E-Paper
Is it too late to start running? The short answer is, no
A Briton settled in New Delhi, Christine Pemberton started running at 60. Six years later, she is aiming to run ultramarathons
Writer, photographer, hiker, marathon runner—Christine Pemberton likes to live life to the fullest. Pemberton, who has been living in Delhi since 2005, took to running only six years ago, when she turned 60, as something she wanted to tick off her “bucket list”. She fell in love immediately, and has been notching up the miles ever since.
Speaking from Kathmandu, before setting out to climb a 6,500m peak in Nepal, Pemberton shares her experience of running marathons, her desire to challenge herself by running an ultramarathon in Ladakh, and what keeps her motivated at 66.
Excerpts:
You took to running marathons at 60. From where did you get the idea? Do you regret not starting earlier?
I started learning how to run as part of my “Oh my God I’m turning 60” bucket list. And yes, I actually had to learn how to run. (But ever since) there was no looking back. I loved it from day one. From the 6km fun run, it was a natural progression to 10km, then the big step to a half-marathon, and then in January 2016 my first marathon which was a fabulous experience. I have run eight marathons so far. My ninth will be Mumbai in January 2020. Sometimes I wish I had started earlier but there’s little point in regrets like that.
You’ve witnessed the growing interest in running in India.
Running is definitely on the rise in India and I’m delighted that fitness, and running in particular, is increasingly popular. Runners are amongst the nicest bunch of people you could wish to meet and are always super supportive of each other. The trend is catching up.
How do you take care of the nutrition required for both fitness and endurance?
I am always hungry when training and as a vegetarian I am conscious that my nutrition is often not always what it should be. I eat loads of fruit and nuts. Bananas are a staple.
Is it hard to balance your love for running and a family life?
My husband gets irritated when I regularly skip dinners and parties as I have to go for a run the next day. But over the years he has reluctantly accepted that’s how it is. The Indian running calendar coincides with the winter festivals and weddings and I end up skipping quite a few functions. You cannot party and then get up at dawn to train. My children are young adults and are proud of me. Well, that’s what they say but they probably roll their eyes in despair when I’m not around to see.
What keeps you going at this age? Have you ever run an ultramarathon?
I love running. I feel that running has made me younger, if that makes any sense. The motivation is to keep improving, keep proving to myself and at the same time have fun. And no I have not been part of any ultra run yet. It is on the bucket list for 2020. I want to run the 55km section of La Ultra in Ladakh.
How have you evolved as a marathoner since you started?
Let me own up here that I am the slowest runner on the planet so I haven’t ‘evolved’ much though I keep working at getting faster each year. But I’ve learned that I can keep going for 42.195km, never forget the .195 at the end, and still be smiling at the end. Running a marathon is such an amazing feeling and I am proud of being able to run the distance even if I am slow.
What are your goals and targets?
I want to get faster with every race. Late in life, but I have discovered just how competitive I am. I’m training for Mumbai 2020 but have recently focused much more on training for my climb so the marathon work begins in earnest when I’m back from the Himalayas.
