April Palmerlee – HER STORY

April Palmerlee

Full-time professional / Mother of four / ultra-runner

I began running when I moved to Sydney several years ago. Previously, I had lived in big cities where there were scenic fun runs and occasional outdoor activities, but the only real option for ongoing fitness was a gym. Once I arrived in this beautiful city and saw how much a part of the culture outdoor exercise was, I immediately fell in love with a daily morning run.

At my peak, I would run 120-140kms per week, training for ultramarathons. That meant that I was out the door every morning at 5am to fit in a training run or a session with my running group in the park. After that I had to get the older kids to school and look after my little one at home.

Last year I went back to full-time work. Putting in 60 hours a week in the office plus looking after four active kids has meant I had to pull back on running. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, for the moment. But I do intend to get back to it as soon as life settles down.

Running changed more than just my fitness – it provided me an outlet for thinking. About 30-40 minutes into a long run, I get into a rhythm and my mind relaxes. It is almost like meditation. And as my ultra friends say, if there’s a problem that you can’t work out during a four-hour run, then it’s unsolvable. It was also my “me” time – the only time during the day when no one was asking me for anything.

Knowing I had a reliable, non-chafing, trusty wardrobe to take me through daily workouts was essential. I had tried dozens and dozens of sports bras, never finding a satisfactory combination of support, minimisation, and comfort. Then I saw a reference to the Sixty4 bras in Women’s Running magazine, and I figured why not try another. I ordered a couple because they were so affordable, and I loved them so much that I asked the founder, Margot, to get involved with a race I organised. I wanted everyone I knew to try them. I was a complete convert. So much so that even now that I’m not running, I still wear a Sixty4 bra every single day. I’ve told Margot I even wore one under an evening gown. They are just the most comfortable, supportive, and flattering bras I’ve ever worn. My best friend saw a picture of me at an event once and said, “Did you get a boob job without telling me?” Gotta love these bras.