“One year later. November 2023.
I’ve just reread my ‘Why do I run’ Runners NZ story posted November 12th 2022, and truly it made me cry. It’s almost a year to the day since I first met Carly and Lee and the kids at Lake2Lake Trail parkrun, and was invited to be part of the Runners NZ project. I had no idea at the time just what an impact it would have on my running story. I’m here in Central Otago again right now, on another work trip, thinking on it all.
The last paragraph of my story says: ‘My children are all working together to potentially get me to do a half marathon sometime… I keep saying No Way… but maybe, just maybe it will happen. So why do I run? I run because I can (I never take that part for granted), I run for the sense of achievement, I run to challenge myself, and I run for whānau.’ They read that, and they did it, and I did it. After my story telling this time last year I spent the summer training for the Hockey Masters Tournament. Such a different style of training, but after that I figured if I was ever going to do this half marathon thing this was the time. Being the fittest I had been in many many years was the ideal longer distance running training base… Last weekend, October 29th 2023, I completed my first ever Half Marathon distance at the Auckland Marathon, with three of my children and two of their partners.
My children and I all did the Half distance, my daughter her first Half as well, and the others did the 11km. Again, my eldest son had me sorted. He introduced me to the whole carrying water and fuelling concepts, and I followed the event supplied training plan mostly. There were several times when I ran my longest distance to date, creeping up through 12km, 12.5km (at the Wings for Life World run), then in the last couple of months 14, 16 and finally a couple of 18km before the Auckland race day. Every time I surprised myself with what was possible, and fretted what could (and sometimes did) go wrong. But we got there. That gorgeous eldest son of mine ran the Half with me all the way. I carried all my own needs with me and didn’t stop at all from start to finish.
Over the last year we’ve completed a range of events, in various combos of people, were joined by a new family member, and created amazing family stories and memories. It’s time to focus my summer again on Ocean Swimming and Masters Hockey, and we have a few running events planned for March and May 2024. (First time to Blenheim, Wings for Life again, a return to Hobbiton and first at Hawke’s Bay).
My children have now mentioned that I should consider a full marathon next… This time there is no maybe, it is a strong and resounding No Way! Definitely not. Never, never, never! But Thanks for your faith in me!
So why do I run? A year on, that’s still the same: I run because I can (I still never take that part for granted), I run for the sense of achievement, I run to challenge myself, and I run for whānau. I am a runner!”
Liz, with two of her boys Chester & Strahn
(Lower Hutt)
Photo taken in Te Anau Nov. 2022
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