If you've run a marathon in the western hemisphere sometime over the past ten years, chances are you'll have shared a race with Lisa Jackson. A seasoned runner, fancy dress aficionado and 100 marathon club contender, Lisa loves nothing more than making new friends during an event. She paced our Online News Ed Rhalou around her first marathon in 2011 and taught her how to embrace the fun on race day. Four years and several dozen marathons later, Rhalou catches up with her favourite running mentor at the 261 Women's Marathon in Palma.
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How long have you been running and when/why did you start?
I've been running for almost 17 years. I started when I was 30 and faced a stark choice: turn into a takeaway-gobbling, G&T-mainlining sofa-surfer, or follow in the very fit footsteps of my parents, who used to do 14K runs before breakfast on holiday and had the figures of teenagers. My first event was Race for Life, and when I saw how fun and sociable running could be (I'd thought of it as a horribly painful, humiliating and lonely experience before) I was hooked.
What do you love most about running?
Chatting, most definitely! I simply love the fact that you can line up at the start of any race anywhere on the planet and start talking to the person next to you. It's exciting to think you never know whether you'll share two words with them or 20,000 - and that they may very well become a friend for life.
You recently ran your 69th marathon, how many more do you intend to do and what are your running goals?
I'm hoping to get to 100 before April 2016 when my second running book will be published, as I want to become a full member of the 100 Marathon Club. When I first decided to join the club two years ago I thought it would take me about 20 years, but then I realised I'd only be able to wear the coveted blue and yellow T-shirt in my late 60s, so I thought I'd better get my skates on and join up much earlier so I can show it off for as long as possible.
Once I've reached 100 I'll continue to run marathons, but then I might try other things such as orienteering (it may help my general sense of direction), getting faster (so I can do a half Ironman - at the moment I often come last in marathons) or doing more ultra marathons such as the 56K Two Oceans Marathon or the 91K Comrades Up run (I've done the Down run twice but the Up run defeated me!)
Has running changed for you, or is it still the same now you’ve run 69 marathons?
Even though running has sadly never become easier physically for me, even after all this time, I now have cast-iron confidence that I'll finish (barring catastrophic engine failure), so it's a lot easier mentally. I'm also less shy about talking to people in races now, whereas before I'd wait until they spoke to me. If I see someone in an interesting costume, or who's struggling, I'll go over and say “Hi” and satisfy my curiosity about their get-up or ask if they need a bit of company to make the miles go by faster.
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The excitement I feel now isn't of the nervous kind, it's of the excited kind as I can't wait to find out what people I'll meet and what sights I'll see along the way.
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Every single marathon is special for some reason, so there aren’t any I regret doing. However two marathons really stand out for me - the 2011 Brighton Marathon and the recent 261 Women's Marathon. I'd done some hypnotherapy sessions with Rhalou for a magazine article she was writing and promised to accompany her on her first marathon. I'd never run an entire marathon with someone before so it was very special sharing her journey. She went from being fearful of the distance to embracing my ethos that doing a good time isn't nearly as important as having a great time - and even dressed up like a rock star on the day. Bar a wobbly bit at mile 20 when she started ambling in a zig-zag despite my urging her to “Walk with pride and purpose”, we had a blast.
Dedicating each mile to someone we loved and sharing why they were special is something I've never done since but will never forget. After that race my Dad called Rhalou my 'protégé' and the name stuck. Fast forward four years and I found myself unexpectedly lining up with Rhalou at the start of the 261 Women's Marathon in Majorca. This time it wasn't me doing the encouraging, it was her! Rhalou never failed to rush over on each switchback to give me a huge kiss (and even a little foil-wrapped stash of jelly babies!), and went on to smash her PB by 12 minutes, finishing almost two hours before I did. Sharing her excitement - and having her call me her 'mentor' (fancy that!) will always be a cherished memory.
You often dress up on race day; does fancy dress make a difference and what's been your favourite outfit?
I couldn't imagine running a marathon without wearing a funny hat or a costume. Prancing around in front of the mirror after the postman's delivered my latest piece of essential fit kit is a huge part of the enjoyment I get from running - as is seeing the delighted faces of young spectators during races. Runners often complain of a lack of crowd support at events and I say, “Give them something fabulous to look at and they will come!” I've also found wearing a costume is a great ice-breaker - other runners are less intimidated by you if you do so and will often come over for a natter. My favourite outfit? I adore them all, but I did love my Mardi Gras outfit at 261 – especially the rainbow-coloured bustle and flamingo sunglasses!
If you could give one piece of advice to a new runner, what would you say?
Focus on having fun - if you do, you'll be a runner for life. That means finding whatever it is that makes running enjoyable for you - and it's not necessarily aiming for PBs, though those are fantastic. It may be the get-together the night before, dressing up, making new friends, having a beer afterwards. If your main goal is having a blast it'll be easier to keep coming back for more.
Lisa's first running book, Running Made Easy, has sold over 100,000 copies, and has been the UK's best-selling beginner's running book for 12 years. Her next book, a running memoir featuring the stories of over 100 runners she has met through the years, is provisionally called It's Not About The Time You Do, But The Time You Have and will be published in April 2016 by Summersdale.
Do you have a running mentor, or someone special who taught you the joys of running? Share your run guru stories with us on Twitter @RunnersWorldUK using the hashtag #MyRunMentor
