Coronation Street's Paula Lane reveals her
training secrets for the Virgin London Marathon, and tells us about her love of
sweet chilli sauce and vintage clothes
Paula
Lane
Fact File
Name: Paula Lane
Age: 26
Job: Actress. Plays Comes wild child, Kylie
Platt.
Lives: In Manchester with fiancé Tom.
The Virgin London Marathon route is 26
miles, 385 yards long.
She’s
running on behalf of Henshaws Society For Blind People
How
did you come to be running the Virgin London Marathon this year?
Before working on Corrie, I lived in London
for six years. I couldn’t afford a gym membership, so I’d run in the park every
morning. I found it so therapeutic. When I moved to Manchester,
I joined a gym, but it was always packed with people,
and I missed the freedom of running outside, so I quit. Ditching the gym is
what led to me entering the marathon. I wanted to give some focus and incentive
to my running, and raise money for a great cause too.
You’re
running on behalf of Henshaws Society For Blind People. What does this mean to
you?
Henshaws runs amazing support groups for
parents of children with sight difficulties and helps them access life-changing
new technology. I met a man who lost his vision while he was at law school. It
must have been devastating, but he went on to achieve so much. It made me
think, ‘if he can do all that, I can run a marathon!' I also met Oscar, an
adorable two-year-old, who's blind and the youngest person in UK to usea white
cane. It made me realise how lucky I am.
“I'd
reached the point where I had nothing left, and felt like I was going to throw
up, but I pictured Oscar’s face and managed to pull some energy from somewhere
to carry on.”
How’s
the training been going?
I’ve been training since October and try to
run 10K every other day. I like to exercise before work, because as soon as I
arrive on set, I’m straight into the make-up chair having my ‘Kylie’ face
applied. She wears so much hair spray and make-up that if I went for a run
after work I'd have to scrub it all off before I could get going and I can’t be
doing with that. But if I have a 7am start, I won’t be pounding the pavement at
5am. I’m not a masochist!
How
do you convince yourself to train on cold or rainy days?
I’ve got a cold at the moment, which doesn’t
exactly make me want to jump up and put on my trainers! But I still ran for an
hour and a half with my fiances, Tom
[also an actor], shouting ‘Hurry up!’ at me. Tom’s like Mr Motivator. I'd
reached the point where I had nothing left, and felt like I was going to throw
up, but I pictured Oscar’s face and managed to pull some energy from somewhere
to carry on.
How are you feeling about the big day?
I’m nervous! I’m not expecting to get an
amazing time, and I don't mind if I have to stop for five minutes every now and
then, as long as I make it to that finishing line! I remember wondering how any
normal person could run 26 miles, but it’s all about building up your stamina
and endurance. I'd love to raise $2,000 for Henshaws.
“I
wonder how any normal person could run 26 miles”
I'd
love to raise $2,000 for Henshaws.
Last year’s winning women’s time was 2 hours 19 minutes
and 19 seconds.
People at Corrie have been so supportive and generous.
I’ve stuck my sponsorship form on the fridge in the green room as we’re forever
going in there for a bite to cat.
Is it
easy to eat healthily on set?
We have lots of big, burly northern men in
our crew who need hearty dinners, so there’s always tempting food around. But
there’s also a deli bar and a salad bar. There’s a mini gym at work too. So I
try to get in there at lunch to carry on with my training.
Congratulations
on your recent engagement! Is the best way to a man’s heart through his
stomach?
Definitely. I’ve bought loads of recipe
books recently and have been trying to experiment. But if I make a dish that
serves four, Tom wants to eat the whole thing there and then. Then he wonders
why he can’t move afterwards! He’s 6ft rin, so he's got more room for it to go
than I have. But it drives me mad, as I could get another two meals out of
that!
“David
Beckham could be the butler, for a bit of eye candy” in her dream dinner party.
What's
your signature dish?
I do a
good shepherd's pie. I love quick, nutritious meals like a prawn stir fry with
egg noodles. Whats always in your food cupboards?
Pasta is my staple at the minute, as it’s
so quick to make and gives me energy for training. I'm all about the sweet chilli
sauce too - I put it on absolutely everything! We always have bags of fun size
chocolates, but I’ve had to teach myself to have one bar, not four. I use
healthy cooking oil and low fat spread instead of butter. But I draw the line
at skimmed milk. I work too hard to deny myself the things I like. I’d rather
go for an extra-long run to balance it out.
Who
would you invite to your dream dinner party and why?
Audrey Hepburn for the glamour factor, We
could have ạ good gossip about her
films and the amazing 1950s fashion. Peter Kay would be a laugh. And my best
mate, Esther, would have to be there - we met when we both worked in Harrods
and clung to each other as fellow northerners! David Beckham could be the
butler, for a bit of eye candy.
Do
you have a favourite restaurant?
I’m more of a pub girl than a restaurant
girl, as they tend to be a bit more laid-back, like me! There’s a great
traditional pub in Yorkshire, Galled the Top Brink. It does a top Sunday roast,
which I'll have with a nice glass of red wine as a treat.
What
are your top tips for happy, healthy life?
I take vitamin C and manuka honey. My mum
introduced me to Yogi Tea Women's Energy tea, which has little quotes for the
day on each tea bag that always make me smile!
We
all have hidden talents and if you don’t try, you’ll never know whether running
might be yours. Listen to your body, don’t force yourself to do anything - and
try to enjoy it.
When
was the last time you didn’t like what you saw in the the mirror?
It was yesterday. If I’d stepped on the
scales (which I didn’t!), there probably wouldn’t have been a difference in the
numbers, but I felt sluggish, bloated and much heavier. It's interesting how
your mood can completely change your perception of yourself.
36,000 runners are expected to take part in this year’s
marathon.
What
would you say to any readers who think they could never run a marathon?
Sometimes you just need to set the goal and
get started. We all have hidden talents and if you don’t try, you’ll never know
whether running might be yours. Listen to your body, don’t force yourself to do
anything - and try to enjoy it.
36,000
runners are expected to take part in this year’s marathon.
Paula's
top training tips
Set out your running clothes the night
before so you’re not faffing about trying to find a sports bra when you’re half
asleep! Invest in work-out clothes that make you feel confident in your body
and show off your killer curves if you’ve got them.
Make sure you keep hydrated I did a I OK run
in Belfast recently, and pushed myself too far in training leading up to it I
ended up severely dehydrated during the run and it was awful. From now on. Ill
be dnnking plenty of water to make sure I'm well oiled!
Struggling to stay motivated? Imagine turning
heads in a knock-out outfit. When people compliment me on my figure at red
carpet events it makes the hard work worth it. I love wearing vintage-style
dresses, so I hold an image of the next dress I want to wear in my head while
I’m running.
Half the work is building up your
confidence to a point where you think, "I can do this" Once you've won that battle, you're well on your
way to success. I think that’s important for all challenges we face
