Lisa's Blog

Day 44- 14 December 2009

After an eventful night in Auckland...

Jason and I were on the same flight from Auckland to New Plymouth as my main sponsor Murray Dick and his wife Jane from Taranaki Engineering. I thought it was quite fitting to share a flight back home so we could run the final leg together.

We arrived at New Plymouth airport, and even though I was feeling rather jaded by not only the accumulative distance of run NZ but also the pre finish party at the Hilton, (thanks guys), however that jadedness disappeared once inside the terminal building to the wonderful reception from my supporters.

In particular I acknowledge the attendance of those fantastic oldies from Riverview, complete with their handmade banner it was a fitting welcome back to the naki...but I wasn't finished yet.

After a quick change we gathered outside to begin the final run into New Plymouth. There were quite a few runners, Kelvin from Frontrunner, the harriers, Kylie and his navigator on his tandem bike (good on ya mate), and many others of whom I am sorry I cannot name you all. After a quick safety brief from Megan we were off, at rather a slow pace until we all warmed into it.

Sadly our trusty Toyota Prius's were not with us as some of the crew were rather late up this morning and we had to manage the final leg without our support vehicle, all was not lost though as Kelvins Front runner vehicle and Peggy managed the task well.

It was amazing to be running down airport drive, people tooting and standing waiting for me, it was just such a special feeling.

Led by Megan we turned onto the main road and the tooting and waving of the passers by again filled me with the drive to get to the end, so much so that Megan had to tell me to slow down as we were too far ahead of the scheduled finish.

We picked up quite a few extra's as we headed into New Plymouth and before I knew it we were at the walkway where even more joined in.

I am blown away by the support of the Taranaki people and felt proud to be running home with my mates and my sponsors at my side.

Sadly one person that was not there was my project manager, and sponsor, Jaron Mumby from Fire Design. He was away representing Taranaki at the North Island Surf Lifesaving IRB Championships so he had a worthwhile excuse! He and Chris Scott won 3 Gold Medals, so congrats guys on another great performance.

Megan announced the final K to go and as we neared the windwand I could see more people waiting to cheer me on and share with me the moment of completion of this massive task.

As I ran onto Puke Ariki landing I could see Mayor Pete standing there waiting, we all ran, arms in the air, laughing and some were cheering here it is, THE END!.

I had done it, the finish...all those days and nights, all the work, the pain, the organising and arranging, and here I was, I had conquered the beast.... how do I feel... I don't really have the words to describe it... I am numb, excited, exhausted, so very grateful.

After the necessary formalities I needed to head home to change for my appearance at Christmas at the bowl. It was such a special moment to run into the bowl and be cheered on by the crowd. I was then welcomed onto the stage by Mayor Peter Tennent and treated to a special traditional Maori welcome and blessing, which was just such an honor, thank you to you all.

I would just like to thank all my amazing sponsors who helped make this dream a reality. Firstly to the NZ Run naming rights sponsor Murray Dick and Taranaki Engineering, your company sums up Taranaki! Your commitment and determination has meant everything to me. You your influence helped get me to the finish line and with your support this campaign would not have happened.

To Kevin Gray and James Crighton from Tasman Toyota and Mark Young from Toyota New Zealand, your generosity and commitment to this campaign has been exceptional. The Toyota Prius vehicles you sponsored were amazing. If anyone is thinking of buying a new vehicle, please see the team at Tasman Toyota in Taranaki or any Toyota dealer nationwide if you live outside Taranaki, as Toyota really look after you and are the best people to deal with.

To Bartercard, thank you so much for your amazing support. Barter is such a fantastic way to trade with businesses throughout NZ. If you are looking for a way to promote new customers within your business, then give Bartercard a call!

Thank you so much to Pams for all the amazing food you sponsored, your amazing food kept me going through the length of New Zealand.

Thanks to Steelformers for all your support over the last year. Always great to have such a proud Taranaki Company in behind you!

Thanks to Kelvin and the team at Frontrunner and also the team at More FM for all of your great support.

Thank you so much Interislander, Maui Campervans, Nature Spring Water, Mobilize and Waitara Travel.

A big thank you to all the Motels and Hotels throughout New Zealand who sponsored accommodation. You were all such amazing people and I look forward to catching up with you all again one day soon.

Thanks to Marco and the team at Buff for your support and manufacturing the official NZ Run Buff. If you are keen to buy a buff please click on the link on the home page. Buy a Buff and become one of the NZ Run team!

Thanks to BIG Media for all of your promotional work. You guys are amazing. If you want your business to get noticed, call David Casey and the team at BIG Media as they are passionate about Taranaki and want your business to get noticed!

Thanks to Jaron Mumby and Fire Design for all your creative input. You guys are just amazing and you seem to be able to find a creative solution for any problem throw your way!

Lastly, thank you to my amazing crew. I owe you all everything for what you have all sacrificed to ensure I made it to the finish line. No one person can take on a task as large as what I did without having the best people in behind you to make it happen.

Jaron Mumby - Project Manager (Fire Design)
Megan Stewart - Safety and Maps (Mobilize)
Jason Obirek - Trainer
Murray Dick - Crew and Naming Rights Sponsor
Issobel Tamati - Crew / Mum
Eileen Tamati - Crew and Accommodation
Nadene George - Crew and Travel (Waitara Travel)
Mitch Tamati - Crew / Brother
Cyril Tamati - Crew / Dad
David Casey - Crew and Sponsor (Big Media)
Angela Koot - Crew
Alex Mckenzie - Crew

Thank you so much to all the amazing people we have met through the length of NZ. We have been so fortunate to meet so many great New Zealanders. Thank you so much for your kind donations to help support CanTeen and Cure Kids. Please keep spreading the word as we will keep fundraising to ensure we can help make a difference for these two amazing charities.

Well! Here is the challenge!

If I can run the length of New Zealand, then I know you may also be ready to take up your own challenge!

If you think you can run, walk, crawl or roll a km per day for the next 14 days then we would love to have you on board with your own K PER DAY Challenge!

Please click on the K PER DAY CHALLENGE link on the website and download your form!

I know you can do it! It might just help your health, and by raising money through the process you might just help the life of a child affected with illness!

So lets get to it! Start today! All it takes is a k!

Love to all
Lisa

Day 42- 11 December 2009

Another Early Start - Oh what i would do for a sleep in. I suppose they will come soon enough, what with only one more sleep till Auckland.

The day started with my favourite - more hills haha. But i am just wanting too finish now so nothing will stop me now, definately not a few hills. I was a bit weezy this morning and had to take my inhaler, just to calm my breathing down. Once i had done this i was away.

My hips are still giving me grief, too be honest i cant wait to rest them, as they are getting very painful, especially when i have to start-up again after stopping for food, or a toilet stop. Speaking of toilet stops special thanks to the Lions Club of Whangarei, their beautiful rest area south of Whangarei was a wonderful pit-stop for me today, I am sure this is not what they had intended their Rest Area to be used for - but it was perfectly positioned for me.

We had alot of Road works to contend with today, with cars having to wait in long queues - It was great for a change Nadene and i were running past the stationary cars and trucks, it was quite fun, when we got to the front of the queue the Sign Man was not going to let us through, but there was no way i was stopping, while Nadene was stating our case, i just kept on running. Come on, whos going to mess with me so close to realising my dream.... Really.

We had alot of flat long straights this afternoon, which i had forgotten what they were like. The toots continued, and as usual they kept me going and on track, Alot of people were asking where I was running too. I love seeing there face, when we say, how far I have run, I am only a few kilometres away now, it is so surreal. Im well over the 2100 km mark now.

Mum is looking more and more like the little G-Gnome we have nicknamed her. Her arm is so sunburnt from hanging out the window, that she is now wearing a buff on her arm like a sleeve. I am sure Marco from Buff NZ didnt think his creation would be used in this way. I also had a funny experience with it on the other day, with some gang members coming past, the way i wear my buff to cover my face, must have looked threatening becauses the slowed right down to check me out. That scared the lights our of us, we made sure Jason was never too far away after that. Man we have had some fun, and some laughs.

Well tomorrow i am driving down to Torbay Heights and running through to Devonport, from there i will be kayaking, thanks to Ian Fergusson, over to his Kayaking school across the harbour, and then running through to my Check-point at the Hilton.

I am so looking forward to tomorrow, and meeting up with crew and sponsors, and alot of people that have made this event possible.

I hope i can sleep tonight.

Catch you tomorrow.

Remember if you dream it you can do it!!!!

Lis x x

Day 41- 10 December 2009

I slept in this morning....a little premature, with only a couple of days to go, so i had to pop my head out the door to tell Mum and Nadene, to hold on for a few minutes. It was another absolute scorcher today, but i was in real high spirits.

Until the hills started, oh boy and they just didn't stop. There was steep ones, sweeping ones, rolling ones, you name it we had it. The roads were also quite narrow in places and had several bridges. I got chased by cars at one narrow bridge, the girls said it looked funny with me sprinting out the end of the bridge, with about 5 cars behind me, lucky it was at the beginning of the day, when i still had reasonable control of my legs haha.

The crews lack of sleep is becoming apparent to, we are in hysterics a number of times during the day, just doing silly things, or mixing words up. Or not being able to form sentences properly. We are having a great time though, and have been a tight group right through the trip, considering we are in each others pockets from dawn to dusk. I have been very lucky with my crew, and i am so appreciative of all their help, and support, in this mammoth task.

Just before lunch today i was joined by a group Onslow College Students - Te Roopu Poutama, from Johnsonville Wellington, so it was cool to have them run with me for a bit, i hope i don't miss anyone.....Special Hi to; Tayla, Josh, Hemi, Bianca, Aaria, Adele, Arama, Mitchell, George, Ricky, Troi and Kotuku.... Phew, hope your trip goes well guys, thanks for stopping.

Even the hills couldn't bring me down today, i was on a mission, the hips are still pretty sore, but hey! Today is Thursday... The countdown is on... Our finish was conveniently close to a Dairy again in Waro, Oh and i just had to have a milkshake.

The beautiful Bella Vista in Whangarei is where we lay our heads again, they are again donating three rooms to us for another two nights. Pip and Stephen you are legends, we really appreciate your support.

I thought i had better go shopping this afternoon to get an outfit for my homecoming. I found the perfect dress, at the perfect price. I called into the local bookstore and signed the four books they had left of mine on the shelf (Running Hot - Buy it now) . Our girlie excursion was going so well, we thought we had better get back to the car, before the meter ran out. Rather than us all go back, Nadene ran back and was to pick us up......She took forever, Mum and i were tapping our feet on the street, wondering where she had got too. She finally arrived about 15 minutes later, seems she had a pretty good reason.......When she rounded the corner the Toyota Prius was heading up on a winch on a tow truck. It didnt matter what Nadene said, (and shes a pretty good talker) they were not having a bar of it. So she had to pay $105 to get it off the tow truck, and we also received a $60 parking infringement notice. So thanks for making our day Environment Northland, and being compassionate in regards to the reason we were in your town. It has certainly soured our stay a little Whangarei, not to mention empty our pockets.

Right i am off to bed, im feed and content once again... 6.40am on the road in the morning, i am running from Waro, so another Marathon plus tomorrow, remember to show your support. Until then

Lis x

Ps: two more sleeps till Auckland...

Day 40 - 9 December 2009

Your Invited:

As you may know I have been running over a marathon every day since 31 October in a quest to run the entire length of New Zealand. And I am almost finished!!

To celebrate this mammoth effort, me and the NZ Run team would love you to come down for a drink and help celebrate with us on the eve of the finish:

Lisa's 'NZ Run Eve' celebratory drinks
4.00pm Saturday 12 December
Hilton Auckland

Please RSVP to Abba Renshaw on abbar@allenandunwin.com by Wednesday 9 December.

For those of you who are runners, there are LIMITED SPACES to don some running shoes and hit the pavement with Lisa! If you would like to meet Lisa at 3.15pm on Saturday 12 December in central Auckland to join her for the final leg (approx 5km) to the Hilton Auckland, please contact Abba Renshaw at abbar@allenandunwin.com for details.

(As this is a charity event, there will be cash bar at the Hilton, though nibbles will be provided.)

Lisa would love to see you there!

 

Another early start to the day up at 5.40am, boy i am going to enjoy sleep-ins when this is all over.

It was a beautiful day, and i was in good spirits, after a wonderful nights sleep. One thiing i have realised during this challenge, is how amazing our country is, and how lucky we are, even with all the hills.

My hips are still sore, but the tape is off, i am blown away how my body has coped and repaired itself. To think 32 or so days ago i was walking with sticks and going backwards down hills to stop the pain. I wonder how easy it will be for me to get up on Monday and not be ready to run a marathon.

I owe so much to people all around New Zealand, for their words of support, their donations and especially the Moteliers. I have been blessed with good night sleeps and fantastic support, even with some going out of their way to cook meals for myself and my crew or organising a local restaurant to donate our meals. Tonight was no exception, Rachel, Paul and their awesome family, from the Kerikeri Park Motel have been incredible, to be this far through the race and to be able to spend two nights in their luxurious Motel Room, has been a god send. It is so tranquil, and set in a park like area, so the moment we drive up the driveway, a kind of peace falls over me. They had a dream (just like me) and they have created a masterpiece. I have attached some photos for you to see for your selves. Their website is www.kerikeriparkmotel.co.nz

When we awoke from our afternoon nap, Rachel informed us that she had been in touch with Colin Ashton from Food at Wharepuke, and he would like to donate our meals for tonight. Colin is an award winning Chef, winning a Metro Award, and it definately showed, right down to the presentation of his food. Colin's restaurant has a mix of European and Thai Cuisine and it is set in a Sub tropical garden. Have a look for yourselves at www.foodatwharepuke.co.nz, we were very well looked after and well feed.So thanks so much Colin, your hospitality was greatly appreciated.

