JASON & I: WISE CHOICE FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Each day 16 New Zealanders die as a result of coronary heart disease. That's one person every 90 minutes. And many of these deaths are premature and preventable.

The nature of who is affected by it is changing. New research shows that young adults in their 20s and 30s are being admitted to hospital for heart attacks more than ever before, and that this age group is dying at a faster rate than people of the same age in previous generations. Much of this change is due to unhealthy lifestyles - poor eating habits, lack of physical activity and being a smoker. But the good news is that many risk factors for heart disease are preventable, if people make healthy lifestyle choices. So, help me as I join the race to beat heart disease.

I've signed up as a Heart Racer to raise money to support The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand. By donating through my webpage you will be helping the Heart Foundation continue its vital work in research, cardiac rehabilitation, education programmes and resources.

Select the "Make a donation" button below. It’s simple, fast and totally secure and the money goes directly to the Heart Foundation’s bank account.
So please help me today! And pass it on to your family and friends! Many thanks for your support.

TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN!

My Dad got me into running when I was 11 - loved it.

When we moved to NZ in 1986 and the thought of running in a cold weather? Well, hated it.

I envisioned myself running again only three years ago. I then started training at Takapuna Beach during my lunchbreaks. Since then my husband and I have joined running events such as Run2Heal with the Allison Roe Trust, Waiheke Island Wharf to Wharf, Cathay Pacific Half Marathon, Round the Bays, Xterra Rotorua and the Auckland Run Series. My best time was 68 minutes with a 10kms run during the Auckland Run Series at Eastern Beach. The one I enjoyed the most was the series at Milford on a hilly stretch of Beach Rd to Mairangi Bay, on a rainy day in the middle of winter. Its funny how things change. I thought it was a complete bliss!

The ones with wisdom said run until you're too old to run. During our Waiheke Island run, we met a woman who is 84. She mentioned that besides reducing the risk of heart desease, running gives you physical benefits such as helping to prevent the ageing process by preventing muscle and bone loss. Now I like that idea!

I find that it also gives you psychological benefits. Besides getting the runner's high, attitude is always better after a good run. Its a good way to clear your mind, to shed some stress or whatever you're feeling at the time. It also gives me a general sense of happiness after a good run. My psychologically-trained sister explained that running releases endorphins that can cause euphoria/high that makes you feel happy.

So it makes you look young and it makes you feel happy. What else do you want? The 84 year old woman said that running help train your mind as much as it trains you body. By overcoming the barriers of running, such as the rain, the cold weather or whatever excuse that you yourself make up, you learn FOCUS AND DETERMINATION of which you can apply in other areas of your life.

Care to RUN!