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Zero to hero in 53 mins

Carmel Thomason
19/ 5/2008

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for our L-plate athlete, Simon Donohue.

As the office guinea pig for sporting challenges, we've seen Simon try everything from swimming to squash in a bid to get himself fit.

But all the sweaty humiliation paid off yesterday when he crossed the finishing line at Beetham Tower in an impressive 53 minutes, 21 seconds.

For anyone running the BUPA Great Manchester Run for the first time the pressure is on. However much we all call it a fun run, when the big day arrives there are butterflies in the tummy as to whether or not you are going to make it around the course.

And if you are a bloke, that means finishing in a time that isn't going to be too embarrassing to reveal to your mates in the pub, even if you were running in an ostrich costume.

So imagine poor Simon, knowing that, not only were his three children waiting with anticipation at the end on Deansgate, but he'd have to print his time in the paper for everyone to see.

In last week's column he tried to cover his nerves writing: "I'll simply be happy to make it around the 10k course in one piece... it's the taking part which matters, isn't it?"

Massive change

But while Simon might have known little about fitness when he started this challenge, there is no doubt that over the past few months he has improved to a level where he can definitely throw away the L-plate.

"When I first started running just after Christmas I would run a mile and I was absolutely shattered," he admits. "It physically hurt and I'd feel sick. At that time I would run a mile in about 15 minutes. Now I've done 6.5 miles in under an hour and I could've gone a little bit further.

"The change is massive and it's made a big difference to my overall health. I've lost weight, I feel as though I've toned up and I'm watching what I eat generally."

In preparation for the event Simon was running 10k two or three times a week. Running on the actual day though is something else. There are thousands of other people for a start, so you are always watching your step so you don't trip. But the atmosphere of the crowd helps carry you along when tiredness sets in.

"All the people cheering and the bands playing really helps to keep you going," he said. "The atmosphere is great. There are thousands and thousands of people really enjoying themselves. There are loads of mixed abilities - it doesn't matter if you are any good or not, it's the taking part.

"I'd aimed to do it in about an hour and I did it in about six minutes under so I'm really pleased with that. Given it's quite a warm day and there are so many people around I think it's pretty good for me."

Incentive

Events like the BUPA Great Manchester Run can be an ideal incentive for people, like Simon, who want to get fit but need a reason to do so. You don't have to be a great athlete to take part. Rather it's a personal challenge to raise your own level of fitness with a final target in mind to help keep you focused.

"It's hard to find the time to go out and get fit when you are busy with work and family commitments," says Simon. "Doing a run like this really gives you an incentive - it's something to aim for. The fear of this hanging over me for the last four or five months has made me find time to go out and do it."

And now he's finally got rid of the L-plates, will he be keeping up the new regime? "It's not easy to always find the time, but it would be a shame to throw it all away," he adds. "I've now got a base level of fitness to build on, so I'll try and keep up with running a couple of times a week.

"But if I do the Great Manchester Run again I won't do it on my own. I think it would be more fun with somebody else - I'm thinking about my partner, Janet, who's been stood watching."

Looks like the L-plates will be back out again next year.