Hi, I am Anna Weston. I am based at Up & Running Teddington. I have been working with the company for 9 months now and it is great to mix my passion for running with work. Interacting with runners and customers is brilliant, allowing me to use my own knowledge and experience to help other people on their running journey. Throughout my time here, I have been able to further develop my understanding of the brands within running and subsequently become confident in the recommendations of both kit and shoes to customers.
I have always been someone who lacks confidence, so when the opportunity arose for me to be involved in the Montane brand day, I knew that it would be the perfect thing for me to do to further develop myself as both a staff member and a person. Although a great opportunity, I was both excited and nervous as going away for that period of time in that capacity is not something I had done before. Fortunately for me I was in regular contact with Dan from Montane, which allowed me to clear any concerns I had going into the few days.
Day 1;
On 21st March, I headed up to Kendal, Cumbria to join up with Helen from Up & Running Sheffield and Dan from Montane. Our aim for the weekend was to make a series of short videos that take the viewer from their first steps into trail running, right the way through to completing their first mountain running event. With Montane’s head office and showroom being based in Cumbria it was handy and very fitting to be able to utilise the beautiful nearby trails to create the perfect content for the brand.
On arrival, after a quick check in at the hotel, we headed out to Kentmere for our first trail run. This involved familiarising ourselves with the terrain and surrounding area, while also giving Dan the opportunity to collect his first bit of content for the brand. Having never been to the Lake District it lived up to all expectations and was definitely the perfect place to come to show off a brand in the best light!
While also creating content, Dan was keen to hear about our own experiences within running and more specifically how we find the transition between road and trail running. I explained that having lived in London for a while I felt trail running gave me the freedom in a way that road running didn’t. After completing around a 7-mile run we headed back to the Hotel for dinner and to reflect on the afternoon, while also discussing what the next day would entail.
Day 2;
Our second day began with an early wake up to allow ourselves enough time to spend the day collecting as much content as possible, while also receiving the necessary brand training to take back with us to our individual stores. We spent the morning at the Montane showroom; trying and getting hands on with the latest kit and learning all about the brand and its heritage. As mentioned before, spending so much time in London road running, my knowledge of Montane was limited. So to immerse myself in the brand, learning so much and discover what the brand is really about, was so enlightening. I was incredibly fortunate to have Helen there as with our backgrounds being very similar it meant we could work alongside each other in getting the most out of the few days and being able to translate this back into our own stores. Following the showroom, we headed back to the Kentmere reservoir to capture more footage and interviews, while also being able to wear test the Montane running kit. Getting to test out the kit, not only meant we could get some great content for the short video, but also meant we could get first hand experience of how the product acts and performs, which helps to speak with customers about what they might be looking for.
Overall, I had a great few days in Cumbria, having never been there before it was great to be able to visit a new area, while also learning about a brand I was not familiar with. I was very impressed with Montane, having never really worn trail running kit I was pleasantly surprised by how lightweight and breathable it all was. My personal favourite was the hydration vest pack, which I could definitely see myself using. Dan was incredibly friendly and ensured both myself and Helen enjoyed the few days as much as possible. This also allowed him to capture the best footage he could for the series of video’s they are producing. On a personal note, it was great to be able to step outside my comfort zone and I really felt this event gave me the perfect platform to do this. I look forward to seeing more about Montane and wouldn’t hesitate to be involved in any other opportunities they have. I would also like to thank Up & Running for the opportunity to be able to get involved in a project like this, allowing me to get a flavour for some of the different brands we are able to represent in our store.
Stay tuned for the video content coming very soon.
