Reaching the finish line

Food and Nutrition teacher Angela Pleasants says she couldn’t run 100 yards three years ago. But turning 50 changed all that, and now the mother of two boys is running half-marathons – and running a fitness and wellbeing Facebook group with more than 800 members

Over the past few years, weight-loss, divorce and Covid have been the catalyst for change. Turning 50 has been a liberating experience, too. As a single mum with two teenage boys, I became more aware of the need to become healthier and be a positive role model to my boys. Three years ago, the three of us decided to climb Snowdon to prove that resilience, and determination was the key to success. Since then, we have climbed many more mountains and overcome a lot of obstacles to become stronger and happier people. This has led to us now selling our home in Norfolk and I am in the process of re-training as a Mountain Leader and DofE assessor and will be uprooting my family to live in the Yorkshire Dales.

Covid meant that the three of us had more quality family time, building in regular movie time, playing board games and going on family dog walks – something that we have continued to do and definitely strengthened the bond between us.

I was lucky enough to attend work to teach the keyworker students one day a week and enjoy the North Norfolk drive in to Sheringham High School. After work I would spend an hour walking in the area which ignited a love of hiking within me. The other days I would work from home uploading lessons, assessing work and keeping up regular contact with my students. I enjoyed the connection, but also began to enjoy the freedom that this flexible working brought with it and would take the hour each day I used to spend travelling to and from work to exercise instead.

I was an obese child and obese adult but turning 40 I decided to take control of my own life choices and began by losing five stone with the help of the Rosemary Conley plan which meant partaking in regular exercise. I began to love exercise. By the age of 48 I was attending exercise classes with Matt Philpott six sessions a week. However, divorce meant that I didn’t have the childcare or finances to attend classes so needed to find something that could be done easy and free of charge.

In preparation for doing Ben Nevis in 2019 it was suggested that I took up running – this was something that I had never done before ever. At school I had been the fat girl tail walking the cross-country runners with the teacher. Even though I had become fitter since my weight-loss, running was still something that I just simply couldn’t do. My son suggested I start with a fast walk around the block (2.5k), so I did this three times a week. This progressed over the weeks to a run/walk pattern then finally a full run, then progressed to a weekly parkrun and two runs of the block each week. I was feeling amazing and wanted others to feel how awesome this felt.

Nice Life Fitness and Wellbeing began in April 2021 as I wanted to help others to become better versions of themselves to raise self-esteem and wellbeing. I set up a Facebook group and began a C25k running group to help others have the support and belief that is needed. After the six-week free course the trainees achieved their 5k run and the Nice Life Runners were born. Every six weeks a new batch of trainees would start and once completed were invited into the running group where they meet weekly and enjoy a social run together.

I think Lockdown made people more aware of the need to be healthy and a realisation that life is short so we must do more of the things that make us happy. The social aspect of running was highlighted through Covid and the need to be part of a community with a shared interest helped us feel included and less lonely.

Life is all about balance. As a nutrition teacher I like to make my students and clients fully aware of the need for good nutrition and an awareness of the consequence of poor diet – both physically and mentally and talk of my personal battles. I am not here to preach but to educate and support others.

Nutrition for me is based around lifestyle. If I have a half-marathon coming up, I allow myself to eat a higher number of carbohydrates in the days beforehand. If my weight is gaining, over a few weeks I will restrict my calorie intake, but I don’t worry as much about my diet as I once did. I try to ensure most of my meals are rich in the essential nutrients, but I also allow myself to enjoy food and have a much healthier and happier relationship with food these days.

During the school holidays, I work as a youth leader to help keep the kids off the streets and prevent them becoming bored and doing things that could be termed as antisocial. I have worked the past two summers with Sprowston Youth Engagement Programme (SYEP), assisting on their sports days, playing football, dodgeball and foot golf. It’s a great project to be a part of and you meet some great families.

I decided to do the Great North Run 2020 as a virtual race during lockdown as working from home allowed me additional time to train. I use a technique called jeffing which uses a run/walk pattern and completed the run along with three friends along the Marriotts Way.

The following year I jeffed a half marathon each month – mostly on a route I designed and ran with a friend, but I also did both Blickling Half Marathon events as my training for the Great North Run. I completed the Great North Run later that year in Newcastle on an out and back course specially designed to meet the Covid guidelines. This year was the first time doing the actual route.

Being told I’m an inspiration to others really has helped me stay on top of my own training. I post out all my activity onto the Nice Life Facebook page so that helps make me accountable.

The support I receive as well as give through the page is invaluable. Being the running group leader has meant that I have needed to be there every Monday night giving support to the other runners and I love it! I love seeing the faces when runners have completed their first 5k run, having not being able to run 100 yards on week one. It really is such a reward to know that you have helped them feel so good about themselves. That’s why I don’t charge – I love doing it – their smiles are my payment.

I have done the Yorkshire Three Peaks three times which is just short of marathon distance but up three mountains, so I know that I have a marathon distance in my legs. So yes, the goal now would be to do a marathon. I did apply for London this year but was unsuccessful. Next year will be taken up by my mountain Leading and DofE training along with moving house, but a marathon will be there on the cards someday soon.

Anyone can run. I’m nothing special – there’s no magic ingredient. To be a runner you need determination, consistency and self-belief. Coming along to a group helps by offering you reassurance, praise and accountability. The social network then offers friendship, support and challenge which helps ensure you keep up with your running. There really is no such thing as a bad run, but you will regret not having done a run. So, if you would like to take up running – do it! As my Mum would say – Don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today – a motto I firmly believe in.

Angela Pleasants is Food and Nutrition Teacher at Sheringham High School and is the founder of Nice Life Fitness and Wellbeing on Facebook