Latest news with #retiredbanker
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘Horrendous blisters': Retired UK banker, 65, attempts to run 200 marathons in 200 days
The first fortnight was tough – terrible blisters, a flare of gout that needed a visit to A&E and the rapid realisation that running 200 marathons in 200 days around the coast of Great Britain would not be a walk in the park. But Steve James, a 65-year-old retired banker from Devon, has found his feet, and on Thursday reached the halfway mark – an average of 100 marathons in 100 days. 'In those first two weeks I was thinking: 'What have I done?'' James said. 'I've been running for 50 years and never get blisters – but I had horrendous ones for the first 10 days. My feet felt like they had been put in a vice and squeezed. The gout was a bit of curveball but the hospital prescribed some stuff and it went away. Now I feel fine.' James's progress along the coastlines of England, Wales and Scotland is being tracked by experts from the University of Exeter, who are keen to find out the effects of such an extreme challenge on an older person. He set off from Topsham, on the south coast of Devon, in April and headed to Kent in south-east England. He then ran north to John o'Groats in north-east Scotland and is on the Scottish west coast steadily working his way south. There is no set route. He has a plan but adapts and changes it. 'If you're in Devon and Cornwall and Wales, there is a clearly defined coast path. In Scotland there's virtually no coast path, so you're carving out your own routes. I've been on the Isle of Mull, which was never in the original itinerary, but I hopped on and off and it worked.' The challenge is to do, on average, a marathon every day. Some days, depending on where the accommodation is, it might be a bit less; others a bit more, and he is not trying to clock good marathon times. 'I am not flat out every day. There's a lot of walking involved, a bit of jogging, a bit of running – a real mix. And I'm stopping a couple of times each day just to sort of rest up, if you like, have a coffee, a cake or whatever, and then get going again.' 'It's all about routine,' said James, who is from Devon and trained for his challenge on Dartmoor. 'It's all about getting up at the same time, leaving at the same time; it's a bit like going to work. I love the physical challenge, the idea of stretching myself physically. I'm not especially talented at things – you wouldn't want to play golf with me, you wouldn't want me on your football team. But I can keep going.' He is not following the sort of diet an elite athlete might adopt. When the Guardian spoke to him, James had eaten cereal, a bacon baguette, cake and was planning fish and chips for dinner, washed down with a couple of pints. The Exeter researchers assessed James before his departure and he sends data daily for them to analyse. They are studying his calorie intake, oxygen levels and muscle measurements to examine the effect of the challenge. He has lost about 10kg but the team has seen no ill-effects to his health. Freyja Haigh, a nutritional physiology researcher at the University of Exeter, said: 'Steve gives us a real insight into how this type of endurance impacts the body of an older person. We're unsure at the moment if Steve's weight loss is from fat or muscle mass.' James, who is raising money for Cancer Research UK and the Scouts, passes the time by listening to music and is also learning Cymraeg – Welsh. By the time he gets to Wales, he hopes to be able to order a pint in the language. He thinks the most difficult stretch physically will be the north coasts of Devon and Cornwall. 'I'm kind of hoping by then my body's completely acclimatised and I'll be able to cope with that.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘Horrendous blisters': Retired UK banker, 65, attempts to run 200 marathons in 200 days
The first fortnight was tough – terrible blisters, a flare of gout that needed a visit to A&E and the rapid realisation that running 200 marathons in 200 days around the coast of Great Britain would not be a walk in the park. But Steve James, a 65-year-old retired banker from Devon, has found his feet, and on Thursday reached the halfway mark – an average of 100 marathons in 100 days. 'In those first two weeks I was thinking: 'What have I done?'' James said. 'I've been running for 50 years and never get blisters – but I had horrendous ones for the first 10 days. My feet felt like they had been put in a vice and squeezed. The gout was a bit of curveball but the hospital prescribed some stuff and it went away. Now I feel fine.' James's progress along the coastlines of England, Wales and Scotland is being tracked by experts from the University of Exeter, who are keen to find out the effects of such an extreme challenge on an older person. He set off from Topsham, on the south coast of Devon, in April and headed to Kent in south-east England. He then ran north to John o'Groats in north-east Scotland and is on the Scottish west coast steadily working his way south. There is no set route. He has a plan but adapts and changes it. 