Like many of us, Ronan Lee set a few personal goals during the first COVID19 lockdown:
- Learn a new piano piece
- Perfect sourdough bread
- Run a marathon
He has ticked the piano piece off the list and is now able to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Unfortunately, the sourdough has defeated him, but we’ll put money on the fact (and hope you do too) that he’ll complete his third goal of running a marathon on 3rd October. And not only complete it, but he has an ambitious personal best goal of sub-4hours. Not bad for someone who was a reluctant cross-country runner in his earlier years.
I set the goal of running a marathon in the first lockdown. I had run a bit before then but not with any goal in mind.
Ronan can be seen training in London but only if you’re up before the larks.
I like to run early in the morning, about 5.30 am. It’s a great start to the day. I don’t like it when the streets get busy, or if it gets too hot, so early morning runs are the best for me. I’m also a virtual runner in the London Marathon and want to be able to complete it before the actual live event takes place. That means starting early!
Ronan is steadily increasing his distance runs and is currently running around 15k at a time. He’s also working with a sports therapist to ensure he remains fit and healthy and can complete the training and event without injury.
When asked about his motivation for running, Ronan speaks about another passion in his life – food. He is a keen chef and true foodie. His Instagram account is full of the most delicious-looking dishes he’s created or tasted.
I love cooking and eating, so I need to run to stay healthy and fit. I love dishes from around the world and can’t begin to choose my favourite type, although South East Asian cuisine is certainly at the top.
Ronan is adapting his diet and being careful about the type of food he eats before running. He avoids heavy meals beforehand and focuses on food that has good hydrating and energy-fuelling properties.
As well as the fear of running the marathon itself, Ronan is drawing on his Strava community to help keep him motivated.
I love connecting with people and comparing the runs. You get ‘kudos’ when you’ve done a good run. It can get quite competitive and addictive. The biggest motivator though is raising funds for the BDA Benevolent Fund.
Ronan is a final year dentistry student at Kings College London. He knew about the BDA Benevolent Fund and was delighted to be able to support them with this fundraising effort.
I’ve wanted to be a dentist since the age of 12. My parents are dentists; therefore, I have grown up with dentistry. It will be great to support the profession by raising funds to help other dental students, dentists, and their families. My family, friends, and local dental practices have been fantastic so far and contributed to the fundraiser. I’m nearly halfway there and with just over 4 weeks to go, I hope I can smash the fundraising target, as well as achieve a time of under 4 hours. I look forward to watching the live event from the comfort of a nice café terrace.
If you’d like to donate, visit our fundraising page.
Take a look at how Ronan got on.
