The 49-year-old breast cancer-survivor marked 10 years post-diagnosis by running the Double Bob Graham Round – 132 miles and around 54,000ft of ascent – in a record-breaking time of 45 hours and 30 minutes.
Where is your favourite place to run? It’s got to be the Peak District, where I live, even though it’s not hilly or very remote. Actually, it’s very accessible – 20 minutes in a car and I’m there with my dogs and I don’t see a soul. There’s a place called Rocking Stones, which is a set of stones that look down the valley towards Ladybower Reservoir and, on a nice day, you can see for miles
So you run with your dogs? Yes. I was going to get a lurcher but, when I rang up, the lady said: “Actually Nicky, I know you are a long-distance runner; lurchers don’t like long distance! But I have got a collie cross that would suit you down to the ground.” So I did deliberately get a dog that could run a long way.
Did you run as a child? I lived in Glossop on a farm, and I used to run around the farm to get the horses in or to go and see my friend on the neighbouring farm. So I was a good runner, but at Glossop comprehensive we weren’t encouraged all that much. It was more team sports, such as netballl, which I didn’t get on with. Hockey was OK.
What’s your top training tip? Get a pair of shoes. OK, so you need some other clothes to run in. Clothes are good! But get a pair of shoes that fit you and are suitable for where you’d like to run. So if you are into road but thinking about off-road, get a pair with a bit of grip so that when you do get off the road you don’t fall on your arse.
Do you do much cross training? I didn’t used to, because with farming, it’s really all about upper-body training. But I’ve just been on a fell-running coaching course to teach people, and they were talking about plyometrics, so I’ve started doing some of that as well. I think it will make a big difference – core strength and so on.
Do you ever listen to the radio or music when you run? No. I like the silence of running in the outdoors or listening to the birds or the wind. Well, I don’t like wind … but I don’t get why people like to run with music, it’s never been something I like to do. Even when I’m driving in the car, I’ll often turn the radio off because it’s annoying me.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2ABR30IHlq4%3Fstart%3D1323%26wmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed%26start%3D1323
What’s the best thing about running? Being able to run whatever the weather, whatever the time of day. Enjoying it for different reasons. I’ve just had flu, so I haven’t run for a week. When I went for a run again it felt like I was running on one half of a lung. But just the fact that I could run after missing it for a week – I was noticing different things. It was dark, I was going very, very slowly, just noticing that the moon was out, and the reflection on the road.
What’s the worst thing about running? Feeling frustrated when you can’t. That’s probably the thing that your partner will also say is the worst thing! A non-running runner is the worst person to live with.
What is your post-run treat? Fish and chips with curry sauce, and a pint of beer. Or a curry. Something spicy.
Um, silly question for you, but what’s the furthest you have ever run? Well, 132 miles. But that was a run-walk!
How did you fuel that? I had a big selection because I knew at some point I’d go off everything, which I did. So I went round in full circle. I started off with muesli bars, which are quite easy to eat. But then you run out of saliva after six hours or so. Not totally, of course, but the bars feel very dry. So then it was rice pudding, fruit salads, baked beans. Then, after about 18 hours, I struggled with that, so I went back to the muesli bars.
You now have the record for the Double Bob Graham Round, and it seems that more and more women are winning ultra races outright. Do you think there’s a point at which the gender balance becomes more equal? I think, off the roads, it’s probably about 20 miles. Thinking about what Jasmin Paris has done – in the Lake District, when fell races are about 20 miles – she’s very near the men. I think she’s got a much more consistent pace. I think there will be more as well.
What do you eat on the morning of a long run? Porridge. With sultanas. Sugary. Some honey too.
Do you ever run barefoot? No. It’s something that I can see would work, but I don’t know if it’s for me.
Do you watch athletics? I coach juniors at Penniston Footpath Runners and it’s an athletics club, so if athletics is on, I’m fascinated. Athletics is so complicated – all of the long jump, the hurdling. It’s so many different things broken down that they’ve got to do. Coaching juniors, I’m always trying to pick up the perfect form: what it is, how to get the juniors to do it. So watching, even looking at pictures on the wall here [we are talking in The Running Works cafe], I’m wondering: “Is that perfect form? Triple extension?”
For you, who is the greatest ever runner? [long think] I really admire Sarah Rowell. She was winning races outright, too. I think she’s a UK Athletics selector now. So not only did she do a lot for running years ago, showing women what women could do, she’s also still in the sport working really hard now. She really pushed boundaries in women’s fell running.
Nicky Spinks is supported by running brand inov-8, for whom 2017 is all about #GetAGrip
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