Ep 25: Starting Over at 33... How parkrun Transformed Jenni Dossetto’s Life

At 33 years old, Jen found herself starting over.

Her marriage had ended, she had moved back in with her parents, and for the first time in years she was trying to rediscover who she was outside of a relationship that had slowly taken over her life.

Then her sister suggested something simple: parkrun.

Jen had never been a runner, but something about the idea sparked a curiosity... and it completely transformed her life.

In this episode of Runbelievable, Joshie and Natty sit down with Jen to talk about rebuilding confidence, finding independence, and how running can become the thing that helps you reclaim yourself.

From her first parkrun to half marathons, trail running, and the community events she now loves, Jen’s story is about how running doesn’t just improve fitness.. it can reshape identity.

In this episode

• Growing up sporty but never a runner
• The difficult years inside an unhealthy relationship
• Starting again at 33 and moving back home
• The first parkrun that changed everything
• Finding purpose through bootcamp and running
• Why running became something just for her

Runbelievable — real runners, unreal stories.

Interested in being a guest on the show? Hit us up!

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Transcript

Intro

Jenni 0:07

We clicked straight away. And the thing was, he lived really close to where boot camp was. So he would just conveniently walk the dog to um to finish what we were finishing and we chat in the car park. And um yeah, you probably I don't know whether you spotted us chatting then or or not, but yeah, no, I do remember.

Joshie 0:25

I just saw this creepy guy lurking in the bushes with a dog and lead. Hello everybody and welcome to Run Believeable, the podcast that celebrates why we run. I'm your host, Josh Christian, and I'm here to bring you stories about what's first got people running and what keeps them lacing up day after day. From the last election to choose, it takes three days to drive up to rental running. Why we run and how it shapes who we become. And coming up in just a few moments, you'll meet a runner who's rebuilt her life through running, including finding love. And to top it off, she was an inspiration for me starting Unbelievable. So you'll no doubt detect my genuine excitement when we speak to her today. Naddie, welcome back, filling the hot seat again.

Natty 1:14

I sure am, Joshy. Good to be here.

Joshie 1:16

It's awesome to have you back. Um gosh, geez, Maddie's got big shoes to fill, but you did a pretty good job last week. Be honest. Are you only back again to seek redemption on the quiz?

Runbelievable Rundown

Natty 1:28

I think I did pretty well, but you know me. I want three from three.

Joshie 1:33

I was going to say two from three is never good enough for you. So let's see how you go a little bit later on. But firstly, let's get stuck into the Run believable rundown. Now, last week I prepared a poll asking people about their preference for running alone or running in a group. Do you want to have a guess at what the results were, Natty?

Natty 1:53

Oh, I did see them early on, but I reckon more run alone, I reckon.

Joshie 2:00

Actually, more preferred to run with peeps, and we had a really good response. It was 5248. Oh, wow. Which you see I'm disbelieving. Yeah, I am. Do you want to know something? I actually wonder if uh look globally, apparently, it's about 80% of people prefer to run alone. Now, it actually got me thinking, you know, is it something to do with the local demographic? I mean, obviously the majority of our listeners are from Brisbane, very much a running culture. I don't know.

Natty 2:32

I prefer running by myself, as you know. And it's for many reasons. Like generally, when I run with a group, I do worry that, well, I'm usually the slowest, so I'm gonna be a burden or hold people up. Um, but a lot of the time I just like to do my own thing, and I also want to be able to have a toilet stop whenever I want.

Joshie 2:52

We had a couple of fantastic response. Oh, by the way, I got dragged over the coals for that poll. The amount of people that contacted me to say that we needed a third of two options, uh, which I could kind of understand. Oh, yeah, Jack wrote a really funny comment that he likes to start in a group and finish alone. Uh Natasha, always a quirky response from her. She likes to run alone in a group.

Natty 3:15

I get that.

Joshie 3:16

I picture like some kind of you know, bubble around her as she's running a don't talk to me kind of thing. Um, and look, yeah, for me, I you know what, I think it's really I what?

