REAL LIFE
Everyone can reap the fitness benefits of running, says Dr Louise Dumas, 77, who proves that age is no barrier to enjoying a feelgood race – whether that’s a 5k parkrun or a triathlon!
EVER NOTICED HOW health, fashion and beauty advice usually stops at 68? You might find tips for women into their sixties – but what happens next? Once upon a time, we took up knitting, joined the WI and looked after the grandchildren. There’s nothing wrong with that, but today mature women have plenty of other options. Many of us can still run, compete, and stay fit, strong and healthy into our seventies and beyond.
I’m 77 and have been a runner since 1968, but I’m not an athlete. Strangely, what started me off was reading about Lillie Langtry, mistress of the corpulent King Edward Vll. In order to cope with the king’s 12-course dinners, she ran two miles every morning. When I read about Lillie, I’d just given birth to my first daughter and felt like a meringue. So, I thought I’d give it a try. As everyone finds out, running looks much easier than it actually is. Starting out felt terrible but there was just enough benefit to keep going – although there were no nice trainers, Lycra kit or portable water bottles to make it more comfortable.
Working as a freelance writer allowed me time to run and I never stopped. In the 1990s, I was asked to join the Coakham Bloodhounds as a drag quarry, climbing trees and jumping into muddy rivers to try and lose the hounds – but you never do! I had absolutely no idea what it involved when I was asked to join but those events are some of the most exciting running I’ve ever done.
Next challenge was a running club. I was nervous because I thought everyone would be younger, faster and more athletic than me. But when I joined the Heathfield Road Runners, I realised running with new friends was a wonderful experience.
AGE IS NO BARRIER
My first big races were the Beachy Head Marathons, which I ran most years from the 1980s until 2011. Apparently, it’s the second toughest UK marathon (Snowdon takes the top spot) and runners are advised to add an hour to their normal times. But I knew and loved the course and it took me nearly six hours. The London Marathon took me five hours in 2005, when I was almost 60 years old.
After that, I wanted a race I could do every week, so I tried parkrun. It’s a free, timed 5k run on Saturday mornings in local parks around the UK. It became part of my weekly routine, as indeed it does for 350,000 of us in the UK, and more than three million worldwide. For years, I managed a respectable 30 minutes but it’s crept up a little bit to 32-33 minutes today. Fast youngsters flash past me in 17-20 minutes but they’re the age of my grandsons. I usually win my age category of 75-79 years – because I’m the only one in it!
