This is the program I wish I had back when I was so frustrated, confused and overwhelmed about where to turn. Let me share my story with you…
“You’re going to get arthritis”
Said the Doctor, whilst I sat on a tired looking hospital bed having just had my cast removed. I looked down at my swollen ankle feeling deflated.
I sat as still as a statue, thinking about how this could affect my life.
Almost as though he read my mind, he abruptly said “It’ll never be the same again”.
I looked down, once again, at my swollen ankle and pink scars. I was accepting of the newly built construction site of 15 pins and 2 plates, but I was not accepting of how Dr Doom and Gloom had painted the picture of life for me.
In that moment, a strong feeling surged right through me. “You really don’t know me”, I thought defiantly to myself.
Deep down, I had no doubt that as I got older, I could be as fit, fast, and fire as I chose to be, and no extinguisher (aka the naysayers), would be able to put that flame out.
The big question though… was how?
Determination and strong-mindedness got me so far, but I was ready for bigger breakthroughs.
It took yet another surgery- this time on my left hip, for a spark to ignite.
‘That’s it’.
You see, the question I should have been asking is WHO not how. Trying to figure it out by myself wasn’t working and I needed help.
After this epiphany, my coaches shortly became my ‘who’ and we prevented a second hip surgery from going ahead.
It wasn’t easy, both physically and mentally at times, but my two coaches' belief in me (even when I was struggling to believe in myself), kept me going and I was able to prove the Doctor’s wrong.
Calling the hospital to cancel the second surgery was the biggest relief and best feeling ever.
Oh, and over a decade later- still no arthritis!
Whilst I was completing my Strength and Conditioning coaching qualification, after many years of being a sports massage therapist, I realised something…
Where was the ‘who’ for the older serious runners?
Where was the ‘who’ for those, like me, who discovered running later in life?
Where was the support for the runners tired of hearing “should you really be doing that at your age?” or “with your condition?”.
It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
And this is where the Run Strong/Think Strong was born- a program created for those who will not let others define what they are or are not capable of.
A program for 40+ marathon runners who want to get fitter, faster, race competitively, achieve personal goals, have more energy, focus, and feel great.
A program for those who will not accept the social conditioning that as you get older you will end up looking like the ‘elderly people crossing’ road sign.
Hell no!
Once I had cracked the power of having both a strong body and mind, it became my mission to help others to do the same.
This is a program that not only enhances your running performance, but the quality of your life too.
