“My family are outdoors people, so I started with hiking and just enjoying being outside a lot. I started running in 2008 – both mum and dad used to run, so it was a natural progression from hiking. It was very, very small though – very little, very minimal, just trying it out. And then from about the age of 20, I’d just go and run to get outside. I was in Birmingham which involves running around roads. I’d do a little half mile lap around the block and it kind of built up from there. In 2015 I really started getting into longer runs, and moved some of my running to the local hills – so in Birmingham that’s Clent Hills, Malvern Hills… I’d run before work, after work; it became a way to commute from work as well, a way to de-stress at the end of the day or just switch the brain off for a bit.
In 2016 I entered the Birmingham Half Marathon to test out a bigger running event – it went well and I took part again in 2017 and 2022. I also tried a couple of trail running events on the Long Mynd in the Shropshire Hills. It’s one thing to run on the roads, but it’s so much better running on trails. It’s just a bit difficult to do that in the middle of a city.
At the end of 2020, I had a pretty major back injury. The official diagnosis was an annular tear, which is one step below a slipped disc, so I couldn’t run for the best part of two months. And I also got COVID during that time – it was a bit of a double whammy, and after recovering from both of those I had to start over and build back up again. It was challenging as I had several recurrences of those back issues during 2021 and 2022.
In summer 2022 I found parkrun. I hadn’t been able to do parkruns before because I’d worked in retail and usually worked on Saturdays. However, I finished my 8 years in retail on a Friday, and the very next day went along to my first ever parkrun at Cannon Hill park in Birmingham. I just thought, I’ll try this 5km out, and see what happens. I was hooked. 115 parkruns later, it’s now an awesome motivator for me to keep getting out.
I’ve been kind of testing my limits a bit more over the last year or so – the back is pretty good, however I am working through some knee and ankle issues – plenty of physio and tape helps! Although for me now, it’s not necessarily about doing the big marathons or the massive events – it’s gone full circle back to just getting outside and enjoying being outdoors. Running to help hiking and hiking to help running; keeping that fitness and endurance up, being able to explore more of the places I visit. Like Queenstown – it’s amazing there and you are spoiled for choice. There are so many trails there and so many I haven’t touched because there’s just not enough time. And it doesn’t really matter to me if it’s raining. Rain, sun, wind. I love running in all of it, just getting out, seeing what’s happening, and enjoying whatever air I’m in.
I did the Shotover 10k at Moke Lake last month. That was super fun and has made me want to get back into proper trail running. Something that’s on the cards and to figure out when we move to Australia soon. Although they have snakes. You don’t have to worry about any of that in New Zealand. In Australia I guess you don’t go off path because something will get you!
I think lastly, running is a great way to meet and see people – especially at events and out on the trails. You just stop for a chat, I’ll basically say hi to anybody, we’re all there for the same reason and will have something in common, so you might as well have a chat and coax each other on. I think in terms of meeting people, parkrun is a big one for that. I get a really strong sense of community from the parkruns. Queenstown is my home run but even as a visitor to other courses I still see a lot of familiar faces and it’s great to have a chat and a catch up.
It’s not always about the time or the distance, running for me is just about getting outside, saying hi to people, feeling physically good… and then doing it all again tomorrow!”
Lachlan @lachlantm
(Queenstown)
Photo taken in Fiordland
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