Fit & Fab ex-Farmer at 50!

Name: Marjorie Brownlee
Home: Guelph, ON
Age: 52

Life before running
As a child, I ran mostly to keep up with my older brothers who ran to keep ahead of me. I was never considered an athlete - I was too awkward. I just couldn't "do" sports. So I ran.
I stopped running when I fell in love then married a farmer, bought a farm, and had a baby. Hoping to re-establish my own identity, one day I brought home a beautiful pair of running shoes, proudly announcing I was going to run again. My dear husband, however, never understanding the Zen of running, told me, "If you want exercise, there's a fork in the barn." Good-bye Adidas, hello rubber boots. It turns out I could get fit and zone-out in a pig-pen. But I smelt bad. Really bad.
Time passed. Thirty passed, 40 passed, and things happened. My husband died. I sold the farm. I got a new job in a new town, fell out of shape, and gained weight - stress weight, self-pity weight - call it what you want but it wasn't pretty.

Turning Point
A couple of years ago, my daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and both my brother and cousin, neither of them much older than I, were hospitalized with cardiovascular problems. In support of my daughter, I joined her on a medical diet and discovered a whole range of foods I shouldn't have been eating and finally found some long-lost energy!
Scared that I could still follow my brother and cousin into the hospital, I was determined to get more exercise. Running seemed to be popular, and people seemed to enjoy it. I used to enjoy it, but I was so out of shape. The local running store advertised 5k running clinics. I screwed up my courage, marched into the store and asked the young woman at the counter, "Look at me. I am 50 and out of shape. Can I do this?" She smiled encouragingly and said, "Of course you can! Everyone else will be just starting out too." Bless her heart.

The Plan
I was determined to complete the 5k clinic. Actually running for 30 minutes straight; how awesome would that be? I could actually reach my goal of "fit at 50." But I was worried about staying motivated. I needn't have worried. Several of us in the clinic became good friends, making sure we all showed up for each session. In June 2009, we ran our first 5k race. We talked one another into signing up for the 10k clinic last Fall, gathered a few more running friends into the fold, and ran our first 10k in November.
Then disaster struck: just before the half marathon clinic in January, I had major knee pain. My doctor ordered tests and physiotherapy. She wanted me to stop running. Like my husband, she did not understand the Zen of running. My physiotherapist, a runner, agreed the half marathon clinic was not a wise choice, but I could redo the 10k and take it day-by-day. Set back several weeks, I did miss the half marathon clinic, but still had some buddies to train with. The Chocolate Race will be our very first half marathon and there's no holding us back!

The Biggest Reward
It is difficult to choose the biggest reward, because the rewards are numerous and intertwined: improved physical and emotional health, new friendships and a whole mutual support network. I've been running less than a year and a half, and it has been one of the most amazing times of my life. And all that weight I gained in my 40s? It's gone, and I finally feel like I have established my own new and improved identity.
That said, my daughter's support has probably been my biggest reward. Although, like her brother, she can and will do any sport besides running, she has been my biggest fan, coming to all my firsts; my first 5k, my first 10k, and now my first half marathon. Thanks Alison!

My tips for success
1. Join a group. The support is invaluable; the others need you just as much as you need them.
2. Eat chocolate. I have no scientific supporting data, but I'm convinced it helps me run!