Meet the Leader - Shane
Shane first realised he enjoyed running when he was at secondary school, taking part in weekly cross country runs as part of PE lessons, even representing the school at some cross-country events. When he left school, he lost interest in running - struggling to motivate himself after too many late nights and hangovers. There were much more interesting things to be doing! Like many people, he also had an active job and didn’t feel the need to do any exercise outside of work.
Shane dabbled in running throughout his 20s - a few parkruns, a Tough Mudder with some mates, a couple of 10ks. No consistency, he just went when he felt like it (or when his other half, Lisa, dragged him out to go with her!) He has always maintained some level of fitness and viewed himself as an ‘outdoorsy’ person. Before getting back into running, he would spend most weekends out hiking. He is a keen mountain biker, going out in all weathers to find the best downhill.
Back in the summer of 2019, he moved to Ripley, after having lived in Matlock all of his life. He didn’t know anybody in Ripley at the time. After only 8 months in the area, we went into the first lockdown. Instead of utilizing my ‘one piece of exercise’ a day to get out the house, Shane decided to make the most of lockdown to get lazy, eating and drinking himself through the days, refusing any invitations to get out the house and exercise. Shane joined Rogue Runners Ripley in April 2021, wanting to improve his overall fitness and he says it’s one of the best things he’s ever done. “I’ve made so many friends and everyone is so supportive. Even when I’ve not been at runs due to injury, I’ve had messages to ask how I am. Being part of Rogues is like having another family.” Running has always been something Shane has had to drag himself out for, but now he is part of a club, it’s something he looks forward to every week.
Since joining Rogue Runners, Shane has run his longest distance, knocking up 18 miles at the Belper Rover in 2021. He is also hoping to get a Marathon under his belt in the near future once he is injury free and his legs are in working order! He doesn’t think he would have been able to do either of these without the support of fellow club members. Shane is looking forward to giving a bit back to the club by taking on a leader role and supporting other members in their running journey.
