Thame Hub caught up with local fitness instructor, Polly Wright to talk all things exercise. On Sunday 24th April 2016, Polly joined over 39,000 people at the start line of the London Marathon to take to the streets of London to complete a gruelling 26.2 mile run.
How would you describe your feelings on completing the marathon?
I felt amazing after the marathon and very proud of my sister for completing it with me. I loved every single second of the marathon and I felt very emotional for each runner completing the race. Although, the adrenaline wore off the next day and my legs didn’t feel so fantastic.
Did you hit your target time and what was it?
I ran with my sister for our mum who is sadly suffering from Cancer, and although as a competitive person I found it very hard to not have achieved my target of under 4 hours, we completed it together and that was more important. A great piece of advice I was given, was “When your mind starts to give up, and your legs get tired, run with your heart”
How much did you raise for your chosen charity?
I ran for Pancreatic Cancer UK, a charity very close to my family at the moment. So far we have raised £6,700 and the money is still continuing to rise. We are all overwhelmed with everyone’s support!
How long were you training, and what training was involved?
I followed the official Virgin London Marathon Intermediate 17-week training programme. I have always been a keen runner and keep my general fitness levels quite high. I started training in January this year and worked up to 22 miles as our longest run. Training for the event was hard. Stepping out of the front door on the cold, dark and wet early mornings and late evenings was the most difficult, but the race day was incredible and made it all worthwhile.
I also incorporated a lot of stretching, foam rolling and core stability work 2-3 times per week which helped me avoid any injuries whilst training.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about running the London marathon in the future?
Anyone can do it. I truly believe as long as you follow a well-structured programme and have a positive mind (and a supportive friend who will push you out the door when you really need to get the run done), the crowd on the day will help you around the 26.2 miles.
You provide various fitness services in Thame, tell us a bit more about them?
My day job is Coordinator of The Better Exercise Referral Scheme for South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, organising exercise programmes for clients referred to us due to their various health issues.
In addition, I run my own exercise class called Stretch and Roll. This class is designed to focus on balance, flexibility and relieving stress from your muscles.
Taking care of your body is vital for a happier and healthier lifestyle. No matter what your athletic goal is, you should always keep your muscles loose and limber to enhance performance and the way you feel.
My classes are specifically designed to teach you the best ways to stretch, and massage your muscle groups that will allow them to perform at their highest level. It is for all ages and abilities and even men too!
I teach a class weekly at the Thame Barns Centre, but I am looking into teaching sport teams around the area to help prevent injuries and to speed up the recovery process of teams and individuals.
Do you have a website people can get more information on?
Yes, I have a website: www.pollywrightfitness.co.uk please check it out for more info.
Thanks Polly, the 2017 London Marathon public ballot closes tomorrow so if you’re interested in running it, there’s still time to get your application in. In the meantime if you are interesting in taking Polly’s Stretch and Roll class its held at Thame Barns Centre every Thursday at 18.15, so please check out her website for more information.
