“So what’s my WHY when it comes to running? Well it’s definitely evolved over the years to a point where it is now a key part of my identity, my passion and my life.
I was a nerd as a school-kid. Straight A-student, but not sporty at all. I was always jealous of the athletic types and their popularity. Fast forward to university and I continued to study hard, but party harder, and by the time I finished my degree in London, I was very unfit, smoking, drinking too much, and eating poorly. Then I went out to watch the London Marathon one day and I was blown away by the determination shown on the faces of the athletes, all running for different reasons, but united in their goal, and the support to propel them was awe-inspiring. A seed was sown and a few years later, it came up in a conversation with my old man. I made a throwaway comment about how cool it would be to run it one day. In his 50s at the time, and willing to call my bluff, he threw down the challenge – “Well if you’re in, I’ll do it with you”. The gauntlet was laid down. We got charity fundraising entries (failing in the lottery) and spent the next 6 months training for the 2007 London Marathon. The day came – I went out like a hare and crashed and burned by mile 20. He went out like a (smarter) tortoise and caught me close to the finish line. That was a special day.
After moving to NZ, I continued road running for many years, mainly as a commute to stay fit, but also did several 10ks, halfs and marathons again. In my 40th year, I set myself the challenge of 4 marathons in a year, and ticked off Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Dunedin and Queenstown. But injuries kept coming back and I was getting slower and losing interest against the pressure to get faster.
Then a friend at work suggested I try an Xterra race at Makara West Wind. It was brutal, but I loved it. The goal was no longer to finish in front of others, it was about supporting each other to get to that finish line, to revel in the amazing scenery we ran through, and to make new friends. I’d found my passion…
From there, I soon signed up to the full series, exploring all these cool trails on my doorstep I had no idea existed. On one of the races, I overheard someone talking about WUU2K. Two days later I was signed up. Then it was Taupo 50k, then Tarawera 102k, Old Ghost Ultra, the list goes on. But the races weren’t the end goal – they were just the celebration of the journey, which was all about exploring as many trails as I could, soaking it all in. Yes it was training, but wasn’t an effort like it used to be. I discovered the Wild Things trail directory which changed my life in that exploration aspect. And I found my tribe in WoRM – a collection of simply amazing human beings, who love running in beautiful places, and don’t mind the odd beer or two afterwards!
I haven’t slowed down since, ticking off lots of amazing events, exploring further afield in wild places like the Tararuas, and going further and further each year, the pinnacle being the summer just gone where I completed the Tarawera Miler then Ring of Fire, and a few of us have just done 3 of the Great Walks in 5 days.
I don’t know how long I will be able to continue, but trail running has made me, at 45, fitter than I’ve ever been, not just in mind but in spirit too. It takes a lot of mental stamina to complete an ultra and the strength that’s given me helps me in other facets of my life. As someone with very much a “carpe diem” mentality, I intend to keep exploring, and be grateful for each day I am able to run and do so in a safe and beautiful country with a wonderful community alongside me!”
Joe @infinity_runner_
(Wellington)
Photo taken on the Kepler Track, Te Anau
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