London Calling DentaltownUK caught up with three dentists (Gareth Jones, Jack Shreeve and Kunal Patel) and a dental nurse (Lauren Price) who recently ran the London Marathon to find out a bit more about their calling to run one of the most famous marathons in the world. Kunal Patel qualified from Newcastle Dental School in 2013 and has also passed his exams for the membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MJDF). Kunal is currently an associate at Southview Dental Care in Edenbridge, Kent. www.svdc.co.uk I started running whilst in my final year at university and did the Great North Run. The start line was pretty much on my doorstep! After this I caught the bug and completed the London marathon in 2016 and 2017 raising money for a great Children s Cancer charity called Clic Sargent. http://www. clicsargent.org.uk The hardest part of a marathon is the training beforehand. There are months of winter runs whilst your friends are in the pub, but it s all worth it when you cross the finish line. My motivation was simple: lose weight and prove wrong those who said I couldn t do it! The London marathon is difficult, but if you can break down that mental wall the crowd will help you over the line. dentaltownuk.com \\ MAY 2018 27
Lauren qualified as a dental nurse in 2011. She holds an NEBDN Certificate in Dental Radiology and is an IRMER operator. Lauren usually works with the Endodontic Specialists at Circus Dental Practice in Bath. www.circusdentalpractice.co.uk I began my dental nursing apprenticeship ten years ago and today I can look back with pride on what I have accomplished. I have worked alongside some very influential clinicians, have become skilful in all that nursing has to offer and I am currently looking to further my career, in a practice managerial role. The charity Bridge2aid was the fuel for my marathon passion. https://bridge2aid. org. In 2013 I ran the New York marathon, in aid of this charity. We managed to raise a considerable amount of money for the charity through our practice. A marathon takes a lot of preparation and dedication in order to succeed. Around four months of committed training goes into one marathon alone. As an individual, you put your body through stresses and it takes considerable resilience and determination. Since running for this amazing cause, it has definitely sparked my passion for sport. Running over fifteen marathons, two ultras and multiple half marathons. I am proud that I ran the London Marathon this month from a championship start, finishing in a time of 3:16. Despite it not being a personal best, I was pleased with the outcome considering the heat. My goal for my next marathon is sub 3 hours! 28 MAY 2018 // dentaltownuk.com
Jack Shreeve qualified in Dentistry at Newcastle University in 2015 having won an award for clinical excellence in paediatric dentistry. Jack works at Dentist on the Rock in Bury. www.dentistontherock.com I was first inspired to run the London marathon to raise money for charity after seeing a patient of mine who had received treatment for hydrocephalus and hearing about the incredible work of a charity called Shine. https://www.shinecharity.org.uk I ve always been keen on keeping fit but have never been a proper runner. The longest race I d even ran was a 10k. I started training around mid-december at a maximum distance of 10k, increasing my longest run by 10% each week. Working long days Monday to Friday meant my weekends were the only real time I could complete the longer runs. By the end of January, I squeezed in my first half marathon distance before going skiing for a week. February and March brought about some really tricky weather in the form of the Beast from the East. The treadmill beckoned. Eventually, 5 weeks before the marathon I competed what would be my longest run before the big day. I ran 20 miles in a little over 3 hours in maximum temperatures of 2 degrees on a snowy March weekend. Days like this made me really question why I d signed up, knowing that I still had another 6 miles to go on the day of the marathon! However, I could not let the charity down after they had selected me with a task of raising 2k. A few weeks before the marathon one of my good friends got in touch as he heard that I was fundraising for Shine. He couldn t believe it as this was a charity that helped him and his family through his treatment of the debilitating condition of Spina Bifida. I ve always been aware that he had a complex medical history, but it was never really talked about. The knock back from the poor weather was put right to the back of my mind. Before I knew it I was amongst 40,000 runners raring to go in Greenwich Park. In stark contrast to the recent weather, the 22nd April brought about sweltering temperatures with little in the way of cloud or breeze. I was keen to run a sub 4 hour marathon but we had been advised by race organisers to adjust our pace accordingly with the weather. I ended up crossing the line in 4 hours 16mins after being buoyed on by a jubilant London crowd, including my sister, parents, grandparents and a number of friends who made the trip down from Yorkshire. Putting personal goals aside, I felt a huge sense of togetherness and human compassion surrounding the event. There were many distressed runners on the course who needed help from fellow runners. Not to mention the person running with a fridge on their back, the lady on stilts, the man pushing his paralysed son in a wheelchair, the real-life forest Gump who ran 15,348 miles in 409 days...the list goes on. The achievements people make on this special day can truly bring about life changing outcomes through sponsorship money and creating awareness. dentaltownuk.com \\ MAY 2018 29
