'M A RUNNER
Alicia
Loxley,
32,
Melbourne
Journalist and news presenter, Nine Network
Interview by SABRINA ROGERS-ANDERSON • Photograph by DARREN HOWE
I started running regularly three
or four years ago when I was living
in Sydney. A couple of my girlfriends
decided to do the half-marathon in
Melbourne and I thought that distance
would be a great goal to achieve. So in
2011,
I signed up for the Mudgee Running
Festival half-marathon and really got
into my training. It was such an amazing
feeling to cross the finish line.
I was planning on doing the half-
marathon in Melbourne in October, but
then I found out I was pregnant. I'm due
in December, so I'll just be doing the 3km
walk this year.
When I'm not pregnant, I run three
or four times a week. There's a 7K run
from my house that's quite hilly and
challenging, and I'll occasionally do
another course that's about 10K. If I'm
training for an event, I'll mix it up by
doing some intervals and hill sprints to
try to get a bit quicker.
I've
gotten
to a point now where I
really enjoy running - I never did when
I only ran occasionally. Once I'm five
minutes in, I feel fit and healthy and I'm
enjoying the actual process. The feeling
of exhilaration after a run is probably the
best bit about it.
When I lived in Sydney and was
working on The
Today
Show,
I had a
lot more time to run. I started work at
3am but I was finished by 9am - it gave
me plenty of time to train for my first
half-marathon. So when I moved back
to Melbourne and started reading the
news on weekends and reporting during
the week, I found the change really hard.
I'm not a morning runner - I tend to run
straight after work and on my days off.
With
my job, I deal with some difficult
stories, so running is a really lovely way
to clear my head, switch off and escape
everyday stresses.
I could make a bunch of excuses not
to run, but it's all about getting my shoes
on and getting out of the house rather
than thinking of all the reasons why I
can't. I always feel so good afterwards,
so that's what I focus on before I go out
the door.
My favourite place to run is Studley
Park near my home in Melbourne's inner
east. It's about 3K from the city and
there's a children's farm there, so you run
between farm animals on the track. You
feel like you're in the country, but you're
right in the middle of Melbourne.
Music
is
essential
when I'm running - I
tend to have Beyonce blaring. I've been
caught singing out loud a couple of times
when I didn't know someone was behind
me.
I felt like I should apologise to them
for the noise pollution! ®
Alicia
Loxley
is a proud
ambassador
of the
2013
Medibank Melbourne Marathon.
98 OCTOBER 2013
