“Sheesh ahhhh… I’m a late comer to running and prior to that, the only running I was doing was competitively on a netball court.
I started road running with a friend who was doing triathlon. I would rock up and just run, and would you believe, I was still smoking at the time. So I stopped playing netball, gave up my 30+ year smoking habit and got into triathlon and running. I really enjoyed it and thought I was pretty ok at it.
Road running events came first for a wee while. I’m not even sure how trail running came about. I probably just saw an event and entered it! I’m a bit random like that… and it’s all just escalated from there.
I’ve been doing it for a number of years now and these days running is just a part of my lifestyle, along with all the other things I do. My favourite saying is ‘your body is capable of some impressive shit, embrace it and challenge it’. And that’s pretty much what this 50 year old booty does.
Trails are what I enjoy the most. I love getting out even if it’s on the same trail, as each time it’s different – where it takes you and the views you get to see are pretty special really, and then there’s the awesome peeps you meet along the way.
I have a gazillion fave moments… a few would be… running in the dark is super cool; early morning bush run just before day break when it’s eerily quiet and misty running through spiderwebs is exciting; those times when your climbing a hill and you can feel your heart rate go up, and then there’s the excitement of running down a hill is a total rush, especially when you get going!
So for now I still run because it’s a happy place, even when it sometimes hurts. It still puts a smile on the outside and the inside. It continues to excite me and it still gives me goosies… Much like a peanut butter, jam and cheese sandwich…!”
JJ @nzshajas
(Wellington)
–
Portraits of Runners + their stories
@RunnersNZ
