Marathoners run.  And while they use legs rather than cars, during the process, people around them might be driven crazy.  Or even better infected to run.  Amanda Borg, wife of the Mellieha Atheltic Club President, Julian Borg sounds to be happily on the receiving end of such effect.



Amanda, these first weeks of the year happen to be the time that your husband Julian Borg is preparing for the marathon.  How have they differed (if any at all) from other weeks of the year?


Since Julian and I both work and have two young children, we have a strict daily routine that we adhere to all year round.  Julian trains early in the morning almost every day so it is pretty much business as usual, with the exception of the following these past weeks:


a) The frequency by which Julian checks his weight on the scales! b) Healthier dinners and smaller portions!    

Julian has recently become more selective with what he eats – an increased emphasis on vegetables rather than carbohydrates has become the order of the day.  This of course has a positive spill-over effect on all the members of the family, including the little ones.  A few days ago I told our daughter that “daddy has dinner with work colleagues” – her reply was “what fun…we can eat what we want tonight!”Just yesterday morning, being the start of the week prior to the marathon, he sent me an e-mail with his preferences for each day of this week.  This is time-saving for me as I have less to think about when shopping and preparing.  Planning what to eat is extremely important.  


You now run yourself, but maybe at the moment you are not thinking about running a marathon.  Am I right in thinking that while you probably wholly admire someone who wants to run 42 whole kilometres, you also think there is an element of madness in it? 

You are partly right! I agree with the first half of your question – I have full admiration for all those running 42km.  From what I can see, M-Day for such participants involves a great sense of commitment due to all the training hours and personal sacrifices involved.  Regarding the second part of your question, I do not think of 42km of running as madness.  I believe that different people set different challenges for themselves…I would be mad if I had to run 42km myself but for those who are physically and mentally prepared to take up such a challenge, why not!  


You have a background in classical ballet.  For most people ballet has a higher aesthetic value than running.  Yourself, can you compare the joys of the two? 

I joined ballet classes at 3 years old and continued with them until the second year at University. At that point my dedication began to dwindle as more important things at the time came into play … like studying.

Looking back at those good old years, I can recall that obtaining a good performance called for physical, mental, technical and artistic skills.  With the exception of the latter, I have come to realise that these skills are required just as much when running.  Other similarities between both disciplines include leg power, muscle strength, flexibility, frequent training, bruised toe nails – and of course no red nail polish for long toe nails! 

On the contrary, ballet requires turn out of the feet whilst running is a turned in activity. Running is astraightforward repetitive motion demanding higher endurance levels and impact whilst ballet involves a broader range of motion and attention to detail.  The watch says it all with running making results objective as opposed to ballet assessments which are very much subjective. Despite the differences, the joys of ballet in the past and running at present, provide an overall “feel good factor”, a feeling that to me is very much comparable!   

Last but not least, thinking back at the ballet days, very patiently my parents used  to drive me to and fro from ballet classes.  Nowadays my parents are still there  who together with my in-laws are a great source of support to me since they babysit my little ones which helps me to adhere  to my training routine.  


You have taken to running through the Mellieha AC Beginners class.  For most people running is simply a natural thing to do, which does not need classes.  Your case seems to be different, what was it in the classes that made you fall in love with running?

I joined the MAC Beginners class following a suggestion from my dear friend Carmen in October 2011.  I decided to take up running just to shed a few pounds and fit back into three pairs of jeans purchased before I had my two children.  Never would I have thought that this would be the start of my new hobby! 

At the class I met lots of great people and found myself running buddies that I could train with which has been one of the main sources of motivation.  In particular, my running buddy Stephanie has been a constant source of support and encouragement.   

The other source of motivation is the fact that joining a class and proceeding from the beginners to the intermediate to the advanced class makes me plan to go to the track since I have a commitment.  Reminding myself that I have invested in a number of on-line purchases related to running gear is an added incentive to make use of them – this perhaps is due to the fact that I am an economist by profession and my mind reasons things out in this manner! 

Be it rain or shine, Joe is always there to guide us and provide advice.  The best piece of advice I learnt from Joe is to listen to the questions of other people in the group since these may be questions of my own.  

All in all classes have made me more aware that there is much more to running than just putting on a pair of running shoes and setting off.  Since joining the classes, I think that I have improved the way I run such as correct positioning of the arms and concentrating to turn in rather than out when running, a trait inherited from the ballet years.  Lastly I must not forget to mention the stretching and technique sessions which are always very enjoyable and relaxing.  These parts of the class always  remind me of the good old ballet years.  


I imagine you in the past you’ve been a spectator/supporter on the Marathon/Half Marathon Day.  This year you would actually be one of the runners.  How long have you been envisaging such a day and how much of a good feeling it is knowing that you will be swapping a place from the pavement to the course of the road? 

Ever since I met Julian way back in 1999, with the exception of some years, I have always been a spectator on Marathon or Half Marathon Day, waiting to cheer him and other MAC members as they approached the finish.  The atmosphere at the finish is always great and the look on runners’ faces as they approach says it all!  

The thought of running 21km has always intrigued me…this has been one of the things on my wish list for the last few years.  Thanks to the overall philosophy and guidance of our coach Has Kesra, this year I have confidence to approach the start line of the 21km and focus on reaching the finish giving it my best!  Nowadays technology is just great - distance barriers are overcome and Has is always just a click away!

  
While you will be focusing on the 21 kilometres before you, I imagine some part of your mind will be on your husband who will be running twice as much as you?  How do you think you will juggle the two tasks? 

Very good question indeed…On the day I can imagine myself thinking that Julian is running twice the distance which may in fact act a source of encouragement to me, helping me to focus on my race.   On the negative side, the temptation of thinking about how Julian is doing may distract my focus. 

I think that the key to juggling both tasks is to blank out any negative thoughts and think positive.  I will try to concentrate my thoughts on the finish line…thinking of how nice it will be to meet my family – Julian, the little ones, parents and in-laws and the MAC members at Sliema. 

This reminds me – something else to add to the shopping list besides protein, veggies and carbs - a nice bottle of red wine which may come in handy to celebrate with Julian the possibility of a joint 63.3km on Sunday evening!