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Helen Ryvar
226 Plays4 months ago
Helen Ryvar is the current Guinness World Record holder for the most consecutive half marathons run by a female, with an incredible streak of 111 consecutive runs achieved back in 2021. But Helen didn't stop there. She is currently on her second streak, having completed around 800 consecutive half marathons, with an ambitious goal of reaching 1000. Her mission is to inspire others to join her and be part of her Guinness World Record journey.
Helen’s life is a balancing act of being a mum-of-three and maintaining a rigorous morning routine to achieve her running goals. She has run all over the world, from Miami to Rome, Lake Garda to Fuerteventura, and Malta. Her streak even includes a 52-mile ultra and several marathons. All her runs are meticulously documented on Strava, Instagram, and Facebook, where she shares her experiences and connects with her supporters.
Follow Helen on Instagram
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Background
00:00:01
ukrunchat
Welcome to today's episode of the UK Run Chat podcast.
00:00:01
Helen Ryvar
Okay. but
00:00:04
ukrunchat
Our guest today is a true testament to the power of determination and resilience.
00:00:05
Helen Ryvar
Okay.
00:00:08
Helen Ryvar
Okay.
00:00:09
ukrunchat
Helen Rivar is the current Guinness World Record holder for the most consecutive half-marathons run by a female with an incredible streak of 111 consecutive runs achieved back in 2021. But Helen didn't stop there.
00:00:23
Helen Ryvar
and
00:00:24
ukrunchat
She's now on her second streak
00:00:24
Helen Ryvar
just so
00:00:27
ukrunchat
at the time of recording having completed 779 consecutive half marathons with a goal of reaching
00:00:31
Helen Ryvar
so
Starting the Running Streak
00:00:35
ukrunchat
1000.
00:00:35
ukrunchat
So welcome, Helen. Thank you so much for joining us today. How are you?
00:00:40
Helen Ryvar
Hi Michelle, thanks for having me, I'm very well, thank you.
00:00:43
ukrunchat
So tell us then, the first question's got to be what inspired you to start this streak of half marathons?
00:00:51
Helen Ryvar
oh So and during lockdown, my ex-husband sadly passed away quite abruptly and unexpectedly. I had a knock on the door by two policemen and obviously I knew it was bad news. So I was divorced from him anyway. and We were living in separate houses. He was in the Northeast and I was in Wales, North Wales I'd relocated to be closer to my family. But I knew it wasn't good news. And they sat me down and said, we're really sorry, but we we know we found your husband. and he's no longer with it with us and we were on lockdown soon after that and I was just worried about how it was going to affect my mental health. I was sat at home with my three kids at the time and obviously I had to tell them the devastating news and because of lockdown we had no support and so I couldn't see my parents, I couldn't speak to my family as such
00:01:40
Helen Ryvar
And, you know, you just want a hug. You can't kind of get that from your kids. I mean, you can to a certain extent, but they don't really understand. and So that's basically when I started running because we were able to do some sort of exercise outdoors. And I just started running with with no goal of getting any sort of Guinness World Record at the time.
Motivation and Support
00:01:58
Helen Ryvar
Just wanted to go out and get out and get some fresh air and do something good for me rather than sit and watch telly and feel sorry for myself and either eat or drink myself silly. so I got to like doing it for a month and then I realised oh actually this is quite good fun and then I wouldn't always run a half marathon distance at this point sometimes it'd be more sometimes it'd be less but I worked out within about two hours or thereabout I could get the 13.1 miles in so
00:02:26
Helen Ryvar
I just soon realised I could do it on a regular basis and I googled the current record which at the time was 75 officially and decided to go for a Guinness World Record so and I did do that and I i managed to get to 111. and I went to 111 because there was an unofficial record by a lady called Sharon Tate Jessup in South Africa. I think she'd done 101 so I wanted to try and obviously beat that record by a fair amount and tend to me at the time seemed like quite a lot oh so yeah so I got to 111 and I was ready to finish then you know that was my goal I reached the goal and I kind of drew the line and just went back to regular life
00:03:08
Helen Ryvar
But then in 2022, I was challenged by an American guy called Micah Shevitz. and He was just a standard person like me. He just works, you know, got kids, family life. But he was on a half marathon run streak and he was on day maybe 450, I think, when he contacted me. He found me on Strava and and he was inspired by what I'd done. And he was like, I really want to get to 500. Would you consider doing a virtual streak with me? And at the time I was a little bit lost, you know, once you've done something so big, you kind of, just in limbo, I had no goal with
Charity Goals and Continued Streak
00:03:42
Helen Ryvar
my fitness. I'd done the Guinness World Record and I was just sort of dabbling and all sorts of other stuff. So I thought, yeah, it'd be a really good focus for me again. So then my second streak started on the 1st of May, 2022 with a goal of reaching 150 half marathons. I thought, you know what, I'll try and beat my current record.
00:04:02
Helen Ryvar
I'm never going to get to where Micah is, but you know I'll try and beat that and raise money for mind and you know for charity this time round.
00:04:08
ukrunchat
ew.
00:04:08
Helen Ryvar
So that's basically what I did and I got to day 150. I was like, you know what? i and I'm not ready to stop. I can keep going here. So I pushed the boat. I thought maybe I can go for 200. I got to 200 and it's like, you know what? I was still not ready to stop so maybe I can go to 222 and double what I'd done and Micah was a great sort of mentor to me he was a great inspiration because he just kept on going and going and going and he didn't have he was trying to get to 500 originally but I we were kind of like playing cat cat a mouse you know sort of
00:04:43
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:04:43
Helen Ryvar
He was in Miami and I was in the yeah UK so the time difference meant he would run first and I could see on Strava when I woke up that he'd run and I would try and catch up with him so we just kept on going, kept on going and actually Micah stopped this year at 1078 consecutive half marathon so yeah.
