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Mother and Daughter: Sandie Wood and Nadine Brown, Running Somewhere Else

All Areas > Sport > Running

Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Thursday, 25th January 2018, 09:00, Tags: Mother & Daughter

Sandie Wood, left, and Nadine Brown Sandie Wood, left, and Nadine Brown

Nadine Brown doesn’t do anything by halves. If she’s going to do something – in this case running – she’s clearly the type of person who likes to do it properly.

The 31-year-old only took up running in April 2016 – and no it wasn’t on the first day of that month that she took up the sport!

On the contrary, she’s never looked back since putting on a pair of running shoes for the first time close on two years ago now. Her enthusiasm, commitment and sheer enjoyment of all things running has rubbed off on her nearest and dearest as well, because at the start of last summer her mum Sandie Wood decided she wanted a slice of the action too.

And doing things properly is clearly a family trait because mum, even at the age of 56, has thrown herself into the sport – they’re both members of the Cirencester-based Running Somewhere Else club – with the same drive and determination shown by her daughter.

Sandie, like Nadine, was new to running, but look at their racing CVs and you’d think they’d been running since the days when Paula Radcliffe was queen of the track.

So how did they get the running bug?

“It was just after I’d had my second child,” said Nadine, whose husband Rob is a decent runner with Cirencester Athletics Club. “I was feeling quite low and was suffering with a bit of post-natal depression.

“I was referred to the Shine Community Support Group and it was thought that doing some exercise would do me some good. So I just rocked up to Running Somewhere Else and my mum joined just over a year later.”

So what made Nadine join Running Somewhere Else?

“It was suggested that I joined Cirencester AC but I felt that was Rob’s club,” said Nadine. “I wanted to join my own club. There are quite a lot of social events at the club and that’s just what I needed.”

And it’s certainly worked for Nadine.

“Oh yes,” she said, “I’ve definitely got the running bug. I joined the club’s committee as well, I’ve really embraced everything. I enjoy getting involved in both the running and growth of the club and I am always willing to help out wherever it’s needed.

“The club are very inclusive and there are a wide variety of ages, both male and female.

“The coaches will help you achieve whatever you want to achieve; you get out what you want, whether that be to improve your times or just make friends.”

While having fun is obviously important to Nadine, there is a serious side to her running as well, and she has certainly been clocking up the miles as she looks to get her times down.

“It’s been the running club’s 10th anniversary, so to mark that members decided to run 10 races over 10K,” she said. “Mum did it too!

“My best time was at Bourton in February when I did 47 minutes.”

As well as taking part in those perfect 10s – and raising children Rory, 5, and two year-old Eden – Nadine also found time to run four half-marathons and a marathon last year.

The marathon took her to the Netherlands and more specifically Amsterdam, where she was delighted with her run.

“I finished in three hours, 58 and my target was four hours, 15, so I was very pleased with that,” she said. “Quite a few of us from the club went and we made a weekend of it.”

Mum, too, has been clocking up new milestones, albeit a bit closer to home.

“She completed her first half marathon – the Severn Bridge half marathon – in August,” enthused Nadine, “but the highlight of her year was in the Cirencester Park 10K when she came first in her age category.”

Nadine’s enjoyment of mum’s success is obvious.

“We enjoy running together,” she said. “We always have a chat as we go along. And when I come in from a training run my husband goes out for his!”

It appears to be a bit of a juggling act but it’s one that’s set to run and run because Nadine adds: “I want to keep on running for as long as I can.”

Other Images

Sandie Wood, left, and Nadine Brown cross the finish line together
Nadine Brown, left, and Sandie Wood

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