AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
My mission? “Being 40 plus will not stop me running the London Marathon”.
I caught the running bug the moment I crossed the finish line of my first 10K in under one hour – it was a monumentous milestone and as I hobbled away, proudly donning my medal and punching the air, I was already planning my next running challenge. Up until this time, I had been an avid gym goer and like many of my peers in their early 30s, the incentive to exercise was to shed the baby weight, not really to get fit.
When a move out of London prompted the resignation of my gym membership, my husband cajoled me into running. I was soon dragging my girlfriends out with me and another mum’s running club was born. Fast forward to present day, I’m six years older and I’m training for my fifth marathon. My blogging mantra is “Just Keep Writing” and as for motivating those who have never run a marathon, what more motivation does one need than raising money for a worthwhile cause – this is what has propelled me over the finish line of four marathons and will do again this year.
#ageisjustanumber – 23rd February 2015
Virgin bloggers such as I, will be relieved to know that composing a magum opus isn’t a requisite. Apparently my mantra should be “Just Keep Writing”.
Also, according to the “blog bible”, having a theme is the most important thing you need; ‘it narrows your focus and gives you a boundary’. My theme? “Being 40 plus will not stop me running the London Marathon this year”.
As a journalist I don’t harbour a fear of writing and I don’t have many inhibitions, but I don’t want to inflict annoyance by perpetually rambling on about my training schedule, sore toes and backache, which leads me to conclude that I’m going to follow my adopted mantra and go with the flow.
My journey thus far… I’m now in week 4 of training and there’s 62 days to go or 2 months and 3 days or 45 weekdays and 17 weekend days or 8 weeks and 6 days or 1,488 hours. I’m on target – my subconscious is telling me to stick to the schedule and there’s also my trainer, Frank, who is keeping close tabs on my progress.
London 2015 will be my fifth marathon My motivation? Running brings me alive and makes me feel invigorated.
I’m not going to peak too early The long mileage will come and clocking up too much, too soon, will not only play havoc with my body but training will become burdensome.
I have to run to music It offers valuable motivation and without it I simply can’t zone out. I find running to opera music is uplifting – sounds cliché but it stirs up all sorts of emotions.
Run Write Run I tend to run after midday when it’s milder and I’ve put in a morning’s work – it’s the perfect antidote to sitting at the computer.
Ditch the Garmin Running can revolve around numbers – average pace, fastest race times, miles per week and heart rate – it becomes a mathematical minefield and I’ve never run without one. This time, I’m attempting to break the addiction and I’m finding it easier to get lost in my thoughts without the distraction. The sound of the beep at every mile is also just a cruel reminder of how many miles are left. A Garmin will not get me over the finish line but fundraising for a worthwhile cause will and I’m donating my Seven Seas sponsorship money to CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young). Please donate here at JustGiving.
Dietary supplements I wish I could confess that along with the Garmin I’ve ditched my vices in life, such as wine and kettle chips, but I can’t, although I am of course curtailing my indulgences on weekdays which is my optimal training time. I’m religiously popping Seven Seas Perfect7 Woman and Joint Care Supplex, a blend of marine oils, rich in Omega 3, key vitamins and minerals. Nutritionist Colette Pienaar, renowned for her holistic approach, is a joy to listen to – she’s not lecturing me on radically changing my eating habits but is gently steering me in healthier directions. I’m adding protein powder to certain types of foods (soups, cereal, porridge, mash potatoes, shakes etc) – it is what it is but it’s also meant to help increase lean muscle mass. I also believe in the occasional chocolate supplement – Green & Black’s is a firm favourite of mine.
85 Days to Go – 30th January 2015
Welcome to my first blog.
This is all rather new to me and I’m rather out of my comfort zone – this time the shoe is on the other foot – I’m writing about myself rather than other people.
They say you don’t know what’s around the corner and that’s certainly true in my life this week.
It has been confirmed that Seven Seas is sponsoring me to run the London Marathon on 26 April – that’s in 85 days, 10 hours, 30 minutes and well the seconds are passing too quickly to be any more concise than this.
I am (hopefully) going to prove that an over 40 year old can run a marathon.
For those of you who know me, you may be wondering what I’ve got to prove because I have in fact clocked up four marathons during the past five years (one doesn’t count though because I was 39 at the time).
Running 26.2 miles, whoever you are, whatever age, whatever size or shape, is always a challenge and with each one, comes along new challenges.
You might be a regular long distance runner, a seasoned marathoner or a virgin marathoner who has religiously stuck to a training programme, popped the recommended supplements and followed a rigid diet to support your training and to achieve “optimum performance” but you never know how you will actually fare on the big day.
And so the journey begins – this time is particularly challenging because I more or less retired from running after last year’s marathon and truly felt it was the right time to hang up my trainers.
The demands of training combined with juggling work and looking after my three boys is going to require huge commitment and dedication.
But I WILL do this!
Training programme (thanks to Fit with Frank) kicks in on Monday and I start in earnest.
I am taking Perfect 7 for Women Seven Seas supplements so will be reporting on my progress with these and I’ll be throwing in the odd top tips from Colette Pienaar of Pure Form Fitness, nutrition and well-being guru, who will be ably assisting me on what should “go in” and offering general snippets of advice.
I will never say: “Never say never” again.
