Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 90, January 2017 | 页面 17

19 years.” Today she still teaches the piano,
and when asked how she manages to balance
teaching with her training, she simply says, “I
don’t, it is just chaos! But music and running
have so much in common… both require
discipline and perseverance, and both provide
enormous self-satisfaction.”
Ironically, Deirdre says the word exercise did not
even feature in her vocabulary for most of her
life. “That was mainly due to the fact that I was
born with a missing vertebrae and believed that
I had to keep as still as possible. At the age of
38, after having my four children, I underwent
a back operation, following which I battled even
to lift a teacup while recovering. I eventually
got stronger, but always stayed careful of my
back.” Then in her seventies she heard she had
osteoporosis and everything changed. Now
exercise is part of her daily routine, in spite of
her busy schedule.

Keeping it Regular
For many years Deirdre has risen early to get
her run in, and she says her usual routine is 7km
a day at 5:30am, four days a week, with some
fitness classes thrown in for cross-training, and
a rest day the day before a race, as well as one
the day after. “Considering my age, I think two
days’ rest is best. I enjoy my rest days, but on
other days I don’t just want to lie in bed. There
are things to be done!”
Deirdre firmly believes the older you get the

more exercise you need, and not the other way
around! “I played music at old age homes and
retirement villages and some of the people there
just went to sleep while we were playing. The
only thing that sometimes kept them awake
was the cake! People think when they hit 60
they just have to sit and that they are too old to
start exercising. I think they should all start with
gentle walking and then even some running, but
if running is too much they can stick to walking.
As long as they do something!”
In terms of running and racing, Deirdre says
she really enjoys the camaraderie of the running
community. “I once read a letter of a woman
saying she is so lonely over weekends. Then
I thought of how exciting weekends are for
me. I get to go to races and meet so many
different people. I am in a happy atmosphere
on weekends. People are so encouraging, and
when they see me run, they always tell me to
keep going.”

are sold immediately get an A, no matter how
difficult the route was!”
She reckons her running ability is partly down
to good genes and partly her diet and exercise
regime, and it is all paying dividend for her
health, helping to counter her osteoporosis.
Unsurprisingly, she says she would like to keep
running for as long as she can, because “I don’t
feel my age and I would like to inspire other
older people to run. Every morning I get up and
feel my legs, say ‘Well, I still have them,’ and
then I go run.”

Healthy Outlook
Deirdre is a strong believer in healthy
eating habits and makes sure her diet is
balanced. Breakfast includes ground nuts,
seeds and mixed berries with soya milk,
while lunch is always a peanut butter or
cheese sandwich, and she makes sure dinner
includes two vegetables. Her one indulgence
is decaffeinated cappuccinos. “I mark my races
in a logbook with an A for good and a B for not
so good, and those races where decaf cappuccinos

17