Guinness Record Process
00:05:00
Helen Ryvar
He did absolutely super well. His goal was 500 and he smashed that by more than doubling it so I have massive respect for him. and But he's no threat to me in terms of looking for a Guinness World Record because his if he ever went for it would be a male record and mine is the female record.
00:05:13
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:05:15
Helen Ryvar
So there's no other females I know of that have run as many consecutive half marathons as me now. so the that I just kept on running and running and running. I think it's all to do with routine and how you fit it in and I've just found a really good routine that works for me. So as you mentioned earlier, today I run my 778th and my goal now is to to get to at least a thousand possibly beyond. I say possibly beyond only because I've got a place to run the London Marathon with Cancer Research UK. and I'm currently fundraising for them.
00:05:46
Helen Ryvar
and I would really love to take my streak right up to that and run the London Marathon as part of it so that would take me up to obviously April 2025 but still just taking it day by day and step by step you know I've got goals but I may or may not get there it's there's no pressure and you know every day is a record for me so as long as I can turn up and try then I I've won in my mind so yeah so that's bad
00:06:09
ukrunchat
Yeah, so talk us through the actual process of applying for a Guinness World Record, then how does that work?
00:06:12
Helen Ryvar
because but
00:06:16
ukrunchat
And when did that start for you, that thought process that oh maybe I can get that?
00:06:21
Helen Ryvar
Well, it's pretty straightforward. I mean, you go into the Guinness World Records website and there's and you can Google sort of any anything. And if the record you want to go for isn't existing, you can ask them to make a record. and Because I don't think there is a mail that's got an official world record for half marathons at the minute. it's only female, there's only a female one existing. It's really really hard to actually prove what you do and especially with the size and enormity of what I'm doing because you can't upload your data as you go, you have to do it all at the end.
00:06:44
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:06:51
Helen Ryvar
So and generally, Guinness World Records I'd imagine would be just a day or two, you know, maybe an hour, you know, that wouldn't take a thousand days, you know, it wouldn't take three years to complete. So it's it's a mammoth mammoth task and thankfully I've had some friends help me with my admin but you could If you can dream it and think of it and you want to apply for a Guinness World Records, go on the site and contact them.
00:07:12
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:07:13
Helen Ryvar
and You can pay to fast track your application for whatever it is. I forget how much it is now, maybe £150 or something, and then they'll contact you much quicker. But generally it takes three months up to three months, 12 weeks for them to respond to any email you send them, so it's a long process.
00:07:23
ukrunchat
yeah
00:07:31
Helen Ryvar
But you could apply and start with the hope of
Daily Running Routine
00:07:33
Helen Ryvar
them. kind of getting in touch, but really it depends on what you wanna do. They set the criteria and you need to make sure you follow that quite strictly because if you don't, obviously you're out. And I won't underestimate the admin. It's the pain in my life. it's just It's just so much of it.
00:07:49
Helen Ryvar
It's harder than running. and And it's why I post to social media every day because I need to sort of file it away somehow.
00:07:57
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:07:57
Helen Ryvar
So I've got it there. And I had a panic the other week because I only realised Facebook went back a year and a half.
00:08:00
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:08:03
Helen Ryvar
I was like, I've run off i've run for further than that, for longer than that. And I might have lost some of my data, but I mean, I've got it all on my phone. But at the moment, it's like scary to even upgrade my phone or anything in case I lose anything.
00:08:14
ukrunchat
Wow.
00:08:14
Helen Ryvar
It's just so I know it's in the cloud, but I've got to, you know, I'm in my forties. I've got a bit of a phobia of phones and technology, you know, at my age. So yeah, I'm grateful to have my friends that are helping me. So yeah so.
00:08:26
ukrunchat
Yeah. so how are you having to record your runs then out
00:08:29
Helen Ryvar
So I poured them on my watch, which is a polar vantage watch. And I've just actually changed it recently because it mine died. I think it's just the battery probably just said I've had enough. You know, you used me enough.
00:08:39
ukrunchat
yeah
00:08:40
Helen Ryvar
I was very lucky they sent me a new one. So i've I've got that on now. and And I also record on Strava and on and the Nike running app. But Guinness World Records don't generally accept Strava. So I think because you can manually sort of upload things to there and and and manipulate things.
00:08:53
ukrunchat
So how are you having to record your runs then?
00:08:57
Helen Ryvar
So I have three different things that they can cross reference. And I also get a witness statement every day. So for my particular challenge, you have to get as many witness statements as you can, either run with somebody or get somebody to witness it. So i you' probably if you see my photos, you'll see I go into my local Morrison's shop and get a daily photo with the paper.
00:09:15
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:09:17
Helen Ryvar
And even though I look like I've been dragged through a bush backwards most days, because I probably have, and you know it's sick that this when they're taken it's 6 30 in the morning i've just run a half marathon i'm still waking up and uh yeah but anyway i do it for guinness to prove that i've run on that day the papers obviously from that day and they can witness my watch and me and i try and encourage people to come running in with me wherever i can so i've had people from local run running clubs come out and even random strangers now that just follow me i started to come out and it's so lovely i love it
00:09:49
Helen Ryvar
I've got somebody a friend of a friend coming tomorrow so we'll just run and chat and you know it should be about fun I think.
00:09:56
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:09:56
Helen Ryvar
I never focus on time or and you know pace or and anything like that. I just take it easy and enjoy enjoy the journey.
