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Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Kate Offer is transforming herself from a person who couldn't even run for a bus to somebody who is running for a bus that is 42 kilometres away.

Assistant Professor Offer had never been for a run when she accepted the challenge of the New York Marathon. She started training in December and recently completed the Round the Bridges run of 10 kms.

She is competing in the world's biggest marathon with her colleague from the Law School, Professor Tony Buti. They are both running for charities: Kate for World Vision and Tony for Amnesty International. They have to raise $10,000 each.

The New York Marathon is on November 6 and 40,000 people will take part.

"A friend who works for World Vision suggested it to me just when I felt I was in need of a physical challenge," Kate said. "When I started training, I walked - because I couldn't run.

"I've never played sport so the discipline needed for this is new to me. But it's true what they say: the fitter I get the more energy I have and the better I feel. Before, I would have thought going for a run would make me feel awful, but it makes me feel great."

Tony, who has been running for 20 years, agreed. "Once you reach a certain fitness level, running feels really good. It's addictive," he said. The lecturer and Member of Parliament has even run from his Armadale home to Parliament House. Once a week he runs 30 to 36 kms and around 11 kms on the other five or six days a week.

He has run in two marathons, the City to Surf marathon and the Perth marathon, both in under three hours 40 minutes. He is aiming to do New York in three hours 30.

"The City to Surf full marathon is one of the hardest in the world, with steep hills at Malcolm Street and Underwood Avenue," he said. The two lawyers met as new graduates at Perth law firm Dwyer Durack. They reconnected at UWA, but their paths had never crossed on a running track until Kate sent an email to her colleagues telling them she was doing the New York marathon.

She read a book called The Non- Runner's Marathon Training, then used an app on her iPhone, Couch Potato to 10km, to start her training.

"It's a big goal but I break it down into what I need to do each day," said Kate, who trains three or four times a week. "I tell myself I don't have to run the New York marathon today, I just have to run for one hour today."

While Tony says discipline and the right mental attitude are important for training and running a marathon, "you just have to get the miles into the legs."

"You do get a bit nervous before a marathon, but it's a great day," he said. "I always do better times in a marathon than when I'm training because there's an energy from the crowd and the other runners and there are drinks and energy supplements along the way."

Kate's goal is simply to complete New York, but Tony is already looking towards one day doing the other big three international marathons: Boston, London and Berlin.

To make a donation to Tony for Amnesty International, go to www.gofundraise. com.au/page/TonyButi

To donate to Kate for World Vision, go to: www.everydayhero.com.au/kate_ offer

Kate is running a blog, The New Walker, about her experiences. Follow them on https://thenewwalker.blog.blogspot.com/

Published in UWA News , 16 May 2011

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