'If you're in Devon and Cornwall and Wales, there is a clearly defined coast path. In Scotland there's virtually no coast path, so you're carving out your own routes. I've been on the Isle of Mull, which was never in the original itinerary, but I hopped on and off and it worked.' The challenge is to do, on average, a marathon every day. Some days, depending on where the accommodation is, it might be a bit less; others a bit more, and he is not trying to clock good marathon times. 'I am not flat out every day. There's a lot of walking involved, a bit of jogging, a bit of running – a real mix. And I'm stopping a couple of times each day just to sort of rest up, if you like, have a coffee, a cake or whatever, and then get going again.' 'It's all about routine,' said James, who is from Devon and trained for his challenge on Dartmoor. 'It's all about getting up at the same time, leaving at the same time; it's a bit like going to work. I love the physical challenge, the idea of stretching myself physically. I'm not especially talented at things – you wouldn't want to play golf with me, you wouldn't want me on your football team. But I can keep going.' He is not following the sort of diet an elite athlete might adopt. When the Guardian spoke to him, James had eaten cereal, a bacon baguette, cake and was planning fish and chips for dinner, washed down with a couple of pints. The Exeter researchers assessed James before his departure and he sends data daily for them to analyse. They are studying his calorie intake, oxygen levels and muscle measurements to examine the effect of the challenge. He has lost about 10kg but the team has seen no ill-effects to his health. Freyja Haigh, a nutritional physiology researcher at the University of Exeter, said: 'Steve gives us a real insight into how this type of endurance impacts the body of an older person. We're unsure at the moment if Steve's weight loss is from fat or muscle mass.' James, who is raising money for Cancer Research UK and the Scouts, passes the time by listening to music and is also learning Cymraeg – Welsh. By the time he gets to Wales, he hopes to be able to order a pint in the language. He thinks the most difficult stretch physically will be the north coasts of Devon and Cornwall. 'I'm kind of hoping by then my body's completely acclimatised and I'll be able to cope with that.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Retired banker hits halfway mark in bid to run 200 marathons around coast
A retired banker who is striving to become the first man over the age of 60 to run the entire coastline of mainland Britain completed his 100th consecutive day of running. Steve James, 65, has reached the halfway point of his goal to run 200 marathons in 200 days, while researchers at the University of Exeter monitor the impact on his body. Mr James set off from Topsham, Devon on April 16 and will end his feat there after running anticlockwise around the coast for seven months. He currently runs for around six hours each day, occasionally staying with his wife in their camper van, or in various accommodation. 'Reaching the halfway stage is a milestone I could only have dreamed of when I set off 100 days ago,' he said as he marked the milestone by running from Oban to Craobh Haven . 'There have been points where I didn't know if I'd make it, but I've proved to myself I'm capable of pushing beyond my limits, both physical and mental. 'It's overwhelming looking back on what I've achieved. 'I feel so proud of myself and hope I can inspire others over 60, that you are never too old to attempt the impossible no matter how ridiculous it seems.' Mr James, a father of five, has already faced his share of hardships on his journey, running through harsh weather conditions, closed footpaths, severely blistered feet, and a gout flare-up resulting in a trip to hospital. The Exeter research team assessed him before his departure and continue to monitor him throughout this challenge. They are studying his calorie intake, blood, oxygen and muscle measurements to examine the effect of such an extreme sport on the body. 'By the end of this challenge, the scientists will have more insight into how far a 65-year-old person can push their body,' Mr James, who lives and trains on Dartmoor, said. 'Of all the challenges I've done, this is the most extreme and the biggest stretch.' At this stage the team has seen no adverse effects of this high-endurance challenge in the blood samples which are being used to measure hormone fluctuations, inflammation and overall health. Mr James has lost weight although this was a likely result the researchers anticipated because of his extreme calorie output. Dr Freyja Haigh, nutritional physiology researcher at the University of Exeter, said: 'Having reached this point would be an incredible achievement for anyone, but doing it in your 60s is a whole different ballgame. 