“I used to run a bit as a teenager, in the school cross country and around our village in the UK. Back then every hill felt like a mountain. I was more interested in sailing where weekends and school holidays would be spent on the waters of England’s lakes, going fast in a Laser dinghy.
Later on, my little brother and I challenged each other to run a half marathon. Both our first. It was a highlight for the challenge and the achievement together. My wife and I would do the same half marathon years later, her first too.
When I met Emma we both ran, a little. When we moved to the UK it escalated a bit; a half marathon and then a marathon for her. I would never run a marathon. No way. And then…
That was our gateway into running being a big part of our lives. I later ran a marathon, enthused by the idea of circumnavigating a Lake (Rotorua). I ran a few more. I used to pace Emma once she started running ultras, on the final stages. Once Emma entered me into a competition for Tarawera, and I won an entry, with 12 days until the 62km start line. And last year we both did the 102km. I was really happy to complete it, and to run the last 7km with her was really special.
We run a lot together. It speaks of adventures and possibilities. We’ve run many of the Great Walks, and holidays always feature running shoes. To go up into the hills with only what you need for the day, or even 3 days, is a pretty cool feeling. We’ll do more of that this year.
Running has taught me a lot. This includes occasional injuries; learning to listen, take notice and adapt. The same as life really. It’s a social sport. There’s so much that I get in the well-being of it in being outdoors, with friends, as an efficient form of transport, the community of our running club, the sereneness being out in nature, and discovering a different side of Wellington in this network of trails I call home.”
Chris @chris__howard_
(Wellington)
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All Runners. All Stories.
@RunnersNZ
