Ran all 365 days of 2023!

Local runner encourages others to embrace the benefits of exercise after completing his New Year's resolution

‘New year, new you’ is a catchphrase frequently bandied about in January, and many people will be trying to get 2024 off to a healthy start with ‘couch to 5k’ running targets.

Imagine running a minimum of 5k every day, all 365 days of the year. That was the 2023 New Year's resolution of local man James (Jimbob) Sheehan, an ultra marathon runner, who in achieving his goal clocked up a staggering total of 3,382km (2,101 miles) last year. He never missed a run, getting out every day in all weathers. He ran locally, in events all over Ireland, and also one particularly cold run in Vienna, in a year that peaked with the 100-mile (161km) Connemara endurance run in August.

But 10 years ago, James had yet to start couch to 5k and the thought of long-distance running was a long way from his mind. That all changed in January 2014.

“During an episode of ‘Operation Transformation’, my better half Yvonne decides to get herself back into running by starting the couch to 5k eight-week plan,” James recalled. “By week 4 she’s flying, while I'm still very content with the couch bit of the plan! Typical man, I roll my eyes when she comes in disturbing my episode of ‘Coronation St’, saying: ‘I'm running for three full minutes now’, and of course I make the ‘deed, sure I could do that’ comment.

“Challenge accepted, I head out next evening and stubbornly run the three full minutes, no bother, but by God, I can hardly walk for the next three days!”

But James persevered, restarted and completed the eight-week plan. He went on to run regular 5ks, progressing to 10ks and half marathons. In 2016, his 40th birthday fell on the same date as the Dublin City Marathon and James decided to give it a go.

“The rest for me, as they say, is history. I fell in love with running and the greater the distance, the better for me.”

James, who works at LKQ Euro Car Parts, Stereame, Nenagh, kept going and gradually progressed to running regular marathons, then 50ks, 100ks and even runs of 100 miles and more.

HEALTHY HEART, HEALTHY MIND

James and Yvonne are members of Marathon Club Ireland (MCI) and regularly run marathons all over the country, maybe as often as one or two per month. It's a mass of mileage that most people struggle to fathom, but for James, running yields benefits that he feels many others could enjoy from just the smallest changes to our attitude towards exercise, vastly improving both physical and mental health.

“People probably think it's mad and, sure, perhaps it is,” he said of the distances he does. “I’ve got the ‘your hips and your knees will be destroyed’ more times than I care to remember, and maybe they will, but maybe they would be anyway without running.

“The thing is, the improvement in both my physical, but more importantly my mental health, far outweigh those details. I cannot emphasise enough the benefits that exercise has afforded me. It doesn't have to be running. Let it be walking, cycling, swimming - whatever.”

He mentioned that his sister Caroline swears by cold water therapy and swims at Youghal Quay all-year-round. “Running just happened to be my thing. No matter what sort of day I'm having, I know that a run will help. It may take a little effort to initially get out and go, but never will you come home regretting having exercised.”

MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA

James generally uses routes encompassing Nenagh's illuminated N52 bypass for winter training. During the rest of the year, he can be seen running along the R445/old N7 cycle lanes between Nenagh and Limerick. He talks of loving to be out and meeting other runners, walkers and cyclists.

“Even better again when they have the younger ones along with them. You smile, they smile back - already two people are now having a better day. Simple maths, as the 2 Johnnys would say...

“More educated people than me will give you the science jargon behind it - endorphins release and what-not - but in my layman's terms, my mental health is a muscle and, like all muscles, it benefits from being exercised.”

Unfortunately, he points out that there is a stigma attached and talking about mental health, more so among men. James, who along with his work colleagues has fundraised for men's health as part of the annual ‘Movember’ campaign, believes this stigma can be tackled through running.

“I was one of those ‘what if the lads see me walking the bypass, they’ll think I'm gone soft’, kind of fellas. Well, now that I know the positives from it, I can safely say ‘what the lads think’ is no longer a factor.

“My advice would be to try it, try different things and see what works. We’re lucky in Nenagh with the lights on the bypass this time of year; your local GAA clubs are possibly starting their light-it-up campaign again; swimming pools, triathlon, rugby, soccer, basketball clubs, gyms, local park runs in Borrisokane, Cloughjordan - all sorts of choices.

“Get a mate or two to go along with you; there’s strength in numbers and a little bit of accountability helps too. It's not a competition. Meet for your coffee, but go for a walk before it, make it enjoyable for a better chance of it becoming a regular habit.”

‘WEATHER IS NOT AN EXCUSE’

James is quick to point out that every one of those kilometres he ran in 2023 was outdoors. “So, just remember, the weather is not an excuse to not exercise,” he said. “Being active begins with your mind.”

As a parting shot, the local ultra marathon runner's advice is to “forget the ‘New Year, New Me; go with the New Year, BETTER me! What's the worst that can happen? Your head will thank you for it’.”

As for his own resolutions for 2024, James is targeting a sub three-hour marathon time while continuing to enjoy the 5ks - a part of his daily routine that has continued into the new year. So, he concluded: “If you pass me on the road, SMILE!”