Natty 3:28

You prefer people 100%.

Joshie 3:31

I prefer people, I don't know, but I also like running on my own. I think it depends on what mood I'm in, to be honest. So yeah, look looking back, I think I should have had a third option. But I I tell you what, whilst it's fun to run alone, or well, it's also beneficial to run in a group. Well, did actually help Lisa out. I don't know if you remember. I can't remember if this was before we interviewed her or afterwards that she broke her thumb. Yes, yeah, so I'll tell you what, just as well that was a group run, because I think we were about 13 Ks from the car, and I had to run all the way back. I mean, I was gonna run anyway, back to the car. Um neither of us had our phones or anything. So uh yes, it can certainly be handy to run with people. Now, it's quiz time, Natty. Woohoo! It's no secret that you've recently fallen in love with the Adidas Eve OSLs.

Natty 4:23

Although my toe's bleeding for one today.

Joshie 4:28

Yes, we'll have to Is it bleeding?

Natty 4:30

Yeah.

Joshie 4:30

Oh, you just said it felt a bit tight on the foot.

Natty 4:33

Well, it's bleeding.

Quiz Time: Adidas EVO SL

Joshie 4:36

So I actually thought Well, there we go. Yeah, this might this may be a bit of a a sore topic, quite literally a sore topic for you. But anyway, today's quiz is all about the Evo SLs. Question number one. And I should actually add, this time it's multiple choice, A, B, or C. Right. Do the shoes weigh at each shoe at a standard men's size nine? Don't roll your eyes at me. Between 190 and 210 grams, B 210 to 230 grams, or C greater than 230 grams.

Natty 5:11

Can I just go downstairs? Uh men's ones, and they're a bit bigger. I'll go B.

Joshie 5:20

You are correct, you jammy fucker. So two 224 grams each shoe weighs. Question number two. You're off to a flyer. How many colour variants are there? A. Can I phone a friend? No, you cannot phone a friend. That's what we call um cheating. A. Between 12 and 14 colour variants, B, 15 to 20 colour variants, or C, more than 20.

Natty 5:49

More than 20.

Joshie 5:51

Oh, you're correct. Yes! Yes, there's well over 20 and it's increasing all the time. The one that I found the most amusing, did I show you there's the um Mercedes AMG Formula One pair? There's a there's a Mercedes variant, and they've also just released an Audi variant as well, both Formula One linked.

Natty 6:13

I like your ones, I like the purple ones. I'm gonna steal yours.

Joshie 6:17

Yeah, I'll tell you what, they've they um they actually tried piloting an Aston Martin, but the shoes fell apart after 5K, so they had to recall them.

Natty 6:24

Very funny.

Joshie 6:25

Question number three. How many eyelets are on each shoe? A 10, B, 12, or C 14. I've got any shoes in here. Don't look at your cupboard, I can see.

Natty 6:44

Ah shit. Oh um C. Three from three! Woo!

Joshie 6:53

There are indeed 14 eyelets on each shoe. Jeez, that's impressive. Sorry, Maddie. Yeah. You may not have a job to come back to.

Natty 7:02

Don't say that. Yes, he will.

Joshie 7:05

Well, look, um, if you're enjoying the quizzes, the guest interviews, or any part of the show for that matter, we would sincerely love it if you could share a favorite episode or two with a running mate of yours, or maybe 200 running mates. Um, it really helps us keep sharing stories about how running shapes who we become.

Guest Spotlight: Jenni Dossetto

Natty 7:23

Yeah, my toe is bleeding, by the way. Oh, that's fucked. So I looked and I went, oh, fuck. And it's it's like the skin's cut.

Joshie 7:32

Today's guest grew up with sport all around her. However, running was not really part of her life. After years focused on work relationships and putting others first, she took up an offer from her sister to try something called Park Run, which slowly grew into something much bigger. Her story is all about rebuilding confidence, purpose, friendships, community, and a space that she could finally call her own. Can we please welcome Jenny DeSetto? Welcome, Jen. Hi.

