Paula Conder competing in the Walt Disney World Marathon in 2018.
Usually, I try to get to the five-kilometre parkrun on a Saturday morning, and we’re very lucky in Whanganui with our parkrun because, on a still morning, it’s just beautiful alongside the river.
It’s probably one of the nicest views for a parkrun in New Zealand. I might grab a
bite to eat from the market after that for a late breakfast while I’m there.
Whanganui Harrier Club has usually taken up most of my Saturday afternoon by the time I’ve helped set up and done the course. A couple of weeks ago, we ran at Lundon Park out at Castlecliff, and that was probably the most perfect cross-country course I’ve run in a very long time. I think we could probably hold a national course there.
My husband and I have just recently signed up for the Disney World Marathon over in Florida in January. I was a bit silly and went further and signed up for the Dopey Challenge, which is over four days - you run a 5km, 10km, half-marathon and marathon all in a row. The course goes through all of Disney World’s theme parks. We went over there six years ago and my husband and I both did the marathon that year, but I got horribly sick the night before, and I was so crook I could only run the first 8km and had to walk the rest of it. So I was keen to go back and do it again, and I thought this was probably my only chance, so I may as well do it.
In the evening, I would go to the Citadel, which is my favourite restaurant in Whanganui, and then I would enjoy the sunset out at Castlecliff Beach.
