“Soccer was a big part of my life. I played for close to 25 years. So running to me was always a way to keep fit for my various soccer teams, but after 2 torn ACLs I hung up the boots. I had a long recovery period and a running protocol to follow. Afterwards, I kept running as I fell into triathlons and it complimented my cycling, which I do more than running. Hence the Instagram username. The swimming is something that I had to work on. Fast forward a few years and many races later, we decided to jump ship.
We moved to New Zealand without ever being here or knowing anyone. So, I used running and cycling as a way to explore and meet people. My first event was the Mount Maunganui Half Marathon, after being in the country for only 5 weeks. In training for that event I met some like minded individuals. We then went on to run a variety of trails and other events. I also did several cycling events with a group of riders from Tauranga.
Over the next decade, we bounced around the country (and the World) and I’ve continued to use running as a way to get to know the locals and the area we are in. Whether it is a Meetup group, like WoRM in Wellington, or a local run club, like Hay Hot Footers in Wales, the groups are full of people wanting to get outside and enjoy the road and trails. Since we already have something in common it is easier to get to know people and I’ve found these types of groups invaluable when moving to a new place.
In my case, these running mates have evolved into friendships. We have a group that gets together for a variety of activities beyond running. Yes, we may do adventure races, rogaines, and biking adventures, but we can also skip the technical clothes and just get together for a BBQ or picnic or help each other move. It also has led to forming the Burger Bandits, which partakes in the local Wellington on a Plate food festival. We will cycle to a variety of restaurants and try their burger offering, or grab a burger after one of our WoRM runs.
So I use running as a way to meet like minded individuals to explore new areas.”
Kaleb @viewswhileriding
(Lower Hutt)
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Portraits of Runners + their stories
@RunnersNZ