Jenni 7:59

Hi.

Joshie 8:00

How's it going? Oh, we are going fantastic. Oh great. Yeah, we're having so much fun. We've got Natty in the hot seat. Yeah. Yeah, you weren't on the call, but she got three from three in the quiz. So we sort of half joked that Matt might not have a job to come back to.

Jenni 8:14

Well, yes, he does. Yes, he's he's got a lot to live up to next time.

Joshie 8:19

He does indeed. Now, look, um Jen, life took a dramatic turn for you back in 2016. What can you tell us what was happening in your life around then?

Jenni 8:30

Oh, well, yeah, definitely big changes. Um, right at the start of the year, it was literally like a couple of weeks into the new year. Um sitting at home on the weekend with my now ex-husband, and um he turns to me and asks me if I'm happy and I say, What do you mean? And then he says, I think our marriage is over. And I did not see that coming. Um he'd obviously been thinking about it for a little while. We chatted a bit, it didn't seem like there was any coming back from it. He started packing a bag to go stay to friends, and I jumped in my car and went straight to my parents' house and called my sister, and um yeah, that's the start of a very big journey. Oh goodness. Yeah, yeah.

Joshie 9:26

Was it did it happen all that quickly? I mean, from when he had that conversation with you. Yeah, it literally did. Wow.

Jenni 9:34

Yeah, so yeah, we we had a conversation, obviously talked about it for a bit in that moment because I didn't see it coming, so I'm like, oh, but we can do this and we can do that and whatever. And um we yeah, in a nutshell, went separate ways just for a week and then reconvened the next weekend back at the house. Um yeah, and no, it was it was done. Um spoke about who takes what and I said, Well, I've got the dogs. And um, yeah, moved back in with my parents. And um, yeah, and I haven't seen him since. So yeah, that's how quickly it happened. It literally happened within a week.

Joshie 10:16

Um I can't, I'm really sorry to hear that, Gene, because that's like what a horrible thing to go through. I mean, from what you told me, you said that um after all this happened, you suddenly found yourself, I think, 33 years of age living back with your parents. Yeah. Um how hard was it to accept that new reality?

Jenni 10:35

Oh, I mean the journey of of getting to the other side of all that was really long. So um that you know, that that took years. Um but I'm grateful to have such a supportive family. Um, you know, my mum and dad are great, really close with them, really, you know, my sister's the best. We're we're all really close. So um having them by my side was yeah, wouldn't have been able to get through it without them. Um yeah. But like everything in hindsight, when you look back and obviously like I've gone through therapy and we've worked through things and um can see that although it wasn't what I wanted at the time, it it wasn't a hundred percent healthy relationship. Um it you know, there's so many ins and outs of it that in a nutshell, when you look at when you look at it, neither of us were really making each other happy. Um when you look back on it. So in that sense, it was a good thing.

Joshie 11:42

Um sounds like um unpicking all that took quite some time. Um I I imagine that didn't happen in the first couple of weeks after you moved back in with your parents. That would have been quite a process over a number of years, I imagine.

Jenni 11:56

Uh yeah. I mean, I still remember, I mean once all that went down, one of the big things I had to work through was um just general anxiety. I had this I grew this worry of running into him anywhere I went. And I don't I don't exactly know the specific reason why. Um but basically whenever I left the house, if I had to go anywhere in public, um I was just nervous that I would run into him somewhere. So like I had this I had these things I called exclusion zones, which were certain places, some whole suburbs that I just could not go. Um, and that got less over time, but did take did take a few years to to work through. Um and I guess, but then there were situations that I had to put myself in where I knew I was gonna have anxiety, but I also knew I had to do this thing or had to be there. So um, and then you go, oh okay, I can do it. And I guess it gets a little bit easier. Um but but yeah, there was yeah, it was a process. Um and also just thinking you've got you've got your life planned with this person you've just committed to, you know. Um and and then it didn't go to plan. Um yeah.

