I did the 30km, which is the second longest distance I've run. I was so thankful to my cousin who stayed with me.
Having someone to run with, and give you a kick up the butt to keep running, was invaluable to getting to that finish line.
Gary: I did the marathon and took it easy as I knew it was going to be challenging.
I had cramps in my leg at 10km and there was 32km to go.
What do you expect an off-road marathon will be like?
Brenda: It will be extreme. I'll be pleased to finish - it will be my second marathon.
Gary: I am looking to improve on my time from last year now that I know what the course is like and how my body will respond. My best marathon time was 3 hours and 17min in London, last year on West Coaster I did 7 hours, 6 minutes on the same distance. Way to go.
How much have you trained for this?
Brenda: We've done a few runs out at the Waitakeres but the majority of our running has been on the farmland tracks around Cornwall Park as this is near where we live.
It's hard to find the time to get those long runs in. Also boot camps at sunrise help a lot to keep your fitness level high.
Is it fun doing this as a couple?
Brenda: It's great that we're both keen on running and in particular this off-road adventurous type of running. Gary is fitter than me but he still enjoys running with his wife. It's great to have someone to run with, especially on the long runs.
Where did the idea come from to run for the Tony McLean Trust Nepal?
Gary: We've had contact with this charity in 2012 when we spent half a year volunteering in Nepal and as we've been to the area we know they're doing great work. We value that they work with a local charity to try to develop projects that will be sustainable for the region, rather than just handing over money. We visited Garambeshi, in the remote Nepalese Himalayas. It's here where TNT has projects to facilitate improvement in education and health of the Shudra com-munities of this region.
How much are you hoping to raise and what difference will it make?
Brenda: We'd love to raise as much as possible. One thousand dollars would be great to make a difference by supplying 13 households with filtered drinkable water or to contribute to the building of a medical clinic for the region, or to further support the salary of teachers that are providing education to the children of the region. For us a dollar is not a lot but in a world where people are living on $2.25 a day it makes a big difference.
What advice do you have for people looking to take on a big challenge and do something special for other people?
Brenda: Choose an event that is really going to challenge both your physical and mental capabilities; that you'll enjoy and for a charity that you feel passionate about. Also, setting up a goal makes you more conscious about what you eat, drink or how you train. If you run for a charity you are often doing it for the less fortunate. That feeling makes your suffering way less, just by thinking about why you're running.
West Coaster
When: Saturday, November 23.
Where: Bethells Beach, West Auckland.
Event options: 6km (run/ walk), 13km (run/ walk), 21km (run/ walk), 30km (run), 42km (solo/team).
For more information visit: www.thewestcoaster.co.nz
To support Brenda and Gary visit: http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/tntwestcoaster
