AT THE AGE of 41, Julian Holder won't be the oldest competitor in this year's annual Hong Kong Marathon on February 11. But the former Hongkonger's decision to take part in the 42km race follows years of abstinence from serious physical exercise.
Having taken sport seriously at school (even winning an under-16 cross-country school championship in 1981) decades slid by without any organised exercise - until about three years ago.
'It wasn't until the arrival of a new girlfriend in 2002 that I decided - or rather she decided - that it was time I started looking after myself,' Holder says.
'My weight had ballooned to 131/2 stone [about 85kg], my chins had multiplied and my gut was all I could see in the shower. When I got to 36, I half-heartedly thought about getting fitter and joined a gym, but it never amounted to much.'
Perhaps too many years of physical indifference had taken a toll on Holder's motivation. 'From the ages of 18 to 36, I enjoyed a life of wine, women and song, living in various parts of the world - with an emphasis on the wine.'
With his new girlfriend as motivation, Holder's gym visits became more regular, and he started running for an hour at a time on the treadmill.
