When Kinghorn dad Craig Stokes was working in Singapore he was drinking beer with his dinner five nights a week.
But when he noticed his work overalls were getting a bit tighter, he decided to do something about it.
He had always enjoyed walking and had even bagged a few Munros.
But living overseas, he wanted to find an exercise which would fit in around his oil and gas exploration work.
“I remember thinking I was gaining weight, I can’t go on like this,” the 48-year-old explains.
“So I started googling ‘what is there to do in Singapore?’ and I came across Parkrun.
“In the UK Parkrun is on at 9.30am on a Saturday.
“But in Singapore, because of the heat, it is on at 7am.
“I thought I can do that before work.
“So I bought a cheap pair of trainers, shorts and t-shirt and did the Parkrun.
“I really enjoyed it.”
Five years on Craig is a member of running club, Kirkcaldy Wizards.
And he has run in half-marathons, marathons and even ultra-marathons.
The warranty manager feels fitter and healthier and says getting into running is the best thing he has ever done.
Joining a running club
In 2019 Craig started running through the streets of Kinghorn and sometimes he would run to Burntisland and back – a distance of around three miles.
But he admits he knew very little about running.
“I was always trying to run too fast and I would either end up feeling knackered or getting injured,” he says.
“But I just thought I would keep trying to do something to stay fit.
“A long-term friend of mine, Mark Gowans, who is a coach with Kirkcaldy Wizards, was always on at me to join the club.
“But I always thought it was for serious runners. I thought I was so slow they would just laugh at me.”
During the Covid outbreak in 2020 and lockdown, Mark persuaded Craig to head along to Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy one Saturday morning to meet the Wizards.
“I ran with the group and really enjoyed it.
“I liked the social side of it and meeting like-minded people.
“As we came out of lockdown I decided to join the club and had my first proper training session with Kirkcaldy Wizards on March 24 2021.
“It was the best thing I have ever done.”
Learning about running
From that day onwards, Craig went to every session on Monday and Wednesday nights.
He also joined a spin-out group called Kirkcaldy Social Runners who go out running on a Thursday.
“I started doing more Parkruns and I noticed the time I was taking to complete it was coming down as I was getting fitter.
“I was also getting a better understanding about pacing myself and not running too fast.
“With the Wizards I found that everyone was keen to share the techniques they had learned.”
Running is good for mental health
Running has also been beneficial for Craig’s mental health.
“After working overseas for many years, I am now working as a manager at Babcock in Rosyth which can be quite a stressful job.
“But when I am out running my head is clear.
“I find running frees space in my head and it is a break away from thinking about work or family stuff.
“It lifts your mood because running releases endorphins.
“It also means if you are having a Chinese and a bottle of wine at the weekend you know you have put the effort in to earn the treat!”
Half-marathons, a marathon and ultra-marathons
Craig now runs four or five times a week.
And he reveals he has not only completed half marathons and a marathon, but he has also started running in ultra-marathons.
Craig says: “I have done four half marathons including Inverness and Kirkcaldy and then I did a full marathon which was in Edinburgh in 2022.
“After that, I started looking at ultra-marathons.”
An ultra-marathon is anything more than a marathon distance which is 26.2 miles.
“My first ultra-marathon, 33 miles, was on November 5 2022 and took place in Glenogle,” he says.
“From then on I just got the bug and have now done nine ultra-marathons.”
Aiming for the Triple Crown
This year the dad-of-two has a new goal.
He aims to complete three West Highland Way ultra-marathon races in a year which is called the Triple Crown.
The first was the West Highland Fling race on April 27 which was 53 miles, the second was the West Highland Way race on June 22 which was 95 miles.
And the third will be the 42-mile trail race, the Devil o’ the Highlands Footrace, on August 10.
For the West Highland Way race he required a support crew.
This included someone who could drive ahead to various checkpoints to supply Craig with food and water.
As well as support runners on the route.
“I trained for the West Highland Way Race for six months and did a few runs on the route to get used to the terrain.
“My driver was Paul Frape and my support runners were friends I had made through the Wizards, Rob and Maggie Justice.
“It was a group achievement because I couldn’t have completed it without them.
“Paul made sure he got to the checkpoints at the right time and had my food ready as well as helping me to fix blisters.
“Maggie and Rob ran with me helping me to keep the pace right and they also helped to keep me motivated.
“Having the right team and the right people really made it for me.
“You have to finish it in 35 hours and my time was 22 hours 11 minutes – which I thought was good for my first time.”
What does his family think of his running?
Craig says his family, including wife Nichola, are very supportive of his running.
“On the West Highland Way Race she [Nichola] had written a letter and gave it to Paul for him to give me half way through the day,” he says.
“It was to try and give me some motivation.
“I was quite emotional reading that letter.
“My daughters, Erin, 19, Lauren, 14, also sent me a couple of messages which is really unusual because normally they are quite blasé about it.
“But I think for the West Highland Way Race they understood the magnitude of it.
“All of these messages gave me a lift to push me to the end.”
Health benefits of running
The Kinghorn dad-of-two feels a lot fitter since he started running.
“I have noticed when I am taking the dog out for a walk or going for a run, what used to feel difficult, now feels much easier.
“So for where I am at for my age I definitely feel the benefits of running.”
He adds: “If I do end up getting some kind of illness that’s just the cards I have been dealt.
“But by running and keeping active, I am giving myself the best opportunity to stay healthy for as long as I can.”
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