00:10:04
ukrunchat
Yeah. So talk us through the routine that you mentioned earlier. you You obviously got a pretty robust routine that you need to follow. So what does your day look like then generally to fit this in?
00:10:11
Helen Ryvar
Yes.
00:10:15
Helen Ryvar
i problem So Monday to Friday, I wake up at 4am. I have one alarm. It's four o'clock. There's no room for error. I have to get up. And then I am at the door by quarter past four. So to turn it around so quickly, I have to obviously check the weather the night before. Check I've got the appropriate clothes out because in the UK it's still, I mean, it's like winter, isn't it? And it's summer.
00:10:35
ukrunchat
It is?
00:10:36
Helen Ryvar
It's crazy weather.
00:10:36
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:10:37
Helen Ryvar
So you really need to check keep a good eye on the weather and just sort of have an idea of what route you're going to run as well, depending on the weather. Obviously in winter things change quite a bit. I have to go more well lit streets generally and stuff, not across muddy fields and on the trails. But so yeah, I have literally 10 minutes is is enough. So I get changed, then I get my trainers on. And and again, they're laid out the night before trail or or road trainers. and I grab a glass of water and I go. I just take my phone, my headphones. If I'm running with somebody, I just go naked, so I don't need any headphones. I've got them to chat to, and then that's as simple as it is. I don't need to fuel so much on half marathons anymore, only on longer runs like marathons and and and ultras, but a half I can run now without water or anything, so it makes it much easier for me to get it done.
00:11:26
ukrunchat
Yeah, the body soon adapts, isn't it?
00:11:27
Helen Ryvar
but that's go Yes, but that's that's a weekday routine so i have to so at the minute they're taking me a little bit longer.
00:11:31
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:11:34
Helen Ryvar
I've purposely slowed my pace because I've got an ultra this weekend so I want to sort of save some energy for that. and But they take on average anything from 2 hours to 2 hours 15 roughly.
00:11:44
ukrunchat
yeah
00:11:44
Helen Ryvar
So I've got to be back to get my children up. I've
Balancing Running and Personal Life
00:11:46
Helen Ryvar
got three teenage children in school. One's just finished, so there's still two of them in school. and So that kind of gives me a purpose to get back and and a reason. It's sort of that little bit of pressure to get back for 6.30 or 7 a.m. latest, latest, latest. So I try and choose routes that aren't too hilly on a weekday, because I'm running from my front door to my front door. That's something that I love doing, though. I hate getting in the car to go anywhere, I think. exercise you should be able to do, you know, without getting in the car, it defeats the object for me to drive to the gym.
00:12:17
Helen Ryvar
It's like, well, what what's that about? So, that, yeah, so that's, that's basically it on a weekday.
00:12:20
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:12:24
Helen Ryvar
And then on a weekend, I have, allow myself to have a lie-in. So unless I'm working, which is the odd occasion on a Saturday, I might go to work. I'm self-employed, so I don't have to, but if I do, then it it just, I'll run early, but generally I lie in and just wake up naturally. So whenever my body clock gets me up, then I know I've had enough sleep. And I try and run in different places.
00:12:43
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:12:45
Helen Ryvar
So just mix it up a little bit. So weekend is like sort of freestyle running, I call it. And then on the weekday, it's quite strict, like I'd be going to work. with So I've just made it a part of my routine, like my my working routine.
00:12:55
ukrunchat
yeah
00:12:58
Helen Ryvar
So I don't think of it as, you know, I have to go for a run. It's like I get to go for a run and I i just enjoy it.
00:13:05
ukrunchat
yeah Yeah, that's a really good attitude to have actually. and What was I going to ask? So you do you vary your route much during the week or are you kind of running in very similar routes?
00:13:17
Helen Ryvar
Well I think they're probably getting a bit boring for my followers now because the photos are all the same you know it's been over two years of there's only so many miles you can do around Wrexham in a seven mile radius out and back so yeah they are different but I I've got to know the road so well I can piece things together like a jigsaw so you sort of know what's two miles away what's three miles away what's what's four miles away and you just play with it i just think of it like a jigsaw in my head and at the moment we have like so i've set up a group on facebook called streak with helen for people that want to start streak running they can virtually streak with me from anywhere in the world
00:13:51
Helen Ryvar
And I've got literally people all over the world running with me and it's so much fun. So we set a daily buzzword which can be anything. We've had some crazy stuff on there. Anything from, it used to be things like out and back or you know draw a circle or do a Strava picture. but at the minute we're following the Glastonbury mural trail so the names are the murals so they're a bit out there some of them but you know it gives you a focus for your runs so like tomorrow's is moth so i'll probably go and run down by the nature reserve i might see a moth or a butterfly down there but so it just gives me a focus and a reason to go out and i think having that reason makes it much more fun and you just don't think about what you're doing
00:14:15
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:14:30
ukrunchat
yeah Yeah, of course.
00:14:31
Helen Ryvar
it it works it works with my brain at four o'clock in the morning so we've got a few more days left of the the mural trail because that will take us up to the equinox on Thursday so yeah.
00:14:40
ukrunchat
Yeah. So how many people have you got in in the group then and what kind of distances are they running daily?
00:14:44
Helen Ryvar
and Crikey so there's 450 people at the moment streaking with me and they vary from a mile to sort of
00:14:49
ukrunchat
Now.
00:14:53
Helen Ryvar
three, four, five. Some people do half marathons and they're not daily, but I think it's definitely helped people start streak running. The idea is that they just did what they could in a day. A minimum is a mile, basically, to call it a streak. You're supposed to do a mile a day for a year, but it's completely flexible, you know whatever you can fit in. But the idea is to stay consistent, so to join the group, to post on there, to show a picture like I do, just to basically do your own version of what I do. Distance, I don't really mind what they do, whatever they can fit in with their day, everyone's different, everyone's abilities are different, but just the whole consistency thing and takes any thought process out of it for me.
