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SEARCHNail tech Fran Smith of Glasgow, Scotland, keeps a fitness routine that has allowed her to scale mountains and compete in obstacle course events.
Fran Smith
Fran Smith
Tell us a bit about yourself and your career.
I have been a nail technician running my own salon for almost 20 years. I learned early on that the hours spent sitting at my station were taking their toll on my body. I had lots of aches and pains from sitting in the same position and the repetitive stress on my back, arms, and hands. That’s all before you take into consideration that by being cooped up in the salon all day I would get no exercise at all. So, I decided to build my exercise and fitness regimes into my diary and make it part of my day.
What’s your health routine?
I typically train once a day, but it’s not uncommon for me to train twice in a day if I am preparing for upcoming events. I like to get a balance in my training. I vary from long-distance road running to trail running, getting off road to make it tougher. I am a regular at my local CrossFit training center, where I go up to five times a week. This balanced training helps me prepare for the main types of competing I get involved in, mainly Spartan obstacle course racing events, among other challenges.
How do you make time for training?
I found that if I didn’t book my time to train and exercise into my work diary, just as though it was another client, I would never get the time or motivation to get it done. This method has given me the structure to live a balanced, healthy working lifestyle. My routines are heavily based around my training. Being a businesswoman and a mother of four, I need to be organized! I prepare in advance, my food is planned and organized, and my training is booked and organized in my diary. I have been able to take my health and fitness to a very high level, while not impacting my business at work or my role as a mother.
What are your biggest achievements?
I’ve summited many Munro mountains in Scotland. I love getting on the hills. This led me to ultimately go to Africa and make it to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro — something I am very proud of. I am a familiar face at Spartan events now and have competed at the world championship event in Iceland, where I completed an endurance 24-hour obstacle race, taking fifth place in my category. I completed the Glencoe marathon. I have many medals from over the years now from dozens of events and I am very proud of all of them.
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