Five years ago I was asked by a former colleague (a senior manager for Thera East Anglia www.thera.co.uk) if I would share my running experience for their ‘fitness week’.  I was a young 65-year-old then.  Fast forward to 2026 and I thought I should update my article.

  • HOW IT STARTED

Hong Kong waiting to start and racing circa 1981

Sweat beads are rolling down my neck, my running vest is already damp, and I haven’t started running yet.  A typical hot day in downtown Kowloon.  I am standing on the start line waiting for the start of the inter department 2-mile relay at the Ordnance Depot, Hong Kong.  There is a crowd gathering from the local factories to watch.  We are a mixture of British soldiers, Hong Kong-Chinese soldiers, and Chinese civilians.  I am not sure how I will do as I am relatively new to running as a sport and I think I have been chosen for my youth (early 20s) and I play football (badly).

I do surprisingly well and I am part of a winning team.  My time is just over 12 minutes which is not bad given it is 36c and 95% humidity.  I am thinking I could be quite good at this, and I love going up to pick up my trophy – something my wife, Joyce, will tease me with for ever more.

Five Lessons I learned that day:

  1. A sense of accomplishment, completing something I was not sure I would be able to achieve.
  2. A sport I could do as part of a team and as an individual.  After the race and for the remainder of my two-year tour in Hong Kong, I would regularly go out for runs and take in some of the sights of Hong Kong from a different angle.
  3. I didn’t need talent, just hard work, effort, and commitment, to accomplish my goals.
  4. It doesn’t cost much!  My kit for my first marathon included a pair of running shoes which cost £5 in China, a pair of Hawaiian beach shorts and an old orienteering vest.
  5. A sport that could easily fit in with my personal and work life, if I did a little planning first – I just needed to work out a routine and stick with it.

Related:   https://leadershipintheraw.org/2017/07/28/project-management-project-managing-your-life/

HOW IT WENT

Running through Spandau Forrest near the Berlin Wall (1988)

New Year’s Day 1987 early in the morning, it feels a little surreal as I run ankle deep through spent fireworks from the night before as I head towards Spandau Forrest which will reach out to the Berlin Wall.  It is the first day of our family posting with the Army. During our two -year tour I will compete in Cross Country Championships, win 5000m track races, complete a marathon, a 25km finishing in the Olympic stadium, half marathons and come 3rd in a Berlin 10km. You could say I got the running bug after Hong Kong.

Seven Lessons I learned as a runner

  1. Running would open new possibilities to travel.  Before arriving in Berlin, I had completed marathons in London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Manchester; countless 10Kms and half marathons in Belgium, Germany, and Holland.  Later I completed a two -day ‘Original Mountain Marathon’ (OMM) in the Brecon Beacons, Wales.
  2. You can train and run anywhere!  During my posting with the Royal Marines, we would often be aboard ship for long periods but that didn’t stop us from going for a run, we just utilised the car deck (although it was an incredibly boring route).
  3. You get to join a special community of like-minded people who are both supportive and fun to be around.  When I played football, players shouted at me (I was that bad) whereas fellow runners and athletes shake your hand at the end of a race (or laughed when I completed a 110m Hurdles for my club).
  4. You learn from different cultures and nationalities.  During my time in Berlin, I joined a civilian club (LG Spandau) and before arriving in Berlin I was part of a Belgian Club which included runners from 16 nationalities.
  5. You have the opportunity to help others become better at their sport.  I also coached, captained, and managed running and athletic teams.  Sharing my knowledge and the lessons I have learned is something I enjoy doing.
  6. You could use your running fitness to try new activities and sports.  During the 1980s and 90s I was involved in Hang Gliding (qualifying as a pilot), rock climbing, canoeing and tried – to varying degrees of success – biathlons (in Norway) and a triathlon in Germany.
  7. To maximise my performance, I needed to consider what I consumed.  So, lots of fruit, fresh food and cancelling alcohol were the order of the day.

Related:  30 leadership lessons from 30 years of running and athletics – Leadership in the Raw

HOW IT IS GOING

I am now 70 and I am pleased to say I still enjoy going out for a run (three times a week). I am lot kinder to myself now regarding intensity and mileage.  I no longer race, my last event several years ago was a ‘Parkrun’ in Colchester coming first in my age category. 

(just back from a recent run, rocking my ‘Oldguysrule’ TShirt)

I still have goals: 

  • To keep fit and be able to run after my daughter, Bettina who copes with a learning disability and autism.  Bettina has no concept of age, I think she still thinks I am 35.
  • To be able to keep up with my wife, Joyce aka ‘pocket rocket’ when we go out for a walks
  • To maintain my boyish good looks and physique.  (if you bump into me, please remember to say “omg you don’t look 70″.
  • Training for our annual family holiday in Whitby, where I go for a run at 7am each morning.  As I run along the beachfront, I take the time to be grateful and show my gratitude.

Related:  Being Bettina’s Dad – Taking the time to be grateful and showing gratitude – Leadership in the Raw

My Top Tips for Getting Started and how to keep motivated when you really don’t feel like doing it.

  • Build up slowly.  For my first marathon I started with 5-minute runs, slowly increasing mileage by 10% each week.  Every third week I would do 10% less, so my body recovered.  I recommend this tactic to avoid injuries.
  • To get the best out of your running (for me) it is about three things:
  • Breathing – getting a rhythm that you are relaxed enough to be able to talk with your running partner when you are running – can’t talk? You are going too fast.
  • What is going on in our head – don’t neglect your mental health – find ways to make your mind healthier and stronger so you can execute under pressure.
  • Miles in the bank.  Early on a fellow soldier I admired for his running said I could be as good as him if I trained as hard – so I did.  It is one of the few sports you get out what you put in.  (I could have played football all day and still be rubbish at it).
  • Lay your running kit out the night before – you are now committed.
  • Remember the hardest bit about running is your first step out of the house. The rest is just tenacity.
  • Seek out a running partner preferably someone who is a bit better than you. Joining and running with athletes from Colchester Harrier’s during the 1990s  helped me smash my personal bests (PBs). 

Source: Steve Raw www.leadershipintheraw.org