Gareth Jones graduated from Liverpool University s School of Dentistry in 2003, where he was awarded the HR Williams prize for oral surgery. He takes pride in providing high-quality dentistry in a relaxed, gentle and unhurried manner at Monmouth Dental Practice in Monmouth, South Wales. Gareth is a keen athlete and in recent years have completed several triathlons, including an Ironman, and marathons. www.monmouthdentist.co.uk On April 22nd 2018, I toed the start line of the London Marathon along with 41,000 other runners in a race, which was reported to be the hottest day in the race s 37 year history. Taking part in the race was the culmination of a 30 year old ambition to run in a race which had captured my imagination when I used to watch it on TV as a child. Back in the 1980s, my Dad had applied for a place to run unsuccessfully for three consecutive years. His luck changed and he was drawn out of the hat at the fourth time of asking, but shortly afterwards was diagnosed with arthritis in both of his hips and had to withdraw. For me, taking part felt like finishing some outstanding family business. It isn t easy to fit in the training that I do with my other commitments. Currently I am plotting a course towards taking part in Ironman Italy (a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and 26.2 mile run) in September whilst juggling having a young family and running my private practice in Monmouth, South Wales. I have a very understanding wife who puts up with my training but also understands that if I didn t train then I would be miserable and not the kind of person you want around! My sport is my stress relief. If something work related is bothering me at the start of a training session I often find it has evaporated by the end of whatever workout I ve been doing and I was probably getting worked up unnecessarily. If it s still on my mind after a run or swim, then it is something that usually needs more of my attention. My hope is that seeing me pushing myself and enjoying my racing will inspire my two sons (aged five and eight) to take as much pleasure from sport as I have. I will be using my Ironman in September as a way to raise some money to have a defibrillator purchased for the boys school. The headteacher is very excited about this and we hope to get the kids at the school involved as a way of promoting health and fitness. I think that my boys will be playing the role of sports reporters from Italy as we are making it a family trip! The marathon started to feel very real on the day before the race when I went to the marathon expo to collect my number. Unlike previous races where I have been incredibly nervous however, this time it was eclipsed by the anticipation of fulfilling my long-held ambition and finding out what kind of shape I was in. Despite a five-week period at the start 30 MAY 2018 // dentaltownuk.com
of the year where I was unable to run due to a calf injury, I came into the race with good confidence on the back of some strong training runs. I had had a good interval session on the track three weeks before and decided to try to beat my personal best of 2h59:59 from the Manchester marathon last year. The atmosphere on race day was electric from the very beginning with a buzz of excitement in the air. I was able to chat to my training partner and teammate Rich as we waited in the start pen for the Queen to start the race. I started strongly but at a pace that felt comfortable and crossed the halfway point just after Tower Bridge in 1h25. The temperature continued to rise and I realised that I would have to slow down or risk the wheels coming off and a disappointing time. Fortunately, I had noticed the possibility of a hot day on the long-range forecast two weeks before the race and spent the two weeks leading up to the race training whilst wearing extra layers in a bid to get used to high temperatures. This seemed to work as I was affected less than lots of other runners and finished the race in 3h00:53 which gave me 1163rd position. It s not every day that you can say you beat 39840 runners in a race! I had heard that the crowd support in London would be great, but it was amazing to see how many people came out to watch the race and the bands in particular gave me a great lift. As I turned the final corner into The Mall, my training partner Rich caught up with me and we agreed to cross the line together and call it and honourable draw. Sharing the special moment of crossing the finish line with a good friend was the cherry on the cake for the day. At the end of a tough race like that I quite often get emotional (mostly due to exhaustion) and this race was no different. This time I managed to keep it under control until I spoke to my Dad on the phone and we both shed some tears as it meant a lot to both of us that I had finished what he had set out to do. www.triathletedentist.wordpress.com Twitter: @3athletedentist Facebook: Triathlete dentist Instagram: @3athletedentist dentaltownuk.com \\ MAY 2018 31