Lee’s walking the talk
How did a self-confessed shopaholic and café dweller end up walking two half marathons in one year?
For Lee Punt, it was working with her physically active NPA team mates that got her moving.
“Working within a team of people who are active daily, it became easier to give in to the subtle pressure, than find constant excuses not to,” she said.
“Admittedly the ‘sweat factor’ and looking less than well groomed took some getting used to but I soon got over being so self-conscious and just got stuck into it.
“It’s great for relieving stress, gets those endorphins going, makes you feel good and before you know it, you’re hooked into a cycle of exercise.
“The more you do, the more you want to do and the easier it becomes. The icing on the cake was the mental health benefits experienced – it’s a great stress reliever, I was sleeping better and my energy levels improved”
Lee started with small steps. First on her lunch hour, then on weekends.
“Over time I realised that I didn’t have to stop at 5km or 10km,” she said.
“I could just keep walking.
“It wasn’t until a friend suggested I register for the Buller half marathon (21km) that I began to see the potential in myself that they could see.”
But first up was the Mahana half marathon.
“Completing the Mahana race was an exercise in mental and physical endurance due to the pouring rain and self-doubt, but the overwhelming sense of achievement at the end was very addictive and proved to me that I could achieve the goal,” she said.
“Mentally the experience was harder than the physical challenge because I had nothing to measure my performance against, and up to that point my longest walk had been 17 km.
“By the finish line I knew I could knock off the Buller half because I’d already achieved my goal of completing a half marathon 3 months earlier than scheduled.”
In between half marathons Lee took part in the Nelson Striders summer on-road series in the Maitai to gain racing experience.
“Those four races were of huge benefit as I learned how to pace myself and what hydration worked best for me in the heat – too much and I was in danger of having to duck off into the bushes on the side of the road, and too little would see me with a dehydration headache from hell,” she said.
“As well as the physical benefits I became friendly with a great group of supportive people who exercise for enjoyment – imagine that!”
Eventually, the big day came, and the skies opened up.
“We experienced torrential rain, gale force winds and hail for the hour’s wait at the start line where we all huddled like penguins, shivering and soaked through to the skin,” she said.
“After the first 5km the weather had improved somewhat and I had warmed up and found my stride. While it was disappointing not to break the 3 hr goal I’d set myself due to the appalling weather conditions, I was pleased to have finished in 31st place in my category and 104th overall.”
Lee has since completed the Kaiteriteri 10km in March and is still deciding on what her next challenge will be.
“It’s been a year of discoveries – that I need to keep registering for events to keep me motivated, that mental stamina is a muscle – the more I use it the stronger it becomes, and that simple things like hot weather or illness can be enough to throw you off track,” she said.
“I found it difficult to fit exercise into my life during the heat of summer and consequently I am now committed to refocussing and getting back into it with the weather being cooler again.