I heard today that Malcolm Law had completed his seven marathons on the Tracks of New Zealand, well done Malcolm. I know how tough these challenges are and commend you on the completion of yours. The thing that blew me away the most was the fact that he had raised $73,000 for his charity. Now i am issuing you all a challenge, i am about to complete 52 marathons and think that you all need to donate into my account at the BNZ, i dont just write my blog for your pure entertainment only, haha time to give generously. I will be taking donations right into the new year so you have plenty of time, and lets see if we can get our total up, lets say 52 Marathons $520,000, just think what that would do for our two charities, CanTeen and Cure Kids. I am also issuing a challenge to Big and Small businesses out there, let me know if you are wanting to donate, say $500 and join our exclusive VIP Club and i'll give you a plug on my website, and some free advertising, and don't forget that you are helping a wonderful cause.

Well it's time to hit the sack, another early start tomorrow i will be running through to Waro, so if you see me on the road, give me a wide berth, and a toot.

Not long to go now, i really have to keep myself grounded, and not start celebrating until I actually make the finish line as their is still more km's to run!

Take Care

Lis x

Day 39 - 8 December 2009

We were seen off from the Pukenui Lodge and Backpackers this morning by Shelley and Pete and the most incredible sunrise. We have been totally spoilt by them, with awesome meals, and pretty much anything else we needed. We have all decided that we will be back, and I have set Nadene and Shelley a team challenge to complete, so we will definitely see more of Shelley in the Naki.

On the road again, just south of Kaingaroa, and another glorious day. Straight back into the hills, I tell you they were just coming one after the other, and there was definitely more than one Grade 5. One good thing, I think Northland have the most courteous drivers in the country. I have had a few close calls in the last 39 days, so I really appreciate people taking a wild berth and driving slow around me and my crew.

There is also a new craze taking over the nation, don't throw away your old microwave oven, they make an amazing Letterbox. Honestly, we have seen 5 Microwave letterboxes on the road, they are awesome, and very spacious hehe.

I struggled a wee bit today, my tummy was little upset, and my hips were playing up. The continuous pounding on the road is really taking its toll. Even though I have only a few days to go, it's still hard going, and I have to really push myself to be positive. Nadene and Mum keep telling me the weight is falling off me, maybe I have finally got my skinny legs I've always wanted, it's only taken running over 2000 kms to do it haha.

So I was pretty quiet morning, then Nadene joined me to try to cheer me up, and to make sure I was taking in enough fluid, in the extreme heat. I was given some advise a while ago that when you have an upset stomach that dairy products can assist in settling it down, so I tried it out today, and had a yoghurt, and it worked so great advise Ash.

Today's check-point was Kaeo, and I must say I was so pleased to see it. Well only Four days to go!!!!!

Special thanks to crew at the Black Olive in Keri Keri who supplied our beautiful pizza dinner tonight, it was perfect, and so big, that we will be having pizza on the road tomorrow also..

We are staying at a brand new Motel Tonight and tomorrow night. The Keri Keri Park Motel, its set in 3.5 Acres Park setting and it is Colonial style. It is beautiful, the interior is like looking into a magazine, it is so beautifully decorated. Rachel and Paul have built the Motel themselves and they have done a wicked job. I will post some photos tomorrow, to prove it.

Well only a few more nights of blogging to go. Catch you tomorrow.

Lis x x

Day 38 - 7 December 2009

It was the girlies starting the day this morning, on the road at 6.30am, it was to be a significant day today, as Shelley was to complete her sponsored run of 20km. So she joined Isobel, Nadene and myself on the road.

It was another spectacular day in the Winterless North, we are sold. It hasn't rained up here for several weeks (I know you are all jealous) and the roads were quiet again this morning. We have been really spoilt, we have had the roads pretty much to ourselves and Nadene and I are always getting told off by Jason for being all over the road, but we can hear the cars coming as it is just so peaceful. But we have decided it is easier to do as we are told....

Mum forgot to start the odometer this morning so they had to back track and turn in someone's driveway. They thought later, that the poor people in the house would have thought the police swat team was coming in, as our Toyota Prius has its big flashing light on the top, and it was about 6.40 am. So sorry if that was your house.

Shelley and Nadene jumped out at the 4km mark on Shelley's quest. Her aim was 20km which had her stop outside her Lodge and Backpackers, so when we arrived we were meet by local shop owners, and teachers and Students from Pukenui School. What a reception, I took the kids for a lap around the grass area, and explained what I was doing, and the importance of exercise, and then we were off again. With Shelley in tow, seems she wasn't ready to stop, and she still had some juice in her tank.

We stopped at our lunch point, and as I ate, we drove, back to the point in Awanui, where I had started when I was fresh off the plane the other day, it's all so complicated, but the crew have it mapped down to each kilometre... Off we went again... We had a few more hills as we headed towards Kaingaroa, but after yesterday, they were only Grade 3's if they were lucky, and we blitzed them. Shelley jumped back in the car with Nadene after finishing 33Kms, what a legend. I think I am starting to convert a few of these ladies, and making them realise just how capable they are. Fantastic work Shelley, the people who supported you, should be very proud of what you accomplished, and it was a pleasure having you out with us today.

It wasn't over for me however, and Jason joined me for the end of the days running, until we reached our checkpoint.

Another truely satisfying day, and another day closer to the finish of my mission. Thank you to everyone who has supported Canteen and Cure Kids, with donations around the country. But remember if you havn't, it's not too late, check the bank account details on the donations page and go into any BNZ Bank to donate. The one thing we keep hearing over and over again is that "My family has been affected by Cancer" there is just so many people/teens/children fighting this battle, so let's make it easier for them, and give.

It's another night for fresh fish tonight, (I can hear my father groaning from here). So better go and refuel to do it all again tomorrow.

Lisa x x

Day 37 - 6 December 2009

Our Schedule today started at the Cape Reinga Lighthouse at the top of the Country. We were advised by a lovely man at dinner last night, that he had been up to measure the unsealed section of the road and it was about 7km long, and "Hey it's quite Flat"!!!!!! So we searched all day up and down the mountainous terrain for the "Flat section" Oh boy, lesson one; Don't listen to someone who has driven a car on the road, and not actually run it himself, to measure it.

But wow the Lighthouse was incredible... and well worth the extra km down to see it, we all took turns to have our photo taken. Then I was off, Mum, Jason and Nadene, were having so much fun snapping the amazing views, I think they forgot about me. So I had to make a dash into the bushes, with no loo paper...Lesson two; Native Grass Toi Toi is extremely soft in the far north, and has many uses haha.

I had a really tough time this morning with my Asthma, I stopped three times for my inhaler, as I just couldn't get my breath, it didn't give me a very good start to the day, and with the heat from another perfect Northland day, I was struggling. So in came Nadene, and my drink bottle, which made it a lot easier, and I slowly regained my rhythm .

We have decided that everything in the far North is upsized. We saw some huge bulls, and I mean they were jumbo, and fierce looking, and all the way they were the same. Then there was wild Turkey's running free, gobbling away....again huge, (maybe not for long).... Even in Kaitaia the other day the bakery had donuts, apple slices, you name it they had it, in whopper size.....Which got us thinking .........haha, what else is on the large side up here....you would be surprised where our running conversations go, suffering from sun stroke and exhaustion!!!!

The hills just kept on coming and coming, we started to grade them like hurricanes and earthquakes, as they are just as nasty, and we had some Grade 5's out there today. But the incredible view made it bearable, and we had to laugh, as we kept looking for the flat section..... and what do you know there just happened to be a Ice cream shop at today's check point two...Coincidence??

Nadene hit the check point today clocking up another 35km. Awesome. So i've now set her a personal challenge to test herself in the future.

Special thanks to Eden Axe a local fisherman from the area, supplied us with fresh Snapper for tea tonight, and the wonderful Puti Dixon from the Roadhouse cooked it all for us, Shelly and Pete supplied the Scallops and salad and we just had to eat it. This running is so tough sometimes haha.

Shelly and Pete also took Mum and Nadene for a drive this arvo to check out the local beaches, they were spectacular and so secluded. We have all fallen in love with this area, and im sure we will be back again. Pete even trying to drive over a wooden piller to give them a better view. A dent in his bull bars the sacrifice he made.. Mum phoned Dad, and gloated about the weather and fresh fish, which didn't go down too well.

Shelly will be joining us tomorrow, remember I told you she had raised about $1100.00 for Canteen and Cure Kids, well it seems she wasn't satisfied with that, and hit the local markets today drumming up more support, and the new total is $1450.10. So tomorrow she will complete her challenge and run 20km. I will keep you posted.

Well guys it's getting late, bed is calling.

Lis x x

Day 36 - 5 December 2009

Thank you so much Ashburton, Jarrod Ross, and all others involved in organising such a magic event "Its a funny old Game". Phil Kingsley Jones, Frank Bunce, Shane Cameron and myself are so grateful, I have added some photos for you to see. The extremely Tall gentleman on the right is Jarrod hehe, i'm very interested to see what the Ross family eat, they bred them well down there, that is for sure.

We had a beautiful flight back into Kaitaia today, they are not wrong in saying "The winterless North" The weather is magnificent. But no time to stop and admire it, i was straight into the toilets changing into my running gear, and off on the road again. It was so nice to see Nadene as we got off the plane, she is back on the road until the finish now, so the Gazelle is back.

Being a Saturday the roads were quieter today and it was a really nice and peaceful. Nadene joined me for a catchup, and to fill me in on what was happening in the 'real world' and by that time, she'd run another 20km. It was a good distraction, and made for a quick day.

We reached our check-point about 4.30pm and celebrated the end of the day with ice-cream and milkshakes. I think we deserved it... Then it was straight to our accommodation for the next two nights. Now if you are ever up this way, do not go past the Pukenui Lodge Motel and Backpackers, Shelly and Pete, have the most amazing property set overlooking the water, and it is award-winning. Shelly is one amazing women (must be the fact she is originally from the Naki), she has only recently started running after being inspired by my book. She has just completed her first Half Marathon, and blew us away today by showing us her sponsorship lists, she has raised over $1100.00 from the local community to run with Lisa. So there lies a challenge for you all!!!

Shelly took us down to the Houhora Big Game and Sports Fishing Club where we were treated to an amazing sponsored meal tonight from Paulene Hurinui, Jacque-Lea, Mikaela, Lauren, Robyn and Cheyenne, what a beautiful meal, and what gorgeous girls, and very hard workers. Thanks to Wally behind the bar, for the drinks, and Don for the tour and history lesson on the big game mounts in the Clubroom, all in all what an amazing place, i'm so glad we are coming back to stay here tomorrow night also.

Also staying at the Pukenui Lodge Motel is Vicki and David Caesar, from Arrowtown. (A long way from home) they are currently having their own adventure from Bluff to the Cape on a motorbike. Thanks for the generous donation guys, and we look forward to Vicki joining us for a few kms, in the next couple of days.

Well that's the end of day 36, i've just realised that I finsh in a week, Whoop Whoop, the countdown has started.

Remember visit any BNZ Bank branch and donate to the NZ Run Lisa Tamati Account. The account number is on the Donate page. Its time for sleep, until tomorrow.....

Lis x x

Day 35 - 4 December 2009

I hit the road this morning at 6:30am to get some kms under my belt early as I had to catch a flight to Ashburton.

It was high humidity again, yet thankfully a little lower than yesterdays 100% humidity.

I managed to finished off the last of the Brynderwyns today and then enjoyed running on the flat! My legs were so grateful!

Renee from Sport Northland came out and ran about 8km with me today, which was awesome. Renee is such a positive person, so it was great to have her company on the road.

After the km's of the day we raced back to the Motel to grab a shower. We are staying at the Bella Vista motel in Whangarie - Pip and Stephen are our hosts, the motel is only 9 months old, its such a stunning place to stay. Their daughter is graduating from Journalism school next weekend, so we hope we can catch up with them all at the Hilton in Auckland to begin celebrating the near end of the NZ Run Campaign.

Once we arrived at the airport our plane was delayed due to a passing storm! This meant we missed the connecting flight from Auckland to Christchurch... oh no! Poor old Jarrod Ross who has been under a lot of stress to get his event all sorted, and now we have missed out flight. Luckily there was another flight that arrived into Christchurch at 5pm... so it will was a mad dash from Christchurch to Ashburton to make it there in time.

It was wonderful to catch up with Phil Kingsley Jones, Frank Bunce, Shane Cameron and Jarrod Ross. I will give you a full run down on the event in tomorrows blog.

It is great to have Nadene back in the crew. She flew into Whangarei today which is a life saver! Thank you to Waitara Travel who allowed Nadene to have more time off! You are such a great travel company, so if you need can do people to help you get where you need to go, then call into Waitara travel as they are amazing.

I fly into Kaitaia tomorrow, where I will run 25km North. We will be staying in Pukanui tomorrow night.

