My Story - enjoying a lifestyle about fitness

Cycling adventures with friends.

I believe that fitness is fun, and fitness should be fun. Fitness to me brings friends, adventure, and challenge together.

Yes Cross country was always my favourite event of the year at school; we were lucky enough that our Cross Country was run over a number of surrounding farms, up and down hills. The night before the event at home we would flatten Sprite for energy, and eat a pasta dinner. By choice I always ran it in bare feet, starting the first 300m down the drive on gravel hobbling before hitting the grass and getting started.

We never specifically went out and trained, in fact until I was 23 I had never run more than 6km.

Our fun family annual holidays were multi day hikes, and canoe trips, exploring somewhere new, we always did it with other families, and our main goal was usually to get to the end first to choose the best bed and get to rest. As with most of us living in NZ we are surrounded by gorgeous lakes and beaches, and we lived on a farm so had hours of adventures. Getting outdoors to me is where there is fun and adventures.

Trail running events in gorgeous locations

In 2008 I came home from Ireland with hundreds of other Kiwi's and moved home to Mum and Dad's in Rotorua. With few full time job opportunities in the near future, I took up training, Dad was training for his first Half Ironman, so I had a great training partner, we joined the RAT's group (Rotorua Association of Triathletes), Rotorua is the gateway to beautiful natural scenery and I was seeing my home town in a whole new light.

I remember running the Rotorua Off road run, I was struggling up the last gravel hill, chatting to the father and son ahead of me, getting me up the hill, then at the finish the high fives, thanking each other for the motivation. I came 3rd female in that event, so we decided it was time to try something a bit further.

Giving Triathlons a go

The Tarawera Ultra as part of a team was my first long event 17.5km up big hills, an older man from RATs gave me some advice on taking Gu's and drinking electrolytes at intervals for energy. Being my first long event I chatted away and stayed behind some seasoned athletes, I learnt on long events you are allowed to walk up steep peaks to save energy (never knew that was a option). The thrill and love of working in a team, surrounded by like minded people, learning off others more seasoned than I was a revaluation.

When I moved back to Auckland a year later, wanting to keep the social and enjoyment in exercise up I joined the YMCA Marathon group and ATC ( Auckland Triathlon Club), Auckland is a great area to run around, hills, parks, and variation in terrain. I started in the 6.5km per hour pace group at YMCA, I had little idea what this meant, but after the first run had the plan to build up to the 5:15 pace group.

These social fitness groups were nice, but I wasn't training for any big competitive event like either of these groups, when asked I would say I was training to go home for Christmas, as Mum and Dad were rather fit by this point, and keeping up with them running, cycling and swimming is a challenge.

Road running events

My next big discovery after a chat with a man on one of our YMCA runs was a outdoor fitness group. I mentioned that I enjoyed running, but I wanted something else, that I had no interest in going to a gym, but felt I wanted to do more than just pound the pavement, and he said, " why don't you try Fresh Air Fitness" an outdoor training group. Oh my god, that was me, I loved it, Fresh Air Fitness run by Logan Reardon, now 101 Health in Mt Eden, was just what I needed. The first session at the Domain, I remember the circuit had lots of squats and a run down the road to the grandstand and back, I was slower on the strength work but my running had me up behind the speedster of the group.

Group events

This started a whole new direction to my life. The social group of similar people the challenge the building of strength and I got faster! After a month I mentioned to the group, are any of you interested in running a half marathon, as I was training for Auckland half. No one jumped with excitement, one guy gave it a go and became my running partner, for the next 2 years as we built up and ran the Auckland half twice. The first year we did the 5km O'Hagan's pub run on Tuesday's and a long run on Saturdays. The first time we ran the Auckland half, was very exciting, we stuck together during the race, I had worked out a average pace for us I calculated on my watch at each kilometre, not saying I was that accurate, at the bottom of the hill heading up to the Orewa rd on the North shore, I said ' Shit we are behind by 1 minute' so we picked up the pace up the big hill, only for me to then realise, actually we are ahead by 1 minute. We finished that race in 1:45:00 and like most decided that we achieved that quite easy and should train harder and more specifically for next year.

Group of us after Auckland Half

That next major race a year later, we had trained under a strict training plan written for us by Simon Blincoe. Who kindly donated his time, (his son Adrian Blincoe a top mid distance runner he trained at the Millennium centre for many years) The World cup was on that year, and through all the socialising and a friend visiting from Europe I stuck to the programme. The BIG race came, and I started off feeling great, 4:15 pace was what Simon gave me, all came unraveled at the 20km mark where I passed out, this was the biggest learning of my running. I was on par for my goal, but with so much pressure on myself and this one race, going out too fast as I felt great, and the heat of the day. I mainly blame the pressure I put on myself, I laugh at it now, my running partner got his time; Just!, but was in the most pain ever and had to stop numerous times on the last 5km to pump out his calves.

My aim is to be the best of the average people the best of the Upper quartile. No elite but a quality runner.

Mountain bike adventures

My next big movement was into trail running, I had done the Tough Guy and Gal challenge a few year prior but did not love it, too much standing around and jumping in freezing swamps. But the Xterra Auckland series this was brilliant, the people who were running in the event, and the people who organised the event, this seemed like a dream job, I ended up working as a volunteer and then in a part time role with the Total sport team over 4 years. The running in the outdoors, technical, variety new places, makes it feel like a adventure, and a community of great people, where you are encouraged to hang around after your run and socialise.

Getting out and about trail running with great people

When I decided to change careers and become a Personal Trainer it was because I love getting outdoors, and want to encourage others to find the same. My original business plan had been to get people to try a arrange of activities, like running, bootcamps, surf lessons, dancing, athletics, rock climbing... and hope to help them find a activity that they enjoyed. I changed it to a Outdoor fitness community, for everyday runners to get them fitter, faster and stronger with weights and variation, as this is where my knowledge and enthusiasm lies.

Hiking and climbing, bringing some of the bootcamp ladies along for the adventures

Fitness should be enjoyable, it should become part of your lifestyle, let it slip into being a part of who you are, find out what you enjoy and roll with it. It is a journey and you constantly learn. Next time I will share how my running style and awareness has improved over the years, from pretty shocking to looking like a proper runner.