Learning to run in Pukekura Park

Leafy laps: There are beautiful walking and running tracks
around the lakes throughout Pukekura Park in New Plymouth.

By Virginia Winder
The walking phase is over.
I have officially moved on to walk-running. It's a slow transition, because I'm being careful.
Went to Pukekura Park where the tracks are tidy, but not too jarring and came face to face with my future and my past.
As I got to the bottom lake, I got a "hi Virginia," and it was a triathlon friend with a group of fit athletes doing speed work.
"This will be you next year," he said.
I grinned. "Yes it will be," I thought with glee.
There was definitely a spring in my step (after they past) when I continued by jog a few trees, walk a few more, as recommended by Coach Clint and by that master marathon runner Gerald Dravitzki.
I did that for my entire circuit, except I only walked up the steps to the Puriri tree, but after that I didn't stop and started jogging straight away.
In Goodwin Dell I got hugs from Howie and Aroaro Tamati and they said one of their daughters was with a group training on the terraces above the cricket ground.
"I used to do that for sprint training. I loved it! Up and down those steps," I said.
"See it's still in you," Howie said.
I grinned. "Yeah, it is," I thought.
Then headed off, past the terraces and saw the young people tearing up and down and remembered.
At this stage, that old song, Turning Japanese by The Vapors, had come on my Sony Walkman. I love the timeliness of things - it came out in 1980 and that's when I was training on those terraces and, of course, it was this part of Pukekura Park that scenes of The Last Samurai were shot.
Was pounding my way towards Fitzroy Beach and a swim in the sea when a red car pulled up.
"Want a ride?" a girl with long hair, holding a tantalisingly cool water bottle asked out an open window.
"Why not?" I said, grabbing the bottle and gulping greedily.
My run-walking is only happening in the park, so I don't injure myself. Therefore, the ride from my whanau was as timely as that one-hit wonder song and that swim in the sea. Oh, those waves.
Life is mostly good, but feel like I'm sitting on one of those annoying weight plateaus again.
But my eating is going brilliantly.
It's here that I have to say that I am one of the lucky people in life because my husband, Warren, is the most amazing cook. He's got his own recipe page on this blog (which he puts up himself) and he's just posted a cool video on making fajitas.
Last night, he made a gorgeous fish curry with tamarind, vinegar and poppy seeds. Mmmm.
Must admit I am missing my swimming, plus my fear of biking is growing (mantra to self, suggested/enforced by husband: I am brave, I am fearless).
Yes, there are some big hurdles coming up.
And I will leap them, I will!!!

Yesterday, I:
Walk/ran through Pukekura Park
Drank heaps of water
Slept badly for few hours because of huge fight going on in neighbourhood (see Taranaki Daily News front page)
Ate 3 excellent meals, but need to have those fuel snacks
Had 3 cups of coffee
Had 1 hot chocolate
Had 1 chai
Had 1 swim in sea
Worked for 3 hours

On the run again - yahoo!

It's happened.
Yesterday I ran and oh, how good it felt.
We were on the Te Henui walkway and heading back down a gentle slope, when I felt the urge to stride out a little.
"I'll run to that seat," I said out loud to Warren, my husband.
But it was so easy I kept going.
And going.
I ran for about five minutes, which may not seem a lot, but it's just the start.
In fact, that's how everything starts - just one step, one stride, one rotation, one stroke at a time.
If I do five minutes of running during each long walk this week, I can up it to 10 next week, then 15, 20, 25, 30... you get the idea.
However, I won't be pounding the walkway because that's concrete, so it'll be streets and Pukekura Park. Even writing this, I feel the desire to get out there again.
When I was younger, running and skateboarding were the two activities that made me feel like I was flying.
For years now I have had vivid dreams of skateboarding and flying.
I also had these nightmares about not being able to run away from something or someone chasing me. My legs simply wouldn't work.
Other times I'd have horrible dreams about being in a race on sand and not being able to lift my feet.
It's only five minutes, I know, but my living nightmare is over.
A few hours later I went for a swim, but only managed 30 lengths. Not because I was tired, but because I ran out of time!
Several years ago a dear friend died of breast cancer and this weekend would have been her 50th birthday. We had dinner with her parents and friends, lit 50 candles all over the garden and remembered this beautiful woman with love and tears.
She's one of the reasons why I've got a fundraising page for breast cancer research as part of my misison to complete the Tri-Woman race on January 29.
I always wanted to be running that race and now I think I will be. My aim was to be down to 100kg by the end of November and I'm on target. I also wanted to be running by then and I am - just.
As this journey has continued I have realised that more and more, my aim is to be an athlete again.
Another friend of mine says she's having a midlife crisis, so has returned to her love of speed - the fast pace not the drug.
When I was young, sport was everything.
So yes, triathlon training is the result of my own midlife crisis.
One that also aims for balance in work and life.
On Friday and Saturday I was totally out of balance.
After a lovely lunch with a friend (a healthy salad), I felt out of kilter and realised it was my ears.
When I got home, I put my head down and the world tilted - confirmation that swimming without earplugs for a week, days of walking in strong winds and nights of being plugged into audio books had affected my inner ear. I've had it before you see.
That's why Friday and Saturday ended up as rest days - hence no blogs.
My big aim this week is to get on my bike!

Yesterday, I:
Walked for 1 hour 40
Ran for 5 minutes
Swam 30 lengths of 50m pool
This wasn't a wonderful food day - I grazed, mostly wisely, and then ate home-made sponge with cream at a potluck dinner. Mmm it was good though.
Drank lots of water
Drank 3 cups of coffee
Drank 1 cup of tea