I hope you are all well and are right into your own K Per Day Challenges,

Goodnight for now,
Lis

Day 34 - 3 December 2009

We believe if you can dream it you can do it. Toyota is one of our amazing sponsors, and they proved just how amazing they are yet again today! Due to the various injuries suffered along the way we had to extend the time on the road. Our Maui Camper was due back tomorrow, therefore, we would have had to cope with the last 10 days without our beloved camper. Mark Young from Toyota came to the rescue and paid for the extension of the camper through to end of the campaign! When your running your body into the ground everyday, having people like Mark and Toyota behind you really keeps you motivated! So if you want the best people to deal with when buying a new car, go and see the great people at Toyota and they will see you right every time!

Today marked the start of Day 34. It feels crazy. 34 days on the road seems like a lifetime. Me and the crew often talk about the amazing people we have met along the way and all the funny stories from the 33 previous days. Day 1 down in Bluff seems like a lifetime ago. Its amazing really.

Today I started running at 6:30am. It was good to get an early start especially after the late start yesterday. I seemed to get in a good rhythm early which was good. This section of road is filled with so many hills! This is the most hills I have experienced anywhere in New Zealand, so the body is getting a good hammering lately! The humidity today again was up around 100%, its so draining... Jason and Issobel are just as tired as I am tonight after been on the road with me

Today I was joined by Daniel Woods, a young 22 year old runner. He has only been running for a year and has already run 3 marathons: Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington. He has a big future in running so I issued him a challenge to run 50km and get sponsored to raise money for the NZ Run Charities. I was very impressed with Daniel, I believe he could have a big future in the sport! Thanks for the company on the road mate and all the best with the fundraising.

Just as I jumped off the road after I finished running for the day, the sky opened up and it pelted down with rain! Talk about great timing! By the time I jumped into the Toyota Prius, I realized just how tired and weak I was. I just slumped into the seat and could hardly move. I can't wait for bed!

I have more hills to knock off tomorrow before I head down to Ashburton. I am flying down to Ashburton as part of the 'Its A Funny Old Game' with Phil Kingsley Jones, Shane Cameron and Frank Bunce. Its should be a great night, and I am really looking forward to seeing Jarrod Ross and the great people of Ashburton again. They were just amazing when we ran through their town way back on day 7, so it will feel like a mini homecoming.

I worked out today that I have around 320km left to run... Its feels so good to see we are inching closer and closer to the finish line...On Day 1 we had 2200km ahead... 320km is still a while to go, but I can sniff the finish now... but I will not take too deep a breath as I still need the body to hold together for the next two days!

I am reading a book called 'Born to Run' by Chris McDougall - which is about the rise of ultra marathon running, and all about the Tara humara - mexican running tribe. Its studies the barefoot running revolution and the way that they train. This book has given me great motivation so its well worth a read (Well after you finish my book anyway, ha ha)

Well time for some dinner and some well earned rest.

All the best
Lis

Day 33 - 2 December 2009

The alarm went off this morning and it was time to get up and not go running! Rather it was time to get up and get ready for an interview on TVNZ Breakfast News. Abba Renshaw picked me up and we headed off to the TVNZ Studio. The interview went really well, it was a great opportunity to spread the word about the NZ Run and build awareness for the charities we are trying to raise money for. It was also not bad for the ego to be told by Paul Henry that I have great legs on national TV! Thanks to Paul and Pippa and the team at Breakfast, you guys were great, I had heaps of fun. If you missed the interview, click on the link to view: http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/lisa-tamati-s-marathon-fundraising-effort-4-22-3217495/video

After the Breakfast interview I headed into Radio Live to have an interview with Marcus Lush. Marcus Lush is such a great guy, and he really seemed to care about what we are doing with the NZ Run, so thanks for the time today.

I thought that both interviews this morning went really well, hopefully a lot of people got to see and hear the interviews are hopefully now inspired to get out there and do their own K PER DAY Challenge + help us fundraise for our charities.

By the time I finally got to hit he road and start running it was 10am... I prepared for the start of my run with a big drink of Nature Spring Water, and then I reluctantly hit the road as the weather was horrible... it was 100% humidity... then the rain set in... it was miserable. And then the HILLS! Hill after hill after hill... it really did my head in today... it was a real struggle! I have to apologize to my crew as I was not a happy camper on the road... I just wanted the day to be over as I was not feeling great... I hope I am not coming down with something.

As soon as I finished for the day I just headed to bed and slept like a log for 4 hours. I'm feeling a little better as I write the blog, but all I can now think of is dinner and bed.

I heard today that my book 'Running Hot' is selling really well. 6,000 books have been sold to date throughout NZ which is just amazing. The book is also about to hit the American market which is really exciting.

Tonight we are staying at the walton park motor lodge in Warkworth. The owners Dave and Carol are looking after us really well. The weather for the week does not look good. So it might be another miserable day on the road tomorrow. Fingers crossed it is not!

I am getting closer and closer to the finish line now! I just hope my body can hold together and I don't come down with a cold or flu out running on the road all day.

Well, dinner then bed, and fingers crossed for good weather...

Goodnight
Lisa

Day 32 - 1 December 2009

Thanks to Karen Kay from Talking Heads for the beautiful meal last night. She treated us to a meal out at a local Auckland restaurant. We had such a great night and were kept laughing by Will Hinchcliff from EECP (Primary Heart Care) with all his crazy antics! I went to sleep with a smile on my face and was in great spirits for the following day!

All of a sudden... I got a knock on my door at 6:30am this morning from Jaron and Megan... oh no... I have slept in. It must have been the comfy bed at the Manukau Motor Lodge, so I had to get myself sorted quickly and get on the road.

We headed to our start point at Drury and I got into my running. The traffic was building quickly and I was a little concerned about the Auckland traffic zooming into work. I ran on the footpath where I could, it only got a bit dodgy when I ran across the various intersections. On one particular intersection I thought I was clear to go, but as I went to go a car had cut across the lanes and flew by me and I got a hell of a fright... I was quite startled actually and was very weary for the rest of the day.

Staff from the CanTeen head office came out to run with me today around 10:30am. Brad and Kimberley from CanTeen have been involved with us from the start and have helped us out through the NZ Run campaign. It was great to catch up with you both and meet some more of your team.

The CanTeen crew ran for around 19km with me today which was a great effort. It was also quite an enjoyable run as we had Justin, a cameraman from TVNZ , come out and shoot some shots of the run to be played on TV One Breakfast show tomorrow morning. So make sure you set the alarm and tune into Breakfast tomorrow morning at 7:50am to see the interview. It will be a great chance to view spread the word about the NZ Run and hopefully bolster up the fundraising.

This afternoon was quite difficult as I lost two essential NZ Run crew members. Jaron had to head back to New Plymouth to get back to work at his company Firedesign.co.nz. If you want an amazing Graphic and Web Design company, Jaron is the man to call!

I also lost Megan today as she headed home to her family and work commitments. Megan has been starring at the maps for days on end plotting and re-plotting the maps to get me to all the places I need to. It is so hard to see such great people go home, they do a power of work while on the road with me, and I really notice it when they go home. I hope to see them both really soon!!

Well, better get some beauty sleep and get ready for the Breakfast Show, lets hope Paul is in a good mood, ha ha.

I hope you are all doing your K Per Day Challenge. All it takes is a K Per Day and we can get the nation moving. Remember, we have a 99 year old doing the K Per Day Challenge... so there is not too many excuses why we can't all keep active. I don't care if you run, walk, roll or crawl, lets get active and raise some money for charity.

Take care
Lis

Day 31 - 30 November 2009

Today marked day 31 on the road. I was feeling a bit stuffed this morning, so the drizzle falling from the sky really did not help my mood getting started running this morning.

As soon as I started running at 7am the traffic was already beginning to build. I was running 44km today into Drury. Traffic and Auckland go hand in hand so I knew I was in for a busy day on the road.

The big hill into Bombay took a lot out of my legs... that's one big mountain to climb and it just seemed to keep going! I was so relieved when I got to the top. We then headed onto Great South Road and got away from the traffic which was great.

My good friend Karen Kay meet up with me after lunch and we ran together for a while. Karen, although not a runner, managed to run further with me today than she has ever run in her life. I was so proud of her and it was just brilliant to catch up.

The kms after lunch seemed to go by in no time. All of a sudden we were heading into Drury where we had a class from the Pukekohe Primary School waiting for us. It was just wonderful to first hear the kids chanting "Go Lisa, Go Lisa" and then see the kids holding beautiful signs of support they had painted for me.

I really enjoyed spending time with the kids and have a run around the local school field with them. The School had fundraised $200.00 + for the NZ Run which was just awesome. The kids were so thoughtful, they even gave us some food for dinner which was so nice of them.

Maori Television also arrived to take some footage of me and the kids running around the park as part of the kids K PER DAY Challenge. Thanks to reporter Tamati and the hard case cameraman who made the interview heaps of fun.

Well, time for food and rest at our fantastic accommodation at the Manukau Motor Lodge. I hope you are all well, thanks for all of your support. Please tell everyone about our website and encourage your friends to take up the K PER DAY challenge.

Take care
Lisa

Day 30 - 29 November 2009

I have been running for a whole month now, and you know what they say about doing anything for 30 days straight, it then becomes a habit. I just can't imagine what it would be like to not get up in the morning and go and run at least a marathon a day.

On the road at 7:10am - I had a new play list on my ipod so I was off to a great start, especially with my theme song blasting on the radio "I won't back down!"

I was feeling good and running strong for the first 20km to Ngaruawahia where I was met by Tracey and her son Callum from Hokanui School who have been doing my K Per Day Challenge. All the kids had written a letter in the shape of feet, urging me to stay strong and keep going!

A few kms later another school group from the school turned up with fresh banana muffins which were just delicious.

I was then joined by Mike Knightly from Hamilton, we had a great chat all the way through to Huntly. Mike just ran his first marathon, and is really motivated to help raise as money as he can for the NZ Run. Great work Mike, we look forward to your efforts.

I was then joined by my friend Jackie and her daughter Chole. It was great to catch up with them both, and also run a few kms with Jackie.

The kms seemed to float by today and before I knew it we were driving to our accommodation at Lakewood Lodge, which is a marvelous adventure camp at Te Kauwhata, 78km south of Auckland. They have everything here from Kayaking to rock climbing, it is such an awesome place for school camps.

Tomorrow we are finishing at Drury on the outskirts of Auckland. We really noticed the increase of traffic on the road today as we get close to Auckland.

My body seems to have adjusted to the daily routine. I ran 47km today, so im getting closer and closer to another major milestone of reaching Auckland. There were times down in the South Island when I never thought I could make it to Auckland due my injuries... so thanks to everyone who has sent the positive messages of support. That support has got me through the hard times and now we are closer to the next stage of the journey.

In the words from one of the Hukanui School Kids: Give it 150% - if you fall down, stand back up again, be yourself, be strong, and give it everything you've got. Just because someone says you can't do something, it doesn't mean you can't. If you believe you can do it, you can!

So on that advice, I am looking forward to hitting the road tomorrow.

Lis

Day 29 - 28 November 2009

We started the day with a bit of a scare. We thought we had a stalker waiting for us in Otorohanga. Megan noticed a man that was parked outside the Waitomo & Otorohanga Motel, he watched Megan load the vehicle, but he never approached us or tried to make contact.

As we left to drive to the start line, he immediately followed us in his car, so we pulled into a cafe to see what he would do, he then went passed us and pulled in just around the corner.

At 6am in the morning you are a little more cautious and safety conscious as no one else is around. We were two chicks in a car about to head into the country... By now we were getting a little scared.

We then drove around the corner and he was still waiting on the side of road, so we continued to drive, luckily he did not follow us.

It turned out he was a nice guy and he just wanted me to sign a copy of my book. He ended up driving back to our Motel and talked to my Dad. You have to laugh I guess!

About 8am we had a series of people jump from the side of road and begin running with me, its great to have the company, yet please make contact with my safety crew first so they can give you safety instructions on how and when you can run. Safety is a huge concern for us, so I am sure you will all understand.

We then had a visit from Nik and Ally Botica, which was an old friend of Dads. It was so nice to catch up with you both.

We had some big hills to climb today! My legs are changing shape due to all the hill work in the last three days. I am loosing a lot of my upper thigh muscles, it's wasting away basically, my body is eating away at my muscle in my legs. I am confident I have enough muscle to get me through to the finish line.

We had perfect weather for running with overcast and 16 degrees. It got hot at one stage, but then the clouds rolled in and kept me cool for the rest of the run.

Just as I was getting desperate for food, Jaron driving the Maui Campervan came roaring (within the speed limit) over the hill. Jaron had driven back from New Plymouth this morning after attending the Taranaki Sports Awards last night. Jaron was the captain of the Taranaki Surf League Team and they won the Taranaki Sports team of the year award last night. He knew that I would be a grumpy runner by now. So I managed to get into the Camper in the nick of time to lie down and have a yummy lunch and catch up on the all the goss from the awards evening. Congrats to the rest of the award winners, well deserved.

My brother Dawson arrived so we had a catch up in the camper. We had a couple of local kids turn up to say hello, Hayden and his sister stopped to get a couple of photos with me and gave a donation towards our charities.

Jaron then jumped in with me after lunch for the last 15km of the day. We ran and talked business and planned our future over the next 2 hours until the finish line of day 29.

We heard that our friend Howard is recovering from his liver transplant, it is still early days, but it is great to hear he is alive, and even sending emails while hooked up to a million machines. We wish you well and look forward to hearing more good news soon.

