Head of clinical operations Arlene hits the road for homeless charity StreetVet

Senior veterinary nurse takes on intense fitness challenge in aid of homeless pets

Vets Now’s head of clinical operations for hospitals has pledged to complete three half marathons this year to raise money for StreetVet, one of a number of charities supported by Vets Now.

Arlene Connor, who oversees clinical operations for our three emergency and specialty hospitals, is set to take on the Great Stirling Run on 28 April, the Edinburgh Half Marathon on 26 May and the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow on 29 September to highlight the amazing work StreetVet does in providing homeless pets with vital veterinary care.

Arlene explained: “I chose to run for StreetVet as Vets Now works with the charity providing pro-bono treatment for pets out of hours across the breadth of the UK. StreetVet does invaluable work treating pets of homeless people who, without their help, would not be able to access veterinary care for their pets.”

Image of Arlene Conner of Vets Now Glasgow
Arlene has set herself the challenge of completing three half marathons this year

You might also be interested in:

Arlene is no stranger to physical fitness challenges, having previously completed 10ks and a half marathon – although she admits she struggled after mile 10. So, to prepare for this challenge she is fitting an intensive training programme around her busy lifestyle.

“My training consists of four runs a week when work and family life permit. These runs are made up of two 6ks, one fast 3k and a long run every weekend that grows in distance as the weeks progress until I reach approximately 18-19k. I will then have at least five days off prior to each race.”

This is also a personal challenge for Arlene as she was motivated to complete the half marathons in order to regain fitness after having her second child.

She said: “I gave birth to my youngest son Thomas at the end of March 2018. The past year has flown in and it’s hard to believe he will be one year old soon.

“I returned to my role as head of clinical operations for our referral hospital sites in September 2018, and although it has been a challenge juggling two children with such an intense role, I utterly adore my job and don’t feel I would be any good at either without the other.”

Completing such a demanding physical challenge while leading an incredibly busy life may seem like a daunting prospect for some. However, Arlene highlights the positive impact training has had on her physical and mental health and praises the support she has received from her family.

“My husband is incredibly supportive of my running, he understands that it is important to me to keep physically fit but also appreciates the benefit running has on my mental wellbeing. My eldest son, Archie, is rather oblivious to it all, despite me coming home soaking from the rain and rather scarlet in colour, I think he thinks I’m just messing around at this running business!”

If you would like to support Arlene and raise money for a very worthy cause, please sponsor her on her Golden Giving page.