Music teacher Ralph Barker, known to young musicians all over Huddersfield, took up running more than 30 years ago because he was starting to feel ‘lethargic’.
There’s no doubt in his mind that if he hadn’t bought a pair of training shoes he would have developed a weight problem, because if there’s one thing that Ralph enjoys as much as running it’s eating.
“I run so that I can eat,” said Ralph, now 58, “I enjoy food a lot, I love cooking and I eat healthily. But because I run I don’t put on weight.”
Running was recommended to him all those years ago by friends who said it was the cheapest and easiest way to get fit.
“I’m very obsessive person,” he added, “I threw myself into it and within a year I was running 70 miles a week and going out every day.”
Over the decades he has competed in a number of marathons, Lakeland fell races and other competitive events. He was recently given an award for being the only person to run in all 30 Calderdale Way Relay Races, a 50-mile race run in six legs through the Calder Valley’s beauty spots.
He is now a firm believer in the restorative powers of running and recommends it to anyone who wants to shift excess weight and gain a greater sense of wellbeing.
He explained: “The whole thing with weight loss is that running increases your metabolism and clears toxins from your body – the bad stuff gets flushed out faster. I firmly believe this.”
And he acknowledges that brisk walking and gentle jogging can have the same effect as competitive running. “It all about getting out there and exercising,” he said.
Despite rising national obesity levels there are signs that in Huddersfield more people are becoming more active. Ralph joins the popular weekly 5 kilometre Parkrun every Saturday at Greenhead Park, which is part of a national movement to stimulate interest in exercise.
“After the Olympics there was criticism that it hadn’t inspired people to take up sport,” said Ralph, “but the Parkrun attracts 600 people, of all ages. It is the second largest Parkrun in the world.
“Those doing it are not necessarily serious runners, some walk and some push buggies around. It’s run by volunteers, it’s huge and it’s great. It has a real family ethos.”
(New runners need to register at www.parkrun.org.uk/huddersfield)
Although Ralph still runs competitively, often against much younger runners, and enjoys the sense of achievement from taking part in events, he says running offers many other rewards.
It has kept him fit enough to indulge in his other hobby - mountaineering (he once climbed Anna Purna with his daughter Elisa) and has been a stress buster.
As Senior Upper String Teacher for Kirklees Music School and conductor of youth string orchestras, Ralph has a busy professional life with many demands made upon his time.
But once he steps out into the countryside near his home in Bolster Moor the pressures melt away.
“I do a lot of thinking when I’m running,” he says, “I think better while running than sat down. And you feel really energised afterwards.
“Professionally I know quite a few musicians who run.
“When you’re feeling tired, the best thing to do is to go out and exercise in the fresh air.
“That sense of wellbeing is enhanced when you are out in all weathers and if you know you are going to get a buzz afterwards you look forward to going.”
As well as maintaining a steady and healthy body weight, Ralph has acquired the other health benefits of regular exercise.
He is rarely ill, has good blood pressure, and boasts a resting pulse rate of just 47 (according to NHS Choices, the average in UK adults is between 60 and 100), which is typical for athletes who train regularly.
These days Ralph runs three or four times a week, fitting it around his commitments.
He is a member of Oakes Baptist Church, trains with the Denby Dale Travellers running group, enjoys eating out with his wife Tish and visiting his two daughters and two grandchilden, who live in the South of England.
He plans to keep running “forever” and his top tip for those who want to emulate him is to “buy a good pair of running shoes and be sensible and listen to your body”.
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