We are staying at the Alcomo Motel in Hamilton, really looking forward to a good sleep and hitting the road again tomorrow. I will be peaking through the curtains at 6am tomorrow to ensure the coast is clear of imaginary stalkers! Ha ha.

Hope your all well
Lis

Day 28 - 27 November 2009

Up again early, this is really starting to feel like I am going to work every day now and I cant wait to get my revenge on the alarm clock when this is finally over...

We needed to be on the road early today as we had a bit of a drive to the start point. Sadly we bid our farewells to our new Mokau friends and megan and I were off, two chicks out on the road again, just when I settled into a nice nap on the way Megan stopped the car and kicked me out saying well get out there and get on running girl.. but not quite that politely.

It took a long time to wind up into it today as I was starting to feel the toll that this is taking on me. Even the muscles in my legs are looking different now and I detest that weak feeling that has been creeping up on me, perhaps due to the recent hilly nature of the journey.

Coming into Te Kuiti was a bit of a buzz as a guy who had passed me ( in what now seems like another century) in Dunedin had passed me again. He was on hhis way to the Pearl Jam concert and stopped for a natter which was awesome. A few of the locals came out and I felt really proud when Megan told me a lady from Taranaki who was getting coffee at a cafe asked the patrons if they were going to get out and show support for the " famous lady" running New Zealand!

Just North of Te Kuiti I had another great surprise as Bruce Gatward Cook, ( the producer of Death Valley 2) appeared like a mirage in front of me on his way to Auckland to see his mother. It was awesome to see him again and we chatted about the first showing of DV 2 on the doco channel on Monday night!. How bizzare to see him here ah! Hope you all can tune in and watch it.

Cyril is still with us and now he can see what it takes to undertake this mission, if its not running its something else, and he fills in his time well, he pulled a few weeds out in the garden It is great to have my Dad with me and I am looking forward to Mum rejoining us again tomorrow with James.

During the day I recieved many messages as the last couple of days we had no real mobile coverege. Apologies to those that tried to contact us, we are in the process of contacting you all.

One of the messages I recieved was rather sad as a great friend and fellow crew mate in Death Valley has undergone recent emergency liver transplant surgery in America. My thoughts are with you Howard.

It is really hot today and this is also taking its toll, increasing the colour of my speed stripes too.

Gerhard my ex husband called and it was great to hear from him. He has undertaken a similar feat in Austria recently.. cheeky bugga thought that I had shortened the route so he quickly was put in his place. I have had to make changes but it certainly is covering the entire 2 200 kms.

Nearing the end of the day just before Otorohanga a yellow van went past , stopped and these guys n gilrs got out and started to cheer, great stuff, then they ran for a little bit with me. They are naki people enroute to the PJ concert as well and were obviously very excited about it. Full of jovialities they were great company, Jason thought he could bunk out for a couple of days and go with them!, how dare he !! so hope Mark, Dean. Becky. Robin , Zoe and Dean 2 enjoy the concert.

Maori TV had called and we did a quick inter view and shoot on the run so look forward to what they come up with... Mean Maori Mean.

I was rather beggered by the end of today and was unable to call to see how the Hawk was so I detailed Jason and Megan to go and check out the Otorohaga Kiwi house and the fantastic people that work there, in particular I hear that Dominique Fortis really knows his stuff as Jason, who got to see his first Kiwi, and hold a tuatara, was rather captivated.

Sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved the hawk was to badly injured and was euthanised yesterday afternoon, well we all tried hard ah.. and at least it is not suffering for which it would I we had left it, so it is back to counting the dead bumble bees on the side of the road again, tomorrow duh!!

Tea was a great smorgersboard cooked by Megan but provided by Pams so cheers to Pams for feeding me and keeping Megan busy ha ha.

Our host for this evening, the Otorohanga Waitomo Motel, have kindly loaned the use of their computer so I'd best sign off and get out of their hair.

Lis xx

Day 27 - 26 November 2009

Day 27 starts the same as most mornings, the alarm goes off and I reach for a handful of Red 8 and Thompsons supplements which gives me the energy to get up and moving.

We got off to an early start this morning, Megan was already up as Cyril was snoring all night. Megan and I hit the road at 6:24am, starting outside the Awakino pub. We had 45km planned today, so it was great to head out early and tackle the Awakino gorge before all the traffic started to build.

The Awakino gorge turned out to be a lot easier than I had built up in my mind. When I arrived at the Awakino tunnel, Megan who had been following in behind the amazing Toyota Prius Safety car was nowhere to be seen? It turned out she was taking a quick nature survey behind a bush. Luckily a Fonterra truck that was driving up from behind me stopped all traffic for me to run through the tunnel. Thanks so much to the truckies out there for their support and courtesy on the road, it is much appreciated.

We got through the gorge, a couple of hours later I hear an energetic sequence of blasts on the car horn, which signaled the return of Jaron to the road crew (great to have you back Jaron + thanks for the funny trivia which kept me in hysterics at lunch time!). While Jaron and Megan were catching up I ran ahead and found a Hawk with a broken wing on the side of road. I stopped and waited for the Megan and Jaron to return, Megan grabbed a towel and covered the Hawk, which proved to be a very tricky operation, but she carefully managed to settle the Hawk enough for Jaron and Megan to drive ahead to find some help for the Hawk.

Megan and Jaron found a kind lady living close by, her name was Vicky Kjestrup from Mahanui, she offered to take the Hawk into Otorahonga Kiwi house where they will look after her. We hope the Hawk will be ok, we will be running to Otorahonga tomorrow, so will call in and see if he is ok.

By the time I hit the 37km mark for the day and I was getting really hungry! Dads army (My Day Cyril and Jason) arrived at the perfect time, laden with food brought from Laurel & Murray Read from the Mokau Motel (who have been absolutely awesome to me and the crew). I downed a quick lunch in the Mighty Maui Camper Van and then got back on the road, where I was greeted with more hills... not so good on a tummy full of yogurt and berries.

Megan joined me on the road for a stint through to the finish line in PioPio. We were greeted by a lady named Suzy and a couple of enthusiastic locals. We chatted for a while and then we jumped into the Prius and drove back to the Mokau Motel for rest and recovery! As soon as we arrived back, Laurel greeted us with a plate of Blueberry muffins! They were divine!

The body is feeling pretty good today, I am still experiencing some hip troubles, but what else can you expect after running 1400+ kms I guess... so I am just glad the glue and tape is still holding me together.

Well, rest time now, and then I am looking forward to dinner with Laurel, Murray and Harlem, who is such a cool kid + also, I can't forget Jack the Jack Rusell. Have a look at the photo of him oposite. He has so much character.

Tomorrow I will be running from PioPio to Otorahonga. I look forward to getting to Otorahonga to see my Hawk friend. I really hope he has survived the night.

This was the first quiet day after all the wonderful days running through Taranaki. It was back into the cold harsh reality today, back to the daily grind.

Take Care
Lis

Day 26 - 25 November 2009

Today I had a bit of a later start and Megan and I headed out at 0700 to drive to our start point for the day just south of Uriti.

I am humbled by the suport of the naki people and it will be hard to leave home again so i was eager to get on with it. Gone is the fog of the last few days as the morning is beautifully fine.

On the road again at 0800 and Mt Messanger lies ahead. Thankfully the guys at Works infrastructure have put out some warning signs for traffic, much appreciated.

I was only on the road for a short time when Paul Ballinger from Frontrunner turned up and escorted me over Mt Messenger, even though he is a runner this was a personal goal for him so it was great to see him achieve this. His daughter Ashlei proved her worth as well a crew member for a day - thanks to you both.

Along the route the 'pop up' farmers and the likes of Richard Burton and his wife that just turn up out of nowhere to cheer me on my way really make a difference.

Ahititi school was the first school for the day and Ashlei went ahead to advise them of my arrival, and sure enough even before I rounded the corner I could hear the cheers from the kids , believe me it is music to my ears. A quick stop at the school and the compulsory run around the field I was on the road again.

Even Les the local postman stopped so if the mail was late today you can blame me!

Dad and Jason joined in here, let the convoy begin. It is great to have Dad with me today as Mokau is a special place for him, and yes he did have the fishing rod in the ute!

Emma O'Sullivan, Beverley Wilson, and Brian Atchison joined me until Mohakatino where I stopped for a well earned lunch.

Today is a rather "hilly one" in comparison to the last few, the toots of support really do work to get me digging it in.

Cheers to the truckies out there, I apppreciate you slowing for me, it makes it so much easier for the crew as well.

Arriving in Mokau was awesome and again the local school kids were there to great me. Now these chants from the kids are inspiring, and each school has a slightly different version, but similar, and it is inspiring. I gave them the ups on the K a day challenge, and we went for a bit of a run through the town. Jason was rather worried that they didnt have shoes on - but I reasured him that these are naki kids, they are tough!!

These hills are really starting to try me and I was looking forward to the finish point. We had a really fitting finish today - the Awakino Pub!. Many thanks to Margaret for authorizing the required quick fluid replacement of which Tracey quickly placed before me... Yep another day done, another day closer to the goal.

We headed back to Mokau to stay at the Mokau Motel. Megan knew the owners, Laurel and Murray and I can tell you that this place is awesome. The rooms are fantastic and I can see the sea and the mountain, I thought that was good enough but then there was the most amazing tea...local fish of course and salad, topped off with Laurels home made merringes, fruit salad and cream. Yum, much needed fuel in the tank.

Back to reality with a shudder, those aweful cold baths, the ritual... but necessary if I am to keep moving forward. Awakino Gorge awaits me tomorrow, and tomorrow night we are back to the comforts of Laurel and Murray's hospitality - and one last taste of the mountain before I head further north.

Cheers Lis

Day 25 - 24 November 2009

9.00am I arrived to start day 25, and what a reception I got, a group of young men from Waitara High School sent me off with a very passionate Haka. I was so moved, and drew strength from their energy, I set off with Ultra Runner Ash Smith, heading North. Ash has just had knee surgery so I was so pleased he was up to running with me, a little different from his usual companion, his Dalmation dog.

I had a busy day today not only did I have to run, but I had an engagement with some local Schools and a couple of Rest homes in Taranaki, at Puke Ariki Landing.

My main sponsor Murray Dick from Taranaki Engineering joined me today for a run, he would have been out a lot earlier but unfortunately he has had a bereavement and lost his friend/colleague so our condolences go out to him.

It was another misty day, but it has proven to be a good omen, as it usually lifts to be a beautiful day, and today proved no different. It brought a very enthusiastic Urenui School out to meet me, and I also meet a very energetic principal from Mimi School John Elliot, what a fantastic bunch of kids also. So many schools are taking up the 1km a day Challenge now, and I'm so pleased my message is getting out there. Let's get Healthy New Zealand.

Once I had finished my running, I went into New Plymouth to the walkway and meet up with local school children from Sacred Heart, Manukorihi Intermediate, Waitara High School, and New Plymouth Girls High School to run to Puke Ariki Landing to give a bit of a speech, it was amazing I even had a local Rest Home who has been completing the kilometre a day challenge there with me, and a few of their residents, who were exceptionally dressed, in Tweed Jackets, I tell you if I was a bit older...

Thanks to Mayor Peter Tennent for coming out to support my home coming, it was just great to see the faces of my amazing sponsors like James Crighton from Tasman Toyota, the Toyota Prius vehicles they have sponsored the NZ Run are just incredible, if you want an amazing car, the Prius is for you. It was great to see Kimberley Olsen from Bartercard who is our Silver sponsor for the NZ Run.

Thanks to everyone who gave money to our collectors today, Canteen and Cure Kids are very worthwhile causes, and the more I travel around the country, the more stories I hear of children and teens affected by Cancer, or families coping with the illness. Your stories, give me strength, and I know that when I feel tired and sore, I think of you all and it gives me the inspiration to carry on. You are all incredible x x.

Its been a long, memorable day!

Special Thanks to Greg Brien and Colleen Remus-Bodle, from Strandon Pyhsiotheraphy, your magic hands have worked wonders, and i really appreciate your expertise.

Until Tomorrow, remember if you toot to me on the road, it's $1 you owe CanTeen and Cure Kids, hehe.

Lisa x

Day 24 - 23 November 2009

Day 24 started in Stratford under the clock tower. I was met this morning and was given an official farewell by Neil Volzke, the Mayor of Stratford. It was again, a day with very limited visibility, so the high-vis vest went on and the Toyota Prius vehicles went to work again, warning the traffic, I was in town

The roads were busy this morning, but this meant that donations were steady, and so were the toots. I tell you, if I got $1 for every toot, we would be over the Million dollar mark by now, so come on guys, toot then give our charities some money hehe.

I was cheered on by one of my hero's this morning, Siegfried Bauer, an Ultra Marathon runner. He ran the length of New Zealand in 1975, what a legend. Another legend I met today was Christine Corrigan, she has raised over $500.00 collecting sponsors, and all she had to do was run 10 km with me. So to everyone who supported Christine, she more than reached her target, and definitely gets my "Player of the day award for today". Thanks so much Christine. Also I would like to sincerely thank the Mckie family (Karen, Raymond, and Sarah) and Emily Goodley, who when they weren't running with me today, were in Inglewood, with the collection buckets, rounding up money. Also Amy Bennett, who's father Kevin owns Icons Sports Tariki Tavern, who escorted me through the road works. Thanks Amy. I also today got to run with Megans son Cam, what a great boy.....definately takes after his mother, and has her cheeky side.

