Title
'It gets you out of bed and it gets you out the front door!': Sam Miller on Running
Subject
Sam Miller
Description
An excerpt of an oral history recording with Sam Miller. Sam explains how she was 'pushed' into running in 2011, and how the sport has made her a happier and healthier person. Transcript attached.
Creator
Sam Miller; Michael Romyn
Source
Sam Miller Oral History Recording
Publisher
Kent's Sporting Memories
Date
Interview recorded on 19 July, 2019
Rights
Kent's Sporting Memories
Relation
Sam Miller Oral History Recording
Format
MP3/Microsoft Word Document
Language
English
Identifier
Sam Miller
Transcription
Kent’s Sporting Memories Oral History Transcript (Excerpt)
Interviewee: Sam Miller
Interviewer: Michael Romyn
Date: 19 July, 2019
Location: Sam Miller’s home in Hawkinge, Kent.
Recording Time: 9:27 – 14:27
Michael Romyn: In 2011 you began to run. What were the reasons that led you to that?
Sam Miller: So I kind of got pushed into it, so my friend Becky was already running and her running partner, fortunately for her and unfortunately for me, got pregnant, and Becky wanted to do the local Race for Life and said, ‘come on, why don’t we do it together?’. So literally started walk-jogging with Becky, she got me going, and we did 5K, three miles, Race for Life, and I thought ‘Oh brilliant, I’ve ticked that off now’, and then I thought: ‘Actually I quite enjoyed it’, so rather than do it gradually we both decided to train for a half marathon. Literally fifteen weeks later we crossed the line at the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London, hand in hand, it was brilliant. And that was it, no turning back – every week after that just carried on, just done more, just loved being out with my friends, loved the social, loved the medals! I love collecting medals.
MR: So what’s different from when you were a schoolgirl to your love and appreciation of it when you started in 2011?
SM: I don’t know. Do you think maybe it’s the fact that I was doing it for me and it wasn’t about being told I had to go and do something. It was my choice to do it and I found just being out in the countryside relaxing, no telephones, no computers, you know, just catching up with my girlfriends at the same time and having a good old gossip. And, you know, if I wanted to walk I’d jolly well have a little walk so there was like no pressure; the only pressure I only ever put on myself is my own pressure – no one ever minds if we walk up a hill or, you know, we slow down a little bit, and I think that’s nice. You just make the run however you’re feeling If you’re feeling amazing that day you can fly along and if you’re feeling, you know, ‘I’m just a bit tired but I just want to get some fresh air’, you can just do that, so it just took all the pressure off of running and made it just more fun.
MR: Doing it for you – that makes sense…
SM: Yeah, and it gives you your own space to think things through maybe.
MR: From doing that initial 5K run, why did you decide to do the half marathon?
SM: Maybe I was a bit bonkers, but I kind of thought – and that was for charity as well – so I thought it would give me a focus and motivation, because if I’ve got someone to go and meet or something to train for in x amount of time, I know I’ve got to do it, it keeps me going. Whereas if I didn’t have a goal for my own mind I’d probably go ‘Oh I won’t go today it’s a bit rainy, but if I know I’ve got a race coming up or meeting my friends at the community centre to go for a run then it gets you out of bed and it gets you out of the front door.
MR: Did it surprise you how much you liked it?
SM: It really surprised me, and it surprised me how much nicer maybe a mum I became because I was a lot more chilled with the kids, I became fitter, I lost weight, so when we went to the park I actually wanted to get up and push the swing and play with my kids, whereas before I would have been the mum that maybe just sat and watched. So I think it’s just got us being a lot more of an outdoors sort of family because I felt better about myself so, you know, we’d do a lot more sort of family stuff and bike rides and walks that maybe I wouldn’t have done before. I would’ve always just said ‘oh no, I’ve got the housework to do’, or sort of fob them off a bit, so I think it was good for everybody.
MR: So before you started running, you led – not to put words into your mouth – more of a sedentary lifestyle?
