I’ve been running now for 15 years, starting in 2009, seven years after my school years. In school I was naturally ok at the 800m and cross-country, pipping 2nd at most school carnivals, but I never considered it outside of required events.

It started when I left Sydney (northern beaches). I left on the back of a back injury and subsequent departure from my landscaping apprenticeship. I lingered in Sydney for a while with unfulfilling filler jobs. Sydney and the beaches had lost its charm for me, friends were dispersing, or simply we were moving on from each other.

Relocation 1 - Albury

Mum and Tony were just finishing building their house on their 500 acre property 6 hours away, just north of Albury, and were more than happy to have an extra hand on the farm while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I packed my stuff and left.

It was very organic step into running. First, my asthma started to disappear because I was out in the fresh country air away from the Sydney smog and humidity. My back started getting better with the work I picked up in the valley as farm-hand and gardening odd jobs. The area itself was beautiful with rolling hills out the back door. I wanted to be outside more.

The farm and start of my very first regular running route:

My first event was the Fed Hill Challenge in Wodonga, a 10k run with a wee hill included (more on hills later), placing an unspectacular 42nd. I must’ve not figured out the dress code for running yet as I remember someone commenting on my baggy longsleeves and boardies. I then did some more fun runs, mud runs and sprint adventure races over the next year.

Relocation 2 - Bathurst

Around this time I figured out what career path I wanted - something in GIS. An entry-level job came up in Bathurst, 5 hours north. It was worth the move, so my second big relocation ensued.

This is where things really ramped up. I was now only 1 hour away from the Blue Mountains and many state forests, and I quickly sniffed out the Running Wild trail running series and many other happenings in the area.

My event log while I resided in Aus:

I was always a trail runner. As time went on I wanted to go further, more technical, more veritical. I remember hating my first half marathon, but I’ll put that to being a flat road run and back in Sydney. I said “never again”. It wasn’t long after I was doing well beyond that distance as training runs. My sister had picked it up too, and we’d occasionally be at the same event, but most of the time we’d be doing different distances. Soph was regularly on the podium, and I loved being around to enjoy it with her. I started to get podiums too, but most of the time I’d be hovering around the back of the front packs.

Relocation 3 - Queenstown

In 2019 I moved to Queenstown, New Zealand. Dad being kiwi, we have been regular holidayers here forever, so it’s always felt like a second home. You can see in 2018 there were a couple events here, which really cemented my passion for the area. A job came up so thought “Why not?”. I now have trails and mountains at my doorstep.

When I moved I kicked off a trig bagging project, combining my trail running and now 10 year career in GIS and surveying, bagging 42 trig stations in the remaining 42 weeks of the year. It was for charity raising funds for men’s mental health initiatives, but also selfishly an awesome way to get to know my new home.

Kingston trig A32B

Now things got a little bonkers. My weekly elevation gain started going through the roof. I was now mapping out remote routes, or non-routes, scrambling questionable ridges and contending with serious river crossings and alpine conditions, so safety became a thing. 5 hour runs became 10, 15, 20, 40…

2016: fractured foot, 2019: moved to NZ:

I do less events now, much preferring to choose-my-own-adventure, be it tackling 10,000m of vert in a day, or my first 100-miler. But those ones are usually once a year. One event I did get to was the Old Ghost Ultra in 2020, which I got to share with Soph. We were both in pretty good form so the sibling race was finally on. Its 85km and we finished within 2 minutes of each other! Big bro won, but I had to fight for it with a little leapfrogging at the end. I came in 9th, while Soph got 11th (3rd female behind national superstars Ruth Croft and Ruby Muir!).

Ummm running?

What’s on the cards now? Get winter over with, and the injuries and sicknesses that’s been haunting me in 2024, then not sure really, explore more, do more overnighters, check out more of Fjordland, Mount Aspiring National Park, Takitimu Mountains, further north to Nelson Lakes, or maybe over the Canterbury ranges. Maybe I’ll do some more trig bagging, longer distances, or 20,000m in 48 hours? Bike-and-hikes are fun too. Scotland looks fun. Who knows.. I have loose plans on all those things, but really I’ll just build the fitness with some fun regular routes, so when the opportunity arises I’ll be ready to go give something a crack.

Running in new areas grows me as a person, but I’m mindful it is also a bit of a “safe place” for me mentally. I try not to abuse that aspect. Although it clears my head, it does not fix things at work, relations, or otherwise. I know though that running is here to stay. It’s taken me places I would never have expected, and although I do most of it solo, it has sparked some friendships, and I literally run into people quite regularly on the local trails. Let’s see where this goes.

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