The schools were out in force again today too, with a bus load of Puketapu students on their way to Wellington, pulling over to the side of the road to cheer and have a photo with me, Norfolk school was up against their fence, singing "Go Lisa, Go Lisa", and Waitara High School, with Uncle Terry in charge, meeting me on the road to run for a while. Man did they look good, in their school sports attire, and even Uncle Terry dressed up for the occasion... Looking very fine, the group included Nadene's son Deane and niece Tiaan.

Tonight I had a visit from Elg Broderick and her children Malia and Fletcher, they attend Ngaere School, and missed me yesterday on the road, so they dropped of a magnificent book that her class had done for me, and they also made my day for saying that I was 37 years old. The little darlings.

I must also thank, The Whopping Big Carrott for the Bananas, Jimmy and his son in law from Stratford New World, for the wonderful gifts and again Karen for the home baking. The kindness shown to me has been mind blowing.

Kelvin and Craig from the frontrunner came out to see me today, and put in a few kilometres, I had the pleasure in telling Kelvin that I had gone through 4 pairs of running shoes in the past 24 days, not bad huh, for over $200 per pair. One of the soles has completely gone, it just shows how hard I have been working.

I want to say a big Hi to Shelley Bliss from Pukenui Lodge Motel and Backpackers up North, Shelly brought my book "Running Hot" (available at Paper Plus Stores nation wide) She then started her own training programme 3.5 weeks ago, and she has just successfully completed her first Half Marathon, Shelley you are an inspiration girl, I cant wait to meet you.

Well I have a shorter running day tomorrow; I will be starting at the Princess Street intersection in Waitara, and running north. I have a few public appearances in the afternoon, including a meeting with several schools at Puke Ariki, which I'm really looking forward to and a book signing at Paper Plus New Plymouth. Remember to support our worthy Charities; Canteen and Cure Kids.

I will be down at the Puke Ariki Landing in New Plymouth at 1pm tomorrow, so please come down and see me and the crew. It will be great to see as many Taranaki faces as possible.

Until tomorrow

"If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?"

Lis xx

Day 23 - 22 November 2009

Felt great this morning, and I owe it all to Jill and Sharon for the wonderful home cooked meal they supplied me and the crew last night. Roast Beef, roast vegetables and to finish Apple Crumble, Hokey Pokey Ice-cream and strawberries. Definitely a real Kiwi Meal, and cooked superbly I might add. Sharon's Mum also made me a Banana Cake, which was a great surprise at morning tea.

I just felt great, a lot better than the last couple of days, so I made the most of it and ran hard. The morning was misty and we had very poor visibility, so the support vehicles become a very integral part of protecting me from approaching cars.

Ross Dunlop the Mayor of Hawera was the first to join me this morning, it was wonderful meeting him, and having him escort me through the streets of Hawera. He led me through to the other side of town and then I was on my own again.

My spirits remained high throughout the day, to be honest I was still buzzing about yesterday, and the achievements of Mike Kanara, I couldn't help wonder how he was feeling today, and hoping that we didn't push him too hard, but I honestly couldn't get that proud grin out of my head. What an Inspiration... I hope others will read this and make the decision to make some changes in their own lives and the lives of their children and put a bit of fitness into their weekly routine.

I had a wonderful treat today, my Mum and Dad, (Isobel and Cyril), returned after over-nighting in their own beds, to bring with them my two brothers, Dawson and Mitchell. They as always spent more time going through the food containers and fridge than running with me haha. Dawson even removing the chicken from all the sandwiches mum had brought for the crew. They are as big on healthy eating as I am, so the PAMS sponsorship products get a real hit when those two are in the team. But Nadene and Eileen hid the banana cake in the microwave in the Maui Campervan so the boys didn't find it. Sneaky.

Lauree and Dylan from Canteen New Plymouth, popped out to see me on the road, they had a function at Kev Bennett's Icons Sports Tariki, so they met me in Eltham and Dylan ran with me for a while (what a neat young man). Megan also surprised me, I knew she couldn't stay away for long, and I think the mapping had been getting a bit too intense and she needed a break from it. She has been doing a fantastic job keeping me on schedule, and making sure I don't take any wrong turns, haha. Because let's face it Navigation is not a strong point for me.

It was great to see the Eltham and Ngaere primary school kids today, the kids are always so full of energy, and I'm sure they think I'm slow. I have to keep reminding them that I have run over 1300 kilometres, and I have got a reason to not be skipping and sprinting up the road with them.

Thanks to everyone who gave donations today, to the Man in the green ford, that popped up next to my crew car and handed money through the window to them, to the people of Hawera and Eltham, who so generously popped money in the buckets, to Skinny from Stratford who donated $60.00 to us once we had reached our check point, and ex Mayor Brian Jeffares, who also popped over to offer words of support.

As we were driving home we decided to call in and have a family breakfast at McFarlanes in Inglewood, a must if you are in the area. When we went to pay, Tania and Kent Waddell told us to put our money away and that they would love to donate our meals. You guys rock.

I am overwhelmed by the ongoing encouragement and donations, and I am always excited when I go to bed at night wondering whanzrunt amazing people will cross my path the next day.

I am departing from the Clock tower in Stratford at 7.00am in the morning , and running through to the 3a Turn-off, off Mountain Road.

The clouds parted today and exposed what I had been longing to see, my Beautiful Mountain, Mount Taranaki, it was just as perfect as ever. I'm home and will draw power from it while I am here, to continue the rest of my quest.

Good Night

Lis x x

Day 22 - 21 November 2009

I felt every 22 days today, it was a struggle right from the start. So it was amazing that I can say that this has been one of the most motivational days to date.

So many people yell out or tell me that I am an inspiration, while I am out on the road. Today I was totally inspired; I was pretty low before hitting the outskirts of Patea.

A man named Perry Newman was the first to join me at about 8am this morning for about 20 minutes or so. I also had some wonderful well wishers stop on the side of the road, thanks for your support Anita Brewer, Emma Alexander and The Roper Family, It was lovely to meet you all. At a little after 11am, The Mayor of Wanganui, Michael Laws, joined me for a run, I really hope Wanganui knows how lucky they are to have such a wonderful Mayor in charge of their province, Michael you are a fantastic man, and I hope your special little daughter's health keeps improving. Give her a huge hug from me, and I look forward to accepting your wonderful offer after I finish my run.

Nicola Nelley joined us just before Patea, a mother with four boys, and new to running, what an awesome lady, with fantastic kids, her husband was actually a friend of my brother Dawson's. Then we entered Patea, Wow... There were people everywhere, one lady said that her friend had rang to say I was coming. The streets were lined and I met some amazing people and collected some great donations.

Then I met Mike Kanara, he was standing shyly outside his house leaning against his car, he said he might come and run with us for about 1.5km, he told me he had lost 13kg in seven weeks, a wicked accomplishment, and that he was running and doing weights, the furtherest he had run was 10km. Keep reading and see what he pushed himself to do.

As we approached Kakaramea there were Children and Parents waiting for me, The students at Kakaramea School have been doing the 1km a day Challenge, and it showed, they looked really fit. They came running with me, for a little way, until we reached their school, must have been a nightmare for the traffic, but I don't think anyone really minded. At the school I was presented with a money bag with $135.20 from the students, what an excellent effort, and they have certainly laid the challenge to all other schools to try to better them. Andrew a teacher from the school and Viv Watson joined us from the school, and we had a great time talking and getting to know each other as we ran.

Remember Mike, well he kept on running, and running and by the time Boydie the Publican of the Manutahi Pub ran down to meet us, Mike had run about 16km.... So Mike won my Player of the Day award, and was presented with a pint from Boydie. What a fantastic achievement, and a perfect example of what your mind and body can do, if you believe in yourself. Boydie, what a character, he ran down the road, with his flip flops on and 007 painted on his arm, if you are passing, you must call in and have a beer.

Well route for tomorrow will be starting at the Manutahi Pub, don't worry it will be about 7am... and finish about Stratford/Midhurst. Remember if you are looking at running with me, please phone my crew on 021 844 743.

A huge thank you to Jill Denoon from Sport Taranaki and Sharon Honeyfield from Kakaramea School, for putting up with my crew, and feeding us all, your hospitality was second to none, and the Apple Crumble was to die for.

Special thanks to Kerry and Sara Hamilton, Dental Surgery for all the dental treatment they have sponsored. It was fantastic to see you today, hope the kayak was good.

Keep Running J

Lis x x

Day 21 - 20 November 2009

21 Days of continuous running its unreal really I'm half way through my schedule, and I have a real routine going now, I can't even imagine not getting up and putting my running shoes on and running 50km, its became a little like a job. But a painful one hehe.

It was another beautiful day today, and the support is building by the day, the toot's are increasing and donations are coming in thick and fast.

I was a little stressed today, and couldn't eat, and it actually made me physically ill. I just had to try to get over that mindset and pull myself through. I have decided that as its only going to get harder, if people would like to run with me, that it may be good for me to know in advance, so we have set up a cellphone for you to call - 021 844 743, to let me know, and we may also have to limit the amount of kilometers you run with me also. I know you will all understand, as running is more mental than physical sometimes, and it definitely has become that way for me. Don't let that scare you away, I love to see you all and lap up your words of encouragement and also your donations, for Canteen and Cure Kids.

Rochelle was one of these people, full of encouragement and she even brought me baking, and it was fantastic I ate most of it on the way back to the motel after reaching my checkpoint for the day.

My Dad joined me today for the first time, and it was quite hilarious, as he parked the car on the other side of the road, his friend Charles Osbourne (Glen Osbourne's Dad ) saw him as he was driving past and just stopped smack bang in the middle of the road, and there was a car behind him, man I thought they were going to run straight into the back of him, but luckily they didn't. But it was like a family reunion, at that stage I only had 10 km to go. So I left the Maui for them to use to chat, and off Nadene and I went to reach the end. We finished about 6km out of Maxwell.

Eileen marked the spot with some strapping tape on a farmers fence, tomorrow we will be running from there, and finishing around the Manutahi area.

I'm getting excited, I will be running into Taranaki tomorrow, my home province, and I'm sure they are going to turn it on for me

Achieve your Dreams, make them a reality, Never be left wondering!

Lis x

Day 20 - 19 November 2009

The earth moved this morning...We had an earthquake , 5.1 on the ritcher scale, I didn't feel it, as I had started running... Nadene was in my Support vehicle, and she did, the vehicle rock and rolled quite violently. Jason and Isobel were back at the Celtic Motel, in Foxton. For Jason this was his first earthquake. He was still in bed and thought a train was going past....he is American, and is more used to Hurricanes and Tornados, but he was excited by having experienced it.

The morning went well, and I had a lot of support on the road today, it does make the run go faster. My first visitor of the day was Jessica from the Manawatu Standard. She handed me a Dictaphone and off we went running and talking, we were later joined by her photographer who snapped away as I ran.

Running along the Straights we came across the Reesby family, David, Sarah and Meggy, were waiting at their gate to see me and to make a donation to Cure Kids and Canteen. Then going through Bulls I met Nareena Murphy, and a gentleman from Parihaka, Gibo Okeroa. It gave me the boost I needed to kick on. Then Chris Allum from Mortgagelink pulled over to give a donation, it's so cool, I think our movement is really starting to take off now as the toots are increasing and the support too.

My hip is still giving me grief, but despite that I feel good, and I made the most of the flat roads today and clocked up extra miles, as I know that the hills are coming... I met some other Ultra Marathon Runners today, they pulled over on the way to the Molesworth Station 84Km run, Good Luck, Paul Riedel, and Robyn Porter, and Jeff Wilcox, I know what you are going to go through, and I'm glad you have found some inspiration from my book. From the feedback im receiving it looks as though a lot of wives are grateful to me, as their husbands have taken up reading, something other than the newspaper.

At the 37km mark of my run, I was joined for a couple of kilometers by Mike Morresey from the Energy City Harriers, New Plymouth, he had driving down for the day to see how I was doing, and to offer morale support. His car had a big sign on the back saying "Go Lisa". Also a German couple on holiday, stopped , in a rest area, as they were curious. This was fantastic because I speak German, so I think I blew them away when I started a conversation with them in their tongue, I know I impressed my crew haha. They also gave a donation, but in Euro, which I thought was very fitting.

Then down to the bottom of the hill and into Turakina. What a surprise, I was met by a loud group of Children with clackers and horns, chanting as I approached. So thanks so much Turakina school, what a fantastic reception you gave me, and I really hope you can take up my Challenge and start your 1km a day, maybe even tomorrow. You certainly looked like you had a lot of energy to burn. Even the local Police came to offer support, The photo says it all.

50km competed at Turakina, and I am planning to run through to Maxwell tomorrow, or maybe beyond - let's see what the day brings and how my body feels.

Special Hi goes out to the Staff and Residents at Riverlea Rest Home in New Plymouth, you guys are legends, well done on the Challenge, Keep it up...

Best Wishes

Lis x

Day 19 - 18 November 2009

Another blissful sleep at our Sponsored Hotel Last night it was Copperfield Seaside Motel in Paraparaumu, Margaret and Tony went out of their way to ensure we were totally satisfied and wanting for nothing, right down to our Evening Meal. "Don't worry about a thing, I will ring one of the locals and we will organize your dinner" Margaret had said, and she did not disappoint, Annemarie from Soprano Ristorante, supplied the most divine Italian Meal I have ever tasted. The kindest of people has never ceased to amaze me on our trip. I am sincerely grateful to you all.

