To beat the January blues Fourfront Group went R.E.D
Fourfronters beat the January blues by running every day, kick starting their new years in the most positive way whilst raising funds for Mind.
Run.Every.Day (R.E.D) is a movement inspired by the life changing effect physical activity can have on mental health. Participants ran and walked their way through January raising over £500 for this fantastic cause.
We spoke to two of our star runners to see how they kept themselves motivated
Who are you?
Saskia Lorrison, Front of House, Area Egham & Dan Barreiro, Technical Designer, Area London
How did you motivate yourself?
Saskia:Understanding what works for me – I much prefer running alone in the evening on the road. Others prefer running in the gym, in a group or in the mornings. Decide what works best for you and do that!
Dan:Motivation personally was not hugely tough for me as once I have agreed to do something I can be very stubborn in making sure I see it through to the end especially when it’s for a great cause. My mum has battled and had some difficult times related to mental health stemming back to my childhood when she was in intensive care for months on end. Something so close to home gives you that extra push you may need on occasions to get the job done and make it all the more worthwhile as well as a proud achievement.
What was your hardest day?
Saskia: My hardest day was the last Saturday of the month. It was raining and freezing cold. It could have been so easy for me to stay at home on the sofa watching re-runs of the US Office but I knew that if I didn’t get up and go out, even if it was just for 10 minutes, I would feel guilty for the rest of the month.
Dan: I have had my fair share of tough running challenges in the past few years so I was well prepared for this but it still had its challenges. One of the toughest days was the New Year’s Day run, after seeing in 2018 with friends and a late night my challenge could have been over before it even started! Another big challenge was getting home after a busy day at work and starting my run at 11pm at night in the pouring rain. Dedication makes it all the sweeter though!
What was your highlight?
Saskia: A highlight for me was seeing myself improve on my running time over the month
Dan: the highlight for me was the last day when all my progress was clear and I managed to set my fastest ever first mile time of 6 minutes 47 seconds and still had enough in the tank to keep running for another 2 miles. I also personally lost over 1.5 stone / 10kg in weight so those tight long lost favourite shirts can come back out of the wardrobe! And above all else absolutely smashing our sponsorship target is brilliant!
If you would like to find out more about Mind visit: www.mind.org.uk
