“It was late 2014 and here I was. 45 years old. Sitting down at work, aching tired legs, my suit feeling a bit tight, thinking I had to do something. So I decided to start running. Running home. From Wellington to home. 21 kilometres away.
Of course, I didn’t, or couldn’t, run all the way. 5 minutes running and then 5 walking. To the next power pole. To that bridge. To Ngauranga without stopping. To Petone without stopping. And then do all that but in under 60 minutes.
I was setting goals. I was training. And I was seeing results. My legs weren’t aching and tired anymore. I was feeling better about myself and I was actually enjoying it. Then I was asked to be the ‘runner’ in a 2 man duathlon event. He would do the 30k ride and I would run 13k. “Might be beyond my limit”, I would reply. But I gave it a go.
This was my first event; my first race briefing; my first finish line. This was my first trail run. And I was hooked!
Freedom. Escape. Nature. Hot, dry grasslands and dense, cooling bush. Uphills and downhills. Pushing your limits. This was no longer about weight, self image – even health… This was about me.
Almost 5 years after that first trail run, that same course is now my ‘backyard’. My training ground. My solace. My escape. Because sometimes, we have to look after number one.
Why do I run?
I run for me.”
Conon @1me2feet
(Wellington)
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Portraits of Runners + their stories
@RunnersNZ
