When I first started running it was just the occasional 5k with my mum and the dog. I
was more interested in other sports such as football, just like any teenager. After
finishing 11 th in the Lincolnshire schools XC in year 10 this sparked my journey into
training to be the best runner I can be. I wanted to win the Lincolnshire schools XC
race the following year.
I joined my local athletics club, Newark AC, and started running more and
incorporating tempo runs, fartleks and intervals into my running- all of which were
brand new to me. I got fitter and faster. Over the course of 6 months, I knocked
almost 2 minutes off my time at Newark parkrun from 19:30 to 17:36. I was loving
running.
When the Lincolnshire schools XC race came round in year 11, I started off
conservatively and gradually worked my way up the field (my typical race strategy). I
found myself closing on the leader with 600m to go and turned on the jets to try and
pass them. As we turned one of the final bends, one of the flagpoles that marked out
the course swung back and hit me square in the face (giving me a black eye for days
to come) but that wasn’t going to stop me from winning the race. I ran to the finish
line as fast as I could and came away with the win- a year’s goal in the making that
catapulted my running journey.
Over the next couple of years I struggled a lot with injuries and I was frustrated. It
was during this time Bill Taylor, the lead coach for the Newark area endurance
group, helped guide and take me to that next level. Anyone who has met Bill knows
he is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable coaches out there. It still baffles
me sometimes how many runners and coaches he knows within the sport. Bill
helped me get back running faster and stronger again. As Bill would put it, back then
I had the engine of a Ferrari in the body of a fiat- my heart and lungs were too strong
for my legs and I needed to get stronger. We focused on incorporating regular
strength training, building volume with lots of easy running, doing lots of aerobic
running and only the occasional hard run/race. Through this approach I was able to
thrive. I gradually got faster and took that 17:36 5k time at parkrun in year 11 down
to a 14:37 5k several years later by the time I finished university at the university of
York.
As I ran more, 70–80 mile training weeks became the norm. I recognised to do this
having the right pairs of shoes was extremely important to get the best out of my
training. You know when you find the right shoe. As soon as you lace the shoes up
they feel comfortable and are itching for you to take them out on a run. I became a
regular visitor to the Lincolnshire runner whereby Keith and the crew have helped
me, and my family, many times throughout the years select the right shoes- from
your daily workhorse trainers like the brooks ghost and Hoka Cliftons, to your race
day shoes like the Saucony endorphin pros and adidas adizero pros, to those fun do
it all shoes like the OG Pegasus turbo (still one of the best shoes of all time!), the
novablast and even to the classic race flats from back in the day like the NB 1400v9
and the Adidas adizero Boston 7 (for those of you who remember what racing was
like in the good old days before super shoes!).
After finishing at the university of York I made a bold move to study a masters in the
USA in San Francisco. Something I always wanted to do. During this time, I was
fortunate to compete in the NCAA for the XC and track team at USF. I trained like a
professional runner and studied just as hard. I ran up to 100 miles in training most
weeks with two quality hard sessions and a weekly long run. I made some big
improvements and set new personal bests across the board, running 28:58 for 10k
and 14:08 for 5k. I was making sure to recover just as hard in between runs, with
most days being a double run day, and juggling in the research and teaching as part
of my master’s requirement- it was a tiring but fun time! For those younger runners
thinking of going to the states to study and run you won’t regret it. It is a great
experience but be prepared to study hard and run hard.
Whilst I finished my masters thesis last year, I got called up for my international
debut to represent England at the Copenhagen half marathon running alongside
some of the fastest runners in the world such as Jacob Kiplimo (1/2 marathon WR
holder) and Jakob Ingebrigsten. I gave it all in the race and ran a new PB for the half
marathon of 65:23, which equates to a pace of about 5:00/mile the whole way.
During the build-up into race, Mark and Keith helped tremendously and provided me
with a pair of Saucony endorphin pro 4’s- one of my favourite super shoes out there-
they feel fast when you pick up the pace whilst also being stable and comfortable.
Would highly recommend them for anyone interested in getting their first super shoe.
After finishing my master’s it was time to decide on a career. At first, I wanted to do a
PhD but ultimately decided on teaching and have recently started my teacher
training. I have the aim of being the fastest teacher to run a marathon and make it to
the Olympics. As part of working towards this goal, I am documenting my journey on
youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheEdBuck)
instagram, (instagram.com/edbuck777/?next=/)
and of course, strava ( https://www.strava.com/athletes/23404999 ).
Watching Mo Farah win numerous Great North Runs over the years I always wanted
to run this race in the elite field someday and decided this year would be the year. I
put in more miles in training than I have ever done before running up to 125 miles
per week and incorporating double threshold days, long hard sessions and 20+ mile
long runs. I felt strong and ready. A couple weeks before the Great North run I raced
the Newark half marathon where I ran 1:05:36. This was 13 seconds slower than my
PB set in the Copenhagen half last year, but I felt more in control and knew there
was a faster time in me. The Day before the Great North run, I knew it was going to
be a tough race- the forecast was a headwind for the first 12 miles- not super ideal
for a fast time, but at least it was the same for everybody.
As the gun went off, I felt ready to tackle the race but soon found myself in a pickle- I
was going too fast for the group behind me and too slow for the group in front. I was
stuck in no man’s land- a place you don’t want to be on a windy day. As the miles
ticked by, I saw the group in front appeared to slow down. I gradually caught up and
sat in the group for the next couple of miles. At this point in the race, I didn’t feel
amazing and was going by effort rather than pace.
The hills and headwind made it hard to go off pace as a good metric. It wasn’t till we
got to mile six I started to feel good. The pace felt easier. My legs wanted to go
faster. At this point the group I was in had split apart and it was only me and one
other runner working together to catch some of the elite athletes up in front who were
starting to come back to us. We were running well under 5-minute miles. Mile 11 was
a tough mile. It was the toughest on the day straight into the headwind up a gradual
uphill. I held strong and kept pushing the pace as best I could and passed more
runners. Mile 12 went by and then there’s a short sharp downhill onto the road in
South Shields that takes you straight to the finish. My knees almost buckled
underneath me as I zoomed down the hill as fast as my legs would carry me, almost
breaking my 200m PB in the process. As we turned the last corner with a mile left to
go, I saw a runner in front I knew I could catch. I ran as fast as I could enjoying the
tailwind for the first time and closed the last mile in 4:31 passing other runners on the
way. I crossed the finish line in 9 th place overall and was the 5 th brit home running a
time of 1:04:23, a minute PB. This equates to running each 5k in 15:16, which a
couple years ago would have been faster than my 5k PB.
I wouldn’t have got to where I am today without all the help, guidance and support
from others over the years, and especially from my coach Bill, and Keith and crew at
the Lincolnshire runner for all their help with choosing the right shoes and gear over
the years.
Ed with his England vest!