While many grey nomads keep themselves in shape thanks to a busy, outdoors lifestyle and the odd bushwalk … very few – if any – could claim to be as fit as ‘running nomad’ Paul Maggs.
The sprightly 75-year-old makes regular 10 kilometre runs and open water swims a huge part of his travelling adventures.
“We travel around in our caravan and I try to run and swim whatever I can,” he told the Canberra Times. “I always try to make sure I find out where all the runs are. It’s a good way of seeing things.”
The former priest and parole officer goes on 10-kilometre runs four times a week, and generally does so in well under an hour.
“Then, every second week I’ll do an 18-kilometre run,” he said. “And if I can do that under one hour and 45 minutes then I extend the run.”
When he is in remote areas, Mr Maggs has a foolproof way of measuring his running distance. He will drive away from his caravan at night and leave a bottle beside a post five kilometres away. The next morning, he runs off along the road until he reaches the bottle and turns to jog back.
A road trip later this year will take Mr Maggs and his wife to Townsville, Darwin, Alice Springs and parts of Western Australia and he has already mapped out a series of running and swimming events he can compete in.
The Canberra resident will get warmed up though by competing in a half marathon in Canberra next month and a half marathon in Sydney in May.
“I’ve always run, just about all my life, and thank God my family have fairly good joints,” Mr Maggs told the Canberra Times. “I know that I’m not going to be first over the line in the half marathon; it’s nice to come first, second, third in your age group … I’m running against myself, rather than against others.”
Mr Maggs believes “to be physically active is good mentally, too”, and he regularly swims, runs, goes to the gym and stretches to “keep in condition”.
That was always my plan until my knees and back went. Now at 55 I still can run the 10kms, but not four times a week. Still keep up with the young-uns at PT, but pay for it later! Good on you Paul.
Paul, and June, we have been looking for you.