00:15:36
Helen Ryvar
So it's not like, am I going to go to the gym today and you know so do this lifting and this this exercise? That's all gone. You are going and you just do it. So it's almost easier.
00:15:46
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:15:48
Helen Ryvar
100% is easier than 97% or 98%.
00:15:53
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:15:53
Helen Ryvar
somehow so I get comments from people in my group all the time saying how much I've helped them and it works both ways they also help me by knowing that they're going out doing the same thing so they're all over the world looking for like these same buzzwords as me and what they come back with sometimes is hilarious so yeah it's really really interesting and keeps me motivated for sure.
Lifestyle Changes
00:16:13
ukrunchat
That was fantastic. So what advice would you give to someone thinking, I'd quite like to start a running streak and go out every day?
00:16:19
Helen Ryvar
then join my crook group, join streak with Helen for sure. It's that you've got nothing to lose or like join a local running club if you can or just work out. I just worked out which part of my day was a sort of void. So when I started out, I was like, well, when have I got two hours of the day to fit all this in? And I figured from sort of seven to nine or 10 o'clock at night, I would just sit and eat crap and watch telly or scroll on my phone. It was three hours of my day that I was, subconsciously wasting so I thought well what if I go to bed then what if I sleep then and and get up early because I don't I'm a single mum I've got three kids and I didn't want to lose time with my kids so I thought if I can go to bed then you know sort of they they go to bed you know relatively early because they have to go to school
00:16:57
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:17:05
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:17:05
Helen Ryvar
and then I can get up early and get back before they're even up. I can get both things done and it and it works. it's not It wasn't easy, and it still isn't easy. You know, some days I'm functioning in quite a lot of the time. I'm functioning on maybe five or six hours sleep, but my sleep is quality sleep now, which and is very, very different. and It records it all of my watch. It's great. It records all the REM, the the i REM, and it I sleep so solidly. So I think five or six hours solid sleep is better than eight or nine hours tossing and turning you know so yeah so i really value my my routine and sleep it's a massive part of streak running and i definitely recommend people get into routine if they want to do it
00:17:43
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:17:47
ukrunchat
Yeah, it sounds like you've got it spot on because I was gonna ask how you're feeling physically, but I think you're okay, aren't you?
00:17:53
Helen Ryvar
I feel fucked, you know what, I feel really great. it Every day is just like day one to me and and there's no secret formula for it.
00:17:55
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:18:00
Helen Ryvar
I don't eat a particularly, you know, specific diet. I'm not a skinny runner. I don't really look like a runner, I don't think. and You know, I'm a normal mum, I've got three kids, I've got extra weight on me really, but I don't focus on those things. That doesn't mean that I'm not healthy and I'm not fit and I'm not able. and i ran a half marathon today completely in zone two like the whole thing was just so easy so i know i'm healthy and fit i try and cook from scratch wherever i can and you know if it's packaged or processed obviously think twice about eating it but i'm a cleaner by day so i i'm on the go i'm in the car you know i can't I can't take always like foods with me because they'll get they go off in the car.
00:18:35
ukrunchat
One.
00:18:41
Helen Ryvar
So I tend to take protein bars and shakes and have salads and homemade soups maybe. I had a chicken wrap today. and So things like that, fruits and raw veg. And just when I come home, we have a proper dinner. So my my food is very, very plain Jane and boring, if anything, baked potatoes and cheese and stuff. I don't think you need to, I think people overcomplicate it basically.
00:19:04
ukrunchat
We do, don't we? Why do we do that? It's simple isn't it?
00:19:08
Helen Ryvar
Well, I think, because it's easier to focus on buying stuff than doing the hard stuff. So people focus on buying trainers and buying expensive stuff and you don't need any of that actually. The best thing you can do is just to get started and just to commit and maybe just to commit to a race is a good idea, you know, or even a park run every weekend. So you've got something to train for. You've got a goal at the end of it. It's not this like massive long tunnel of never ending running. But so it's got to be fun.
00:19:39
Helen Ryvar
If it's not fun, then
00:19:39
ukrunchat
yeah
Handling Physical Challenges
00:19:40
Helen Ryvar
what's the point?
00:19:41
Helen Ryvar
So I do try and I hope it comes across in my post, but I do try and make it fun every single day. And that's why I can keep on going because it's not it's not a chore for me. like it's it's I enjoy it.
00:19:53
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:19:53
Helen Ryvar
I think I'd be lost without it. Yeah.
00:19:56
ukrunchat
Yeah. and have Have you faced any challenges, you know, during your streak so far?
00:19:57
Helen Ryvar
and
00:20:00
ukrunchat
Have you had any injuries or anything?
00:20:01
Helen Ryvar
and Well, there's all every day's a challenge in a different way, because every day you wake up and you feel different, like and every run is different. I could run the same route for seven days, which I did do just as a test of this streak, just to see how I felt on every day. It's a quite a good test, to actually. Just run the same route for seven days and just to observe your feelings and on that route, and recognize that they're just feelings, and it doesn't mean it has to stop you.
00:20:21
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:20:25
Helen Ryvar
You can still do it, but just to know that the journey's not linear, basically, and you're gonna get ebbs and flows in the journey, but I've had a couple of niggles but nothing untoward so on day 450 I changed my trainers I wear Hockers, Hocker Cliftons or Hocker Speedgoats and I just got a bit bored really and I was like I'm gonna change because I like the color of these other trainers so I bought some Ultras Montblancs And it was as fickle as that. I just liked them.
