running

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Stride for Syria

Date: 2 July 2017
Distance: 7.6km (+4km)
Time: 47:31 (30:00)

Setting up.
This is Manawatu.
Our beautiful river walkway.
Palmerston North Girls High School handling registration.
Palmerston North Boys High did all the talking and even had a band playing. How cool is that!
Participants getting ready.
Cool World Vision wrist bands were handed out to participants.
Unfortunately only a small field for this event.
Going round the bend – a very familiar part of the Super 7s event.
A few puddles to jump, if you can.
Gerry turning at the far end of Waitoetoe Park.
PNBHS manning the aid station – great job!
A nice off-road section.
Downstream from the bridge, the Bridle Track received a new layer of grit shortly before the Palmy marathon.

A week out from our half marathon, we had to fit in a last “cutback long-run” and decided to throw the Palmerston North Boys High School and Palmerston North Girls High School’s event into the mix.

The Stride for Syria intended to raise funds for the Syrian Refugee Crisis. It is labeled as “the most urgent humanitarian crisis of our time” after six years of ongoing fighting and conflict in Syria. According to the brochure that was handed out at the event, 470 000 people have been killed, and more than 4.8 million have fled the country, while 6.1 million have been displaced. That is nearly three times the population of New Zealand that is either dead, misplaced or having to flee for their lives. Continue reading →

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The Greatest Virtual Run

Date: 15 April 2017
Distance: 10.2km
Time: 1:18

gvr

Funny how things just pass you by when you’re not vigilant and half organised. Is it a sign of our already very hectic lives that the thought of trying to fit anything else in, is just too overwhelming? Or are we just plain too damn lazy? Continue reading →

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The Great Forest Events – Waitarere

Date: 8 April 2017
Distance: 21.1km
Time: 3:30
Previous: 2014, 2016

Race headquarters – new venue.
Follow the sign – not the arrow! 🙂
Nice to see Anita briefly before the start. She told me how she won the Taihape Half and got third place at the Martinborough Round the Vines female category! That’s fantastic – well done!
Seeing everyone disappear, while we were having a leisurely walk in the forest.
Graeme coming through the first water point.
As well as Derek, still going strong.
Fellow Manawatu Striders mate, Viv.
Graeme, Ross and another Strider.
Cheryl and Steph catching up at about 6km, having done 27km already.
We donned pink for the occasion – Cheryl’s favourite colour.
Gerry having a very easy run.
Cheryl and Steph, not even looking tired.
The girl of the moment – Cheryl about to complete her very first marathon.
Photo time! Not far now.
On the home stretch.
When we caught up with the 10 and 5km runners and walkers, the road got a bit congested, but didn’t slow us down at all.
Well done, Cheryl, on completing your first marathon! And Steph for running the whole way with her! As Patricia said – welcome to the marathon club. 🙂

A few months ago, a friend of ours won an entry for the marathon of this event. She has been keen to do a marathon for such a long time, and what better motivation than to win an entry. It was going to be her very first marathon and Gerry and I thought we’d like to join her. But, life had other plans, and we couldn’t get the miles done in time for a full marathon, so decided to join only for the second half of her run. Continue reading →

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Taihape Half

Date: 18 March 2017
Distance: 21.1km
Time: 2:29
Previous: 2015, 2016

Briefing inside the hall. Haven’t been inside before.
Was great to meet Anita before the start!
The winding road uphill in the first two kilometres.
Distance markers for the half, 10km and 5km runs.
Getting fancy with our selfies!
First water point with very helpful little volunteers.
The stream cut a massive gorge through the area.
David C and Graeme enjoying the day out as part of the walkers event.
No, I did not just poop that out! The first of some massive mushrooms. Haven’t seen them before.
David J, who came second in the 21.1km walk category.
Fun times at the water point at the turn-around of the dog-leg.
Not much blue skies this time around, but still a great day out.
Gerry having an easy morning out.
Derek going strong – another walker in the half marathon event.
A wee gathering in the middle of the road. Rob arrived and started very late, so we saw him on the out-and-back stretch.
Another one of the gigantic mushrooms. It’s the biggest one I’ve seen in my life!
On the last bit of the uphill, before the final kilometre or so downhill to the finish.

After a long hiatus and battling to fully commit and get back into things, I thought participating in an event might help me find my running mojo, so we entered the Taihape Half. (Boy was I wrong – it’s been a week since, and I’ve managed one run …) Not having done the hard yards, I knew this kind of distance wasn’t the “right thing to do”, but throwing caution to the wind, I figured if I take it really easy I should be able to cover the distance. Even if it means having to walk most of the way. Continue reading →

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New Plymouth half marathon

Date: 2 October 2016
Distance: 21.1km
Time: 2:31.27
Previous: 2011

In sight of the finish – a good reason to smile! [Pic courtesy of NP Joggers & Walkers]
A drizzly morning to start off with.
Runners and walkers huddled up under the pavilion roof.
New Plymouth mates, Henriette and Des.
A fair amount of participants in the 21.1km event.
Lovely downhill in the first kilometre or two taking you to the lowest point on the course.
Gerry having a very relaxed morning out.
Dark clouds coming from the sea.
And event darker clouds from the mountain side.
Happy helpers at the first water point.
One of the biggies in the first half – the hill that goes straight up.
Halfway! Yay! Downhill from here, right?
Gerry catching up after the last water point.
Beautiful countryside.
Happy to find some of my favourite colour!
Glad to have made it one more time to the finish of a half marathon.

We have now officially exhausted the last bit of our running memory. No more long-runs without a bit of training first.

When friends invited us to join them for the half marathon, I thought to myself, yeah, why not. So we entered, knowing very well that I’m tempting fate (more accurately, tickling the lion’s testicles) and it’s only a matter of time before the wheels come off. As it rightfully did. Continue reading →