You probably don’t know Claude Painchaud and that needs to change quickly. After spending an hour talking with her, it’s easy to convince yourself of two things. Nothing and no one will stop her from tackling her first marathon at 89 years old and if Superwoman exists, it is in this little lady that she is embodied.
Sunday morning, the departure of the 25e Marathon Beneva de Québec will be given and among the thousands of runners, this radiant spring twig with her disarming outspokenness will be one of the most beautiful stories.
When we met earlier this week in the Sillery district, we quickly understood that we were dealing with a lady of character who did not mince her words, when she joined us at a run.
“Hello, is it you Stéphane? I’m the old one!” she says with the mischievous smile of a young teenager, before asking our photographer Stevens Leblanc if he is familiar with the image editing software Photoshop.
“It’s going to be the only way to fix this,” adds the woman who welcomes us to her home, flirtatious and dressed to the nines, after a 14 km outing earlier in the morning.
This is just the beginning of an interview that is as inspiring as it is hilarious.
Prepared in her own way
Chatting with Mme Painchaud, we realize that unlike some who continue to run at a ripe old age, she is more of a neophyte who is getting to grips with running.
10 years ago, she took part in her first 5 km race without preparation, with her little gardening shoes. Two years later, she did it again in the half marathon in Ottawa, at age 81.
Here she is ready for the main test of 42.2 km in the awkward elevation of the streets of Quebec. Finally, ready in its own way, according to what this ball of energy tells us.
“I don’t have any equipment. I have two race plans, I look at them, but I am not able to trust that. It’s not in my nature to follow instructions. My plan is rubbish, done anyhow,” says the woman who is overflowing with character.
Marathon training programs typically involve a weekly long run and interval runs, for those who are keen to progress.
Mme Painchaud pushed the daring to the point of a 42 km outing in mid-July. A labor of 5h44 minutes.
“The hardest part is the last 41 kilometers!”, she proclaims while we choke on laughter.
And the famous intervals, in all this methodical preparation?
“I waited eight years between my half marathon and my marathon. That’s my notion of intervals,” she argues.
Why a marathon?
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Many people are probably reading and scratching their heads, wondering: but why embark on a first marathon at 89 years old with no real experience?
Beneath his casual appearance, Mme Painchaud knows very well what she is doing. A former doctor in child psychiatry until her retirement at 65, in addition to teaching at university, this is not her first major challenge.
“You could say that I have never run before, but deep down, I have been running all my life,” she pleads.
Hence, moreover, his eternal desire to surpass himself.
“It’s not so much the pleasure I get from running, but I get a lot of satisfaction from the idea of making an effort, of completing a project and still being alive even if I’m soon to expire,” smiles the one with the always rebellious spirit.
No danger
And in all this, the dangers on a physical level for a lady in her ninth decade well into her late decade?
Claude Painchaud doesn’t care, knowing that she doesn’t intend to get high. She just wants to finish before the six-hour limit that is imposed, which is already an achievement in itself. And again, don’t talk to him about time limits.
“After six hours, what happens? The police are picking up the remains? Are they chaining us?” she asks, amused.
“And then, why would that be dangerous? An old tank that has a lot, a lot of mileage, you have to see if it still has good ride in him before bringing him to the scrap.»
An inspiration? Not really!
When asked if she is aware that her story could inspire many people to put on sneakers and devour miles, Mme Painchaud remains honest and sharp.
“Do you think that Gertrude, from Saint-Éloigné-du-Centre, with her behind buried in the couch, is going to start running because she saw me? It seems good to say that we inspire people, but Gertrude will stay in front of the TV listening to his nonsense,” she says.
In the end, Mme Painchaud assures that it is with the simple aim of pushing her own limits, not those of others, that she is launching such an immense challenge.
To be honest, by dint of pulling the worms out of her, she ends up confiding in us her real ambitions.
“I want to become the spokesperson for Energizer batteries, that’s my goal! With pink bunny ears, I wouldn’t look bad cute», she concludes with her caustic sense of humor.
We tell you right away, don’t get in his way. Like the famous rabbit, she will go on and on and on.
The great pride of the family
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Even if she assures that she does not run to impress people, Claude Painchaud is delighted at the idea that those close to her can find a source of inspiration in her.
Mother of three children and grandmother of six grandchildren, we sense great pride and obvious sensitivity in her when she thinks of the unique example she sets by taking part in a marathon at the age of 89.
She doesn’t believe in inspiring anyone, but her family, who is close to her heart, does.
“I want to show them that they can dream. Making an effort in life is satisfying, it’s normal and it’s desirable. You should never resign. You have to make something of yourself while you’re alive. You can’t wait to watch the grass grow,” she explains.
“My son does lots of competitions. My grandson runs marathons. It seems like everyone is doing it now. Do you really think they’re going to leave me behind looking like a simpleton?” she adds in the same breath.
A daughter-in-law not far behind
Moreover, it is within the family that the big event will be experienced, to a certain extent. It is with her son’s partner, Gisèle Lajoie, herself a triathlete, that Mme Painchaud will complete the 42.2 km.
Though, with is a big word in this case.
“For me, it’s so exceptional what she’s going to accomplish,” says Gisèle Lajoie about her mother-in-law.
“At the start, I saw that she didn’t like the idea of us doing the marathon together and I understand that I shouldn’t be in her bubble. I will be in front or behind her because I want to see her go, but I will not be next to her,” she promises.
This is a compromise that Mme Painchaud finally accepted.
“It’s like my son to send his girlfriend to make sure his mother is okay,” grumbles the accomplished runner gently, with a smirk.
Question of being in great shape for the marathon, Mme Painchaud ran 60 to 75 km per week. She assures that her body is not sending her any distress signals. Not the shadow of a sore inhabits it.
“I don’t take a pill, not even an Aspirin. In my head, I am going to be eternal and I almost believe it,” she smiles.
His daughter-in-law, during a preliminary interview, could not do anything other than acquiesce.
“If only we could all age like her… She’s an extraordinary woman.”
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