Running on Inspiration

There’s so many inspiring people in this world. Many of those people don’t have ‘fame or fortune’ in the conventional sense – but they are guaranteed to be famous with their friends and rich in ways that money cannot bring. They are people who through their own actions make the world a better place for others – as well as inspiring those around them to make changes in their own lives.

In the past week two people I admire, and have the honour of knowing, have undertaken huge challenges to raise money for good causes.

First up, my friend Hay, ran her first ‘ultra marathon’ – The Tawawera Ultramarathon (60km!) and has raised, to date, $1,025 for The Dream Chaser Foundation, supporting children and families facing childhood cancer. You can read about her incredibly brave achievement in her post ‘Done and Dusted’ on ‘Run Monkey, Run‘!

Secondly, a friend in England, Dave, ran the ‘Fleet Half Marathon‘ in hail, torrential rain and temperatures barely above freezing, and raised nearly 200 GBP for ‘Winston’s Wish‘, the charity for bereaved children. Dave’s sponsor page is here.

So, with them in mind, I’ve made friends with my trainers again and have been putting in the miles (or kilometres here in New Zealand). It’s the first time since I’ve had my three daughters that I’ve regularly made time to exercise. I’ve kept pretty fit running around after them, walking with them in a backpack and pushing them up Wellington’s steep hills in a buggy, but it’s so different having time purely for me. I’m loving it! Now I just need to keep it up when the darker, cooler evenings start kicking in (my old mate Dave will be my inspiration there!).

This video below is another piece of inspiration – of a group of runners who visited New Zealand, found the country inspiring, and covered many kilometres. It reminds me of my ‘BC’ days (before children) when Dan and I would traverse the country, walking for days on end, kayaking, skiing, rafting… living and breathing all that New Zealand has to offer in the way of incredible outdoor adventures.

I’m so happy to be making time for me again. The man of the house does too – with soccer in the winter months, tennis training once a week, the occasional jog and plenty of summer activity with paddle boarding and kayaking. I am so grateful to my family and friends for encouraging me – thank you! x

I am very fortunate that the scenery on my doorstep is quite inspiring too (I just have to discipline myself to not stop and take lots of photos – or get distracted with something on the beach!).

I’m aiming to complete my first 10k right now – got as far at 8.06km to date. My fastest 5km is 28.06 minute and my fastest 1k has been 5.10 minutes. Loving the ‘Nike’ Running App. on my iPhone for tracking my runs and giving me plenty of personal self-challenges (nice to get some cheers on the way too – and know other friends that are just getting into running that are also tracking their personal progress and sharing the journey).

What inspires you to get moving? x