Time to Recover at TH7
Not many of us can claim to run over 100 kilometres every week – but Beth McKenzie isn’t your average person. Rebecca Jamieson Dwyer meets the Noosa-based ultrarunner and former professional triathlete to find out what drives her, how she balances training and motherhood, and how Noosa’s TH7 clinic helps support her performance and recovery…
It’s 5am on a chilly winter’s morning in Sunshine Beach, and Beth McKenzie gets up in the dark, pulls on her activewear, and heads out on a 30-kilometre run alongside the ocean before returning home to her family.
This is an almost-daily occurrence for the retired pro-triathlete and Ironman champion, who now focuses on running marathons and ultra-marathons to keep herself fit and busy, in between spending time with her husband and two daughters, and running her own activewear business, WYN republic.
Beth’s list of career accolades is almost as long as the trails she races on, but she’s most proud of the fact she’s hitting her personal running bests as she’s moved into her 40s – winning the Sunshine Coast Marathon in a course record time in 2023 at the age of 43; and completing her first 100-kilometre Ultra Marathon in New Zealand in 2024.
These results may be impressive, but Beth’s drive comes from prioritising her own health and fitness and showing her daughters that anything’s possible.
“It’s not easy to find pockets in the day to focus on your own needs, but I think that it sets a good example for our children to see their mum still going after big goals,” she says.
“I want to show my daughters that their goals are worthy and worth pursuing; life as an individual does not end once one becomes a mother or has a demanding career.”
As someone who runs approximately 120 to 140 kilometres every week – something she admits is “a big ask for a 44-year-old body” – Beth is committed to prioritising her health and recovery through regular sessions at Noosa’s TH7: a recovery, wellness and longevity clinic that’s popular with people from all ends of the health and fitness scale, including high-performance athletes, casual fitness enthusiasts, and those who are simply curious to discover ways we can feel better and live longer.
“TH7 helps me stay consistent by keeping me healthy and recovered for the next session,” she says. “I’m not sure I could keep up the mileage without it anymore!”
Beth first discovered TH7 after she tore her lower hamstring in November 2023 while training for her first 100-kilometre Ultra Marathon.
Initially sceptical of recovery treatments, she decided it couldn’t hurt to give them a try, embarking on a regular schedule of Red Light Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and heat and cold exposure in Pools and Saunas over a few weeks.
“I began visiting two to three times a week with 20 minutes of red light therapy followed by 60 minutes in the HBOT chamber,” she says.
A good place to start with research showing that Red Light Therapy can decrease oxidative stress while HBOT can increase oxygen blood levels by up to 50% and accelerate soft tissue healing.
“I also found the Nordic Protocol with a combination of Traditional Sauna, Cold/Hot Pools and Steam Room – to not only be a great recovery tool, but a fun social experience with friends,” she says.
Initially Beth’s medical team had advised that it would take six to eight weeks before she’d be back at training, but combining her coaching and physio sessions with consistent TH7 protocols, she surprised everyone (even herself) by recovering in half that time.
“I’m sure many variables were at play, but I absolutely credit some of the accelerated healing to the protocols I was doing at TH7 – especially my time in the HBOT chamber,” she says.
Because Beth’s hamstring healed so quickly, she was able to dive head-first back into training for the New Zealand Ultra Marathon.
“Not only did I enjoy every step (giving thanks along the way to my body for allowing me to complete it) but I finished as the second female and the seventh participant overall. It was an unbelievable experience,” she says.
When it comes to both training and life, Beth’s philosophy is ‘just show up’.
“I don’t strive to have A+ workouts or perfect execution,” she says. “Instead, I focus on consistency and showing up every single day. Some days I don’t have much to give, but I still give it what I have. Over time, it all adds up to a huge body of work and, eventually, success.”
These days, as someone who has huge goals and dreams for the future, she’s applying this philosophy to consistently supporting her overall wellness, health and performance through TH7.
“I love that TH7 has allowed me and many of my friends to have a more holistic take on health, fitness and wellness. It’s not just about the workouts and elite performance but being able to stay consistent, energised and focus on our longevity,” she says.
“Plus the facilities and team at TH7 are outstanding and make the experience rewarding– the facilities are serene and pristine, and going there feels like an absolute treat. The team go above and beyond to review the latest research and educate clients on the benefits of the various protocols.”
As well as keeping her in tip-top race condition, Beth has noticed improvements to her productivity, sleep, skin tone and mood after experiencing TH7 protocols, and loves how the effects of a session can have a positive flow-on effect into other areas of her life: “When I leave TH7 I definitely feel more energised and alive, and that carries on with me throughout the day,” she says.