00:20:52
ukrunchat
I know.
00:20:52
Helen Ryvar
They looked nice. Went out, didn't didn't think anything of it, but within 10 kilometers I realised that they weren't for me. My legs were aching. that mean They're beautiful trainers, but I can't wear them to run at the moment. so I realised after that there was zero drop which is quite a difference from what I was wearing the hockers are quite cushioned so I went back to hockers and and my leg went fine so all that happened was it was no glute injury and which which it triggered and then my right leg just felt quite painful you know there's a dull achy pain in my glute which lasted maybe two weeks so for that period all i did was slow down the pace but carry on just slow it down completely slow it down and not worry about times like i say just make sure you get the distance in and i got through it so yeah i've not really had any other injuries there's been a couple of things have happened in life like
Mental & Physical Health Benefits
00:21:44
Helen Ryvar
I had a farm gate fall on my leg.
00:21:46
ukrunchat
Ouch.
00:21:46
Helen Ryvar
but random You know how big farm gates are, big metal gates and that bruised all one of my legs but it didn't seem to affect me too much.
00:21:49
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:21:54
Helen Ryvar
and I had vertigo for 24 hours which was probably one of the hardest things I had to deal with. It came from nowhere and went from nowhere. But that was very strange. But thankfully, I was running with people that day. So as running with the girls, we actually had a bajama day run. So we're doing 5K laps. So I always had somebody with me. But if I'm not feeling too good, and then you know I just need to adapt.
00:22:18
ukrunchat
yeah
00:22:18
Helen Ryvar
So it is all about adapting, but not stopping. and not I think we all feed ourselves this pity party quite a lot of the time. you know I've got a sniffle, I can't do it. Yes, you absolutely can. And by setting this goal, then i I know I'm going to keep on doing it. But I also think because I've run in all seasons, I run in the summer, spring, winter and autumn as well, and I'm less likely to get sort of colds and, you know, sort of common things that people get because I'm not stuck in in a house with central heating on or air con on in the summer.
00:22:44
ukrunchat
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:50
Helen Ryvar
I'm out in the elements. And that's made a huge difference, not only to my mental health, but physical health.
00:22:52
ukrunchat
Yeah. So you're getting it less than you were before.
00:22:55
Helen Ryvar
it's well I'm very lucky, I don't tend to get ill at all. like i've never had a you know I don't have days off work, I think in my life, maybe one or two in my life.
00:23:04
ukrunchat
yeah
00:23:06
Helen Ryvar
so I just think i'm yeah i'm just think I'm lucky, but as I say, part of it's to do with the diet as well, and just getting outdoors. and you know I don't blast the house really hot, you know we have the heating on what we have to. and just leading a sort of healthier lifestyle. I try and keep my vitamin C up in winter and my vitamin D and I take a multivitamin every day in a cod liver royal so just little things you know to help you.
00:23:28
ukrunchat
yet.
00:23:29
Helen Ryvar
do what you can to prevent it in the first place. But and no, I haven't really got ill at all. and There have been hard times on the runs though. that I've run in, as you know, all over the world and I've run up inactive volcanoes. I've run in in the middle of a desert. So i've been I've run up Snowdonia, lots of nice places in Wales. Well, I'd fallen over a couple of times. Day two I fell over and grazed my arms really badly, like there was blood everywhere and I had nothing to clean it up with. I was like, oh God, game over on day two. But, you know, and this was in within about a mile of like leaving the house. I was like, for God's sake, there wasn't even anything there. It was one of those, you know, and you're like, good God, how did it even happen? But I just got over it and just carried on anyway. i Took a deep breath, you know, brushed myself off, straightened my crown and carried on. So,
00:24:19
Helen Ryvar
it's just recognising that nothing is linear and I think as soon as you get that in your head and as soon as you you understand that it's part of what you do now then you kind of just relax with the whole situation so whatever life throws at you be it a really awful day you just don't feel like it or be it horrendous wind and rain in summer or be it you know time difference of travelling to Miami you just you do you do deal with it
00:24:44
ukrunchat
Yeah, yeah. I mean, what's your favourite kind of conditions to run in? What's your ideal?
00:24:49
Helen Ryvar
so You know I like all seasons and I think it's important people embrace all seasons. I love seeing everything change like all of the flora and fauna change. It's really helped me ground me as a person I think and I appreciate all the little things so much that you just normally just don't see do you because
00:25:06
ukrunchat
No.
00:25:07
Helen Ryvar
you know I'm running the same routes but I don't get bored of them because they're never the same. even you know like i run I had my milestone run 777 on this this Saturday and I did a recce of it on the Friday and on the Saturday it just felt so different of the same route.
00:25:17
ukrunchat
No.
00:25:24
Helen Ryvar
There was a tree that I'd fallen over overnight as well which wasn't there the night before. and it's honestly just little things like that so even though I'm in the same area most of the time it's never the same and I think maybe because I've got quite a vivid imagination I don't know I just I'm a bit of a dreamer and a bit yeah you never know but I think we all are really you just need to tap into it and make it an adventure and it's think of it as an adventure not a run and it's a game changer yeah it's all how you think about things
00:25:41
ukrunchat
but
00:25:47
ukrunchat
and
00:25:53
ukrunchat
Yeah, that's true. I mean, do you do many races as part of your streak?
00:25:57
Helen Ryvar
Yeah, so I'm trying to do as many races as i as I can because I really want people to sort of come and run with me and I don't expect people to have to travel to Wrexham, North Wales, where I live. and So I've i've actually, i' i' at the moment, I'm in the middle of doing all of the AJ Bell Great North series of runs.
