Firstly, introduce yourself; who you are, what you do and who you run with/for?

Hi there! I’m Kim and I take X-rays for a living. I love coffee on any day of the week, having a favourite song on repeat for days on end, balmy summer nights and all things dessert .. Basically, I enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Currently, I’m not part of a running group so on any given week, I alternate between running solo or with friends.

How long have you been running and what has been your main source of motivation to run during lockdown?

I have been running for almost two years now. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could commit to something for that long, let alone that something being running. I continue to surprise myself everyday with how far I can push myself and when I see improvement and results week in and week out, it motivates me insanely beyond words. To me, running is also a temporary escape from reality while letting me take in all that nature has to offer.

Where do you live? Can you tell us a few things that you like/don’t like about running in your area?

I live in the western suburbs of Melbourne and absolutely love running on the Maribyrnong River Trail where it then takes me to the Capital City Trail, if my legs allow me. I would love for it to be better lit in the evening but that just means I’d have to run faster before it gets dark hey?!

I also love running around the neighbourhood but not when I inevitably run past KFC, ha.

What has been your go-to running route within your area and why?

Jones Creek Trail in Cairnlea followed by the Kororoit Creek Trail. The former kind of reminds me of a smaller version of Albert Park Lake, although our swans don’t cause any foot traffic ;) Both trails are relatively flat with a few hills here and there .. not to mention that it is right outside my doorstep, meaning I can jump in the shower the moment I reach home!

If you could pick one road or trail to run anywhere in the world, where would it be and is it somewhere you have run before?

The Seawall in Vancouver, Canada. Seeing it through pictures, I can only imagine the contrast between land and sea and the breathtaking views you’d take in. My ultimate goal is to run a trail in every city I travel to .. not to mention how cool it’d look on Strava ;)

Music on the run? If so, who has been your go to artist and/or playlist?

For the first year, I refused to listen to music on my runs because in my mind, a song is roughly four to five minutes and if I took longer than a song to run a kilometre, then I would kick myself for it. Now, I have a different and stronger mindset and can listen to anything from podcasts, RnB, Hip Hop, EDM, Trance, Musical Theatre, Pop (okay, maybe I like a bit of K-pop), to tunes from the 70s but for the last kilometre of any run, it has to be Chris Brown’s Go Crazy.

Are you currently training for anything at the moment? And how has the lockdowns affected your running?

Currently training for the Melbourne Marathon! Whether the event goes ahead or not, I will run it regardless. Lockdown has been a blessing in disguise as this means there are no excuses to miss a run, which has helped tremendously in being consistent and maintaining my weekly mileages. I am so ready to kill it!