I was on the road at 7.15am this morning and what a contrast to the previous few days, it poured down, and was miserable. A fair amount of water had fallen overnight also, so the shoulder of the road in most places was underwater, which always presents additional concerns, with softening of the feet from the rain and blisters, so I had to try to navigate through the puddles.

I hit Levin at 9.35 looking like a drowned rat, but had a radio interview at More FM with Dave. Dave had overcome his own personal challenges lately loosing an amazing amount of weight, and being able to see where I was coming from promoting healthy eating and exercise in schools. Foxton had suffered a great tragedy overnight and had lost a young women and a small child in a devastating fire, so Dave was hoping that my story might bring some hope to a dreary morning. I ate my breakfast in the More FM foyer and had a hot chocolate to warm me up and then I was back out into the rain.

As I was running along I came across a man waiting for me in the rain on the side of the road, he introduced himself as Adrian Henare, and said I was a real Hero to him. Talk about being sent an angel, Adrian's timing could not have been better, he was wonderful and was truly excited to be running with me. I was touched, and humbled.

At about the 26km mark Nadene came to join me on the road, and miraculously the sky started to clear... Typical hehe. As usual the conversation was varied, we never seem to run out of things to talk about, and the team and I have nicknamed her "Gazelle" as she kinda effortlessly bounds down the road next to me, carrying my waterbottle.

Nadene's sister has recently moved to Paraparaumu, and due to the rain their days work had been called off, so they decided to came and show their support, and purchase my "Running Hot" book. Shayne Tu Heke (Nadenes Brother-in Law) decided to run a short way with me to have a chat, he ended up running 10km, I really enjoyed running with Shayne, and passing on some motivation and tips, he is a wonderful man and he surprised himself I think. Kerryn was great, bringing towels and blankets to make sure we all kept dry. Very thoughtful.

The checkpoint for the day was just out of Himatangi. Another day down. I am about half way on my campaign , and as motivated now as I was 20 days ago, the body is tired, but my mind is focused on my task at hand.

We sent a SOS out today, as I needed to re-strap my leg for the days ahead. The tape that is needed is kinesio tape, and requires a qualified person to apply, and we were struggling to find someone to do it. But Tony Bedford, came to the rescue, Tony has associations with the Hurricanes and Wellington Rugby and put us in touch with Carol Armitage. Wow what a talented woman, her knowledge and expertise in so many forms of treatment practices was priceless, she even cut out a pattern for us to use to ensure Jason my trainer could re-apply when I needed it. For a tiny lady she was certainly able to pin-point trouble areas by using her elbows and bodyweight, and was just what the doctor ordered. So thank you Carol, and I really hope you enjoy the book.

Remember to give generously, and if you see me on the road, came and say hi, the crew have donation boxes with them, so you can meet me and give to Canteen and Curekids.

Take Care, Lisa xx

Day 18 - 17 November 2009

Macca, Nadene and I left earlier this morning, gone are the sleep-ins. So we were up at 5.25am and on the road at 6.30am. We are extremely grateful to Mark and Anna who own The Boulcott Lodge in Lower Hutt, a brand new, absolutely beautiful Motel, where we stayed last night. I highly recommend this motel, the decor etc, and most importantly the beds are superb. We have been overwhelmed by the support of Hoteliers all over the country. (Please review the list is on our Accommodation Sponsors Page)

What a glorious morning on the Kapiti Coast, a lot of running by myself this morning, as roads really not allowing the space for a second body, safely. But sometimes I like the time to think, and reflect.

The morning started extremely peacefully, as I ran along the coast, boy was that about to change. How much noise do you think about 4,000 Motorbikes make???????? Answer: The only thing louder, would be 4,000 motorbikes, tooting their horns... I was so grateful for their support though, and it did bring out more people along the route, and more hands in pockets, means more donations for our worthwhile cause. Including a wonderful man named "Smurf", who came out too the roadside with a huge punnet of the most beautiful strawberries, all without stalks. Talk about Customer Service!!!! They were divine.

The Pukerua Bay costal road was fun, for a number of reasons. The first being that the traffic going towards Wellington was slow and steady, meaning people were giving me a lot of support, as they watched me run past. But also it brought out the worst in one man, who thought Nadene and Macca were stopping traffic, so he wasn't quite as happy, and definitely no warm fuzzies from him... But never mind, I hope his day improved J

Today brought back a few of our old friends, as they caught up with us from the sailing yesterday, they are moving up the country on holiday, so we had a catch up and hugs on the side of the road. We also had some new people join us, Pam and Roger Childs, on their way to Napier, and Kate their daughter- in law, and also Lyn from Waikanae - keep up the support everyone, it is fantastic meeting you all, and exchanging stories and of course accepting your donations for Curekids and Canteen.

Another day with Dave and Ang and also their gorgeous BMW Convertible as part of the convey (along with our fabulous Toyota Prius, which have not missed a beat by the way), I had to laugh at my Mum, who at one stage, drove past me with the top down and waving at me like the queen, very funny.

Well at our Check point today I had completed 50km, and we are situated just outside of Otaki. Keep the support coming, and the donations rolling in. If you see me on the road, please toot, or come say Hi.

Until tomorrow

Lis x

Day 17 - 16 November 2009

We picked Hanna, Lana and Anna up at 8.50am this morning to get the vehicles down to the Ferry Teminal by 9.00am, We had a good laugh when the lady was doing our tickets checking in, as she said "Oh so you're the ones from that Fun Run Team" Um I must say I had to hold my tongue, FUN RUN????? I smiled back and just said yes.

Special Thanks to Nigel Parry from Kiwi Rail, Interislander, who has been magnificent with arranging our safe passage across the Straight. The crew onboard where fantastic and could not do enough for us. Bryce and the Team arranged for Me and the Crew from Canteen to go up to the Bridge with the Captain, and have a look around. Wow I know that was a real buzz for the girls, so it was really appreciated. After that they even found me a bed in the sickbay to rest up for the rest of the sailing. Megan, Nadene, Lana and Anna, spent the sailing walking through the ship with the donation containers, and we were overwhelmed with the response. John and Dianne from Christchurch gave a donation, they were fantastic to talk to, turned out that John had cycled from the Cape to the Bluff last year for St John's, so was sympathetic of what still lay ahead of me.

When we arrived into Wellington Hanna, Lana and myself ran off the ferry to meet Matty Mclean from TV1, Deputy Mayor Ian McKinnon and another group of Wellington Canteeners also Todd from Borders Paper Plus, its great to get our message across, and let people know who that crazy lady is running, and her reasons for it.

David and Ang our Major Sponsors from Big Media, joined us on the campaign today, it was great to see them, and see how pleased they were with my progress.

Macca dragged himself away from the press-ups to find me a safe route back on the road again, and Nadene joined me up the Ngauranga Gorge to Johnsonville for our scheduled Book signing with John. After a quick chat and signing we were off on the road again to our day 17 check point, Macca also had a hand in this, pushing the checkpoint further on, to allow for a more comfortable start tomorrow. We arrived in Mana just before 6. Nadene run 22km with me today, and we had some hilarious conversations, we also solved several of the world's problems, but our new found Canteen friends were never far from our minds, they had made a huge impression on us.

Lana and Anna wanted to write something for the blog so here it is;

"It is a great Motivation for our members, to know that there are people in our community who are willing to go the extra mile to support what we are so passionate about; making sure no young person feels alone on their Cancer journey"

We can only imagine how physically demanding Lisa's efforts are, its great to hear after chatting with her that our members (patients, siblings and bereaved siblings aged 13 to 24) and their Cancer experiences are helping her push through the pain barrier and succeed with her goal."

Anna Blandford
22 years old
Bereaved Sibling, Wellington Canteen

"Lisa is an inspiration, to live life to its full potential, to take up every opportunity and appreciate all the things we take for granted.

A Big team thank you to Lisa and her Team for putting their heart and soul into helping young people living with Cancer."

Lana Wright
19 years old
Patient Member, Wellington Canteen

Day 16 - 15 November 2009

Day 16 started at Redwood Pass Road at 7.10am, less kilometers to run today so I was treated to a sleep-in, a very rare occurance.

I gave the crew a laugh this morning, re-platting my hair and managing to include my ipod headhones in the plat. But that wasn't as funny as Macca running up the road with his leg in plaster to give me a refill of my drink, (he had a classy little shuffle-skip happening), or Nadene jamming Jason's wrist in the electric window of the Toyota Prius, pushing the up switch instead of the down one, whoopsy.

We were all in good spirits this morning knowing that only 36km stood before me and the Ferry Terminal, signaling the completion of the South Island.

Jason and Mum stayed behind this morning at the Waterfront Hotel in Blenheim as the Maui Campervan donated by Toyota for the trip suffered a stone chip a couple of days ago and Malcolm from Smith and Smith was called to come and work his magic to fix it and give us full visibility back. So they joined us late morning.

Another day on the road, means another day of meeting some amazing people and being able to share stories and get to know them. At the 22.7km mark I was joined by Ultra Runner Richard Law and his lovely daughter Miri, even Buzz their dog joined in for some of the way. The Laws were from Blenheim and had read my book, and thought they would come and show their support. Miri has a friend who has been affected by cancer so It was great to have her running with me. Miri hadn't done a lot of running in the past, so It was extra special that her and her Dad were there.

They stayed with me until I ran into Picton and down to the Ferry Terminal. Mum had organized a red tinsel finish line for me, so it was great running through that with the Laws and my Crew. The finish line also meaning that Miri had run a personal best, the longest run of her life, well over 10km. Good on ya girl!

Over 950kms completed, WOW what an incredible feeling, there has been times when I didn't know if I would make it, but the pain I have had to endure has made it just that bit sweeter, and when you are doing it for such a worthwhile cause, Cure Kids and Canteen it makes it all worthwhile

Hannah, Lana and Anna from Canteen are arriving tonight into Picton, I'm really looking forward to meeting them, and then sharing the trip on the Ferry to Wellington with them tomorrow. They, and kids like them, are the reason why I am doing what I'm doing, they are inspirational and give me strength to carry on in my journey.

Until tomorrow...

Lis x

Day 15 - 14 November 2009

The alarm (Megan) went off at 5.45am and I was back out on the road again to start Day 15, at 7.03am. What a glorious day, the sun was great and it was only the presence of a nasty head wind that spoilt a perfect day. UMMM and the hills - oh boy, it was certainly a Mountain-Goat kind of day, with some real beauties to conquer.

I'm not sure if Indian was the right choice for dinner last night either (Special thanks to Bartercard), it was fantastic at the time, but it did cause for a few extra loo stops today, and a little discomfort.

I felt ok despite this, and covered the 1st half of the day making ok time. As the morning rolled on, the weekend traffic increased, and unfortunately so did that head wind, luckily I had a couple of good wind-breakers in Eileen and Nadene.

I also had nasty cramps and spasms in my lower back to deal with, and I had to get some Fast Finger action from Megan and Jason to keep me on track. But I'm just so pleased that my shin and hamstring seem to be holding together nicely - Touch Wood.

I ran into a solo figure standing on a remote stretch of road - it turned out to be one of New Zealand's young up-in-coming Maori Lawyers that I spoke to at a conference recently. She was on her way to Wellington to a friends 21st and saw me, so thought she would say "Hi". Her effervescent personality was a 'breath of fresh air' and it was fantastic to see her.

After lunch Jason continued with me until the finish of the day, I can't have been feeling too bad, because we couldn't help admiring the magnificent picture perfect scenery as we descended to our pick up point. It certainly highlighted what a wonderful country we live in and how lucky we are. Just wish they hadn't made it so dam hilly.

WOW, only one day to go until I have accomplished my first massive hurdle of the trip, and that really hit home today, and I am extremely excited about reaching Picton. It will be a lighter kilometre day tomorrow so I will be able to savour the sweetness... And I am looking forward to meeting the canteen kids from Wellington tomorrow night, who will be accompanying me on the ferry ride to wellington.

Had a huge surprise tonight with my tea being delivered by my Ultra Running buddy Macca (See Mad Macca and the Muppets Chapter in my book), he had planned to run the North Island with me but suffered a freak break in his leg during the Commonwealth Ultra Championship in England, he says he may still run someway with me, we just wont tell his doctor. Although Megan the paramedic says she could redo the plaster after his run cos he reckons "his leg is perfectly good to run the north island no worries", (as I said Mad Macca). Stoked to see my mate he is a scream a minute and poor Jason has another bloke to give him some back up, been hard with four girls in the team.

Spirits are high tonight as it is Megan's Birthday, So we celebrated with Chocolate and Party Hats, during the Birthday photo, on Mums bed, a loud bang was heard and we crashed to the floor, as we had broken the leg off the bed. SSsssshhhhhhh.

Thanks for the support, keep giving generously, and do your own challenges and donate the money, swim bike run walk kayak whatever. Thanks to Neil and the city fitness gyms who were doing 12hr and 4 hr spin bike classes to raise money. Spoke to a young bloke called Tama doing the 12hr on the bike in Hasting city fitness who wants to bike the length of the country next year, go hard bro. Cheers Neil and all those involved.

