“Like a lot of people I started running with one goal in mind – weight loss.
However I was very quickly addicted to that Runner’s high feeling people talk about and switched my focus from weight loss to just enjoying the challenge. I set myself small goals starting off with 5km non stop then 10km under an hour, half marathons… I was addicted, there was always something new to aim for.
I love to push my limits with my running and after a few years off with baby number 3, I thought “I know what will test that limit again, a full Marathon!” So aiming high, I signed up to run the worlds biggest Marathon… the mighty New York Marathon!
This was the push I needed. I hit restart on my training and began building up distance slowly. This took me nearly 18months. It was hard but crossing that NYC Marathon finish line was amazing and worth every single step. It was also just the beginning!
Next big goals for me are Queenstown Marathon and then onto Tarawera Ultra 50km in 2022.
Running has always been a kind of release for me both mentally and physically. I use running to fix a bad day, celebrate a great day, or just well earned time out to clear my mind. I find that there’s something weirdly relaxing about completely exhausting myself. I am hooked!”
Renee @_renee.michelle_
(Blenheim)
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Portraits of Runners + their stories
@RunnersNZ
