I’ve got a few days of downtime in Auckland before the big move to my new home (home still to be found) in Queenstown. The perfect opportunity to get some leg pumping action, aka running done. I was over in Whangapoua at the weekend and completed an energised morning run of hill reps. Now even I struggle to make light of running up and down the same hill repeatedly so there’s no post on that. However I completed a nice run this morning on the route from Browns Bay, which I ran with my Dad a few times earlier in the year.

As ever, Browns Bay beach was teeming with dog walkers. There were some lovely dogs about but both I and them were moving too quickly for pictures so I got another classic snap looking towards Rangitoto Island.

This route also passes my old South American fave the local urban gym. Ok so evidently every country outside the UK has these, but I saw it in South America first! And for the first time on my travels the urge struck for me to get reppin’ on the bars. Glancing around for onlookers, like a naughty child just about to poke his finger in a dangerous hole, or myself stealing a grape in the supermarket, I confirmed that the coast was clear and made for the pull-up bar. Those who know me will know that my New Years resolution every year (well maybe the past 2 years), was to be able to do a full pull up. Even when I was training at my old beloved boxing gym 2-3 times a week in Manchester I never made it. C’mon 2015, this is our year! As in me and my biceps’. Surprisingly I haven’t magically summoned the power to perform a pull up in my travel time but I completed a few jump pull-ups (basically just jumping instead of using your arms), and set off on my way again.

Further along the route I heard a strange collection of noises I peered to the sky to identify the perpetrator. Of course it was the New Zealand native bird, the tui. Or the animal kingdom’s sonic response to the dial-up internt tone. Maybe the tui came first, who knows; one of life’s great mysteries. The tui also wears a pimpin’ white cravat of curly white plumage. All in all, an eccentric fella.

On my way again, I bounded up those long Auckland hills like a mountain goat; the hill reps in Whangapoua clearly served me well. Back at the family abode I was happy to see my time was similar to the times I’d completed with my Dad in February. So Dad, think twice before you email me again asking if my trainers are gathering dust!