Racing for change
Combining a love for running with his goal of raising environmental awareness has given this marathoner something to celebrate and look forward to. Let his story inspire you to do good too.
There are different ways to help and contribute to a good cause. In Nicholas McLaren’s case, it can be quite simple, and even enjoyable: The 37-year-old finance director is running the London Marathon come April 13, 2014 to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) – with your names on his singlet. All you have to do is make a donation on his Just Giving page. Nicholas will handle his personal expenses and all of the proceeds will go to WWF.
You too can pursue your passion with purpose. Here, Nicholas reveals his motivations in the hopes that they will encourage you to lead a healthier and more meaningful lifestyle.
We heard that the WWF logo with the panda on it had something to do with you entering the race.
“The Panda Made Me Do It” is the motto for Team Panda, the running team of WWF UK. I don’t have a particular thing for pandas, but I’ve always had an interest in environmental conservation. I have been supporting WWF for about eight years now, and feel that they do great work and really go about things the right way through raising awareness and lobbying governments to change. My interest in helping to conserve our environment has also gotten stronger since I've had my own children. I want to see them grow up to be able to enjoy nature as well, or better than I've been able to in my lifetime.
Do you have any special preparations for the race?
In the 12-week build-up, I increase my mileage and intensity to peak for race day, from 61 km in the first week to 100 km in the tenth. I’m running six days a week, and then I'll taper the mileage down in the last three weeks to recover and refocus. During this time I'll also cut out all alcohol and unhealthy food, sleep a lot and strengthen myself. Along the way I'll run the 10 km Marina Run here in Singapore in February, and a half-marathon in Japan to test my fitness and sharpen myself mentally for the big day.
What was your inspiration to start running? What changed for you?
I used to run when I was much younger [up until about 12], but then I stopped for a long time. I was totally focused on work and led a fairly unhealthy lifestyle – not a lot of exercise and unhealthy eating. I took up running again about two-and-a-half years ago to lose weight, get fit and set a good example for my sons. I immediately set the marathon as my goal and completed my first, the KL marathon in 2012, less than six months from when I started running. My time was fairly slow, 5:26, but I couldn't wait to do another one after that. Last year I ran the Berlin Marathon in 3:58. Now I run six days a week and eat healthy 95 per cent of the time. Since I started, I've lost 32 kg.
So what’s your target time for the London Marathon?
I always go into races with an A, B, and C goal – the A being if everything is perfect on the day, and C the worst case scenario that I'd still feel good about. My A goal is 3:29, B is 3:45, and C 3:57. At the moment my pace predicts that I should be okay for the the A goal if all continues to go well.
What do you think is the greatest challenge running in London, compared to Singapore?
The hardest part about London is being away from home. I hope that I will sleep on the flight and switch over to England time as quickly as possible. The crowds are also a worry as these big races can be very crowded, which can really throw you off your pace for the first 5 to 10 km. London also has the advantage of being much colder. It's expected to be around low to mid teens in temperature, which is perfect running weather.
What are your tips for both experienced and aspiring runners?
The key is consistency: Run whatever you can just two to three times a week. The fitness will come way faster than you think. When I first started, I could run three minutes at a time at 8 km/h for about 1.6 km. Just half a year later I finished the KL Marathon. In Berlin, I ran non-stop for three hours and 58 mins at 10.6 km/h. It's just a matter of being regular about it. Don’t be afraid to run. It's the most natural movement and anyone can do it. The running community is a very inclusive one and everyone is welcome. There's no such thing as being too slow and it's always great to see someone trying.
What’s your favourite post-run food here?
I like to go with the office-running club for beef hor fun in Geylang after our regular weekly runs.
Want to know more about Nicholas’ run for WWF? Go to his Just Giving page.
