She started running 8-9 years ago to compete in a 5k run on behalf of St Andrews Hospice.. her sister was terminally ill and she used to go to the hospice to build up her strength and Lizy felt she needed to give them back something... She got the running bug... Do you know she can still remember being able to run around her local park 4miles without stopping, she was overjoyed..
She has competed in 10k's and half marathons since... She had a place in Edinburgh marathon about 3yrs ago but her dad was terminally ill and she was too scared to be away from home. She has thought about doing a marathon but it's the getting there and the hanging about that gets to her... she is a lone runner, so it can be lonely kicking about...
She said "I find my running de-stresses me and my family now accept that they are neglected sometimes LOL, if I have a challenge on etc.."
Atrunsi
Atrunsi is now writing for the Runners Lounge website, here is a link to his first update from Mexico: http://blog.runnerslounge.com/2009/05/running-update-from-mexico.html
He is a Mexican runner that started running through Nike + a little bit more than a year ago. He is still a small distance runner (10k is his favorite) and is looking to to an official race every month of the year!!.
Atrusni started gaining some weight about two years ago (he could not see the fingers of his feet during a trip to Playa del Carmen!!), so he started to get serious about losing the weight. He then noticed that his 50 year old dad was thinner than him, what was he doing different??, well, his dad ran every morning, and apparently, running had a good effect on him. This is how he started the journey on this sport.
He said "Nike + and Sparkle's challenges helped me on making running part of his every day life." He is also an idealist that loves to play the guitar (you can actually watch some youtube videos of him playing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQf7cxMpRZI ). Right now that running has become part of his life, he is trying to find ways in contributing to his favorite sport.
Atrusni's final goal would be to organize a race in his hometown to fundraise money for a charity, although he knows that this task may take him more than one year from now to perform.
On the meantime, he is writing articles on RunnersLounge as a way to bring to the world the image that the running sport has in Mexico, and try to show the good things of his country now that Mexico and try to lift up the damaged image of Mexico to the world. Atrusni likes to share his running...addiction?, to all the people he can. He is constantly inviting his real friends to join races, and to start performing the sport.
Besides running and guitar playing, Atrusni's other main obsession and passion is his wife. He believes that getting married has been the wisest decisions he has taken in all his life, and he is extremely happy that he can share this running passion with the person he loves more dearly in the world.
Saffers
Next onto the one and only SAFFERS! This party animal helped me to get to the end of the Flora London Marathon 2009. At I think mile 12 and then mile 22 I heard her shout at me! For someone that you have never met in real life to spot you in a crowd of 38000 runners was a great thing! Anyway, here is a little bit about Saffers:
She has always been into fitness...she had to be to keep the weight at bay. She put on nearly 5 stone with her last cherub and it didn't want to come off. Eventually it did with the help of the gym, step, dance...you name it, she did it! (I know how that feels as I myself am half way through my weight goal).
She took up running about 2 1/2 years ago. Her best friends hubby is into running/triathlons and urged urged her to give it a go. The first time she went out, she only managed to run to the end of the road and think..."OMG...I can't do this" but she just kept adding a little on and a little more and most runs were 3/4miles.
She got the Nike plus and this really made her want to get out and log some miles for those challenges. Niall did alot of races and eventually she plucked up the courage to run her first race with him....well not exactly with him but was well behind him....she did it in 59mins and was very pleased with herselff. She next did her first triathlon, a team event with a lake swim and thoroughly got hooked. Next was the Great South Run....brilliant... (I did that one too, it was good) she wanted to run that one for charity and chose Cancer Research as, unfortunately, her dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year. He was given six months in November 2008 so they are just enjoying each day as it comes. She will always now want to run the GSR and raise what she can. She feels the need to be with her parents as much as she can and support where she can.
Next was her first half marathon in Brighton this February...she had an injury and didn't run for 8 weeks but thought she would still go ahead. She managed itt in 2hrs 8mins and she is aiming to beat that time next time round for sure. She has a triathlon at the end of May which she is getting a little nervous about!
She also said "I also had a mad moment and put in for the Ballot for the London Marathon influenced by the atmosphere, Sparkle herself, fellow nike peeps entering and then finding out my running buddy Niall had also entered.........fingers crossed." (Sorry Saffers I just had to encourage you, but I know you can do it!)
She is a mum to three the eldest has just turned 16 and she is driving her mad! Middle daughter is 12 going on a very sensible 25....she thinks she should be mum and Saffers should be the child at times...LOL. Youngest is 9 and he loves the fact that she is into sport, even if it's not football. ;)