Joshie 13:24

I know that uh running was a a big part of your healing process, and we'll get to that in a moment now. Growing up, um you went someone who struggled with sport. I think you said that you participated in little athletics, swimming, field hockey, um amongst other things. Um what can you tell us about your childhood experience with sport?

Jenni 13:43

I can't remember little athletics was obviously really young. Is there even is it even around anymore? Is it still called that?

Joshie 13:50

Um I think so. Yeah, this one not too far from the street.

Jenni 13:53

It was literally down the street from where you guys live. I think it's still there. Oh, well, there you go. Yeah, okay. I don't know how long we did that for. Um, but yeah, some stage um started swimming and would go to swimming club on Friday nights and do training and stuff during the week. And um my cousins used to play field hockey, and uh, that's what got us into field hockey. So we gave that a go. Um, again, don't remember what age I was, but would have been early teens and played hockey up until I left school. Um, and only stopped because after school I got a full-time job that that meant I had to work Saturdays and they played on Saturdays, and it didn't really feel right that like if I was working every second Saturday, that I was only playing half the season, so I basically just gave it up. But like sport itself, like I I really enjoyed sport during school because I did not enjoy study. I was I mean, I got through, it got harder as the years went on. Um, I lost more interest in in study in school, like towards senior. And being being in a small school, and like back then things were a lot different, like we didn't have all of these cool subjects that the kids do now, you know. Like I had to, we had, we they called them you had lines of subjects that you had to pick between, and you had to pick one from that long line and one from this line. And because there was literally nothing in those lines that I wanted to do, and our school was so small that only three of us wanted to do music, so we couldn't have a music class. Um, I had to do legal studies. Don't don't think I passed that. I did biology, and that was mainly because there was one um term where you got to take a baby chicken home. And um and even at one stage, I think I actually started in typing. We had typing classes, and then I think I changed that to legal studies because typing was just so boring. But um, in the end, you know, sports day and and sports on Fridays and stuff was the only thing I really enjoyed at school. So not that I was ever exceptionally good at sport or anything, but I guess I just I just liked it more than studying.

Natty 16:08

Jen, of all those sports that you did, what was the favourite one that you did when you were a kid? Uh probably hockey. That was what we did the most. Um like you said because you could chase someone with a stick.

Jenni 16:22

I was actually the position that I was in um was one of the positions where, like, I can't even remember the terms anymore because it was that long ago, but um where when play stopped, like you'd get to hit the ball. And I used to be able to hit the ball really well. Um so I wasn't in a position where you were scoring goals regularly. Um, but but yeah, I was really good at hitting that ball. So yeah, yeah.

Joshie 16:49

Sounds like there was a bit of uh you found it quite therapeutic, quite cathartic to be smacking that ball around as well, Jane.

Jenni 16:55

Well, yeah, doesn't hurt.

Joshie 17:00

Would have wouldn't not have wanted to be that hockey ball, let me assure you. Now look from around the year 2000 to 2015, it sounds like sport largely disappeared from your life. I think you mentioned that maybe there was a bit that you had um uh gym sessions was a was a bit of a fixture. Did you miss playing sport or did you not even notice that it was no longer part of your life?

Jenni 17:22

Oh I don't think I missed it as such. Um I guess other things replaced it like work and um I don't know, I guess I've that whole period of my life, the you know, after school and previous marriage and things, um it revolved a lot around what other people did. So like what my partner at the time might have done or what our friends did. Um so I'll I don't feel like I thought about myself a lot. I probably I probably wasn't that deep then either. I've come a long way.

Joshie 18:04

June. Um I mean when you and I chatted a few weeks ago, you described yourself as a people pleaser. And I imagine that you kind of um defaulted to that in your first marriage, and once you came out of that, you had an opportunity to do things on your terms. Was it hard to start thinking about what it was that you wanted and what would you you would find fulfillment from?

