{"id":238458,"date":"2026-01-17T18:52:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T18:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/238458\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T18:52:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T18:52:10","slug":"i-didnt-run-until-i-turned-47-heres-how-it-transformed-my-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/238458\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I didn\u2019t run until I turned 47 \u2013 here\u2019s how it transformed my life\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

I didn\u2019t start running because I loved exercise. In fact, before I discovered the life-changing power of putting one foot in front of the other, I didn\u2019t move my body at all. Nor did I feel that like my life was lacking \u2013 parenting four small children and running a hair salon meant that my days were packed from start to finish. It was exhausting, but it was joyful \u2013 and I felt fulfilled. <\/p>\n

It was during a routine well-woman appointment with my GP (a service available to all women over 18) when my perspective changed, when I was 47. My results were fine, but when my doctor asked about my fitness routine, I realised that I had nothing to say. And when I confessed that I thought that running around after children constituted exercise, I was humbled to learn that it didn\u2019t \u2013 you have to raise your heart rate. <\/p>\n

\"running<\/p>\n

On her advice, I took up walking<\/a> \u2013 and when my sister told me that some of her colleagues were now running half marathons<\/a> after using the Couch to 5K<\/a> app, it sparked something in me. I\u2019d always envied runners of their freedom \u2013 the ability to lace up and head out without a route or a plan. It looked simple, accessible, achievable. I downloaded the app and set about finding a window in my week when I could run. <\/p>\n

That first run was terrifying. I only knew runners who were young \u2013 and fit \u2013 and I didn\u2019t feel confident enough to run on the roads. Instead, I stuck to the dog walking fields, alternating between walking and running as the app instructed \u2013 counting down the seconds until I could next stop. <\/p>\n

\"running<\/p>\n

For six weeks, my only goal was to turn running into a habit \u2013 and during my sixth week, I cracked it. For the first time, I was able to run for 20 minutes without stopping. As milestones go, this one felt monumental \u2013 the joy comparable with what some people must feel crossing the finish line of a marathon. After that, I never looked back. <\/p>\n

In the year that followed, I ran three to four times a week, only adjusting my routine when menopause<\/a> symptoms made strength training a non-negotiable. After learning that the decrease in oestrogen during perimenopause speeds up muscle loss, which can increase your risk of injury, I added three strength sessions per week \u2013 but running remained a constant for both my physical and mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n

\"running<\/p>\n

Nearly a decade on from that first run-walk, what started as a simple goal to run 5K has taken me places that I never imagined: marathons, ultramarathons and racing 50K and 100K events. Some of the most meaningful moments, though, weren\u2019t races at all. <\/p>\n

Running helped me to stay grounded when one of my teenage son\u2019s friends collapsed and tragically died at our house in 2020. It was a deeply traumatic time for our family. But in running, I found a space to breathe. It became somewhere I could be vulnerable. Some days, I would just sob, using movement to process emotions that I couldn\u2019t show anywhere else.<\/p>\n

More than anything, running has changed the way that I see myself. For a long time, I believed that my body was fragile. Through patience and consistency, I\u2019ve learned that it can adapt and grow stronger \u2013 even now, at 57. Strength isn\u2019t just pace or distance. It\u2019s showing up, rebuilding confidence and respecting what my body can do. <\/p>\n

Proudest accomplishment<\/p>\n

My consistency. Showing up day after day, even when it\u2019s hard.<\/p>\n

Running PB<\/p>\n

5K in 23 minutes and 30 seconds.<\/p>\n

Must-have run kit<\/p>\n

Asics SuperBlast 2<\/a> trainers. They made me believe that I could run again.<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I didn\u2019t start running because I loved exercise. In fact, before I discovered the life-changing power of putting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":238459,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[5218,140593,2117,565,134,2116,111,139,69,140592],"class_list":["post-238458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-0b1ac732-a7c9-48a0-aa16-1d3fd9f213dc","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-locale-gb","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-shorttitle-i-didnt-run-until-i-turned-47-heres-how-it-transformed-my-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238458\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}