Six years ago Steve Menzies was still an elite athlete, playing his last season of professional footy for Catalans Dragons in the English Super League. That year he turned 40. Since retirement, Steve has tried to stay fit and healthy and he’s looking forward to running the 6km event in this year’s Pub2Pub. Here are a few tips from The Beaver for those of you in his age group and beyond.

1. Start slow. Build into your fitness. Even start with going for a walk for a week or two then build into a jog as your muscles get used to the work load
2. Stretch. If you haven’t trained for a while, you’re going to get sore. Some simple stretching, even in front of the TV at night, will do wonders for you.
3. As your fitness improves, just remember that your body isn’t the same as it was years ago. If you trained or played sport in your younger years, the mind can easily take over and make you think you’re 21 again… so you push yourself too hard. The Pub2Pub is a FUN Run. Enjoy the day and get back a bit of fitness, without injuring yourself.
4. Eat right! When you train for anything, your body needs the right fuel so your muscles can recover to do it all again the next day. Eat a balanced diet and stay away from take away and processed foods.
5. This may be the most important of them all. Drink plenty of water! Staying hydrated before, during and after training is essential so the body can properly function and recover.
6. Don’t let your training stop when the Pub2Pub is over. If the event is a catalyst to re-start a training and healthy eating regimen, make sure you continue to make it part of your weekly routine. If you’re like me, you probably need an event like this to challenge you and get you re-focused on training. Look for other goals and lock them in! Maybe focus on a longer Pub2Pub run for next year. Or if that’s too far away, search for another event that’s on in 2-3 months that you can work towards.

And remember, you can run with Steve and his great mate Cliffy Lions in this year’s Pub2Pub by joining the Sea Eagles Team of which Steve is the appointed Captain.