Jenni 18:35

It was hard because in that period early on, you know, after everything turned upside down, um I didn't actually know what made me happy. Like, and I didn't feel like I had anything that was really for myself. Um so yeah, I guess I didn't it's I didn't really know what to do with myself. All I knew was that I had to try and try and stay distracted and try and try and keep busy. And I guess that's um luckily the whole journey with running and parkrun that actually started fairly early on.

Joshie 19:13

Um Well, I think you said that it was only about a month after you moved back in with your parents. You said you had this sudden urge to run.

Jenni 19:19

I did.

Joshie 19:20

Even be even before you started parkrun.

Jenni 19:22

Um I don't and I don't know if it was triggered from like my sister having just started running. Um, like I don't know exactly when she started, but I know she she did her first park run in the December. So that was literally just a couple of months before my first park run. And um, she was doing the Couch to 5K. And I don't know where her inspiration came from. But yeah, I do I do remember some days like coming home from work in that in that time um early on and just feeling like I had all this stuff pent up inside and I needed to get it out. Um, so I did go for a couple of runs.

Joshie 19:58

Um do you remember what shoes you had?

Jenni 20:01

Oh god. They just would have been whatever. I really don't know. They would have been what did I wear back then?

Joshie 20:08

Dunlop follies.

Jenni 20:09

I was gonna say dunno. I don't think they were. No, I can't, I can't. They give me blisters, they're not they're I can't walk in them. Um no, it just would have been whatever sneakers I had that I used to wear to the gym. Um no idea. And I would have literally only had that one pair, unlike now, where I've got a whole shelf where I've need to actually go to sort through them because I can't seem I can't seem to throw the old ones out. They still just sit there. I'm like, oh, but they're still too good to throw out.

Joshie 20:35

Um I love it. So you started Parkrun, was it Feb or March 2016?

Jenni 20:41

It's like the 5th of February 2016. So just had my 10-year Parkrun anniversary not that long ago. Congratulations. Congratulations. Thank you.

Joshie 20:50

But you said that that was on your sister's suggestion. Um what can you tell us about that first parkrun experience?

Jenni 20:59

I don't remember a lot of it. Um, I can picture, I've I've mentioned to you that there's a photo of me and it's just before the finish line. And it was a wet day as well. Um so it was overcast, but you could also just see that I'm gonna say that I looked dead inside. I did, you know, I hadn't been, hadn't been sleeping, hadn't been eating, and this was like I think three weeks after I moved back in with mum and dad. Um but I remember running the whole way. I think I did about 35 minutes. Um and I because and then once you've done it once, where you think, oh, I've done it once, so I I can run the whole way next time. Um Yeah, I can't, and that's probably about all I can specifically remember from that first one. Um, but like I keep getting Facebook memories at the moment of every because it was, you know, ten years ago. Almost every week I'm going, got another P B at Parkrun, woo, you know. When you go from like not running to then running all the time, you see the improvements and then That obviously drives you a bit more, you feel better about yourself. And um yeah.

Natty 22:14

So how many parkruns were you in, Jen, before you wanted to beat your sister?

Jenni 22:19

Oh it actually popped up as a memory today that I said something in my in my like, oh I did another parkrun, got another minute off, look out, Amanda, I'm coming after you or something. So that was that like a month in or so.

Joshie 22:36

Um is it friendly rivalry between you two?

Jenni 22:40

Oh yeah, it's all in fun. I mean, I'm not it's it's a little bit of fun. I'm not driven by competitiveness um as such, but you know, we've it's definitely spurred both of us on in different situations that we've gone through when one of us Manda's always been when Manda's far, she's always been faster than me. Um but you know, having stopped for injuries or different things um at different times, and um then you know us flipping around who's the fastest and stuff like that. Uh yeah. Um and I do I just had a memory of um one day we were out at Sandgate and she must have been just in front of me. And I was just like, I'm not, I am going to pass her. I'm going, I gave it my all, and I think I got my Sandgate PB that day just because she was just right in front of me and she was giving it a crack, and I'm like, I'm not letting her out of my sights. I can't remember which one of us um finished first, but I do remember doing well that day. Like, wow, I didn't know I couldn't run that fast.

