Local runner Denice Davis shines at Boston Marathon

Denice Davis, Beaufort County YMCA Wellness Director and mother of 3, just finished up her fourth Boston Marathon earlier this week coming in at 3:21:13 – her personal best time ever; not only for this race but out of the 9 marathons she has completed in the past 10 years.

In this year’s race, the 120th running of the popular marathon with some 30,000 runners participating, Denice finished seventh out of all the female runners from South Carolina and at age 44 is the oldest runner finishing in the top 18.

This fact is not lost on Denice. “My main goal for every race is to finish with a better time, even though I am obviously a year older. While I am thrilled to post my best time ever, now I have a new goal, to be even faster. It doesn’t matter that I am getting older,” she said with a laugh.

Denice believes aging is not a reason to not start or try something new. Maintaining a regular health and wellness routine can stave off a multitude of health issues that can arise as we get older. Having a health and wellness routine can benefit mental health as it sharpens the mind, brightens your overall mood, and clears away depression. You don’t have to plan to run a marathon to get on the path to better health, although goals are important.

Here are two tips from Denice for starting a successful exercise regime:

Set tangible and realistic goals.
Discipline is paramount to reaching the goals you set, so instead of saying ‘not today, tomorrow’, make TODAY your day. In the end you always feel better when you do, and are that much closer to reaching your goal. Just start!

Stay away from processed foods especially those that are high in sugar and saturated fat.
Eat more fruit, veggies, and lean protein. But don’t cut carbs out entirely as they contribute as your energy source, especially if you exercise regularly. Don’t skip meals.

If you want to get started, we definitely suggest that you consider participating in Denice’s regular training plan in one of her many classes at the Y. Denice personally instructs Fit over Fifty, Indoor Cycling, Tabata and Tabata Bootcamp at the YMCA.

Congrats to her on her finish, and on her achieving her personal best.