When Rodney Lowe was at school, he was the kid who teachers told to do one less lap of the sports field than everyone else... just so the class would finish on time.

These days, he runs his own running YouTube channel - 'Run With Rodders', tackles races and parkruns up and down the country, and is on the verge of taking on the Manchester Marathon.

Rodders uses running to keep his own mental wellbeing on track as he balances a challenging job and home life, to stay fit, and to meet some incredible fellow runners in events up and down the country.

After leaving school, he had been determined to counter his 'last in PE' persona, and started mountain biking before transitioning into running via the Couch to 5k app.

Unfortunately, an angry appendix had other ideas and forced Rodney onto the sidelines - a position he would remain in for the next 15 years.

It was in 2023, when his weight was at its highest level, that work colleagues hassled him into running the Stafford 10k and Rodders turned once more to the trusted Couch to 5k programme.

Increased training saw him conquer that Stafford event, and this time something stuck, with event after event following.

Running Tales spoke to Rodney about his training for Manchester, why he started his YouTube channel, and how running has helped him physically and mentally...

Follow 'Run With Rodders' on YouTube

Visit Running Tales on:

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Our affiliates:

◾TAKE THE BEST PATH: Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business.

I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

If you buy anything from Path Projects, Running Tales will get 10% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Path Projects Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾SLOTH & DUCK: More than a shop, Sloth & Duck is a movement celebrating the outdoors, purposeful living, and adventure at every pace.

Designed for trail runners and ultramarathoners, their kit is crafted to connect you to nature with comfort, intention, and a splash of whimsy.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Sloth & Duck Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE: Kibra empowers women to embrace their unique beauty through high-quality activewear designed to cultivate confidence and a resilient mindset.

Their distinctive performance wear supports every journey, while they also partner with global NGOs to bring about meaningful change.

If you buy anything from Kibra, Running Tales will get 20% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Kibra Affiliate Link

Lisa Jackson has seen every side of running, from completing the gruelling Comrades Marathon to finishing last in a host of marathons.

By embrace her 'flamingo runner' persona alongside a simple enjoyment of the sport, she has discovered the true power of running - becoming a published author along the way.

And when she needed it most, despite a brief departure, running was there for her, helping Lisa find some solace after the loss of her husband, Graham.

Her latest book is the brilliant, Still Running After All These Tears; a simultaneously heart-breaking and inspiring account of coping with Graham's illness, finding positivity at the toughest of times, and the part running played in helping her reclaim her life.

It's fair to say Lisa loves running. Her completion of more than 100 marathons is testament to that. But when her grief over Graham was followed by losing her sister and father as well, all within 17 months, that relationship was tested to its limits.

Still Running After All These Tears is marketed as a survival manual for the broken-hearted and a celebration of the redemptive power of running.

Running Tales spoke to Lisa about the highs and lows of dealing with the medical community and how to navigate serious illness, why running means so much to her, and how she hopes her story will help and inspire others...

Buy Still Running After All These Tears

Visit Running Tales on:

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/runningtalespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please Like and Subscribe wherever you listen, watch or read Running Tales.

Buy Me A Coffee:

Back Running Tales and help us continue to tell the extraordinary stories of everyday runners: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/runningtales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our affiliates:

◾TAKE THE BEST PATH: Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business.

I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

If you buy anything from Path Projects, Running Tales will get 10% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠Path Projects Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠

◾SLOTH & DUCK: More than a shop, Sloth & Duck is a movement celebrating the outdoors, purposeful living, and adventure at every pace.

Designed for trail runners and ultramarathoners, their kit is crafted to connect you to nature with comfort, intention, and a splash of whimsy.

⁠⁠⁠Sloth & Duck Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠

◾DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE: Kibra empowers women to embrace their unique beauty through high-quality activewear designed to cultivate confidence and a resilient mindset.

Their distinctive performance wear supports every journey, while they also partner with global NGOs to bring about meaningful change.

If you buy anything from Kibra, Running Tales will get 20% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠Kibra Affiliate Link

Coach, journalist and now author, Raziq Rauf, is well-known in the running/writers world on Substack.

His popular Running Sucks newsletter, where he writes about running culture, run clubs and stories from across the sport, has more than 5,000 subscribers.

He’s currently taking part in the Salomon Off Track Gravel Tour, which involves him talking all things running and going on a gravel run in the uber-cool Salomon Aero Glide 4s.

Raz will also be reading a passage from his debut book, This is Running, a celebration of running that explores the culture, history, brands, races, and people that make this sport we love so special.

Currently available on pre-order, This is Running will be released on April 2 in the UK and five days later in America.

Running Tales spoke to Raz about the success of Running Sucks, why he decided to write a book - and what people can find in it, Harry Styles and the good and bad of celebrity in the running world, and run culture...

Buy This Is Running on Amazon

Visit Running Tales on:

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/runningtalespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please Like and Subscribe wherever you listen, watch or read Running Tales.

Buy Me A Coffee:

Back Running Tales and help us continue to tell the extraordinary stories of everyday runners: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/runningtales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our affiliates:

◾TAKE THE BEST PATH: Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business.

I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

If you buy anything from Path Projects, Running Tales will get 10% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠Path Projects Affiliate Link⁠⁠

◾SLOTH & DUCK: More than a shop, Sloth & Duck is a movement celebrating the outdoors, purposeful living, and adventure at every pace.

Designed for trail runners and ultramarathoners, their kit is crafted to connect you to nature with comfort, intention, and a splash of whimsy.

⁠⁠Sloth & Duck Affiliate Link⁠⁠

◾DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE: Kibra empowers women to embrace their unique beauty through high-quality activewear designed to cultivate confidence and a resilient mindset.

Their distinctive performance wear supports every journey, while they also partner with global NGOs to bring about meaningful change.

If you buy anything from Kibra, Running Tales will get 20% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠Kibra Affiliate Link