Every now and then a legend is born, and we are lucky to have one as our run coach. Cynthia goes above and beyond for you in her sessions and truly leads by example. Her fitness CV is outstanding and her attitude next to none. Every year, for her birthday may I add, she sets herself a running goal. This year to was to compete her 11th Marathon but add 2 more kms to the end as she turned 44, I mean who does that lol.
I wanted to get inside her mind and ask her a few questions:
What’s your motivation for running?
The simplicity and the liberating, the challenge and the pain. Those are probably my motivations. Running is empowering, it’s therapeutic, it’s an escape of one’s problems. It could be competitive but it could also be childlike joyful. Running has taken me to once-in- a life time destinations and I have met many cool people along the way. And most of all, I never regret a run.
Have you always planned to do 11 marathons?
It was certainly not a plan, in fact, I did not realize I have done 11 until my family asked me the question. The first time I ran a marathon, I was 22. I was undertrained, didn’t know what I was doing, but when you are in your 20’s, you can pretty much jump out of bed and climb a mountain. Fast forward to 2 decades later, I just finished my 11th marathon (9 stand-alone marathons plus the marathons at the end of the 2 Ironman Triathlons), I could feel the heat and the pain. But when I got home and the kids were excited to hear my race stories and play with my finisher medal, I think to myself, “running all these marathons is hard and ridiculous, but it is not impossible. And if it is inspiring to my kids, it’s definitely worth it.”
Top 3 tips for improving your running?
Strength work, consistency, and eat plenty and frequently to fuel your workouts and your daily demands.
What’s your next goal?
I have 2 more races on my race calendar this year. The big race next year is a 100k trail race in Canberra. This is a distance I have raced in before but this time around, the challenge will be juggling with taking care of the kids and sharing training time with my husband.
When do you find time to run?
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are my training mornings. Monday, Friday, and Saturday, I get up at 4am, do my workout, and be home by 5:20am so my husband can get his training in. For the rest of the day, I aim to maximize my walking opportunities. For example, take public transportation instead of driving, family walks after dinner, and walking the kids to school or to pick up.
A great insight into then mind set of a legend!
If you have any running goals, then Cynthia is your gal. Join in the fun with her weekly run group on Wednesdays at Sydney Park at 6am.
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