Runners take risks.  The thrill of adventure is part of our sport.  But what if an accident happened up that mountain and you couldn’t run down it again?  If some health impairment was to stop your way of life – running or at work – would you be able to pay the bills?  How would you dependants manage if you couldn’t?

It’s a lot of questions to think about.  With a nearly nine year old I’d been thinking about this recently and wondering what I could put in place just in case.  I think as humans we’re hard wired not to think about just in case anymore.  Everyone wants to spend money now and be in the moment.  As a parent though you can’t help but want to be prepared.  It’s important to have a back-up plan.  Just in case.

During an episode of Marathon Talk the hosts mentioned a new competition partnership with Fitness Rewards saying that the brand offer health orientated incentive based life insurance for fitness driven people.  Marathon Talk listeners could benefit from a half price Garmin watch when quoting ‘Marathon Talk’ whilst opening a new policy.  The offer seemed a perfect time to get life insurance in place.

That Friday night – yes, I’m so exciting – after being impressed with how interactive the companies Twitter and Facebook pages were, I called Fitness Rewards for a quote.  I spoke to two great advisors who set up my policy plan.  It was explained that the reward system allocates points per work out.  It’s not just about running – steps, going to the gym, going for a swim or anything that gets your heart rate going and burning calories for a certain amount of time will trigger points.  Parkruns load at 10 points per run or 5 points for Volunteering.

You can earn up to 40 points per week which get built up towards tiered memberships and weekly Starbucks or cinema tickets.  Other benefits include half price Garmin, half price running shoes, National Trust membership offers, British Airways offers and much more
partnerships.  The list is comprehensive and there is something for everyone.  I chose the Garmin Forerunner 235 for £74.99 which I am loving, it’s such a snazzy piece of kit!

This means that the policy respects your hard work at being healthy, so hopefully you’ll claim less, and through your decision protect your future rewarding you in the present.  For the cover myself and my daughter are covered for the total of £120, 000 for £38 a month.  When you think a Starbucks drink costs £3.55 for a Venti at one a week for a month you make back nearly a third of that amount on one benefit.  Your premiums go up or down depending on how interactively healthy you’ve been so that’s an added bonus to get healthy.

As I wrote this I sipped a Starbucks Honey Blossom Macchiato.  Remember as a runner you get all this just for logging the weekly work outs you do already.  You don’t really have to do anything other than you normally do.  The same goes for gym addicts, cycle commuters and pool lovers.  It’s even good for anyone who wants to start out as you get the support you need to get fitter along the way.  I’m thoroughly enjoying starting to see the points build up earning me extra joy.

Interested?  Check out www.fitnessrewards.co.uk to ensure your next run is covered and start earning rewards for your next workout adventure.

Happy running!

Eleanor