence Nightingale  What do we really know about this truly remarkable woman and her legacy?  Born 12.5.1820, Florence Nightingale, The Lady with the Lamp, was an English Social Reformer, Statistician and the Founder of Modern Nursing, who came to prominence whilst serving as a Manager and Trainer of Nurses during the Crimea War in which she organised care for wounded soldiers in Constantinople.  Now, I have to admit, that might be all I can remember from my history lesson!  Florence was born in Florence, Italy, to a very good family who move ..read more

It is well known that an inactive lifestyle can significantly contribute to health issues such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes but it isn’t just our physical health and fitness that benefits from regular exercise. Our mind and body are one being, not separate entities, and how we look after our body as a whole can have a very powerful effect on our mental wellbeing. Exercise stimulates the body to produce endorphins and enkephalins and these natural feel-good hormones can leave us energised and often have a calming affect that improves our mood and outlook. Physical activity is widely b ..read more

2019 started with the streaky blinders race, a challenge that required entrants to commit to a form of exercise every day for 31 days. Of course, you could mix disciplines if you chose to and you could include things like gym sessions, HiiT training, dance, as well as the usual running, walking, cycling and swimming. I decided that I would embark on my first ever 31 day running streak.  A terrifying and daunting commitment because, like everyone, I was already trying to balance family life with work, household chores and include the occasional social venture. January 1st (feeling a little del ..read more

Signing up to an annual running challenge (where you complete a distance over a year) is the perfect way to keep your fitness motivation levels up. As well as the endless health benefits of running a regular distance, here are 5 reasons to take part in an annual running challenge: You’ll become better at racing Running / cycling or swimming the distance over a year is the perfect option for those who want to stay committed for a full year by setting a target.  Because not only will working towards an annual running challenge keep you fit, but it will help to improve strength, speed and stamina ..read more

  Here are some tips to help return to your love. GPS COLD TURKEY Be honest – had you started to obsess over speed? It can actually start to suck the fun out of sport so do yourself a favour and leave the gps watch at home or switch off the app and just go out for a run, powerwalk or bike ride – JUST for the fun of it! BE KIND TO YOURSELF Enjoy a week off! Sounds counter intuitive right but sometimes loosening the reigns once in a while and not scheduling one in stops that guilt feeling and actually makes you raring to go. RETAIL THERAPY We all love new trainer day - right? That spring in your ..read more

Have you ever wondered if it’s safe to call yourself an "official" runner? Is there a time period you must serve first, a milestone to achieve or a specific time to beat that is the turning point at which you can confidently say " I am a runner?" I'm still wondering when that is....  When you spent your school days forging notes from you Mum to excuse you from athletics, I mean I seriously hated athletics... totally rubbish at it!  Javelin, discus, jumping of any kind, sprinting (what a joke) or long distance.... it just wasn't me. I was at the back of the group with the asthma kids or the boy ..read more

Yay it is new trainer day.  We all know that amazing, bouncy feel when you get to try out your newly purchased running shoes but this is a very different experience for me.  Why?? Because I read a comment on a running site and its completely changed my trainer buying for life   Ok so I will just say it - I have very WIDE feet.  I am only a UK size 6 but I have always suffered with my feet due to the width. So as soon as I started running I always went to a 'specialist' running shop to buy new trainers.  My gait was done properly and they always checked the length fit.  But still, for almost te ..read more