“The start of my running journey was motivated by the impending milestone of turning 40, back in 2015. I had never really run before then, having been a competitive road cyclist in my younger days. My first race was a 10km ‘stadium to surf’ and it was one of the most gruelling things I have done! I could barely walk afterwards and shuffled like an old man for days! I was really proud of my time of 54 minutes… if I ever took that long to do 10km now it would be because I stopped to take photos for the ‘gram.
I ran regularly after that and set myself various goals, including my first half marathon. Over five years I have shaved almost 10 minutes off my time, with my best result being 1h39m. I may have reached my plateau now but I am still trying for PBs whenever I run. My next goal is to go the full…
Running has rapidly become my ‘why’. It makes me feel motivated, calm and energised, not just in the physical sense of the word. If I feel myself becoming irritable or stressed I know that having a good run always makes me more equipped to deal with my mental health and well-being. I love the feeling of taking those first steps and running up to pace in the early dawn as the sun rises. One of my favourite places to go is to run beside the ocean and smell the salt air and see the waves crash.
I really enjoy the running community and appreciate the friendships I have formed and celebrating each other’s achievements and providing support and motivation when things don’t go to plan. Running is my happy place and I would encourage anyone to give it a go, just one foot in front of the other and in no time you will be enjoying the sun on your face and the wind behind your back, pushing you to achieve your best.”
Baydon @baydonrun
(Dunedin)
–
Portraits of Runners + their stories
@RunnersNZ
