“Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
TD’LR: I love running long distances and being in the outdoors all day. When I run I get into the state of flow. To me, this is where I feel the most present and where I forget about time and space. So, in a way I treat running as my power source to happiness and present moment. I am planning to run the length of New Zealand in December 2024. This post and the future to come will reveal bits and pieces on my progress in planning, training, the build up to the adventure. Follow me if you don’t want to miss out 😉
SETTING OFF TO RUN THE TE ARAROA TRAIL IN DECEMBER 2024
In January 2023, I was tramping (kiwi word for “hiking”) in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. I came across a bunch of trampers who where doing the Te Araroa Trail (TA). The TA is a long distance tramping route that stretches approximately 3000 km along the length of New Zealand’s North and South Islands. It starts in “Cape Reinga” in the far North and ends in “Bluff” in the most southern point of the South Island. It usually takes between 3-6 months to complete. Some people do it in stints, which can easily turn into a multi-year endeavour.
I was fascinated by this idea, especially doing it all in one go. But hiking all the way, it seemed too long for me. I wondered if I could run it. And I wondered if, and if so, how people have managed to run it. A quick google research prompted me towards Lucy Clark who set the FKT (Fastest known time) for a female with support in 2020. Her very well written blog post about her 66 day running adventure, especially her detailed list of gear, shoes, and nutrition inspired me.
Fast forward, a year later, here I am starting to chip away on the mountainous amount of mental, physical, logistical, and financial preparation. OMG!
A BASECAMP ON MY WAY TOWARDS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL RESILIENCY
Running the TA will be a part of my journey towards becoming the most resilient runner I can be. Way too often I struggle with self doubts about my capability, be it at work or in private life. I believe that by setting BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals), I will get farther than I would have thought. And even if I don’t quite achieve it, the learnings on the way will be invaluable.
The planning today, the build up to it, and the adventures following the TA will all pay dividend towards a resilient mental and physical health. I love the process, the journey towards a lofty BHAG.
JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY TOWARDS THE TE ARAROA TRAIL
Follow me along when I prepare for my adventure to run the Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand. Learn, sweat, and swear with me when things go pear shaped. Celebrate wins 🥳 with 👍, and comments - on all the social media channels, please 😃 .
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