top of page
IMG_1180.jpg

Pānui Kawepūrongo

News & Events 

​

KŌ Kollective Trust wants to spread our message of hope and compassion. We believe that a single action can make a difference in the community, and that collective action can greatly impact the world. Through advocacy and outreach activities, our team works tirelessly each day to contribute their part to the greater good.

Search

An enthusiastic runner

By Audrey Macdonald

18/04/2022


It has been just over 3 years since I started this hobby, and since I started I have never looked back



It doesn’t need a lot of equipment, and you can do it indoors or out.

E te iwi, I am a runner.

Not like a Usain Bolt, 100m sprints type of runner. Just 3 times a week, around the Wellington waterfront, no matter the weather type of runner.










Humble beginnings

Growing up


, I never had any interest in running and couldn’t understand what the appeal was. In fact, I thought of it as some sort of punishment. This was understandable, seeing as;

  • I was the kid that often came last at school races.

  • In high school, I took so long at Cross Country, my punishment was to run ANOTHER race under a certain time limit.



How does one


who has never had any prior interest take up running, some may ask?

Well, I started walking in preparation for a trip to Hawaii. A consolidation of some of my favourite pa


stimes. Travelling and hanging out with mates. And the Hawaiian marathon was the bi-product.

To make myself accountable, we had to log our activity and post pictures on Facebook when we were out walking. Thanks to my regular updates, and, I am guessing Facebook’s advertising algorithm, I was introduced to the Extra Mile Runners advertisement for the Get up to 5k 8 week programme.

This programme promised that you would be able to run 5k in 8 weeks, or your money back!! (That last part was enough to keep my interest.)

So I signed up! And in eight weeks, I went from running 30 seconds without stopping to running a whole 5k!! I was the slowest on the day, but that didn’t matter!! My goal was plain and simple. Run 5k without stopping. And I did!

The programme prepared me to complete the 10k event at the Honolulu Marathon, and I also completed that, albeit very slowly.



And Now?


In the beginning, I l


iked the feeling of accomplishing a new challenge in a supportive environment. Now the progress isn’t as noticeable but I still enjoy getting out regularly, and challenging myself. Apart from the obvious health benefits, I have experienced positives in other ways:.

  • Running in a group provides an opportunity to meet new people from different backgrounds. I run alongside all walks of life. They all started off with the same 30 second run.

  • There are a lot of different running activities that also raise awareness and funds for c


harity. So I have entered in a couple of charitable events since I started running.

  • It can also be a gateway to other activities that you may not have considered. It is now a regular activity to take to the hills around the Wellington area and try some of the walking tracks.



Running is not without its difficulties.

  • Getting injured can serve as a suitable reminder to look after your body. Stretching and resting and a good night’s sleep all play their part in my daily routine now.

  • My pet peeve is when I am trying so hard and people walk past me. That definitely dents my ego.

  • And some days, the Wellington weather will make





things challenging. But once I have finished my run, if I don’t do anything else all day, I have at least achieved that.


So 3 years on, a number of 10k events, and medals to show for my achievements, and you can still find me, on a Monday, Wednesday and Saturday morning, pounding the pavement around Wellington. Still not the fastest runner but definitely the biggest fan of running.





62 views0 comments
bottom of page