“Why do I run? Some days I do wonder… I’ve never been a runner, I’m still not sure I should call myself a runner… but it seems that I do run, therefore I am a runner.
I’ve always been a sporty kid. I love to move, challenge myself, learn new skills and get out in all weathers. I played hockey, softball and basketball with a sprinkling of rugby and cricket in my school years, and I’ve played softball, hockey and ultimate frisbee as an adult. I still play hockey regularly.
As a parent I loved going on school and Scout camps and tramps with my older kids, and when my younger kids were getting to that phase, I was feeling old and frumbly. Perimenopause was changing my body and my mind and I was feeling out of sorts. It was time to find the spark again. I definitely wanted to be fit and active and involved with their outdoor education as I had been with their older siblings.
Early in 2015 a friend was doing the Couch to Five Kilometre challenge (C25K) and when I heard about it I thought this could be a good option for me. Except… I’m not a runner! But that’s the point. I gave it a go, telling no one to start with, in case I couldn’t do it… But I could and I did! There is nothing particularly speedy about me and at the end of the 9 week programme I had got to 4.7km – not quite the 5k. A different friend said to me that I had better do parkrun on Saturday then! Parkwhat? was my response… and the rest is history.
I did indeed complete my first 5km parkrun that Saturday, and 7 and a half years later, I’ve now completed over 250 parkruns, in a mixture of walking some weeks and running others.
parkrun is a whole different approach to running for people like me I reckon. I don’t think I will ever be a ‘real’ runner, and I’ve never found that buzz that others talk about. Running is still an effort for me, every time. But 5km is a great distance, one I can complete without stopping. I’m sure that without parkrun I wouldn’t still be running regularly. It’s the parkrun community that keeps me going in the harder phases, and I’ve been to some amazing places in our beautiful Aotearoa because of parkrun.
My children have now all finished school and Scouting, and have left home, and I have been on many wonderful adventures alongside them over the years. My oldest son issued me a challenge during the first lockdown in 2020. “Mum” he said, “I’m going to train for a half marathon during lockdown, how about you work alongside me and build up to
completing 10km?” From different cities, he is in Auckland and I’m in Wellington, we trained together, encouraged each other and kept in touch with progress. I learned so much as he learned and taught me. He gave me a 10 week 10k beginner programme to follow, and closer to the time set my 10km course – down the Hutt River to finish at the turnaround of the local parkrun. So I knew the last 2.5km well!
The weather on the day was perfect with a light tailwind. My training came to fruition and all
went well. My partner and daughter met me at the halfway point with drinks and encouragement, and were at the end to cheer me home. I managed to finish the 10km, without stopping (except briefly at that aid station), in a time I was proud of. My son’s event was postponed but he still ran his half marathon distance and it all went well for him too. He challenged himself to train on to run the full marathon on the postponement date, which he did. He continues to challenge us all, including more of his siblings. Three of us have just completed parts of the Auckland Marathon, half marathon, and for me the 11km. It was busy, it was raining and it felt good to be doing this with my children. We are all signed up for the Hobbiton Halfling (Eleventyfirst for me) in March 2023, and 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. I am a runner.”
Liz
(Lower Hutt)
Photo taken in Te Anau
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