Well sorry, I haven’t written in awhile! Been very busy with running and school work. I have done a bunch of races including the Sri Chinmoy 30km Champs in Christchurch. I will try and keep blogging about my running, but just less frequently.
As part of the Hurunui Youth Programme (HYP), I was involved in organising a programme for youth in the Hurunui District to start working on fitness and have a go at either the Half Marathon, 10km or 5km at the upcoming Hanmer FourSquare races in Hanmer on May 7th.
With a massive turnout of 18 people (that’s a lot), we started our walk up Mt Grey. With different abilities and different rates of fitness, everyone had a challenge for the day. The plan was, up the Lake Janet track and then back down the logging/forestry road. The track is fairly wild so it made for a slow 750m climb to the top. With a few stops at both the firehouse and then cellphone tower, we made it to the trig in about two hours (including breaks).
It was windy on top, so we had a quick snack before starting a well-earned run down. The group was broken up a bit when people realised that we would all run at different speeds. Some walked, others ran! Luckily enough there were a couple of fast runs in the mix, so it made for a lovely last 4km. I got a great chance to stretch the legs when a newbie to trail running, Rosa, pushed the pace and ran a flat 4-minute km… That was unexpected! It was great to have someone who was motivated for the programme and was keen to start running more often! Welcome to trail running!
The day was finished with a BBQ at the end and a chat about what was next with the programme! If you want more information on the programme please comment below and I’m happy to help! Thanks to everyone who made the day happen, and we at HYP look forward to the next one!
Find the Strava trace here: https://www.strava.com/activities/534124595
Yonni Kepes 