Why We Run - Lizzie Wastnedge - Like the Wind Magazine

Why We Run is a new series from Like the Wind magazine that explores the personal reasons people lace up and head out. Read on to hear from runners around the world.

LIZZIE WASTNEDGE

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📍 Where you run

Scotland and Botswana

👟 How often you run

6 runs/week

🎶 What you’re listening to on a run

It’s a real variety depending on my mood – from my “Eighties bangers” to the playlist my friends dub “Sad Indie Girl” (read: heavy on Phoebe Bridgers), or my eponymous “Lizzie’s ultra mega-mix”. On long days out I sometimes listen to audiobooks and actually often on big hill days I do not bring headphones but listen to the wind, the birds, and inevitably my own heavy breathing.

📸 Favourite running photo of yourself, or view from a run

My favourite place to run (or be!) is in the North West of Scotland – especially up in Torridon. I love the dramatic mountains adjacent to the sea, where on a clear day you can see across to the Outer Hebrides. This is a photo of me running my club race “The Bog Trot” which climbs around Holyrood Park in the centre of Edinburgh. I feel so lucky to live in a city with such amazing hills, and to train with best running club in the world (of course).

How often and where do you run?

I run most days if I can. During the week I enjoy trail runs around Edinburgh where I live and then every weekend I try to escape to the hills in my van – either to the Scottish highlands, or the Lake District – my destination is usually dictated by the weather forecast. Currently I am spending a lot of time working in Botswana and this has given me the opportunity to scope out local trails, my favourite being in the Mokolodi Nature Reserve where I run amidst giraffes, antelopes, zebras and the occasional rhino.

What first got you into running?

I came to running from a background of climbing. I was spending increasing amounts of time in the hills gaining fitness and experience and moving faster and lighter – unencumbered by a rack of mountaineering equipment – and it felt like a natural progression. I began entering hill races and found a ready community of like minded people.

Why do you keep running now?

I run for the sense of strength and independence I feel as I overcome the distance, the climb and the weather, relying only on myself, my feet, my compass. I run for the simple meditation of progressing pace by pace, when the rest of life becomes too frantic to bear. I run for the wild places – the reassuring presence of landscapes and weather systems so much bigger than my petty problems. I run for the solitude – the repetitive motion sifting away the debris amongst my thoughts and allowing clarity to rise to the surface. I run for the community – the opportunity to share goals and triumphs and to give and seek encouragement and learning from failures. I run because it has now become so much a part of who I am, that it is impossible not to.

Do you run with others or solo?

Both: I train with a club and love the sense of camaraderie and community this gives me. I also run alone a lot – especially in the hills – as this makes me feel strong, and gives opportunity to reflect and unwind – which can feel hard to come by during the week.

Any rituals, gear, or quirks?

I like to make my own “gels” with a mixture of peanut butter, cocoa powder, salt, maple syrup, and a shot of espresso – all the key food groups but inevitably it ends up covering everything you own in a sticky residue.

Is there a specific run or running moment that stands out to you?

I’ll never forget the first time I ran the “Tea Round” in the Lake District. I had been having a really tough time at work and was feeling totally depleted. I had one day off in a fortnight and drove down from Edinburgh to do the route. It was a perfect crisp autumn day and for the first time in months, as I ran from sunrise to sunset, I felt like everything was going to be ok. It’s still one of my favourite routes and I try to run it at least once a year.

How does running fit into the rest of your life?

Throughout my working life, running has been the balm I have turned to. Working as a junior doctor in the UK brings a lot of emotional stressors and challenges and I rely on running after work to process these and allow reset and re-calibration. More recently working in Botswana, I have had to fit my life around my running – rising just ahead of dawn to run before the heat of the day.