00:26:14
Helen Ryvar
So I did the Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham half marathons, which have already been this year. And then I've got the Great North run and the Glasgow half coming up later in the year in September time. And I've done loads of other like local runs. Some of them I've done like twice on this streak, you know, the two years running.
00:26:31
ukrunchat
Yeah.
Race Experiences and Community
00:26:33
Helen Ryvar
and a lot of them in the UK, some of them are abroad as well, and some of them are full marathons as well, and some of them are even ultras, so I did the Chester 50-mile ultra as part of this streak.
00:26:43
ukrunchat
Oh, how was that?
00:26:44
Helen Ryvar
that's
00:26:44
ukrunchat
What's that like? Is it?
00:26:45
Helen Ryvar
your god it was well it it would have been beautiful if the weather was nice but of course it had rained for like four four months prior and it was on the sandstone trail and across a lot of muddy fields and i i mean i kid you not you were up to your knees in mud and for maybe 80 90 of the run you were up to your ankles in mud
00:27:02
ukrunchat
Wanna know.
00:27:07
Helen Ryvar
So you couldn't really run it very fast, even the fastest runners, I think were an hour slower than the year before because it was just, you just literally couldn't run it and it rained and it snowed and it hailed the whole way, but they pulled it off. But there the GB Ultras team were amazing to be fair. I mean, those volunteers that day, it must've been awful for them hanging about, but They did pull it off and I did get through it. I think it took me 12 hours that day, which was not a bad time given what what we went through. I couldn't even open my car when I got back to it.
00:27:38
Helen Ryvar
My hands were so numb. And if you didn't run fast enough, you kind of lose a chew. They were just getting swallowed by the mud.
00:27:43
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:27:45
Helen Ryvar
So you'll see pictures if you Google it online. it It really, really was horrific conditions. Probably the worst conditions I've ever had to run a race in.
00:27:53
ukrunchat
yeah
00:27:53
Helen Ryvar
But I did it. and maybe because it was slower than I was fine the next day to do my half marathon again. and But then this weekend I've got the London Ultra which is a 50 kilometer so it's slightly less but it's still more than I'm used to but I'm really looking forward to that. So that'll just be that'll probably take me six hours I think six or so seven hours maximum. I'm not again not pushing for times but just it should be a nice one.
00:28:17
ukrunchat
Yeah. how How do the longer runs affect your half marathons the next few days?
00:28:22
Helen Ryvar
the
00:28:23
ukrunchat
Do you feel the difference in your legs?
00:28:26
Helen Ryvar
No, no not at all if because I'm not going too fast and I think you know ultras you are a generally a slower pace I just think I'm doing them because I like to put things in perspective and when you run a half marathon every day it just becomes the norm for me so it's not it's not that it's not hard it's always hard but it becomes easier like to say you like you're learning to drive a car the more you do it the easier it becomes and you sort of do it subconsciously
00:28:27
ukrunchat
No.
00:28:43
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:28:54
Helen Ryvar
So by mixing it up and making it a little bit harder for myself at times, it just brings me back down to earth and and makes what I'm doing seem that little bit easier. And plus, I love meeting people. I love meeting the running community. They really egg me on. I get loads of good advice from everybody. Obviously, it's a bit of a walking chat and picnic on an ultra. so I really actually enjoy it. It's just a day out and it's an excuse to go somewhere new and explore somewhere new. So, you know, it's, I don't think of it as like an ultra massive thing.
00:29:22
ukrunchat
No.
00:29:22
Helen Ryvar
I've got to work hard for all year. And then once I've done it, that's it for the rest of the year. I want it to be more like, a you know, you can do this, you can absolutely do this. I'm on my feet all day, every day anyway. You know, on an average day, I've done 40 to 50,000 steps by the end of the day now with my half marathon and my job.
00:29:38
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:29:40
Helen Ryvar
And that's so it an ultra isn't isn't really, It doesn't really faze me. I wouldn't be i wouldn't do more than a 50 miler.
00:29:44
ukrunchat
yeah
00:29:48
Helen Ryvar
Don't get me wrong on this streak. The most I've ever run is 75 miles in one day and actually I didn't particularly enjoy that towards the end. I was like, it's too much. you know it's It's like the Welsh 3000s when I did that. it was like it's it's good but by the end you're just so knackered and so delirious it's like it would have been nicer to have done three or four mountains in a day and really really enjoyed them but everyone's different you know it's you might want to just challenge yourself to do something big like that and i'm glad i did it but if i was to do it again i'd do it over a couple of days at least yeah for sure the but that's that open-minded all the way yeah
00:30:08
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:30:14
ukrunchat
Yeah. Yeah. And you don't know you're not going to enjoy something until you try it, I guess, do you? Yeah. Yeah. So you mentioned, you know, you have you have run all over the world. Is there any like particular location or race that stands out for you?
00:30:33
Helen Ryvar
Well I've liked, like I said earlier, that I haven't got any particular favourite. I learned something and I gained something from everyone and some are easier than others and the hardest one i I think has been, well one of the hardest ones, logistically, was the Miami one because of obviously it's a 10 hour flight, it's a three hour flight.
00:30:50
ukrunchat
you jet lagged Yeah, Yeah.
00:30:53
Helen Ryvar
three hour drive to London and then a 10 hour flight and a five hour time difference but I was so pumped up and excited to go and run that because I ran that with Micah the guy that did the 1078 so we ran that together and and but logistically it's just so complicated because I've got three kids in tow it was minus 10 here at the time actually and I was going to 30 degree heat and and obviously I had the lack of sleep and the jet lag and stuff on top so
00:31:02
ukrunchat
Oh, I love those memories.
