Marketing Manager Jenny is running the Carlisle Half Marathon

Back in January, our brilliant Marketing Manager, Jenny, completed the Resolution Carlisle 10km race and she's not stopping there! On the 23rd March, Jenny will also be running the Carlisle Half Marathon 2025.

We caught up with Jenny to find out how she plans to prepare for the big day...

Tell us about yourself and your role at Lloyd Motor Group.  

"I’m Jenny and I’m the Marketing Manager for Kia, Volvo, Volkswagen, Used Car Centre, INEOS and AllRoad and have worked for Lloyd Motor Group for just over 6 years."

When did you start running?  

"I have dipped in and out of running for the last 5 years, completing the Couch to 5k a few times but never managing to get past 5km. I started really focusing on running again in November 2024 with the goal of running 5km faster than I previously had and trying to get to 10km."

What made you decide to enter the Carlisle Half Marathon 2025?  

"After achieving my 10km goal at the beginning of December, and taking part in the Resolution Carlisle 10km in January at Carlisle Racecourse, I decided my next goal was to complete a half marathon! I haven’t even done this one yet and I’ve already booked my next one for the end of June!"

How have you been preparing for the race?  

"I am following a set plan which includes x3 5km runs a week on a treadmill, 2 of which are steady runs at a variety of paces and 1 is a faster run with some gradient to incorporate some hill work. On a Saturday, I go for a longer distance run which started out as a few laps of Dalston but now I run to Carlisle which feels more purposeful and more of an achievement! I managed to run 21.5km at the beginning of February which was huge for me and helped boost my confidence for the upcoming race!"

Will this be your first race or have you completed any previously?  

"As I said earlier, I took part in the Resolution 10km at the beginning of the year, which is a really good one if you’re thinking of doing a 10km! It was a flat route and as there weren’t thousands of entries, it wasn’t overwhelming for my first one!"

What do you find the most difficult and what do you enjoy the most about long-distance running?  

"I think the thing I find most difficult is making sure I’m fuelled for the distance! Obviously the morning of the run it’s really important to eat the right things, but as I found out recently, the meals up to 3 days before are equally as important! I also take gels to give me a boost whilst I’m running which are a big help! Oh and also slowing my pace down at the beginning of my runs! I really need to work on that! Who knew running slower would be so hard! The thing I enjoy most is being out in the fresh air as I do all of my training in the gym while it’s still dark in the mornings before work. I also enjoy running in the cold so I’m not sure how running in the warmer weather will go but thankfully for me, we live in Cumbria so those days are few and far between!"

What is your favourite song to run to?  

"Ooo that’s a good question! I don’t think I have a favourite song, but I have started listening to different genres than I used to! I used to listen to dance songs to motivate me but it’s a bit much at 7am for a couple of hours so I’m currently listening to The Script which is more background music!"

What are some of your favourite routes or locations to run?  

"To be honest, I haven’t really ventured out of Dalston! There is a good 5km loop of the village so depending how much time I have, I can do 2 or 3 laps, but now I’ve found a new route via Cummersdale and into Denton Holme, it feels more purposeful so I’m enjoying that at the moment (although for anyone that knows that route, the hill from the cycle path up to Cummersdale is a killer!) I’m very lucky to have good routes on my doorstep which are away from main roads and traffic!"

How will you be celebrating when you complete the race?  

"With lots of food to replenish the calories! And a good sleep!"

On behalf of the team at Lloyd Motor Group, we can't wait to see Jenny triumph this challenge and wish her the best of luck for the race! 

Photography: www.carlosreinaphoto.com