Joshie 23:37

So be honest, Gene, was seeing those times improve, was that an element in helping to restore a sense of self and confidence?

Jenni 23:48

It definitely was. It also pack run. I mean, great to be able to do something with my sister. Um, you know, she's she's my number one supporter, couldn't have gotten through uh any of that without her. Um and yeah, she is yeah, she's amazing. Um sorry, I forgot what I was saying.

Joshie 24:14

Oh, I think I was just asking, well, uh I was I'm just curious about the extent to which uh seeing those improvements in runtimes. Yeah, it was that was that a factor in helping to I guess restore a sense of self.

Jenni 24:28

Yeah, it was it was getting me out of the house. It was giving me something to do, and then it turned into something that was for me, which was the thing that I didn't have, you know. Um I didn't have anything that was for me. Um so running.

Joshie 24:45

One thing that you did mention it was, I guess, a bit of a step outside your comfort zone. I mean, I know that you found your sister to be an incredible support, but then you took it upon yourself, I believe, in April 2016 to find a boot camp.

Jenni 24:59

Yeah.

Joshie 25:01

Uh and I think you said that it was pretty much the first thing you'd done for yourself. Yeah. Step outside your comfort zone. What can you tell us about that first experience? Picking up the phone and finding a boot camp to join. What was that like?

Jenni 25:15

Yeah, well, I I had enjoyed I had been going, so before everything turned upside down, I'd been going to the gym. Um, and I used to enjoy doing the group classes. Um but at that time my my ex was actually a PT and he worked at a um well-known gym that has multiple locations throughout Brisbane. So they were all exclusion drums, obviously. Um so a bit of the gyms then became a trigger. So I knew I could not go and just find another gym because I just, yeah, it was too much of a trigger. Um, but I knew because I enjoyed the the group classes, I thought I I need to find something like that, you know, like a group fitness class that I can do that isn't in a gym. And it was Parkrun where I discovered um boot camp. So on the I think they used to come over on the on Pace a Week, which was the first Saturday of the of the month at Cham Side, and um, yeah, Blitzbit. They'd they'd be there in their singlets and they're running along and they're high-fiving each other. And I was like, oh wow, that's really awesome. So I um, you know, looked up, looked up their website, checked out the timetable, and I was like, oh, that actually fits in really well with with my work times. It's just over at Marchant Park, which is just across from Parkrun and you know, only 15-20 minutes from home. Um, and then yeah, reached out to Kath and she's like, Oh, come do a seven-day trial. So um, yeah, rocked up for my seven-day trial. Yeah, it was hard. Like, we did duck walks. I was like, I'm surprised. I could not walk for the rest of that week. I still went back again, but um, it was great. It was a really big crew, everyone was really encouraging, you know, even being my first time, people were saying, Oh, you know, good work and stuff. And we had to pair up with people, and you think, oh, that's gonna be awkward pairing up with people you don't know. But um, yeah, it was really good. And I knew I knew that first night that I was that I was gonna sign up.

Joshie 27:14

Um yeah. So does that does that mean that it's nearly your 10-year anniversary at the end of the day? It does.

Jenni 27:20

That's wow. And like that and running is the longest that I've ever stuck with anything like that. Any of those times where I was going to the gym and things like that, never I don't even know if I had like 12-month stints of going to the gym. It was kind of just in waves, depending on what life was doing at the time.

Joshie 27:36

Um yeah.

Jenni 27:38

So no.

Joshie 27:38

So over that over that time, then once you joined um Blitzfit, obviously you would have noticed physical changes, but did you also notice changes in how you saw yourself?

