Be inspired by Adelaide’s crime fighter and champion in ultra marathons (plus marathon training tips for beginners)

Brevet Sergeant Joana Kruk is not your everyday Police Prosecutor. She’s also an ultra-marathon runner, which means she sets her sights on races longer than the traditional marathon distance of 42 kilometres.

Her father was a black belt in taekwondo, and Kruk followed in his footsteps, training in taekwondo, Brazilian jujitsu and boxing.

However, her martial arts career had to end when she was hit by a car. Suffering from a shoulder injury, Kruk at the time was training to qualify for the Delhi Commonwealth Games squad, and was forced to quit.

However, the Adelaide police prosecutor didn't give up and made the move from martial arts to long distance running. Finding a new passion, Kruk won her first marathon during her debut run in a 56km South Australian race in the Yurrebilla Trail.

So far, the runner has completed a massive 15 ultra-marathons and two 100-mile events.

But why in world would anyone run marathons?

“People run for all sorts of reasons, which may include: escape from work or life stress, or drug and alcohol addictions; the camaraderie of running with other people; going to locations they may not have otherwise been to,” Chris Hope, from the Australian Running Calendar, told International Business Times Australia.

"For me personally, I really like running on trails in scenic locations, and my happy place is going out all day to run amongst spectacular scenery."

Joana's motivation came from wanting to keep her fitness up.

"Truthfully, I hated running!” she said. "But, I’d enjoyed that feeling of working towards something, so I started training for my first half-marathon, then a full marathon.

For James Nash, a LA-based twelve-time marathon runner and news writer for Bloomberg News, the sport boils down to discipline.

“To properly train, you’ll need to wake up at dawn and jog a few miles in the morning before work, and give up part of your weekends for longer runs. And you might need to refrain from things you enjoy, like late nights at the bar or club and certain foods,” he told International Business Times Australia.

“Running focuses your mind.”

Marathons are also extremely rewarding.

The Flying Pig Marathon hosted by Cincinnati Marathon Inc. has been mentioned many times in the Runner’s World Magazine as one of the best marathons for beginners. Jackie Reau, a spokesperson from the non-profit organisation Cincinnati Marathon Inc. told IBTimes Australia that many people choose to participate because the sense of satisfaction when you get to the finish line is incomparable.

“A marathon is different from many sports because it’s an individual event. Individuals train on their own or in a group but traditionally compete [alone]. With that said, the accomplishment of finishing a marathon is remarkable,” said Reau.

Hope adds that it is the gruelling parts of the run that stand out for, and motivate marathon runners like Brevet Sergeant Kruk, who has endured countless pain and injuries throughout her running career, including swelling, severe blisters and hypothermia.

“You have to push yourself beyond the limits of what your body is capable of,” Hope said. “You only have enough stored energy to run about 30 or so kilometres so you need to supplement it with nutrition, such as energy gels or other sources of carbohydrates and sugars. Most people have heard about how marathon runs 'hit the wall'; this is the direct result of literally running out of stored energy.”

But before pushing yourself, or even being capable of stretching your body to the limits, you first have to train.

Joe Degabriele from the Sydney Striders Running Club has been running for 23 years and participated in ten marathons. He is also a leader in a marathon training group, tasked with taking newbies to their first marathon.

“You are totally exposed during the marathon – how well you have prepared will show on the day. Because you are going beyond the normal person’s fitness threshold. You are building massive resilience and stamina.”

James Nash also knows all about the hard work, effort and determination a marathon runner needs.

“The three to five hours you spend running is just the culmination of hundreds of hours of training. If you’re properly trained, there are a few surprises. You execute on what you’ve done, which is to do increasingly long training runs followed by tapering,” he said.

“Your only competition, assuming you’re not an elite runner, is your own history and expectations.”

Maintaining that everybody could run an ultramarathon, Brevet Sergeant Kruk echoes this thought:

“The only thing that’s going to stop you is your psyche.

“If you don’t have a sense of self belief, you’re not going to finish, and that carries into every aspect of life.”

Keep an eye out for Kruk as she runs her next race in April in Victoria, where she will aim to complete a 100km run. She is also waiting to be accepted into a 100-mile race in Utah in September, called ‘Bear 11’.

Advice for marathon beginners

James Nash: Follow a training regime. There isn’t one that works for everyone and there’s an element of trial and error. Still, committing to a plan is crucial to forcing yourself out there even if it’s early, the weather is bad, you aren’t in the mood, etc. Most training is just about logging the miles. You don’t need to overthink it but you do need to do it. A first marathon is just about overcoming the mental challenge, knowing you’re capable of going 26.2 miles (42.2kms). After that, you’re ready to focus on improving your time.

Jackie Reau: For beginners, I would encourage them to follow a sanctioned training program so they are fully prepared to run their race. I would also tell participants to register for a race that is professionally managed and has fluid stations and medical personal on the course.

Chris Hope: Don’t worry about how fast you are going; unless you are an elite athlete, the only person you are racing is yourself. You don’t need to run every day. Rest days are good for you to allow you to recover, especially after longer or tougher runs.

Try not to go out too fast, especially when running your first marathon. This is a classic mistake all newbies make, and of course I did myself and continue to repeat the same mistake for many of my road marathons!

Don’t build your mileage up too quickly; this goes for both your weekly total and your long run.

Joe Degarbriele: Take it slowly, build up over six months -- slowly increase the kilometres per week and the length of your long run on a Sunday each week. It does not matter if you start with only 20 or 30kms per week in week one. Just build up an extra 5 or so kms per week, the same with the long run build up from 10kms across the training program to a peak of 35km 6-8 weeks before the actual race.