Erin Willmers of Altus
Hello, my name is Erin Willmers and I am the co-founder of Altus and our associated running community RunAltus.
RunAltus is based at Altus a Wellbeing and Peak Performance Centre in West Tytherley. It is an inclusive group of runners of all abilities, speeds and goals, what we have in common is a supportive environment, an ability to push ourselves (measured by our own efforts, not meeting a particular speed), positivity, encouragement and of course a sense of humour. We have training sessions twice a week with England Athletics qualified Running Fitness coaches (Emma and me) on a Tuesday and Thursday evening. Not forgetting every month on a Sunday we have a lovely social trail run (often featuring coffee and cake afterwards). Another thing we like to do is have an event to work towards together and feature on our calendar. The Clarendon Marathon has been a key event for us since we founded in 2022, making this our 3rd year of running as a team.
In 2022 we pulled together two fabulous teams of runners, not knowing what to expect. We had such a memorable day, all working together to organise the logistics! In fact, the support team and our families were as much a part of the day as the 8 team members. The great thing about the Clarendon relay is that it brings the individual sport of running and weaves it into a team and social event. The route is both challenging and scenic, giving you a sense of achievement, excitement from the race and camaraderie of racing together. The first 3 runners of both our teams, joined the anchor runner so they could run in together as a team – it was a wonderful feeling of synergy and community (even if I’d just finished the infamous ‘leg 3’)!
In 2023 we came back for more, this time with 3 teams and 2 full marathon runners! Once again, we had a fantastic day, knowing a bit more what to expect we had a few strategies (and knowledge of the hills to embrace ahead). We were able to compare previous times and judge our performances against our last efforts. More members of RunAltus were wanting to get involved, the support team had grown, especially in Winterslow where lots of our members are from, we had support banners up and even RunAltus members volunteering and marshalling on the day. We added to the event that year with a post-event celebration at the pub, (which is now of course mandatory). Not forgetting to mention, we had a great result of 1st Female team across the line so came away with some prizes too!
As for this year? We’ve grown again! At time of writing, we have 4 teams entered and 5 individual full marathon runners entered and we can’t wait!
At Altus we love all things that improve your health, fitness and wellbeing! We tailor Lifestyle programmes incorporating 7 foundational pillars including nutrition, movement, yoga, mindset and connection. At the centre we focus on hormesis (doing things that apply intermittent stress and you respond by being more resilient and adapting/improving) it includes intermittent fasting, red-light therapy, hot and cold therapy (sauna and ice bath) and hypoxia training (training with reduced oxygen in your environment) step out of that comfort zone. We balance this with recovery and relaxation needs, that are just as important, we have a yoga studio, floatation therapy pod and a sports massage therapist.
If you’d like more information on Altus, or our Running Community RunAltus and how to join, we have a website:
Facebook and Instagram: @thealtuslife
Email: hello@thealtuslife.co.uk
