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Running for our Canterbury Kids' Mental Health

  • Finished!

      10 January 2022
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    Well that's it, I did 115km, over 6600m elevation in 10 days to bring me to Gore and finish the 500km challenge. 500km may not seem a lot over the months I have done this but it has mainly been on hills or mountains and mostly very early in the morning so that I can fit everything else in. I have loved doing it and will continue running and raising money for Move for Māia. On Sat I have a 28km race in Te Anau and in 4 weeks the 30km Coast to Coast Mountain Run, both will be tough runs but turning up to run against others is probably the most challenging aspect for me. So thanks for all your support with this and more importantly the kid's of Canterbury and their families thank you for helping to bring us closer to making this new Mental Health facility become a reality.

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  • Summer running

      7 January 2022
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    Well, I managed a few boring neighbourhood runs in the busy last few weeks of Dec. Then in Wanaka I was lucky enough to do Mt Isthmus, Grandview Mountain, Mt Iron a few times and then Mt Roy and Mt Alpha. Absolutely stunning scenery everywhere. The final 30km, I do tomorrow over Goats Pass.

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  • Chipping away - 365km down

      6 December 2021
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    Well, I have run past Dunedin now, heading towards Milton. The Hanmer half marathon was so very different to the Valley Ultra. It was hot, dry and on dirt roads. I got my nutrition wrong again so need to work on that. Strangely my blackcurrant and beetroot juice looks like blood and can I just say it was pretty gross when I puked it up again, luckily no one saw or they would have been horrified!! Another half marathon next weekend...slowly getting there.

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  • A few Adventures

      28 November 2021
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    Valley Ultra Piglet

    So finally, a race that went ahead! It was great fun and stunning scenery in the Craigieburn Ranges, even though it rained consistently and much of the course was running up and down steep mud tracks. (Pics in the Gallery). I went into the race with an injured neck, so was slow but happy to compete and make it out in one piece. Many parts I just skidded down; one section was so steep there were ropes to help get up, and I did most of this on all fours. The 24km run was about 1000m in elevation.

    Another adventure was on Show Day near Mt Somers, heading into Woolshed Creek Hut then coming out via the Rhyolite Ridge Track. It was gorgeous weather when we set off, but gale-force winds, later on, had us gripping onto rocks along the ridgeline, making resolutions to do better weather forecast and terrain research if we made it home alive.

    332kms down now, heading into Dunedin soon. I have another run in Hanmer on Sat, a new course for the Alpine Half Marathon in the forest. I am off to the trusty new osteopath tomorrow to fix all my niggling injuries.

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  • Halfway!

      8 November 2021
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    Well, I am over halfway now, heading out of Oamaru. I have had some fantastic local Port Hills runs, a Half Marathon in beautiful Kaikoura and a few runs in Hanmer Springs, where I always seem to get lost. This pic is the Pipeline, my new fav for a quick hill run.

    It’s been a bit disappointing with a few of my races being Covid cancelled, but I have some great ones coming up. The Valley Ultra, set in the Craigieburn Ranges, a new Hanmer Half Marathon course and a test run over Goats Pass. Then I have the Luxmore Grunt (half the Kepler) in Jan, and the Coast to Coast Mountain Run in Feb.

    I have taken up Pilates in an effort to get stronger. A stranger gave me this pearl of wisdom on the Kaikoura half after discussing non-firing butt muscles. My friends love coming for hill repeats with me very early in the morning, but I have been unsuccessful in convincing anyone in my family to join me. When it is just me running, I listen to audiobooks. Currently, I am on book four of a seven-book set, and unlike my usual running wisdom books, these are quite scary psychological crime novels and seem to make me run faster.

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  • Holiday Over

      7 October 2021
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    Well, our Central Otago holiday is over. I have loved running on the Queenstown Trails (https://queenstowntrail.co.nz/maps-and-trails/) and the Naseby Forest Trails (https://www.trailforks.com/region/naseby/), the scenery has been stunning and the weather pretty perfect. It's back to Christchurch for some of my local runs in the Port Hills which are also amazing. I am feeling very grateful to be living in NZ, on the South Island at the moment. I discovered some boulders yesterday along the Shotover Delta Trail so got in a bit of boulder hopping training.

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  • Central Otago Holiday

      5 October 2021
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    We are lucky enough to be able to travel and so are making the most of a very quiet Central Otago. The photos in the gallery tell the tale well. Starting in Naseby, I had a few beautiful early morning runs in the forest, revisiting childhood haunts and enjoying the absolute stillness and peacefulness of that time of the day. I also celebrated my 50th birthday in style at the Royal Hotel, an Icon in Naseby.

    Queenstown was the next destination, with stunning runs around Lake Wakatipu, Jacks Point and the Frankton shoreline. I even managed sprints in the hotel hallway, boulder jumping along the lakefront and step repeats at the hotel possibly annoying guests enjoying their breakfast. 117km down today.

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  • Refreshed Goal and Progress Update

      21 September 2021
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    OK, so I have not done an update for some time. This is because I have not been tracking along as I would have liked. Unfortunately, my calculation for reaching 600km did not consider life, illness and family and other such important things. So, and I hope this is OK with those who have already donated, I am changing my goal to 500km. Also, this goes well for when I am not in the mood for running but do anyway and the lyrics from the song ‘I will walk 500 miles’ keeps me going. This now makes my destination Gore, which is significant as my Nana lived there and was a very determined, stubborn woman, much like me.

    So, progress wise I am out of Christchurch, past Rolleston and on my way. When I don't have time to run in the hills, I do a quick loop run around the block near my home. This photo is of the sunrise I saw this morning, quite inspirational.

    I also have further incentive to keep running and that is because I managed to secure a spot in the 2022 Coast to Coast Mountain Run!

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  • Sheesh, I am behind

      9 September 2021
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    Well, I started this challenge on the 7th September, coming out of an injury. So I have km's to catch up on. It is only a week on but I am excited to share this journey with you. My updates will be on Sundays but this one is a kick-off, I was allowed under level 2 Delta rules to run with great friends last night and it was fantastic. Enjoy

    catching up with your friends and family. x

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