13 fearless ladies take on Run To The Beat in style!
Inspired by the profound affect running has had on her life, Muireann Carey-Campbell AKA international blogging sensation Bangs and a Bun will be taking a gang of gazelle-limbed ladies round their first half marathon, Run To The Beat!
Tell us a little bit about Team Bangs on the Run, what first inspired you to get a team of ladies together to run Run To The Beat?
It was all a bit of a happy accident really. I ran my very first event last October (Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon) and trained for that alone, with no real idea what I was doing. I blogged about my journey and a lot of people connected with it as they watched me go from someone who wouldn’t run for the bus to finishing a half marathon. After that, I promptly signed up for the Paris half, asked on Twitter if anyone would like to do it with me and overnight 20 girls signed up!
I hadn’t intended to lead a big group of girls through this process but the more I thought about it, the more important it was. Running had completely changed my life, my focus and the way I think about my body. I wanted all women to have that feeling, to know that you can think about your body in a positive way without constantly thinking about weight loss and dress sizes, that you can really just focus on the way running makes you feel (and it makes you feel awesome!)
What made you decide to enter Run To The Beat specifically?
The Paris team went really well, so I put together another team and chose Run To The Beat mainly because it looked like so much fun. I loved the idea of integrating music into it and it being like one big party, running with your friends – what better way to spend a Sunday?!
How did the selection process work?
I wanted to have 13 girls on the team (one for every mile) and I made them apply for a place. I blogged about the Team Bangs mission and got the applicants to answer a series of questions, mainly about why they wanted to do this and felt they needed to do this challenge at this particular point in their lives. I wanted a team of super badass, focused girls who would give this all they’ve got and inspire as many other women to get running as possible.
Did potential team members need to have a certain level of fitness already?
Nope, we’re an inclusive team here at Team Bangs! I managed to go from a complete couch potato to finishing my first half marathon in four months so I know it’s possible. We have complete beginners on the team and more experienced runners too.
How did you choose the final team?
It was really hard as I had over 40 applicants for 13 places. I picked the girls whose stories really stood out, who I really felt could benefit from this process and having the support of a team to guide them – but it sure wasn’t an easy decision. I had sleepless nights!
What does being a member of Team Bangs on the Run entail?
Commitment, drive, focus and enthusiasm. As social media binds this whole thing together, it’s important that my team members remember they are role models and are inspiring people every day to get out and run. Part of the agreement is that they will tweet and blog about their journey, so it’s a very open process.
Do you find being part of a team benefits your running?
Absolutely! Even if we can’t all train together, we’ve found Twitter to be a great training tool – if you see all your teammates getting out for a run, you’re more likely to do it too. It’s fantastic to have that support system in the form of a team, but I must say, even my Twitter followers who don’t run are huge cheerleaders for me, my team and our cause.
Are you all following a training plan?
Yes, though as we’re all at different levels, we’re all working from different plans - it’s important to find one that works for you on an individual level.
Where are your teammates all from?
All over the country – London, Leeds, Newcastle, Plymouth – we pretty much have the whole country covered!
Do you train together?
Opportunities to train together in person are somewhat limited but if there are a few of us together in the same place, we do.
Do you have any top training tips or secrets you’d be happy to share with our readers?
I’m a huge fan of ice baths after long runs – helps speed up the recovery process no end. I keep a hoodie on and have a cup of tea while I’m in there to take the edge off!
How long have you been running?
A year.
Have you run a half marathon before?
I’ve done two so far; Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon in October 2010 and Paris Half Marathon in March of this year. I’ll be doing Run To The Beat and Royal Parks in September/October, followed by the San Francisco Nike Women’s Marathon in October too. If I have any energy left after all that, I wouldn’t mind rounding out the year with a 10K too.
What do you love most about running?
I love how it makes me feel. I feel like a superhero when I run. It makes me appreciate my body much more – you don’t tend to complain about cellulite on your legs when those legs have carried you 13 miles. I also really love the discipline and focus a training plan gives me, I love that added element of structure in my life.
What sort of distance or time do you typically cover in a training session?
At the moment, I’m doing longer distances as my main race this year is a full marathon, so I’m probably averaging about 12-13 miles most long runs, with some shorter distances and speed interval sessions mixed in.
What’s your favourite time of day to run?
I love early morning runs. I was recently on holiday in Toronto and did a 6am training run along the lakeshore as the sun was rising, not a soul in sight. It was beautiful.
Are you going to raise money for charity?
Yes, we’re raising money for
Refuge, a charity that helps women and children escape domestic violence.
If so, what made you choose this particular charity? And how is your fundraising going?
I picked this charity because it’s an area that often gets ignored and as we’re a group of women, I thought it’d be nice if we were running for women who could really use our strength and support.
Are you all planning on running together on race day?
As great as it would be, it would probably not work out very practically for us. We are a team, but we are also individuals with different goals. Everyone is at a different level and averages different times – so we’ll obviously be together before the race and they’ll be some hearty celebrations after, and hopefully we’ll see each other along the way too!
What are your expectations and hopes for the day?
My main hope is that the day itself is like a celebration for the girls, of how hard they’ve worked. I want them to feel incredibly proud, to soak in every cheer of the crowd, to use everything they’ve learned in training and to know that the real journey starts when they cross the finish line.
What mental tactics will you use to help you?
I learned very early on when I started running that it is probably about 98% mental. Mile nine tends to be the toughy for me in half marathons – when you reach that point where your body is telling you it wants to stop and you have to mentally override that and push yourself to keep going. I tend to count out my steps to give myself something to focus on, so I count from one to four to get into a nice rhythm and pace and just focus on that, rather than how much my legs want to fall off!
What will you do to celebrate after you finish?
Cake! There will be cake! The whole team will go out for a nice meal and I’m sure everybody will be dreaming of a nice, relaxing spa package to treat themselves to.
Team Bangs on the Run are sponsored by Nike, how has training with Nike+ benefited your training?
Nike's support has been incredible and training with Nike+ is excellent when you have a team. We can all keep track of each others' progress, get a bit of friendly competition going and keep each other motivated. On a personal note, using the Nike+ sportwatch has made a massive difference to my pacing. All the girls find it a really beneficial tool to keep them on track in their training.
What’s your advice to other women thinking of taking part in a similar long-distance event?
Do it! So many women say to me ‘I could never do that’ – most of whom have never even bothered to try. It’s amazing what you can do when you just tell yourself you can do it. All I know is how much running has changed my life – I want every woman to have that feeling and I think everyone should challenge themselves, take themselves out of their comfort zone at least once in their lives. If you can run 13 miles, there’s pretty much nothing you can’t do with your life.
Any plans to take a team to another running event?
Oh absolutely! I have women asking me all the time ‘when’s the next Team Bangs?!’ – so I have no choice now! But I love it, I love guiding these incredible women and inspiring others to give it a try. Once we’ve done Run To The Beat, I’ll be deciding on the next event and doing it all over again. And I can’t wait!
