Moy Park Miles Blog – Jason

‘Moy Park Miles’ is celebrating our incredible staff who are taking part in the Belfast City Marathon this year (you might have heard we’re the title sponsor)!

In our very first interview, we sit down with our Head of Research and Insight, Jason Winstanley to hear how his marathon journey is going and how is he preparing for his run with Moy Park.

Hey Jason, so tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hey, I am Jason Winstanley, 53, and I am the Head of Research and Insight. I’ve been with Moy Park Chicken for 14 years – it’s safe to say that I love it.

So, are you participating in the relay or the full marathon?

I’m participating in the relay on this occasion, but I am also doing the Half Marathon later in the year (you can sign up for that in September).

Do you have any fun facts about yourself?

I do have a good one! In 2020, I published my first novel, Besieged! At the height of its success, it was the 3,500th best-selling book on Amazon but has, unfortunately, now dropped out of the top 1 million!

What a great achievement! We have another burning question. We all have a pair of sneaks that we can’t run without. What trainers are your favourites?

Great question, as I’ve just got some new ones in preparation for the marathon - New Balance FoamX. They’re nice and speedy and, more importantly, they’re super comfy.

A lot of people take part in the marathon with a charity in mind. Will you be running for any charities this year?

My colleagues and I will be running for Moy park’s nominated charity, SANDS, the baby loss prevention and support charity.

A very worthy cause. So, to prepare for the relay, do you have a favourite training running route that you use for training?

I’m lucky to have a great dual use cycling and pedestrian path – part of the National Cycle Network – running past our house on the outskirts of Chester. I run on that four times a week, and it gets me straight out into the countryside, down to the river and no traffic to contend with!

It’s great to hear how dedicated and committed you are to your training schedule. We’re here for tips: are you using any training plans or apps?

I use a Garmin Forerunner watch to record my runs and am a Strava stats addict! I am running four times a week, and cover a minimum of 20 miles each week, so I am getting lots of qualitive data to compare – something I enjoy as a research and insights guy!

We might have to invest in a Garmin Forerunner then! Do you have any motivational quotes that help you keep going when you’re wanting to quit a long run?

A journey of a thousand miles (or in this case, 26.2 miles!) starts with a single step – Lao Tzu. I often think about that on a long run – every step gets you closer to your goal!

That’s a great quote – and very inspiring! Do you have any songs that keep you going through training as well? Any that are an absolute must on your marathon playlist?

I don’t listen to music when I run – I prefer to take in the ambient sounds and birdsong but, if I did, it would have to be Keep on Running by The Spencer Davis Group (cheesy, I know!).

Now, our last question (and possibly most important one): what Moy Park Chicken dish is your marathon fuel?

You can’t beat a protein kick to help with your training schedule, and I find Moy Park Cajun Chicken Steaks, served with couscous and salad, are a perfect, tasty but healthy evening meal!

You absolutely can’t – thanks for taking the time to talk to us today, Jason!

Want more marathon training tips and like getting to know our team? Make sure to check back next week to discover from Nathan to hear how they’re preparing for their great Belfast run!