“Mind, Body & Soul. My running journey all started with the mind. The body and Soul followed.
My husband, Chris and I were working on our mental health together, then shortly after Chris came across the David Goggins book – Can’t Hurt Me. The foreword was written by Joe Rogan and it said “reading this book will make you want to run up mountains”. I laughed at this and carried on reading. Little did I know I would soon be running!
After seeing Chris start his running journey I decided to give it a crack too. What’s the worst that could happen I thought – I would become a runner like who we used to laugh at years ago? I used to run at primary school and was really good at it, but many moons later trying to run round the park behind our house was a big struggle, but I kept at it and slowly started going further each time. Before I knew it I was doing a 5km lap of our neighbourhood.
After seeing Chris smash out his first Ultra, and hearing how it felt to get to the finish line, I thought I would like to give this a go too. The most I had run before was 10km. I entered the Valley Ultra, up in the Castle Hill area. I grew up in this area and knew it well. I knew I could do the 10km, so I entered the 24km, just to see if I could actually do it. The main goal was just to get to the finish line!
It was hard going but at the start I’d met a couple of rad ladies and we all ran it together in the rain and mud and laughed and encouraged each other the whole time. It was an awesome feeling at the finish line, knowing that it was actually achievable and seeing how far you can push your body if you let your mind push you too!
Running for me has always been Mind, Body and Spirit. It’s always a mental game and I always have to pep-talk myself out of quitting. But I always make it to my finish line, where my body feels better for it and I fill my soul each time I get out there. And I know every time I get out, I’m prolonging my days so I can keep adventuring with my wee family unit.
I do have to eat my words though, as I once said to Chris “I will never run trails”. I’m so glad I did, otherwise I would not have discovered how amazing a run up a hill just to watch a sunrise is, and how good you feel after. And a big bonus is how awesome the running community is, no matter what level you are at, or where you are in a race, or who’s passing you, everyone is always encouraging you.
Get out there, fight the battle and fill up your Soul.”
Erin @rezmorresey
(Christchurch)
Photo taken in Te Anau
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