Jenni 27:50

Yeah. Um another like so back then, another thing was like I can't just sit at home all the time. So I went to every session that I could get to. So I went to all of the evening sessions. Um, at that point in time, running was just a park run. I hadn't joined um in training at that point. That's only been more recently. Um so I went to all of the evening sessions just to make sure I was getting out of the house and not just sitting at home, you know, in my parents' house, wallowing in house out I am with my friends. Um but yeah, I I was quite self-aware that I couldn't just sit at home. And I knew like the other thing with boot camp was like this is gonna put me in situations where I have to talk to people. Um and I'm I'm good at talking to people when they talk to me, but I'm I struggle with starting conversations with people I don't know. Um yeah, so that it definitely helped, definitely helped with lots of things.

Joshie 29:01

And did it also help you overcome your anxiety about going to certain places? I mean, you talked before about exclusion zones and wanting to avoid like did you notice that that started to whittle away as well?

Jenni 29:16

It it did over time. Um I'm sure, I'm sure boot camp and and parkrun both both helped with that because it was getting me out of the house and then realizing I was okay. And um, you know, do obviously going to boot camp on my own most of the time, although one of our friends, um, Janice did join there for a while. She runs with us as well. Um But yeah, doing these things on my own. Yeah, it does, it does make it does make you realise you can do things, but like there was still there was still anxiety and there was still triggers, but I guess it just got less and less and less. And like then you'd I'd you'd have moments where you're like, oh, I didn't think about anything bad that whole session or or something like that, and be like, oh that's that's really good, you know. Um but there were still triggers. Oh, just one little story. So because my ex was a PT and he tried to teach me boxing at one stage, and I'm really uncoordinated. And there was this one night that our trainer surprised us with a boxing session, and I nearly had a meltdown because it was it just it just it just really triggered me and I tried not to cry. I'm like, no, it's okay, I can I can do this. Um I'm like give me those gloves. Yeah, that's right, that's right. And I survived, but I I did have a talk for about it. I'm like, listen, sorry if I was a little bit out of sorts during that session. This is something that's going on in my head. Boxing, boxing is a trigger for me because it reminds me of this situation, and and um, you know, being told that I was was hopeless because I wasn't coordinated and couldn't do it and and whatever. Oh gosh. Um but no, that's okay. We only did it once, so but that was enough to that was enough to cause the trauma, but that's okay. But um, yeah.

Joshie 31:01

Well, look, it sounds like uh, you know, your sister and park run and obviously the community community that goes along with it have been a huge uh factor in you rebuilding. Um you mentioned that you did your first park run with your sister. I think you guys did your first 10k event together, multiple events together. Um how important have those shared experiences been for you?

Jenni 31:21

Oh, more more important than anything. Um I wouldn't I don't know what I would have like I would have needed to find something, but I don't know if I would have found running if it wasn't for her. Um and it's definitely being able to have something like that that we could do together is definitely um definitely strengthened our relationship, although we were, you know, always really close. Um but like even dad comes to Park Run now, like so that's great. So like we can all we can all do it together. I can't he's he didn't start quite as early as I did, but he did start that same year, but I think it was later on in the year. Um and it pretty quickly turned from didn't you know uh wasn't are we going this week to where are we going this week, you know, um for all of us.

Joshie 32:04

But Parkron's been a huge um feature of your life over the last 10 years. You volunteer a hell of a lot as well, which um which I didn't want to overlook, but one thing that you I think maintain to this day is that you have absolutely no interest in a marathon. Is that is that something you could ever see changing?

Jenni 32:24

I mean, never say never, but I I because I've told you before, there was this one time, so it was the start of the start of 2020, and I actually had the inkling, and I'm like, I think I'm gonna do a marathon this year. And I'd started increasing my long runs and then got up to 24Ks, and then COVID happened, and then everything started getting cancelled, and that was the last time I had that inkling to ever want to do a marathon, and that and it hasn't come back, and now and you guys don't sell it very well either. It doesn't look fun.

Joshie 33:01

I'll be honest with you, it sucks.

Jenni 33:03

It's easy, Jen. It's easy. No, yeah, it's easy. Um it's oh no, it's but it's also just the training, like it's a it's a big commitment if you want to be able to survive it. Um but you know, I've I've done heaps of half marathons, um, which I'm pretty which I'm pretty proud of being able to do. Um yeah.