Lis x

Day 14 - 13 November 2009

This morning we started just south of Paparoa Point near Kaikoura. My running form is nearly back to normal. This is such a great relief. We have been using some intensive strategies to ensure that I have a good steady recovery in my legs each night. These strategies are really good stretches as soon as I have finished running for the day and icing them immediately. When we get back to our accommodation I get straight into my nightly ice bath, which I really look forward to each night! (I am being sarcastic here) I make sure that I get plenty of electrolytes back into my body which help with recovery. There is always some food waiting for me as I am always hungry enough to eat a horse and later on before I go to bed I get a really good massage. All this has seemed to help with my injuries that I had earlier this week.

One great sight I saw today was the bottom of the North Island. Wow that was simply awesome as it made me think "not far to go now!" The run along the coast was absolutely wonderful. The smell of the sea breeze was very refreshing and helped to clear my lungs that have been struggling in the last few days.

The weather was perfect this morning. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't to cold. But then from out of the blue it turned to custard. At 12.30pm the wind got up quite hazardously. In fact I was blown over at one stage and thank goodness Megan was there as she managed to catch me and lessen the brunt of my fall (thanks to her fast jujitsu reactions she saves the day again, last time it was in death valley saving me from jumping on a rattle snake). I did manage to graze my knee and tweak my left shin a bit. Argh!!!

During the 14 days of being on the road I had seen a pickup truck 3 times. He is stopped and said "what the hell are you doing girl I have seen you three times in the last two weeks from one end of the south island to the other?"

Yesterday mum (Isobel) went to wash one of the Toyota Prius' to keep it looking nice and clean. In the middle of the wash she heard a weird sliding noise and wondered what it could be? As she turned around she saw attached to the right side of the car the yellow revolving light that we have on top to warn vehicles that I am around. It was still happily flashing for all to see. The question was did she get out and rescue it or let it go through the wash and risk it getting wrecked. Well she finally decided that she didn't feel like getting buffed, polished and blow dried that afternoon. So the light stayed until the wash was complete.

You will also see in our photos a picture of Megan with the best mailbox that I have seen in a long time. Megan couldn't understand why it wouldn't heat up her lunch though so Eileen had to explain what its purpose was for!

When we arrived at our accommodation this afternoon we were greeted with a crock pot of home made chicken vegetable soup by our wonderful accommodation sponsor Lisa from the Waterfront Motel in Blenheim. Wow it tasted so good and there's enough for tomorrows lunch. Thank you so much Lisa you are an awesome host.

We also had a visit from Colleen from the paper plus with books for me to sign, sorry we are behind schedule and can't make the store in time but thanks for the support. Cheers.

Tonight Nadene joins the crew. She is the manager of Waitara travel and has been roped in by Eileen to join us for a week. Welcome to the group.

Another day down and we are still moving albeit rather slowly. Keep on spreading the word for us guys and get out and do your own challenges and get sponsored. Lets get that fundraising total sky rocketing. Ta.

L... xx

Day 13 - 12 November 2009

It was a beautiful morning in Kaikoura. The start to the day was at Goose Bay with Eileen, Megan and myself. The roads have some tricky bends to which at times the girls can't find safe places to stop for traffic control and safety.

I have woken with a sore back. It feels like my sciatic nerve is going to give me grief today. Well that makes a change from my legs I suppose. Despite this I make very good progress from Goose Bay to Kaikoura and at 9am I have made it. The students from Kaikoura High School had to leave school earlier than expected to meet me at the beginning of the township along with a couple of other ladies. It was a real buzz seeing them and they escorted me to "Take Note" book store for some instore signings. When I left the shop my small running crew of 6 came with me to the end of town where then the kids were taken back to school and Carolyn Vasta decided to stay and run with me all the way to Hapuka Primary. She is a teacher aide at the school and we have organised to stop by and have a chat to the children. As we got close to the school I was greeted by - "Go Lisa Go, Go Lisa Go". Wow, how fantastic it was to hear them cheer me on in such an enthusiastic manner.

I really enjoyed sitting down with the children and talking with them about what I was doing and answering all their questions. But what was the best thing was the run around the school sports field with the children following behind. They certainly were a boisterous group, full of energy and much excitement and they all had on their bandanas. It was a lovely addition to our day. One special student at the school was Taj, who himself has had his own cancer battles to deal with in life. He gave me the money that they had raised for our cause. It was really special meeting him. And a lovely surprise was delivered to our accommodation this afternoon of some baking by Taj's mum. Thank you I love home cooking.

Thank you also to Kaikoura Physio who generously helped to fix me up this evening by strapping up my left shin and supplying me with some expensive kinesio tape. You were great.

I had an average speed of 7km per hour today. That is a huge improvement on the previous few days. The crew had to run harder to keep up. I had reached 47km before 3pm which is fantastic.

Jason finally got out on the road with me today. Just before we finished there was a head wind which really blew the wind out of his sails as he was my trusty wind breaker.

For dinner tonight it looks like Eileen has organised another great meal. She has cooked the crayfish given to us last night and been to see the wonderful owners of the Beach House Cafe who have made up a great feast of nachos, salad and wedges. They have even spoiled us by giving us some paua.... Yum I can taste it now. Whatever Eileen is doing to it sure smells good. My cousin is quite an industrious Tamati - or is she just a cheeky one?

Talk again tomorrow.
Love Lis

Still no whales - but beautiful seals instead

Day 12 - 11 November 2009

I am sitting here in my motel room at the Gateway Motor Lodge Kaikoura and I am looking at the most beautiful sight. The Southern Alps Mountain ranges which are directly in front of me and they are lightly covered in snow. Absolutely breathe taking.

Today I woke up and all I could hear was the noise of rain, rain and more rain! It was horrible, wet and cold. But my body, it was feeling slightly better than expected. This is good. It may be due to running less yesterday and having a longer rest last night. The fact that it was cold was a blessing as it acted like an ice pack on my leg.

I started off with my walking sticks but soon found out that I didn't need them. And this relieved a lot of the pressure from my shoulders and wrists. It also helped to fire up my legs and get them moving again.

At 9.30am I needed to change my clothes completely to keep warm. Megan ran with me in the morning then tag teamed with Eileen at midday. By 11am we ran into our first steep rise. It was grueling but achievable. What made me frustrated were the 200 other steep rises that followed it! Okay 200 is an exageration but the gradual climbs just kept coming. And then there is the saying of "what goes up must come down".

What made it worth it was when all of a sudden I came around the corner and I could see the sea. It looked wonderful. And it made me realise that we were almost finished for the day. This gave me a new lease on life and helped me to increase my speed.

Today Mark from "Take Note" book store in Kaikoura gave me 2 crayfish. Brilliant, I love seafood and it was much appreciated thank you. Tomorrow we have planned to meet children from Hapuka Primary School which I am really looking forward to. And also some students from Kaikoura High School will join me for a small part of the run through the town.

Our accommodation is stunning and we really appreciate the generosity and hospitality of Linda and Ian. I even have my own spa bath which I have made good use of. Even though it was filled with cold water and ice!!!!!

Good night all.
Love Lis

Day 11 - 10 November 2009

While travelling on route to the starting point of day 11 with Eileen and Megan we discussed the days tactics as physically this hugh feat is really starting to attack my body. Here are 3 chicks in a red Toyota Prius laughing our heads off at 5.30am at the bizarre predicament that we find ourselves in. And consequently, because of this I started with a positive attitude. There is absolutely nothing that I can do about the situation so I need to accept that this is happening and move on and decide where we go from here.

While I run I find myself in a constant dilemma. It is now a real struggle to get out there and get into the grove and make my left foot go forward. My right leg wants to walk and my left leg wants to run, as a result I have devised my own special designer shuffle.

Also in my head the right side seems to argue with the left. All I want my body to do is go faster but physically it just won't let me. My body is now in survival mode controlled by my brain which is trying to protect me from further damage and I am consumed with the thought of not meeting targets and this is like a massive weight on my shoulders.

Through all of this I just think of the the kids out there that are challenged with their daily battles of being sick, the daily battles of being engulfed in pain and the daily battles of fighting for their own dreams and desires. All of this helps to motivate me and keeps me fighting my own battles.

Believe it or not I actually laughed a lot today. I had some bizarre conversations along the roadside with my crew, priceless moments that are diverse in nature and the private experiences that just come out as a result of the predicatments I find myself in.

There was one particular patch of road today with a few gigantic hills. This was a huge effort in itself to get up them but what was even worse was the decent. At one point I really had to think hard about how to tackle the downhill with its steep gradient. I tried forwards - nope no good! I even tried sideways - and still no good! Then we cracked it I went backwards while Megan's hand was around my waist navigating me down in a direction away from the traffic. It must have looked absolutely rediculous to the oncoming truckies... what are these two mad chicks up to? We laughed and laughed, which made it easier to get through.

Lunch was significant today as we quietly celebrated the 700km travelled so far. Yahoo!!! Its funny the amount of questions that I get in regards to the food that I eat each day. We try to vary what is available so that I am not always eating the same things. But at certain times of the day I crave different things. Up until early morning I will snack on things that are not too heavy in my stomach like mouthfuls of raspberry buns, pikelets energy bars or yummy home baking. When we stop for lunch I have a couple of rolls with meat and salad and some fruit. In the afternoon I crave things that have a lot of salt like chips, pretzels or nuts. It is also really important that I have plenty of fluid and there is always a drink ready to be put into my hand throughout the whole day. Dinner is always a big meal and tonight Eileen made a scrummy meal of chicken fetticini.

Well it's late and I need to sleep to get up and do this all again. So until tomorrow.

Lis
The harder the fight - the sweeter the victory.

Day 10 - 9 November 2009

Today I had a wee episode where I needed to make a quick dash behind a bush. While in in the process of going to the toilet I got a fright thinking that I saw someone or something from the corner of my eye. As you can imagine my legs are very shakey and unstable and as I jumped with fright I did a backward rolley polley down a bank with my pants stuck around my ankles and landed in a nice heap with my naked behind up in the air for all to see. Once I had managed to drag my tired body back up the bank, pull up my pants and crawl back through the bush I could'nt help but wonder "how do I get myself into these situations?"

After an emergency call made by Megan, Bridget Ford from Amberley Physio and Gym Ltd donated her time and came out visit me on the road. She was wonderful and I appreciate her coming to see me, strapping me up with kineseology tape so that I could get through the day.

Janis McCorkindale drove from Rolleston to run with me. She has read my book twice and very generously donated $100. Thank you for joining me and respecting my quiet times.

There was a beautiful sight today as I ran through Amberley where 2 kindergartens and their children were waiting to greet me. One even had a fabulous banner. Things like this remind me of the job I am here to do and help keep me focused.

Today was even harder than yesterday. My 8-9 hour days are turning into 10-11 hour days. I know that I need to keep moving forward and do my best to keep to the schedule. Today I was short of 6km's. I am not sure if I will be able to stick to the schedule but I know that as long as I can run I will keep going.

I am so gutted that my body is breaking but my spirit is still strong!

Even though I am very worried about finishing this campaign and I am really concerned about letting people down, I will give it all I have.

Despite all of this the crew and I can still crack a joke. Tonight we were all sitting around my bed laughing at things and this is helping hold me together.

I really miss Jaron, Mitch and Murray but I know that their thoughts are with me and the crew that are here are all making things as easy for me as they can.

Love Lis
The mind sometimes wants what the body can't give...

Day 9 - 8 November 2009

Brrrrr it was a brisk morning today in Rakaia which only could mean that I was in for a long and hot day. And it was long, in total 11 hours and 2 minutes. Today was a difficult day because I am having trouble with my left shin and trouble with my right hamstring. It is quite excruciating and it is taking a lot of mental toughness to run through the pain.

But I had help today from two great people Kevin Prendergast and Wynnis Grow who joined me at two separate occasions throughout the day.

Wynnis was a very inspirational woman who is in her fourth year of a 5 year chemo programme. She is doing well and has continued to run throughout this difficult time with a positive attitude of attacking cancer. Thank you to you both for your efforts today.

I was sad to see Jaron, my project manager leave today. He is such a strong leader and continues to work very hard at keeping me sane. I look forward to him rejoining us soon.

It also felt as though the stretch of road from Rakaia to Templeton was never ending. So it was fantastic timing when my best friend Megan Stewart arrived from New Plymouth at 12.30pm. She wasted no time at all and got straight out on the road with me giving me the inspiration and motivation to carry on. She is a vivacious woman with a lot of positive energy and I am very glad she is with us for the week.

Megan brought with her some walking poles which I used today. They were good as they helped to keep me balanced and upright. As well as ease some of the pressure off of my legs.

Thank you to Paul Wilkinson who helped us today with offering his expert advice as a physio therapist.

I am feeling really beggared tonight and will be up again at 4.45am to start it all again. It is wonderful having everyones positive encouragement along the way. You all help to keep me going with this mammoth task.

Lis
Remember: the harder it is the sweeter the victory.

Day 8 - 7 November 2009

The alarm went off extra early this morning but I was already reluctantly awake. We had an 11am deadline to make in Ashburton, so I knew I needed to hit the road early to ensure I got there. I hit the road running at 5:39am and got into my stride. I felt really good running towards Ashburton. Jarrod Ross had arranged for younger members of his Tinwald Rugby Club to come running with me from Hinds (which is south of Ashburton).

Ashburton has been absolutely amazing to us, their enthusiasm gave me and the team such a huge boost. Jarrod Ross deserves a massive thank you for organizing an amazing welcome to their beautiful city. I met some amazing people today and also witnessed the fantastic generosity with Jill and the team at First National Ashburton raising $750.00 for NZ Run Charaties.

