BARRHEAD - You can't count on other people doing it for you.
That is what Peter Van Der Meer tells his fellow seniors about the necessity and importance of staying fit.
The Barrhead Leader caught up to the 82-year-old at the Agrena's walking track during a Nov. 30 morning training session.
Van Der Meer is training for the upcoming Edmonton Marathon which is tentatively scheduled for August. Originally he had planned to run in the marathon this summer but due to the pandemic event organizers were forced to cancel. It is not known whether or not the 2021 marathon will proceed as scheduled. The decision if the event is a go or not is expected to come in mid-January.
Regardless of whether the event goes on, Van Der Meer will continue his morning ritual of running at the Agrena's walling track for an hour or two every day.
"I'm not the fastest runner," he said, adding his usual pace mirrors that of a fast-speed walker.
On a typical week, Van Der Meer while training at the Agrena, he averages about 40 kilometres give or take.
However, in the spring and summer, that distance generally increases as he transitions to running on the road. His typical route follows Highway 33 out of Barrhead to the out-of-town golf course and back to town via Highway 18, roughly 15-kilometre round trip.
Although he has always been a fit individual, having worked in the mining industry, Van Der Meer did not take up running until relatively late in life when he was living in Sparwood, B.C, or more specifically Sparwood Heights, a subdivision a few kilometres outside the community.
"I would use to go back and forth between the communities to do some shopping and other errands, so to get some exercise, I started running between them," he said.
From that moment on, Van Der Meer never stopped running, although he did transition into running as a pastime or hobby rather than a means of transportation and started entering half and full marathons in whatever community he lived in at the time.
After retiring, Van Der Meer moved to Penticton, B.C. where he was a regular fixture in the city's annual marathon as well as those in nearby Penticton, Vernon as well as Kelowna's International Marathon.
Unfortunately, since he has moved to Barrhead about eight months ago, due to COVID-19 he hasn't been able to take part in a running event in the region.
Despite that, in addition to the fact that so far this season he has only run half-marathon business, Van Der Meer has no concerns that he will be prepared for the Edmonton Marathon come August. A half-marathon is about 22 kilometres while a full marathon is 42-kilometres.
"When you first start, you are excited. There are all these people around you in their running attire ready to take on the same goal you are but by the 20-kilometre mark, you start thinking to yourself 'what the hell am I doing here?" he said. "That is when my stubborn, competitive streak kicks in. I have to finish what I have started."
He also has no concerns about the weather specifically August's heat will be a hindrance in being able to complete the marathon. Many of the other marathons Van Der Meer has run have been in the early fall.
"I ran a half marathon in Mexico and it must have been at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit (about 23 Celsius) and I had no problem," Van Der Meer said.
He added that fast-walking, jogging and running is the perfect sport as the entry cost is almost non-existent, noting the only equipment needed is a pair of shoes.
It is also an activity that anyone can do regardless of age or fitness level as Van Der Meer's example shows.
"I always tell people, especially the elderly, that no one is going to do it for you," he said. "You have to do it for yourself and it is important to stay in shape. That is my motto."