'What Steve is doing really challenges the stereotypes of ageing and redefines what's possible later in life. 'It's also fascinating in terms of the science; Steve gives us a real insight into how this type of endurance affects the body of an older person. 'It's been such a privilege to work with him so far and I can't wait to see how he gets on in this next stage. 'We're currently tracking Steve's energy intake and expenditure in order to assess any changes in body mass, which is to be expected with this very physical challenge. 'We're unsure at the moment if Steve's weight loss is from fat or muscle mass. I'm hoping to visit him in the near future to take muscle thickness measurements at multiple points on the body to compare with those we took before he left.' Throughout his life, Mr James has loved physical challenges, from taking part in Ten Tors hiking challenge while at school, to cycling around the world in 220 days in 2019. The record for running the British coastline is held by Nick Butter, who completed the feat in 128 days at the age of 31. But Mr James is the first person over 60 to attempt the feat.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Retired banker hits halfway mark in bid to run 200 marathons around coast
A retired banker who is striving to become the first man over the age of 60 to run the entire coastline of mainland Britain completed his 100th consecutive day of running. Steve James, 65, has reached the halfway point of his goal to run 200 marathons in 200 days, while researchers at the University of Exeter monitor the impact on his body. Mr James set off from Topsham, Devon on April 16 and will end his feat there after running anticlockwise around the coast for seven months. He currently runs for around six hours each day, occasionally staying with his wife in their camper van, or in various accommodation. 'Reaching the halfway stage is a milestone I could only have dreamed of when I set off 100 days ago,' he said as he marked the milestone by running from Oban to Craobh Haven . 'There have been points where I didn't know if I'd make it, but I've proved to myself I'm capable of pushing beyond my limits, both physical and mental. 'It's overwhelming looking back on what I've achieved. 'I feel so proud of myself and hope I can inspire others over 60, that you are never too old to attempt the impossible no matter how ridiculous it seems.' Mr James, a father of five, has already faced his share of hardships on his journey, running through harsh weather conditions, closed footpaths, severely blistered feet, and a gout flare-up resulting in a trip to hospital. The Exeter research team assessed him before his departure and continue to monitor him throughout this challenge. They are studying his calorie intake, blood, oxygen and muscle measurements to examine the effect of such an extreme sport on the body. 'By the end of this challenge, the scientists will have more insight into how far a 65-year-old person can push their body,' Mr James, who lives and trains on Dartmoor, said. 'Of all the challenges I've done, this is the most extreme and the biggest stretch.' At this stage the team has seen no adverse effects of this high-endurance challenge in the blood samples which are being used to measure hormone fluctuations, inflammation and overall health. Mr James has lost weight although this was a likely result the researchers anticipated because of his extreme calorie output. Dr Freyja Haigh, nutritional physiology researcher at the University of Exeter, said: 'Having reached this point would be an incredible achievement for anyone, but doing it in your 60s is a whole different ballgame. 'What Steve is doing really challenges the stereotypes of ageing and redefines what's possible later in life. 'It's also fascinating in terms of the science; Steve gives us a real insight into how this type of endurance affects the body of an older person. 'It's been such a privilege to work with him so far and I can't wait to see how he gets on in this next stage. 'We're currently tracking Steve's energy intake and expenditure in order to assess any changes in body mass, which is to be expected with this very physical challenge. 'We're unsure at the moment if Steve's weight loss is from fat or muscle mass. I'm hoping to visit him in the near future to take muscle thickness measurements at multiple points on the body to compare with those we took before he left.' Throughout his life, Mr James has loved physical challenges, from taking part in Ten Tors hiking challenge while at school, to cycling around the world in 220 days in 2019. The record for running the British coastline is held by Nick Butter, who completed the feat in 128 days at the age of 31. But Mr James is the first person over 60 to attempt the feat.
