The Strength Within

When it comes to marathon running, despite holding records in four different swimming categories, Fran Halsall feels like a fish out of water

Even if you have serious sporting pedigree, marathon running is a daunting prospect. Olympic swimmer Fran Halsall retired from professional sport in January and has since struggled to find her new exercise niche. ‘As I was so used to training for a specific goal, I found it difficult to find the motivation to work out purely for the sake of health. When the opportunity to run the New York Marathon with New Balance presented itself, I jumped at the chance. Finally, I had something to strive for.’ A decade of training as a professional swimmer has given Fran mental and physical resilience. But swimming a race that lasts only 24 seconds is poles apart from pounding the pavements for upwards of four hours. ‘I need to work on staying focused and pushing through the pain,’ says Fran. Using her swimming background in training will help her increase her stamina and endurance. Regular pool sessions improve cardio while running and reduce DOMS. What’s more, any niggling injuries can be overcome with recovery swims, as they help take the pressure off weight-bearing joints. Fran acknowledges her time won’t come close to the winner, so will just receiving a finishers medal be reward enough when record breaking is your norm? ‘I’m running to prove to myself that I can get the same sense of achievement from completing something I never dreamed I would. I want to get to a stage where I enjoy just taking part.’