Striders Stories: Steve Eames

In the spotlight today is Steve Eames. Steve joined Striders in 2018 and is a regular at striders training sessions and parkrun (back when that was a thing!). 

Steve Eames

Age

27

Occupation 

I studied economics at university and wanted to try and find a job where I could use the theory i had learnt in an applied setting. So after graduating, I applied to the Government Economic Service and started working for the Ministry of Justice. I have had two roles so far; the first involved completing cost benefit analyses for the MoJ's prison building programme and then using the results from these to write up the economic chapters of business cases (which government departments need to do in order to obtain funding from the Treasury). 

The second role has involved working on the Criminal Legal Aid Review, which is aiming to reform the market of criminal legal aid providers (advocates and litigators) so that it is more fairly paid and more sustainable going forward. I've done a couple of prison visits (Belmarsh and Wandsworth) which were exciting albeit nerve wracking.

Reason you started running?

As a kid, I hated any kind of running other than sprinting. I remember going for a run down the Nickey Line when i was probably about 16 or 17 and didn't enjoy it at all. At school I always opted for sports like football, tennis and table tennis. And at uni i found squash a really enjoyable game to play (and great for managing stress).

 However, I had a flatmate who went out running a couple of times a week; I couldn't understand what possible enjoyment he got out of it. Anyway, in the final year, he suggested that him, myself and a fellow non-jogger sign up for the Bath Half (where we were studying). I can't remember if I was intoxicated at the time or just feeling competitive, but I agreed to it. I found that training for a half marathon was tough but also very rewarding. My attitude to running completely switched; I was very surprised by the impact it had on my mood (especially important for me as I've had experience of OCD).

Favourite Race Distance?

I don't really have a favourite race distance. I enjoy races most when I have paced them well and then have the energy to finish strongly. Sadly though, because of pacing decisions, this is something I am still working on! As a side note, I have historically opted for races of HM distance and less purely because I didn't want to lose weight..

Favourite race / route?

I think the most enjoyable race course i have done would probably be the Fred Hughes 10 mile event. Partly because I quite like a hill and partly because it's nice and local so there's no requirement to spend ages queuing up for various pre-race tasks.

Running goals?

I am a very competitive person, and am driven to try and compete with other runners as well as with myself. My ultimate dream is to run parkrun in 17:xx and to finish in Usain Bolt style. A more sensible aim is to complete a HM in sub 90 mins, 5k in sub 19 mins and 10k in sub 40 mins.

Another goal is to actually complete races without getting a stitch; I think so far as a Strider I have only managed to do this on one or two occasions. I hope that means I have room for improvement!

How often do you train?

I normally aim to run around 25-30 miles a week, split over 4 or 5 runs.

After joining Striders i realised how important it is to cross train, so i started doing yoga and stuff like circuit/ HIIT classes. I would definitely recommend these activities for runners!

What motivates you?

I like keeping fit and feeling healthy, and i don't think you can get a better all-round workout than running. I have also found being part of a running club incredibly motivating. I love doing a hard training session on the track where you feel simultaneously horrendous but also fantastic.

Most memorable race

This would have to be the aforementioned Bath Half. As i was running round, i remember so many people had come out to support the runners, which created a great atmosphere. High Fiving kids as i ran along gave me such a boost. And then mile 9 came. Having only trained for about 11 miles, it was inevitable that my body would start to struggle. So the last few miles were pretty gruelling. I found myself thinking back to when I was 10 years old, which is when I had a brain operation at Great Ormond Street for hydrocephalus and had to learn to walk and eventually run again. And that made the final part of the race quite emotional for me, and I think probably lit my enthusiasm for running.

Injuries

I have been relatively fortunate in terms of injuries, with usually nothing more serious than calf strains, although weirdly all happening in my right leg. However, back in November 2018 i ran the Herts Half marathon and subsequently experienced really severe pain in my leg. I saw a physio who thought it was not quite a stress fracture but halfway there. And then I saw a podiatrist (the one and only James Mcavoy), who told me that there is no such thing as a half stress-fracture. And that instead i had a 'stuck fibula'. He then proceeded to do a very straightforward manual manoeuvre on me, essentially jiggling my leg, which seemed to do the trick.

Needless to say I'm now sceptical about physios.. I also now wear orthotics because my feet roll in too much as I run.

Other hobbies

As a tennis fan, I was always impressed watching Rafael Nadal do his post-match interviews, flipping between Spanish and English with ease.

And so I decided to try and learn Spanish. I would say I’m now at an intermediate level, so if anyone at the club fancies having a conversation with me then let me know!

I have a Labrador and so do quite a lot of walking with her, when she's not relaxing/ trying out sheep-skin jackets. It's a great way to meet people! I also like cooking and more importantly eating, especially Italian-inspired dishes, and I find learning about physics and psychology pretty interesting. In recent times, I also seem to have taken on the role of man-marking Doug during our 5-a-side games.

Guilty pleasures

I'm a Corrie fan.. there is something about the scripts, which are quite often mundane but interspersed with comedy and the odd serial killer, which appeal to me. I also think you can't beat a classic Clint Eastwood movie. And white chocolate is something I'm very partial to.