00:31:21
Helen Ryvar
But it's it's part of the game to me. I feel like I'm like a game piece and you know I just get teleported to these different levels. That's how I see it in my head. So I can go to like Malta or I can go anywhere. and and just I just enjoy whatever each run brings. So I enjoyed the Miami as much as I enjoyed the horrible wind and rain we have in the UK, you know, because each has taught me something. So there is no particular favorite one. They all have even like the hardest days of hand on heart brought me something, some sort of joy.
00:31:48
ukrunchat
yeah
00:31:53
Helen Ryvar
So some sort of personal growth, you know, some sort of i I call them like bows in my arrow.
00:31:53
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:31:58
Helen Ryvar
Is that the right word?
Gear and Practical Tips
00:32:00
Helen Ryvar
You know, the it's like soldiers in my army each run and take off.
00:32:03
ukrunchat
yeah
00:32:03
Helen Ryvar
I've got another the soldier behind me because I've learned something and it just makes me feel so much stronger. So yeah.
00:32:10
ukrunchat
Yeah, that makes perfect sense. That's beautifully explained.
00:32:11
Helen Ryvar
but Oh.
00:32:12
ukrunchat
Yeah. I mean, does it become an expensive hobby doing a street like this? because you know, if you had any support or sponsorship along the way.
00:32:19
Helen Ryvar
clarara Yeah it can be expensive especially the weekends away so like for example I did the Brighton marathon and that weekend alone was I think £700 just to go and run the marathon and you know a couple of nights accommodation before you know it train ticket and meals it can get expensive so sometimes I'll leave the kids at home but I try and incorporate most of the runs that away into holidays so we'll make a little weekend of it
00:32:24
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:32:44
Helen Ryvar
and So that makes it a little bit more feasible. And then I have had a little bit of sponsorship. So as I said earlier, Polar sent me a watch, which helps a little bit. Hocka eventually sent me a pair of trainers, which I'm very grateful for. and I've been trying and trying for obviously a long time.
00:33:00
ukrunchat
yeah
00:33:01
Helen Ryvar
and and it was only I think last month that they actually sent me a pair of trainers so I'm very grateful for them because I do get through a lot of hockers they must be my most expensive thing. I've had to upgrade my phone as well to get a terabyte of storage for all of my data so yeah little things like that. But Venari Partners are a company, a recruitment agency down south. They sponsored me to go to Petra. So that trip was fully funded by them and I'd be really, I'm forever grateful for that.
00:33:28
ukrunchat
Well.
00:33:29
Helen Ryvar
That was a week trekking and running across the desert with them. and So yeah, I have had some stuff, but I'm not sponsored and I don't have loads of things. Proviz sent me a couple of jackets. and and I'm an ambassador de for Protein Rebel now as well, so I absolutely love them as a brand. I met them at The Running Show, and I don't really kind of work with brands that I believe in, and that they're really good, so yeah. So that's where I'm at, but I'm not i'm not for, you know, I don't care for like matching clothes and stuff like that really. Unfortunately I'm just a normal mother and who normally has the most horrific outfit on at 4am but I don't really care so much about those things at the moment because you know no one sees me anyway and I just need to get the job done. and
00:34:16
Helen Ryvar
and you know A lot of my clothes are sort of 10 years old. I don't go and buy the latest stuff from Sweaty Betty or you know wherever people shop these days. and I'm a very practical person.
00:34:25
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:34:26
Helen Ryvar
So I just want to, well, I hope that inspires most people. you know You don't have to buy the latest gear. You can just have a pair of trainers and some shorts and maybe a pair of trousers and a t-shirt and get going.
00:34:39
ukrunchat
Yeah, no, it's it's a simple activity, isn't it? And like you said earlier, we do overcomplicate it sometimes, and it doesn't need to be, does it?
00:34:42
Helen Ryvar
said
00:34:47
Helen Ryvar
it is yeah
00:34:48
ukrunchat
So you're currently due to reach your thousandth marathon in January, is that right?
00:34:54
Helen Ryvar
Yeah so my current its current date for 1000 is 24th of January 2025 and I was considering running to the national running show in Birmingham to kind of celebrate because and that's on that weekend after the 25th and 26th so I was like oh that would be such an amazing thing to do but I know somebody that has done that before and I have listened to a podcast with The Run Show where they were saying oh people do this but the weather's always horrific that time of year and
00:35:03
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:35:20
Helen Ryvar
would it be such a good idea so I'm like maybe I i won't and do that but we'll see I haven't really ruled it out but we'll will maybe I will maybe I won't but I definitely will do something for my thousandth run and there is a chance as I mentioned earlier I may go on and to try and get to actually to go to 1111 because then I've beaten my goal, my original goal, by a thousand days and and I've gone across the three-year mark which should be nice and I'll feel i'll complete the London Marathon within that time frame which it was all I actually ever wanted from this was to get to the London Marathon and to beat my original goal so that I'm you know i'm really happy with that.
00:35:45
ukrunchat
the Yeah.
00:35:53
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:36:02
Helen Ryvar
I don't need anything else, I don't need stuff. I get enough experience from every day running and then it just makes me so happy to be helping and encouraging other people to kind of follow suit so I hope they feel like I feel every day from running.
00:36:15
ukrunchat
Yeah. you Does it just sound really passionate about it? I can tell that you love it. Have you got any upcoming events that you're particularly excited about aside from the London Marathon that people can maybe join in with you over summer or in the autumn?