The young Ashburton people I met today were just awesome. Dean Watson - 'AKA' Deano had never run any kind of distance in his life. He was a typical burly NZ young man who was a prop for the local team. Despite his frame he ran with me for hours and ended up running his first half marathon! Deanos mates were all fantastic as well, it was so much fun running with you all, and it really inspired me to see you starting from running no real distance in the past, to all running at least a half marathon today! That's really impressive!

I was also really impressed with Sonia, she had not run in 13 years, and after reading my book 'Running Hot' she said she could relate to the story and decided to give running a go again! It was just amazing to have you out running with me today. Please keep running and keep in touch with me on your progress.

We ran 64km today, I had a lot of pain, still struggling with my hamstring and also shin problems. But, we made the finish of day 8. And we also passed a significant milestone by passing 550 kms today! I am officially 1/4 of the way through the campaign.

Tomorrow my project manager Jaron flys back to New Plymouth to spend some time back at his company Fire Design. His pep talks and enthusiasm will be greatly missed, yet as he keeps saying, he will be on the end of the phone making sure I am still moving forward to where he will back on the road with us.

My cousin Eileen joined the campaign today, it's awesome to have her finally on the road with us. She has done such a lot of work in behind the scenes, so it's great to have her with us. She is such great value, and is already giving Jason a hard time! I don't know how he will cope with two Tamati ladies to contend with on the road. Ha ha.

My best friend Megan Stewart also arrives in tomorrow, I am really looking forward to seeing her. She will be a great asset to the team as well. So day 9 will be great. I am a little nervous with running through Christchurch, so if you see us on the road, please drive past carefully.

Well, time for bed, thanks again Ashburton, you were amazing. If every town was like Ashburton, we would be able to raise a significant amount of money for CanTeen and Cure Kids.

Take care
Lisa

Day 7 - 6 November 2009

Today marks one week on the road. You have to look at the milestones and day 7 proved to be both significant and costly. Today I was so sore and tired that my km's per hour have dropped right back, so even though today was scheduled for 61km, we were still on the road for close to 11 hours. Today I had to battle through shin splints. It was my first day running with an actual repetitive strain injury... it really makes me worry about how I will feel tomorrow.

Today we had Jason down with the flu, so he was in quarantine for the day. We also lost Mitch today who flew back to New Plymouth for work. Mitch was such a valuable crew member and it will be hard to replace him. So with having two essential crew members down, we had to rely heavily on just two support crew today, being Mum and Jaron. Jaron picked up the slack and worked his tail off, he ran over 30km with me and motivated me right through to the day 7 finish line. The demons in my head were working overtime, so Jaron worked overtime to ensure the demons were put to rest.

Today I clicked over 480 + km, so really looking forward to getting through the 500km mark. Little niggles are a real worry, it really plays on your mind. When you are on the road trying to move forward for 11+ hours per day you have a lot of time to think... It's amazing how many excuses you can come up with to just stop in your tracks and curl up in a ball and not move. But me and my big mouth got me into this, so I will need to keep moving forward anyway I can.

Making the Day 7 finish line was the best feeling. Before I know it, I am whisked away by my crew and are enjoying food and a massage in the Maui campervan. Tonight we are staying at the Adcroft Motel in Ashburton and are looking forward to a beautiful dinner and a good sleep.

Thanks to Jarrod Ross who organized an amazing dinner at Robbie's Bar and Bistro owned by Mathew and Belinda Fine. Thanks so much for the amazing meal, we feel fueled up and ready for a great day running through Ashburton tomorrow.

Jarrod Ross has arranged for a crew of his ruby mates to come and join us for the leg into Ashburton tomorrow. He has arranged a street collection and a book signing at First National Western tomorrow on the way through town, so I am really looking forward to meeting some of the friendly locals.

Time to get into bed, really hoping for the best tomorrow. Not looking forward to that alarm cranking in to life.

Thanks for all the amazing support
Lisa

Day 6 - 5 November 2009

Bleat, Bleat, Bleat! That horrendous alarm does not have a day off... At least this morning I got to sleep in until 5am as all I had to do was step out of the door at the Kingsgate Hotel and hit the road.

With the weather forecast for Oamaru saying thunder and lightning + hail, I was trying to run north as quickly as possible. Problem being, my legs are so tired they just don't want to move as quickly as I want them to do.

We are scheduled to do a book signing tonight in Timaru at 5:30pm, so I feel the clock ticking already at 5:52am as I hit the road to run. I am just not doing well first thing in the morning, I'm falling in and out of sleep while running, believe me it's the worst feeling.

The road today was full of activity, we witnessed a Duck getting run over which broke my heart. Then Jason and Mitch rescued a calf that was tangled in a rope. Then some idiot in a car decided to throw a full bottle of powerade at me.

Then there was the positive aspects with many great people waiting on the road to say hello, especially the kids who stopped for photos with me. I also met a guy named Mark Holder who had seen us on the road and was inspired to join me for a run. He is heading back to Auckland to drum up support for the campaign which is great.

Our Toyota Prius crew vehicles have been just perfect for touring through NZ. They never miss a beat and run on battery power for most of the day so our fuel economy and emissions are next to nothing.

I slowly worked through the KM's today and we hit the day on the head at the 65km mark to ensure we had enough time to make the book signing at Paper Plus in Timaru. It was so nice to meet all the people that had come along and have the opportunity to share a few stories with you all.

Well, once again, time to fuel up for tomorrow and go get some sleep! At the moment all I can think of is just trying to make the next km marker. K by K, day by day. Doubts are always creeping into my mind. Can I actually finish this thing, will I even be able get up tomorrow. This challenge is just so scary it blows my mind.

Off to bed.
Lisa

Day 5 - 4 November 2009

I found myself in disbelief as the alarm cranked to life at 4:30am. I dragged myself out of bed and immediately sat back down as the reality of another day and another 70km hit home.

Jason and Jaron drove me to the start line and we were off. I really struggled through the morning session. I was asleep on my feet for the first couple of hours. I had my first hallucination today as I imagined a giant elastic band stretched across the road and I just could not seem to run through it.

Jaron and Jason did an amazing job crewing for me this morning, they realized I was in trouble and got me down for a quick 10 minute sleep and then up for some power walking. They fueled me with all the right food and fluids to get me back in the land of the living. After a while I was actually feeling human again, yet I was not making good time today, so we knew we were in for a long day on the road.

Thanks to all the amazing people who waited on the side of the road for us to pass through their town and donate. It's such a boost to have your support, so thanks for your generosity today. When your digging deep just to find the will to put the next foot in front of the other, every bit of support keeps you moving forward.

We made Oamaru at 5:15pm, which was another 11.5hr day. It was such a magic feeling to finally make the Day 5 finish line. Thanks to Peter and son Henry who acted as the Oamaru welcoming committee. Thanks for the donation and it was great to meet your running buddies.

We are staying in the Kingsgate Hotel tonight, so for the first time on the NZ Run we do not need to drive to the start line, I can literally crawl out of bed and start running from the front door. That means a sleep in till 5am tomorrow so I am over the moon as any extra minute of sleep means the world to me.

Well time for food and then lights out to try and get some good sleep. The best sleep I have had so far is 6 hours... it's just not enough, if I don't get good sleep, the hallucinations will become more frequent. That's one part of the ultra running I am scarred of, so lets hope tonight is a great sleep.

Till tomorrow,
Lisa

Day 4 - 3 November 2009

Day 4 and the alarm clock broke my sleep with the harsh reality that another 70km of road waits to be traveled. It was hard to leave our amazing room at the Quest Dunedin to go running, yet the sooner we started, hopefully the sooner we would finish.

We were running through Dunedin today, so I was not looking forward to the heavy traffic. Ian from the Frontrunner Dunedin ran with me and led us through a safer route through the city.

The highlight of the day was visiting the Opoho Primary School in Dunedin. It was magic to call in and talk to the kids about the K Per Day Challenge and run around the school playground with them.

Once we left the school and headed North out of Dunedin, the hills started. For the next 38km all I did was battle through hills... I was on the road for a lot longer than I ever anticipated, 73km and 12 hours on the road was just so draining and demoralizing.

Thankyou to the locals of Waikouaiti Pub for the donations and the cold beer at the finish line of Day 4! You guys were amazing and it perked me up.

The ice bath waiting for me back at the Quest in Dunedin brought tears to my eyes. The massage from Martin Jansen (Mobile Massage) was just amazing, im falling asleep as we speak so i'm off to bed.

Wish me luck for tomorrow as we have a 78km day planned... at the moment, I can't even move from my chair, so its going to be brutal.

Please tell your friends about our cause. I am going through this hell to ensure we raise money to help CanTeen and Cure Kids make a difference.

Incredibly Sore
Lis

Day 3 - 2 November 2009

Day three was another early start with the alarm going off again at 4:30am. You kind of wish the alarm was lying, but no, it was right. Time to get up again and battle through another 70km.

My crew is amazing, they get up with me each morning and motivate me to get on the road. Without them it just would not be possible, so thanks Jaron, Jason, Murray, Mitch and Mum, you guys are just incredible. We got running at 5:45am this morning after a 40 minute drive to the start line. The air temp was very cold again... these South Island mornings are very fresh to say the least.

The weather warmed up to be really warm today. My body handled the km's quite well today. Too early to say my legs are getting used to the 70kms I am running, but at least today was better than yesterday, as yesterday was sometimes just torture.

We were on the road for 10 hours again today, my crew suggested to me that due to me having a good day that maybe I should truck on for 2 more km's to hopefully give me an easier day tomorrow as I dropping into Opoho Primary School to visit the kids.

Today Jaron was on the phone ringing his great friend Colin Weatherall to see if he could help us with a nice dinner to recharge the batteries. Colin arranged a complimentary meal at 'Great Taste' in Dunedin. Thanks Colin, the meal was superb and now we are fueled up for a big day tomorrow.

Well time for bed, the alarm will bleat like a fire siren at 4:30am tomorrow... so best get some sleep.

Thanks for everyone that is donating online, please support us, every donation helps our charities and also helps me and my crew keep motivated knowing people are supporting us.

Keep Running.
Lisa

Day 2 - 1 November 2009

The cruel reality of running 70 kms a day sunk in today. Day 2 started well with locals Jan and Andrew greeting us on a cold Southland morning with hot porridge and warm company. We set off at 6am and Jan ran with me for the first 10 kms. Jan told me that she had lost 65kg of weight and was now running marathons. Jan related to the story in my book and overcoming the many setbacks life can throw your way. Well done Jan, and keep running.

Today was cold and hard. We followed our maps, yet our maps took us over high hills and gravel roads. I had my first moment of desperation today, the road just kept going, and it felt like day 2 would not end.

I was motivated through the day again by generosity of locals. One of our crew vehicles was running low on gas and local farmers Duncan and Desere, who had waited out at the gate for many hours to greet us filled up our tank for us from their farm supply. Such generosity is what keeps you going through the tough times.

We were also met by locals standing at the gate, wearing their dressing gown and slippers, just wanting to say hi and wish us all the best. Thank you to the people who donated money to the cause, it means a lot to us and our charities.

Today was so cold, we were just so lucky to have our amazing Maui campervan with us to shelter in for a quick 10 minute break for lunch.

Well, off to bed. Day 3 and 70kms await us tomorrow. The challenge is already revealing itself, its day 2 and I already feel like I have been running for 2 weeks. I look forward to the people we will meet along the way tomorrow. Your support helps keep me going.

Till tomorrow.
Lis

Day 1 - 31 October 2009

Day 1 got off to a magic start. We were welcomed at Bluff by John Edminstin with a handful of Bluff Oyster Festival T-Shirts and a cheerful farewell. After a few photos with the crew, we had a 10 second countdown and then the NZ Run was officially underway.

So many emotions to contend with, so many people to thank to get this amazing campaign underway. Murray Dick from Taranaki Engineering (NZ RUN Naming Rights Sponsor) ran the first stint with me. It was the perfect way to start the campaign having your major sponsor running the first km's with you.

The rest of my support Crew (Jaron, Jason, Mum and Mitch) jumped into our brand new Toyota Prius vehicles, which are the perfect vehicles to have on our endurance campaign, thanks to Toyota NZ and Tasman Toyota New Plymouth for your amazing support as our Gold Sponsor.

The air temp was very cold, so was difficult to get comfortable during the first 20km. My crew took turns running with me today, my project Manager Jaron ran a 3 hour stint with me, so was a great opportunity to catch up and plan how we can motivate people to get online at www.nzrun.co.nz and help us fundraise for our two charities (CanTeen and Cure Kids).

We met some amazing people on the road from Bluff to Adendale. We were greeted with people with copies of my Book 'Running Hot' to sign, as well as cash donations and at one point a local came down and gave us a fresh Lamb roast for dinner. There was even a lovely sign on the Adendale Kindergarden wishing us well for the run. A man named Jody came for a run with me today for quite a few km's.

After 9 hours on the road we finally made Adendale. We were greeted by a man named Andrew who brought us a nice hot coffee, which was a great way to try and warm up. He even said he would be there to farewell us on day 2 with warm porridge.

It is great to have day one completed. The body is sore, so looking forward to a good sleep. Day 2 awaits us tomorrow, so for now I am happy to be into the run, I just know the pain that awaits me tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone's support, please let everyone know about the campaign. Direct them to www.nzrun.co.nz and please prompt them to donate and help out our amazing charities.

Chase Your Dreams.
Lis