“How I got into running is a bit of a funny one. In highschool I’d come to the conclusion that I couldn’t run. I grew up tramping and spending lots of time outdoors, but there was a guy who would steal my shoes (in a fun way) and I’d run as fast as I possibly could and I couldn’t catch him, so I decided I was slow. And when my mom gave me a couch to 5km walk-run program to try, I jumped ahead to week three (because I thought I was active enough to skip the intro). I tried a few sessions, but was absolutely dying, so determined I couldn’t run (in retrospect I was trying to run much too fast).
A few years later, the summer before my first year of college, I was sailing with some friends and they convinced me to go on a run with them. I told them many times that I couldn’t run but they said that we’d go slow and I’d be fine. I begrudgingly agreed and it wasn’t easy but I made it through. After the run my friends were chatting about how far we’d run, 3 maybe 4 miles. And I said “no, that’s impossible. I can’t run that far!” They didn’t mince any words and said, “well, you just did”. That was the moment I learned that I could run.
Fast forward a decade of running casually for cross training and for fun. Then late 2020 I carpooled to an XTerra race in Waiuku, outside of Auckland, and found out that trail running races on trails was a thing. I was promptly hooked. Hooked by the trails and the feeling of pushing myself, but also hooked on the people. A community that we’d just entered which was already opening its arms to us as brand-new-comers.
I ran as many Lactic Turkey trail adventures as I could and signed up for Mt Difficulty 42km the next fall. Next was a summer of galavanting in the mountains, pushing distance and time on feet with regular 40-50kms, 5,000m vert, 14-18hrs. Running in the mountains was our playground.
Through a program with @Scotty Hawker I got some professional coaching and was introduced to the bigger world of competitive trail running. Being at a transition point in life and work, I decided to take an unconventional leap, and go into running full time.
I decided to try a year, a year of dedicating myself to full time pro running and see if a) I liked the way of life, b) I liked the people, and c) if I was good enough to pursue this thing. I got a resounding yes regarding all three and so I was IN! But I had to figure out what my next driver was. My tests worked, I knew what to do next, but was missing a full why…
It took me about a year and a half of pro running & racing internationally (plus lots of thinking!) to figure out my why, and now I have it. I run professionally to take advantage of this amazing opportunity that I have, to run all over the world, to make memories, to meet amazing people, to be on the start lines with fabulous women, and to run my heart out. Thank you body – for letting me run, thank you world – for being beautiful, and thank you friends present and future – you make it all worthwhile.”
Robyn @trails4smiles
(Wanaka)
Photo taken in Fiordland
–
Portraits of Runners + their stories
@runnersnz
