“Running is my vehicle for self-exploration.
I’ve run in some shape since I was a kid, nothing competitive really, just ranging from cross country, local kids running events and track at primary school. From Intermediate and High School, it was more directed towards fitness for football in the winters and tennis in the summers.
However, there was a period in those early teenage years at school where a particular teacher would make our class get sent out for a 3-5km block run for no particular reason. It was, in their eyes, a good excuse to get us focused and fit. In a sense it seemed to be a punishment for some reason. We were required to be back in a set time. If you were late or took too long, you had to either do it again or the next time extra kms would be added on. As a result, this took the fun out of running for me. It was no longer an enjoyable thing to do.
Fast forward to now and so much has changed.
I’ve always tried to keep a reasonable level of fitness and maintain some form of good health over the last decade, whether it was through playing football or tennis or going through spurts of attending a gym. Funnily enough running was not on this list at all. However, I wasn’t getting any younger and injuries from the past came back to haunt me. This resulted in having to face reality and end my competitive and social footballing and tennis days. I became lost. I needed to find something to fill the void that ticked the boxes in a fitness and social interaction sense.
My father-in-law is a runner and he started to get into trail running, something I had never heard of. When I started to research what it encompassed, I thought, ‘No way! Why would someone run up rugged, uneven tracks and basically put themselves through so much pain in running incredibly long races and events?’
Next thing I knew, my amazing wife Katie, signed up to run the Tarawera Ultramarathon 21km in 2020. She was on a journey and I drew inspiration from her taking on this challenge. She graciously let me join her on this journey and together we completed the 21km race at Tarawera. We had a blast. What I did not anticipate was that 10kms into that run I would be hooked! From that moment on the trails and ultramarathons are always calling my name. The rest is history.
A quote I like to use is “you are never too old to dream a new dream”, and with this I had a new dream to run a 50km Ultramarathon. To achieve this, I wanted to go back to where it all started – the Tarawera Ultramarathon. I enlisted the guidance of some experienced running coaches to give me structure and guidance as I had no clue how to train for a distance like this. Despite Covid I was able to achieve this goal in 2021.
Together, Katie and I completed another couple of events, supporting local through the Manawatu Striders. This was fun to do as a couple and at the same time keeping healthy and fit. As a whānau, with our son, we would go to our local parkrun and either walk or run. It was really inspiring to see and meet other runners and whānau who were there too. We made new social connections with other local runners and walkers.
I have been so fortunate and grateful with my most recent challenge and goal in completing the 60km Kepler Challenge. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience and a big tick on my adventure list.
With running, and the trail running community, the people are just fantastic. There are always opportunities to connect with likeminded, passionate people who challenge their mind and body to achieve extraordinary things. These people do things many only dare to dream and it is inspiring and just awesome.
I am someone who tries to give back in everything I do and running is no different. I am fortunate and grateful to now be part of the Achilles New Zealand Manawatū chapter. I have become a guide for our local people with disabilities and will be able to help them participate in events. The work here and the effort these athletes put in is truly inspiring and hugely rewarding.
For me, running, and the trails, is now my happy place. It’s ‘my time’ in escaping the daily grind and hustle and bustle of everyday life. I have nothing but gratitude for being with the whenua, the sights and smells that greet me, the fresh early morning run in the bush as the sun rises, the mist or fog untouched in the hills, the newly formed spiderwebs from the previous night lie in wait. Being present in the moment and emerging out of the trail feeling revitalised, reenergised, and clear-headed sets me up for what lies ahead, ultimately helping my mental wellbeing.
Another reason why I love to run is to challenge myself, set a goal, face all the highs and lows, and then smash it! Three years ago, I started out small with goals that I wanted to achieve and did achieve. This gave me the self-belief and confidence that over time has now given me strength to have bigger goals that give me the drive and determination to go for. Some of these goals are scary to me and that’s okay. I remind myself that I get to be alive, I get to be here, I get to do this, I get to feel my physical weakness and I get to overcome it with my mind. It’s my determination and mental fortitude that gets me through it and to the start line.
My son is one of my biggest motivators. For the majority of my races, he has always brought me home through the finishing shoot. One thing that drives me and pushes me not to quit in a race is the thought in my mind of him standing there waiting for me after being told, ‘Daddy’s nearly here – get ready’. These are priceless memories I’ll cherish forever. As he gets older, I want him to see the determination and drive I have for my training and running, doing the mahi to get the job done. I’ll look forward to the day when he wants to join me, and we run together and me trying to keep up with him.
Running has become a regular part of life for me. I run for fun, I run for the social connectivity, and I run for a purpose as well as for my mental and physical wellbeing. By pushing my limits in the endurance sport world, it challenges and drives me on how far and how high I can go.
For me, it’s always one foot in front of the other. And to go one more.”
Brad @b.rad_and_run
(Palmerston North)
Photo taken in Te Anau
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