Meet a Mover Monday – Meisha

Meisha – 38 years old (40 next year! eek!), I am originally from country SA but I currently live in Melbourne. I am married and have 2 young kids. I love to listen to music, eat yummy stuff, watch dvd box sets and travel. I work part time as a Financial Controller. I have signed up to run my first half marathon as part of the Melbourne Marathon Festival in October this year.When did you start running and why?

When my kids were 1 and 3 I really wanted to shift some weight and get fit but was having trouble fitting in gym classes, especially as I was living without any family around me at the time. I was living in the UK and watching the Olympics on the TV and felt really inspired by the athletes, and thought that perhaps if I could learn to run it would be great.

I’d always played team sports as a kid and in my 20s but hadn’t done anything other than Pilates and walking since then.  Not long after I returned to Australia to live, and my friend Lee hooked me up with Operation Move. That’s when I learnt to run! I totally fell in love with it – I lost the weight but now I don’t really worry about my weight, my goals are around improving my speed, endurance and strength.

I’m still working up to longer distances at the moment, so my answer to this may change in a few months, but I really love 10km, and I have done a 14km as well which I really enjoyed. I always find the first few kms quite hard and then after that I find my rhythm and enjoy myself a lot more.

A hat or headband to keep my hair out of my eyes.

Spibelt if I am carrying my phone and/or keys

Good sports bra – I have a great 2XU one and also a Triumph Triaction bra. You don’t have to have big knockers to need a good sports bra 😉

Nippys chocolate milk (not sponsored, but open to offers) straight away, then after my shower I love French toast with berries and maple syrup. Or if its dinner time my husband will have cooked me something yummy with chicken.

Huge variation of genres! Anything that fires me up, or makes me sing and dance. Latest addition to the playlist is some classic Duran Duran, but also partial to Rage Against the Machine and The Chemical Brothers.  I really really love listening to music when I run!!!!

If it hasn’t been recorded on the Garmin it pretty much didn’t happen. GEEK. And love my ipod shuffle.

Take it slow at the start and don’t compare yourself to others. Be consistent and patient and you’ll be rewarded.I wish I could…….

Not have bunions. Without surgery I may be limited in the distances that I can run and that makes me sad.

How I have stuck to running and been so determined and consistent with my training. The old me from 10 years ago would have given up after not seeing results immediately. I partly have Operation Move and my husband to thank for that, but at the end of the day I make it happen.