“At school, I was never very good at sports, so I wanted to prove to myself that exercising can be fun when you remove the need to get a good grade. That was 7 years ago. And now, running has become so much more in my life.
Running is the way I connect with the outdoors. It is a way to socialise with others, support local communities putting on events for a cause, and it is always a good excuse to plan a trip out of town or overseas. It is one of the things that keeps me and my wife connected. And it is something that is rewarding: if you put the right effort in, you get results.
I started running when my work said they would pay for me to run Wellington’s Round the Bays. 6.7km later, I decided that my next goal would be a half marathon a year later. It was a big deal for me. And when I first went for a run with the woman who would end up being my wife, I thought I was a big deal. She quickly made me realise that I wasn’t. There were those things called ultra-marathons, and trail running. And just like that, I was even more hooked.
Fast forward to today, I am now alternating road and trail running. The road gives me the often sought feeling of certainty – the cadence, the pace, the kms. The trail brings the always needed surprise – the birds, the views around the corner, or the hill that wasn’t as easy as it looked on the map.
Overall, I run because it makes me more of a rounded human.”
Nico @nico_friwi
(Wellington)
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Portraits of Runners + their stories
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