SM: I absolutely did. I really, really did. I spent much more time at home just pottering round, you know, I think the most I’d do was walk the dog once a day. And obviously having a job that you sit quite a lot of the day, or driving quite a lot of the day, you know, it’s quite easy to sort of watch your weight creep up, so yeah, and it’s really changed my whole outlook – I spend a lot more time now out, and I plan quite a busy week with things to do, people to see, places to go, and I think ‘You know what? The dust will still be there tomorrow!’
--Ends--
Interviewee: Sam Miller
Interviewer: Michael Romyn
Date: 19 July, 2019
Location: Sam Miller’s home in Hawkinge, Kent.
Recording Time: 9:27 – 14:27
Michael Romyn: In 2011 you began to run. What were the reasons that led you to that?
Sam Miller: So I kind of got pushed into it, so my friend Becky was already running and her running partner, fortunately for her and unfortunately for me, got pregnant, and Becky wanted to do the local Race for Life and said, ‘come on, why don’t we do it together?’. So literally started walk-jogging with Becky, she got me going, and we did 5K, three miles, Race for Life, and I thought ‘Oh brilliant, I’ve ticked that off now’, and then I thought: ‘Actually I quite enjoyed it’, so rather than do it gradually we both decided to train for a half marathon. Literally fifteen weeks later we crossed the line at the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London, hand in hand, it was brilliant. And that was it, no turning back – every week after that just carried on, just done more, just loved being out with my friends, loved the social, loved the medals! I love collecting medals.
MR: So what’s different from when you were a schoolgirl to your love and appreciation of it when you started in 2011?
SM: I don’t know. Do you think maybe it’s the fact that I was doing it for me and it wasn’t about being told I had to go and do something. It was my choice to do it and I found just being out in the countryside relaxing, no telephones, no computers, you know, just catching up with my girlfriends at the same time and having a good old gossip. And, you know, if I wanted to walk I’d jolly well have a little walk so there was like no pressure; the only pressure I only ever put on myself is my own pressure – no one ever minds if we walk up a hill or, you know, we slow down a little bit, and I think that’s nice. You just make the run however you’re feeling If you’re feeling amazing that day you can fly along and if you’re feeling, you know, ‘I’m just a bit tired but I just want to get some fresh air’, you can just do that, so it just took all the pressure off of running and made it just more fun.
MR: Doing it for you – that makes sense…
SM: Yeah, and it gives you your own space to think things through maybe.
MR: From doing that initial 5K run, why did you decide to do the half marathon?
SM: Maybe I was a bit bonkers, but I kind of thought – and that was for charity as well – so I thought it would give me a focus and motivation, because if I’ve got someone to go and meet or something to train for in x amount of time, I know I’ve got to do it, it keeps me going. Whereas if I didn’t have a goal for my own mind I’d probably go ‘Oh I won’t go today it’s a bit rainy, but if I know I’ve got a race coming up or meeting my friends at the community centre to go for a run then it gets you out of bed and it gets you out of the front door.
MR: Did it surprise you how much you liked it?
SM: It really surprised me, and it surprised me how much nicer maybe a mum I became because I was a lot more chilled with the kids, I became fitter, I lost weight, so when we went to the park I actually wanted to get up and push the swing and play with my kids, whereas before I would have been the mum that maybe just sat and watched. So I think it’s just got us being a lot more of an outdoors sort of family because I felt better about myself so, you know, we’d do a lot more sort of family stuff and bike rides and walks that maybe I wouldn’t have done before. I would’ve always just said ‘oh no, I’ve got the housework to do’, or sort of fob them off a bit, so I think it was good for everybody.
MR: So before you started running, you led – not to put words into your mouth – more of a sedentary lifestyle?
SM: I absolutely did. I really, really did. I spent much more time at home just pottering round, you know, I think the most I’d do was walk the dog once a day. And obviously having a job that you sit quite a lot of the day, or driving quite a lot of the day, you know, it’s quite easy to sort of watch your weight creep up, so yeah, and it’s really changed my whole outlook – I spend a lot more time now out, and I plan quite a busy week with things to do, people to see, places to go, and I think ‘You know what? The dust will still be there tomorrow!’
--Ends--