00:36:20
Helen Ryvar
do
00:36:23
Helen Ryvar
and
00:36:28
Helen Ryvar
I've got quite a few a few more races booked in like I mentioned I've got the Great North Run which I've never run before I lived in Newcastle for 15 years and I never run it because I was never fit I was a student say no more and then I've got the Glasgow half I've also got the Potters half
00:36:43
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:36:44
Helen Ryvar
and shall be running and I was hoping to run the Trewsbury half but it's the same day as the Potters are off so I'm absolutely gutted gutted I can't do both I was trying to work out in my head how I could get to one because there's an hour difference I was like Helen you're not that fast you're not that fast but I did wreck my brain as to find a way but unfortunately I can't be everywhere and then I've got a few holidays of my own coming up so I'm going to Turkey this summer with the children so I'll run there I'm also going to run hopefully with a man who's on a run streak of half marathons over there he's on about J500
Running in Different Climates
00:37:17
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:37:17
Helen Ryvar
so I'll do his run I follow him on Strava and then I've got Croatia coming up and I've also got Malaga in December
00:37:26
Helen Ryvar
so there are other countries I'm going to be running in as well so yeah lots of exciting things coming up but
00:37:30
ukrunchat
Oh, lovely. like How is it running in a very hot climate then after, you know, our UK summer, not summer?
00:37:39
Helen Ryvar
and it's weird It doesn't seem to bother me I just need to take a bladder pack really and make sure I get electrolytes in so I use the protein rebel gels they always I need them when I'm in a hot country I do need to take stuff like that and and I do tend to use just literally squash and some salt in my bladder pack
00:37:42
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:37:56
Helen Ryvar
natural electrolytes you don't need all the tablets i find them a bit sickly after a bit so it's just making sure you're hydrated but for fueling on a half marathon i don't need so much food but just take your time make sure you're wearing a hat to you know hats really really key for running as you probably know come wind or rain or sunshine actually it's really good at just keeping all the elements off your face so and just yeah and if it's going to be really hot then i'll just run early so it's cooler so again it's just been mindful of the time and
00:37:56
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:38:08
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:38:24
Helen Ryvar
and so on.
00:38:25
ukrunchat
Yeah, I knew you used to be up anyway, aren't you out and about early
00:38:26
Helen Ryvar
and yeah Yeah, even on holiday, yeah. but
00:38:31
ukrunchat
Oh well thanks so much it's been fascinating like hearing all about it and you've made a run streak seem like just a simple thing to do and I guess it is.
00:38:35
Helen Ryvar
Oh, thank you so much.
00:38:39
Helen Ryvar
but so It is people overcomplicate things.
00:38:42
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:38:42
Helen Ryvar
I mean, it's a bit extreme with the distance, but but the only barriers you ever put in your way are the barriers that you put in your way and as soon as people sort of realize that you absolutely you could do it you know you could absolutely do it tomorrow but you probably choose not to right so i mean i understand some people have children young children you know everyone in this situation is different and
00:38:50
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:39:03
Helen Ryvar
some people think i'm crazy some people are like what are you doing you know what you're running away from or you're addicted and it's absolutely none of the above i just i really want to think i think we've become quite lazy as a nation and i think this thing used to be normal like my mum used to walk four miles to school and back and now people just jump in the car you know it's or get an uber or you know it's
00:39:15
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:39:24
Helen Ryvar
No not everyone and I know running is quite big in some places but generally we are lazier than we used to be now so I just want to make it normal again and enjoyable and it can be so much fun with your friends you know so yeah.
00:39:39
ukrunchat
Yeah. oh Well, thank you so
Conclusion and Community Invitation
00:39:40
ukrunchat
much. Where can people find you on social media then to follow your challenge? You mentioned your Facebook group.
00:39:46
Helen Ryvar
Yeah, so I'm on Facebook, Helen Rivar, just look at me. and R-Y-V-A-R, I know it's unusual, it's Polish. but So my granddad was from Polish, but I'm actually from Wales. and And on Instagram it's R7VAR and they can also find me on Strava, Helen Rivar again. and But I post the same thing to Facebook as Instagram, so there's nothing you're gonna really miss. And The Streak with Helen Club is just on Facebook, so you'd need to join there.
00:40:13
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:40:14
Helen Ryvar
But it's all open, nothing's restricted, so anyone can follow me or friend me or just join the group and just follow what I do. Because I post every single day, so you can see where I've been and what I'm up to. And if you want to come and run with me, you can just send me a message and we can arrange it. So I'm happy to run with anybody. If they can come to Rexham on a weekday then and they they're willing to get up at four o'clock, that's great. if not they can arrange something for the weekend and they can also look out for my milestone runs because I try and arrange like a social run and and also I post when I'm doing all of these sort of Great North series of runs and stuff like that so they can know when I'm doing official runs you know so if they wanted to go to those they would know where I'll be at so lots of choice.
00:40:52
ukrunchat
Yeah. Oh brilliant. So you'll have your eight hundredths will be your next milestone one.
00:40:57
Helen Ryvar
Yeah in 20 days so it's not long now is it so yeah 780 tomorrow and then it'll be 20 days to that so yeah I've got to start thinking about that already so the logistics are already kicking in and yeah no idea what I'm gonna do.
00:40:58
ukrunchat
Yeah.
00:41:07
ukrunchat
I will thank you Helen all the best with the rest of your streak and do keep us posted with how it's going.
00:41:12
Helen Ryvar
so
00:41:15
Helen Ryvar
thanks Thank you.
00:41:17
ukrunchat
And if our listeners out there are inspired, then do get in touch with Helen.
00:41:20
Helen Ryvar
and everyone
00:41:21
ukrunchat
We'll put all the details of how to contact Helen in the show notes. We hope you've enjoyed this episode. Do let us know and we'll see you on the next one.
00:41:30
Helen Ryvar
Thanks very much.