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Alarm goes – 0600. Rain pounds the windows, the wind howls, it's dark and it's cold.  One side of my brain tells me to roll over and snuggle back under the doona, but the other more masochistic side always wins. I get up for my morning run. People often ask me how I manage it. I'm in my forties, with three teenage kids and a full-time job, but I always find time to exercise. I admit I'm addicted, but what a drug! It makes me feel alive. I've always exercised Since I can remember, exercise has been part of my life. A shy kid, I thrived at school because of sport and exercise. I was fit and coordinated so I was picked for all the teams. I had a sense of belonging, a passion for something; and I liked to win. This gave me a confidence that transferred to my schoolwork – my homework was always done and my marks were good. It's trite, but I truly believe that a healthy body means a healthy mind. Inspired by my love of sport, I studied physical education, but soon became frustrated with kids that didn't want to be involved. In keeping with the health theme, I enrolled in physiotherapy, graduated and ran my own practice for five years. Encouraging people to take some responsibility for their own health and stick to the rehabilitation exercises I set them became a little tedious. Most people don't seem to care about the benefits of exercise, and how being fit can help prevent injury (well, most of the time!). Now I work as a producer on ABC TV's science show, Catalyst. It's a busy job, but I spend a lot of time at my desk – so it's even more important to stay active. For my body The first and foremost motivator for me to exercise is to slow down the inevitable – ageing. And surprisingly, I feel almost as good as I did as when I was 18 – a little slower out of the blocks perhaps, but just as competitive. The decline in heart–lung fitness as we get older is largely preventable, and that's enough motivation to get me out of bed. The first few blocks are always a bit of a struggle, while my legs get used to the cold wind and the hard pavement. I'm not scared of running in the dark: if there are odd-looking people about, it just makes me run faster. After a kilometre or so I'm into it, loving it – my mind is elsewhere. I run every morning, rain or shine, for 45 minutes. It takes something catastrophic for me to miss it. And because I leave before the sun gets up, the household is still in the land of nod. And that's the point – no-one else is affected by my exercise routine. It disrupts nothing. School lunches are made and packed the night before, and the morning routine is pretty regimented. The kids are now old enough to get their own brekkie, pack their bags and walk to school. (And when they were younger, I took them with me in the pram, or ran out the door when my husband ran in. He soon realised that my run was worth it if it meant a calm household, a sane mum and a happy wife – well relatively!)
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