Every Month we now feature one of the Sportlink team for a Q&A.
This month it's Emma!
When did you first start to run?
At university as a simple cheap way to keep fit. I used to run to collect my bike the next day after a night out!
What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about running?
You can push yourself to your limits both, mentally and physically. At the end of the day, your biggest competition is yourself.
What’s your biggest running achievement?
Being the 4th scorer for Winchester and District AC which led us to getting a gold team medal in the 2007 National XC Race. This race was very tough but is was an amazing team effort for the gold we all race for positions to the line and it paid off.
This result led me and the team to represent England in the European Clubs XC in Portugal this was a great experience mixing with world class athletes.
What in the world motivates a person to run long distance?
Forcing yourself to find it inside yourself to go out and keep going is what I like about long distance. The feeling afterwards you get from a good long run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were doing a long run.
What kinds of things do you think about as you run?
I listen to music a lot so on those runs usually daydreaming to music. Other runs I sometimes have these moments of stuff that I have forgotten to do pops back into my head whilst I am running. So I think running actually helps me to remember stuff.
One the day of the big race…how are you feeling?
Are you performing any superstitious rituals (like wearing the same unwashed socks you trained in for months)? I am a very routine runner. I like to eat 2.5 hours before the race, check the weather then arrive early so I can then do a 2 mile warm up then 8 fast strides before every race.
What’s your next race?
I have local 5k’s and 10k’s coming up over the next few months.
What’s your favourite running shoe?
The shoe I train in is the Mizunio Wave Rider it’s just a shoe that suits me.
Who’s your running hero?
Haile Gebrselassie I had the pleasure of meeting him and he is a kind and sincere man alongside being an incredible international running legend setting 27 WR in his career.
What’s the best thing about working at Sportlink?
Meeting and serving customers and chatting all things running!