Day in the life: Cross country runner Verity Ockenden on training in the dark, working as a sous-chef and writing poetry
I’ve been running all my life but it’s been a slow process to get to where I am now, aiming to be selected for Great Britain in March’s World Cross Country Championships.
I’ve developed a reputation for cross country, but track is my favourite thing. I’m just waiting for an opportunity to demonstrate that this year.
When I first started I was a good county-level runner, but never a child prodigy like others. I’ve been a bit of a dark horse coming through the ranks recently.
I like to compete internationally as well as domestically to test myself. I finished eighth in the Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville on 20 January and am looking forward to more events.
People assume there’s a secret or a trick, but with running it’s about fitting it in where you can and making the small things add up.
My training varies from day-to-day. I do a group track session every Tuesday where I work via Facetime with my coach Tony Houchin, who is based in Texas. I also have two sets of training on Friday, but a lot of my training is solitary.
When I go for a long run before work I’m up at 5.45am to make sure I can prepare properly and squeeze in two hours. For that sort of training you need to fuel properly, so I have coffee and porridge.
At this time of year I take my head torch out to the country lanes around where I live in Tisbury in Wiltshire. I have a watch which tracks my pace, which is usually around 7:30 per mile, meaning I tend to cover around 16 miles.
When I’m home I have a second breakfast, like a Hobbit, which consists of some Weetabix, nuts and seeds, orange juice and plenty of water to rehydrate.
I think one of the most important skills as an athlete is knowing how to feed yourself properly.
Then I’m straight to work for 9am at an art gallery called Messums Wiltshire where I’m a sous-chef. I set up the cafe in the morning, prepare the food then work through what is usually a busy day.
I try to look at work as active recovery, because I’d probably seize up if I were sat at a desk. I’m lucky enough to be able to stretch while chopping vegetables.
I finish at 5pm, have a 30-minute nap when I’m home, do some stretches and use a foam roller to get rid of all the aches and pains.
Before bed I try to summarise my day, review the week and count how many miles I’ve done – just generally take stock of what I’ve achieved and write down my goals for the following week. That helps to keep me motivated and on track.
I also like to write poetry. It started just as a way to occupy my brain with something interesting while running, but I now use it as a form of motivation to visualise where I want to be and as a way to work through life events.
The therapeutic nature of running is a huge part of why I do it – it’s not purely competitive. I’d still be running even if I wasn’t good at it.
Verity Ockenden is supported by The Running Works