Gold Coast Marathon: Robina mum shares gruelling marathon preparation

A Gold Coast mum has shared her gruelling marathon preparation and how she gets in the zone ahead of the big race.

RUNNING from hill to hill is most people’s worst nightmare but for Jesse Louie Windle, doing it eight times is “relaxing”.

The Robina mum of two, 34, has been running from North Burleigh lookout to Burleigh Hill and back eight times straight every weekend.

She started running the “laps’’ shortly after Christmas, when she decided to take on the challenge of completing a full marathon.

For the poet and artist, known online as Louie Luxe, the intensity of running the physically gruelling 42km Gold Coast Marathon this Sunday is not what she expects to be the hardest part.

Most people might not be able to deal with the prep. Pic Tim Marsden

“I feel like it’s totally mental,” she said.

“It’s a personal challenge for me to really push myself. I knew it was going to hurt. But it’s also about challenging me mentally.

“A lot of what I do (for work) is with loss, grief and people who are going through difficult times.

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“It was more me wanting to challenge myself and live life to the fullest.”

Mrs Windle has been slowly getting herself mentally and physically prepared for the past six months.

“I started off just doing 6km over Christmas time twice a week. Then I got up to 10km twice a week and I’d do a run on the weekend,” she said.

“Then the next weekend would turn into 12km, then 14. It got up to 30km two weeks out from the race. Little things like that.

“I started to enjoy running. It’s sort of a meditation now when I run.

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“Watching the sunrise each day outside as opposed to (training) within four walls – it’s so much more than just exercise.

“I was training six days a week (at a gym) and I knew I needed to break the cycle and try something new.”

Despite the huge turnout of runners for the marathon, Mrs Windle said she will be running “solo’’ on Sunday, with her husband and two children waiting for her at the finish line.

She doesn’t care how she places on the day. Pic Tim Marsden

She does not care how she places on the day. Her only ambition is to complete the race within four hours and 30 minutes.

“I’m not breaking any records,” she said.

“It’s one of those things (in which) I don’t know how it’s going to play out. I just need to get it done.

“I’m banking on the fact the atmosphere on the day will get me through.”

The annual Gold Coast Marathon is held this weekend, July 6-7. The program includes the marathon, the wheelchair marathon, the half marathon, wheelchair 15km, 10km, fun run, 4km junior dash and 2km junior dash.