Ruth Wilson: I'm a Runner
Ruth Wilson recently swapped the silver screen for the streets of London, running this year’s marathon in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK. Here, she talks about fitting in training around the day job, running with her brothers and whether she might run another marathon…
Were you sporty as a child?
I was. My Dad thought that, because I had long legs, I should be an athlete. My weekends and summers were filled with tennis, athletics, swimming and netball. However, when I went to university, acting took over and I have sadly never returned to team sports.
How did you manage to fit in the training around the demands of your job?
Luckily, I finished my last filming job in mid-December last year, just in time for the hardcore marathon training to start. My training schedule was fairly flexible, although I’m not sure that made it any easier getting up and out for those long runs.
Was running the London Marathon everything you hoped it would be?
It was eventful, and not quite how I anticipated, but amazing all the same. I was running with my three brothers and my oldest nephew. We had decided we would all run our own race because we had different paces. It was an incredible morning getting ready with them all – it felt like a huge school sports day, with everyone very excited and nervous. I started my marathon well: I was running at a sub-4-hour pace and feeling very good. The crowds were extraordinary and just the act of running with thousands of people all raising money for various charities was overwhelming. I had a huge smile on my face. Then disaster stuck at around the 35km mark. My ankle and calf gave in, and I could no longer run on it. My hero of a brother Toby scooped me up and we walked the last 7.2km together. So it was not as I imagined, but we still got over the line and the day came to represent family more than ever.
Why did you choose to run for Alzheimer’s Research UK?
My lovely Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago and, before that, my sister-in-law’s mother passed away with early onset Alzheimer’s. It’s a cruel and devastating disease. My father participated in the very first London Marathon in 1981, so we felt it fitting to run together in honour of him.
Where’s your favourite place to run?
I loved using the training to discover areas of London I would never usually explore. Hackney Marshes, Woolwich, Limehouse and the City, but my favourite spots were the London Parks: Battersea, Victoria, Southwark and Regent’s Park.
What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions about running?
I’m not sure about misconceptions, but what I discovered was an acute awareness of body and the need to take care of it. Food became fuel. Physio and strengthening were essential, as well as a good old stretch afterwards. You quickly worked out what worked for you. I found the gels would spike my blood sugar and mess with my stomach, so on the day I had to resort to good old-fashioned Jelly Babies and dates.
Do you like to run with music or no soundtrack?
I started running listening to podcasts – they were a good way to measure time. But then I mixed it up with music and sometimes nothing but my own breathing. On the day, I had music in just one ear bud so I could still hear the crowds. The music gave me a rhythm to run and breathe to, and allowed me to disappear into the internal when it got a little tougher out there.
Lots of runners say they have some of their best creative ideas while out running. Did you experience this?
Not me! I was too busy listening to the details of the sinking of the Titanic on my history podcast…
Now that the marathon is finished, will you carry on running regularly?
I definitely want to continue a bit of running – I really loved being able to run further and faster. Let me recover from my ankle injury before I commit to another marathon – but a large part of me wants to say I ran the whole thing. Most of my family who ran have already signed up for the London Marathon ballot for next year, so let’s see…
Ruth Wilson is raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK: justgiving.com/page/wilsonsrunlondon
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