Me!Me!Me! Footprint of a Runner

Alasdair Campbell

Works as a Freelance Process Engineer optimising small to large scale industrial processes
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Tell us a bit about your background to becoming a talented fell runner? I never really ran competitively until my mid twenties. I remember running a couple of relay races representing my school and doing well, relying on my other sports of football and swimming be fit enough to compete.
Moving down to the Peak District for work was when I was first properly introduced to fell running. You could not be anything other than drawn to this type of running with the great selection of local races taking place throughout the year and various enthusiastic fell runners to join on runs. With that I started running more on hills and enjoying the way that this type of running lets you explore all parts of the landscape and found that this type of running also improved my overall ability on track, road and XC.

An obvious Scottish name and you live in Glasgow. How did you come to run for MAC? Having run and raced with Billy, Harry and Dan in the Peak District, while we ran with different clubs we decided to all team up and form a team to represent White Peak in the Lee Mills Relay race. Winning the event highlighted the strength of the runners from and connected to the White Peak and it was not long after this event that I joined team Matlock. To be part of a strong team involved in championship races and big events is great for motivation and ambition.
Now living in Glasgow, I hold a strong connection to the Peak District and enjoy being able to race alongside fellow Matlock runners when back racing in England.

You were part of the 3rd placed MAC Team in the British Fell Running Champs 2021, any other fell running challenges you want to take on? All going well I hope to take part in the British Fell Champs this year and focus on a few select races through the year. It will be great to build on the success the club had last year and if I could be a small part of that I would be happy.

Has the Pandemic made you think about changes to your life? I was lucky enough not to be living alone during the lockdown stages of the pandemic and had loads of local trails provide variety.
Ultimately, the disruption of the pandemic has given everyone a pause for thought and the ability to reflect on what is important and for me a major focus is not to delay any ambitions till tomorrow.

Has your career worked out as planned? I have never really had a grand plan for my career, just to be able to have a good work-life balance which I think I have managed. However, growing up I have always been interested in the idea of having my own business.

Is it a wee dram or do you prefer something ‘softer’? I don’t usually go many days without a cup of tea so that would have to be my beverage of choice.
I’m not much of a drinker and most of the bottles that I am lucky enough to win usually get donated to friends or family.

Favourite food? You cannot go wrong with fish and chips (with lemon and tartar sauce) but recently I have enjoyed the delights of spaghetti bolognese but with linguine pasta; the pasta really holds onto the sauce and was a game changer. You will not believe what a small difference does.

Some stats – PBs : Looking at my Powerof10 I have not completed many races in the last few years. The last race over a recognised distance was a 10 km on Boxing Day 2019.

• 5km 15:34 (Manchester Sale Sizzler)
• 10km 31:43 (Irvine Aerodynamic Turkey Trot)
• Half Marathon 72:32 (Carlise Half)
Looking at these I think I have neglected these types of events of late and I definitely want to be improving on these times in the near future.

What would a typical training week look like for you? My training goes through spells of structure and other times of no set plan. When I am more focused I’ll do some track sessions and long runs in the hills on the weekend.

Other interests? Photography and art is something I have always enjoyed and I often combine photography with my long runs in the hills.

What has been your most rewarding running challenge? I never really set any individual challenges other than toeing the line and being competitive.
However, over lockdown I did a solo effort on the Three Lochs Way, a scenic 55km long distance route, which is not something I would usually run but really enjoyed running unsupported. This was a great run that I went out just to enjoy the experience of and see what time I could achieve. I will definitely be running more of these long distance trails in the future.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I hope to continue to enjoy, progress and be competitive in my running. If I am still doing that then I will be happy.

Any funny or scary running moments? While I was in America I was on two day running excursion with a group on part of the Appalachian trail; the plan was run out, camp then run back the next day. The group was of mixed Nationality and I remember the American contingent telling everyone to be mindful of bears. With the first day a success, everyone was instructed to collect any food/snacks to be stored in a ‘bear bag’ to be hung up a tree off site during the night. After enjoying the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and getting some sleep, my relaxation was shattered by the person nearest me tearing into some peanut butter snacks next to the dying flames of the fire. I had a light sleep that night hoping that no bears nearby wanted to share his snacks (and I thought my only worry was going to be banjo music).

Where is your favourite place in the World? My favourite place in the world (outside of the Peak District) would be the islands off the West Coast of Scotland. I love being near the sea and it would be hard to pinpoint a single place but I can see myself retiring on the Islands of Lorn in North Argyll.

If you had a Tardis and could go to any era, where and when would it be and why?
Anything pre-Covid would be good!

Who/What has been your biggest sporting influence/inspiration? There are loads of inspirational people particularly within the running world but for me I get the most inspiration from the speech by Al Pacino in ‘Any Given Sunday’. I have not seen the full film or know what the outcome of the motivational speech was but it never fails to give you a performance boost and give clear sense of purpose.

Latest music download? I have an eclectic mix of music in my library and my latest album purchase was from a band called ‘Peat and Diesel’. A bit teuchtery but if you are ever in the Highlands or Islands of Scotland you can’t go wrong saying they are your favourite band of the moment.

Favourite film? For me a film must have a great soundtrack to accompany the various scenes and I think that is why my favourite film is ‘The Untouchables’. The composition by Ennio Morricone is memorable and the acting, in particular from Bobby De Niro as Al Capone is top drawer.

Book? The great Gatsby is one of my favourite books and is one I first read during secondary school in my English class. There are many themes and interesting parts to the story with a variety of quotes that are carved into my memory from school that you can drop into conversations.

Tell us something about you that may surprise us? My first paid job was working on a creel fishing boat during the summer months between academic years. When the weather is sunny and the water calm the job was a great. The main memory I have was learning the tradition of attaching a live octopus to the back of an unsuspecting crew members back. I was always mindful of what was being hauled onto the boat after that.

Do you have any ideas which Matlock AC could incorporate to improve the club? Matlock is a great club that allows me to stay connected with the Peak District and run with some well respected and talented runners from all age groups.
I think that the club is on a great path and should maintain the clear vision that it has built up through the years to highlight the strength of the Peak District.

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