Hussain finished a 70km run with a torn calf (Picture: Sportograf Digital Solutions) One thing running has taught me is what can be achieved by enduring hardship. If you do it enough, things tend to find a way of getting better. When I did the Ecotrail in Morocco, I had to run 70km in the desert. With 30km to go, I tore my calf. Doing another 1km let alone 30 felt impossible, but I endured. I decided that I’d find a way to drag myself to the end, remembering how far I’d come from once being so unfit and unhealthy. I didn’t want to give up. Somehow, I managed to complete the remaining 30km – and take second place. I often remind myself of this adversity when I go through struggles in life. I remind myself of the time when I couldn’t even run 400m at my local parkrun, and how much has changed since. He was diagnosed with liver disease in 2010 (Picture: Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi) Back in 2010, aged 21, I had some standard blood tests during medical school. It found that my liver markers were raised. I had no symptoms that would’ve pushed me to having the blood test, so it came as a surprise. Based on the result, I was sent for an ultrasound scan and diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to serious liver damage, and high blood pressure. I felt really embarrassed and didn’t want to admit it to my then-girlfriend (now wife). Both conditions were due to my lifestyle at the time and I felt ashamed that I had caused myself to get ill at such a young age. I hadn’t really acknowledged that I’d gained weight, but later that day I stepped on the scales for the first time in a long time. I’d gained 24kg over the three years I’d spent at university. I think I was lying to myself on some level. Burnout is closely linked to obesity (Picture: Sportograf Digital Solutions) I now understand how closely linked burnout is to obesity. I was using food to cope with my stresses – like constantly revising for medical school exams and the impact of my parents’ divorce. I’d reward myself with a takeaway if I managed to do loads of revision, have a LOAD of chocolate or crisps at the end of a long day, or use sugar or caffeine as a pick-me-up when I felt tired (which felt like all the time!). After my ultrasound result, I started initially by making changes to my nutrition. I realised I needed to avoid ‘all or nothing’ approaches or diets. I had tried these quite a few times in the past – each time I would get results initially but then eventually would gain the weight back, plus more. Hussain completely changed his diet (Picture: Sportograf Digital Solutions) So I made tiny shifts in my habits around food over the next couple of years and managed to bring my weight down 10kg in two years. My first step was to add two pieces of fruit into my day at least four times a week. After a month, I then decided to add more protein into my lunches for half the week, then slowly moved on to adding more diversity to my diet, like seeds and berries with my porridge. And so it went on. Over time, maintaining each single step created a staircase of steps, which improved my health. I was still overweight, but in a much better position. Then, in 2018, I learned about parkrun from two colleagues, who explained how open, fun and inclusive it was; that everyone was from all walks of life (i.e they didn’t all look like Mo Farah!); and that they were having so much fun. Parkrun was open, fun and inclusive (Picture: Charlotte Foerschler) I was nervous attending my first event at Leamington Spa parkrun as I’d never completed a 5k before. In fact, I hadn’t run any distance for seven or eight years – but attending with my wife and colleagues helped massively. The first 400m was amazing! The joy of running, jogging and walking with others felt incredible. But soon after, my legs felt heavier, my breathing laboured, and I was starting to slow down. The next 4,600m was a challenge, to say the least! My wife was by my side the whole way and I don’t think I could’ve finished without her. I managed to get to the end, where I found so many people cheering me over the finish line. I was really struck by the community feel of parkrun, and it was such a buzz to have so many supporting you. Yes, it was tough, but it was the inspiration behind my journey to a healthier lifestyle. Hussain now represents Britain in long distance triathlons (Picture: Sportograf Digital Solutions) After that, I went along every weekend. But, for the first two months of attending parkrun, it remained so difficult getting active. My chest was tight and trying to control my breathing was really hard. I felt faint and tired all the time. My knees would hurt… in fact, everything hurt! I constantly had a voice telling me to give up and was desperately thinking up excuses to stop. But each time my wife would encourage me to keep going, saying she was proud of me. As time went on, things started to get a little easier. About four months in, I realised I just felt lighter. More energetic. After another six months, I started to feel more energised after a workout. I was experiencing the ‘real high’ people would talk about and I began incorporating other activities, like swimming and cycling, into my routine. He wouldn’t be here without parkrun (Picture: Sportograf Digital Solutions) But parkrun led me to more than just fitness gains. I started focusing more on my sleep so I could recover after workouts; I was eating better. The weight began to come off naturally without constricting calories. After a period of time at parkrun, I developed the identity of a ‘runner’. Fast forward 14 years and I’ve lost 26kg - plus, at 7% body fat, I’ve done more than remove it from my liver! I’ve even taken parkrun quite a few steps further and now represent my country in long distance triathlons. Parkrun is such a brilliant intervention that I’ll often use it in patients’ management plans for loneliness, stress and mental health difficulties. I’ve also since set up a free weekly running group at my GP surgery and encourage people to come along to parkrun at the weekend. Live your best life with Metro’s parkrun partnership This year Metro has partnered with the iconic charity parkrun to bring you a thriving new content series. In a coming together of two game-changing powerhouses, Metro has been chosen as the first official media partner for parkrun as it celebrates its 20th birthday in 2024. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next It’s not just for the runners, though – it’s for everyone. Come with us as we embark on a series of boundary-pushing wellbeing content designed to elevate and champion, but also to support mental health and societal cohesion. Whether you run, walk, jog or strut… Read the stories of those who have found their calling, their community or had their lives changed through the simple act of lacing up their trainers (not that you have to do parkrun in trainers…as we’ll show you later on). Get ready to be empowered, inspired, and energised! Register for parkrun here. The best part is that it’s free and you only need to register once. It’s such a pleasure going to Leamington Spa parkrun, and seeing my patients there will always be a highlight for me. I always make an effort to connect with them at the event and support them throughout, just like others did for me when I first started. Real progress is made slowly. You can get quick wins with fad diets or bashing yourself with hard workouts from the start, but to really make progress you have to build strong foundations – and that takes time. Don’t have goals like: ‘I want to lose 10kg’ – make them something intentional instead. Tell yourself that you want to eat more fruit, eat less processed foods. Slowly you begin to stack all of these new behaviours on top of each other and realise you’ve gone a hell of a long way. As for me, at the end of June, I will represent Team GB in the European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships, and in August I’ll head to Australia for the World Triathlon Long Distance Championships. How’s that for a man who couldn’t run 400m at his local parkrun without stopping? Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. 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