Joshie 33:25

And you've also discovered trail running. Um what is it that drew you to trail running, Jen?

Jenni 33:31

I don't know what started it apart from I think a couple of friends from boot camp had done some trails and the um SEQ trail series was having one of the local events, which is a Inogra Reservoir. And me and our friends Janice, um, I don't Amanda mustn't have been running at that time. I don't know, she must have been injured or something, but me and my friend Janice decided that we'd register for for Inogra and do our first trail run. But, you know, like don't have any trail shoes and don't know whether we're gonna like it. So we'll just, you know, wear our normal shoes, but you had to carry water. We'd literally purchase these random little belts on eBay that had these tiny little water bottles in them. That was mine was terrible, it just kept sliding off my hips the whole time. Um and it was it was wet that day. So wearing normal shoes, there'd been torrential rain to the point where we thought it might get cancelled. It didn't get cancelled, obviously. Um and we went out there and we did it, and we somehow didn't fall over. And um, yeah, I think we ended up registering for another one of them um that was in that series a couple a couple events later. But um, it's different. Like I don't, you know, if I go for a road run um or go for a run on my own at home, I'll put music in my ears and just kind of try to zone out. But with a trail run, you don't want to zone out. You need to be really on the ball and you need to be really mindful, you need to be mindful of where you are, you need to be able to hear things and um see what's going on, and you're you're concentrating the whole time. Um but there was a period there, and I even think um Andrew will probably tell you that when we met, I still wasn't really sure whether I liked trail runs or not. Because there's hills, and hills are really hard. Um somewhere along my running journey, I've um I've learned to like hills. I actually like hills now, and I'm actually pretty good at hills. Hills seem to be somewhere where I um overtake people at park run or or during about not during travels a lot because you're walking. But um yeah, being being out in nature in the bush in different different areas and stuff, and like listening to the birds and listening to your feet on the ground and the sound of the gravel or wherever, and um it's a totally different feeling, and it's act it's it's really nice, it's really refreshing. Um Yeah, so but we did we did a few, we did quite a few events of the trial series series for a while. Um I there was one year where I did all of the events. Um I didn't do the long course at all of them, but did the long course at most of them and then just got to a point in general where I was like, oh, I just need to have a break from events. So haven't done haven't done too many trials lately apart from the good old OFD classic that Robert holds just before Christmas um and a few trail park runs. But um we did a we did a trail on the weekend just in Stanthorpe, and um, like Andrew said to me, like, oh, this just reminded me how much I liked running trails. I'm like, yeah, it did. So we might have to might have to do some more trail running, but just not events at the moment. I've just yeah, need needed a break from events this year.

Natty 36:45

If you had to choose Jen, road running or trails?

Jenni 36:52

I don't I don't know. Um I do like trails, but they are they are different. You're not running the whole time. Um but and I and I guess there's a bit more variety. I don't know, they both they've both got their benefits, but I do I do remember at the end of one of the trail series though when I was like, right, okay, got to get back into road running now because we'd registered for G to Jetty or something. I've struggled really struggled to get back into just going for road runs and found them really boring for a while. But then you just then you just get back into it. And yeah, like as I said, I haven't done trails in ages and I'm I'm quite enjoying normal runs at the moment. So yeah.

Joshie 37:34

It's good to have the option though. Like you've got a good amount of variety. You've got your road running, you've got your um trail running, you do your boot camps, I think a couple of sessions a a week. In fact, that's actually how you and I met. We met back in 2021, I believe, January 2021, when I joined your boot camp. Um, I randomly picked up the phone and went, I I need to get I need to get fit. I was not in good shape. Do you remember the early conversations that we had about me needing to learn how to slow down?

Jenni 37:59

Yeah. Yeah, I do. I actually mention those to people sometimes when they're just fairly new to running and like, and if there's someone that that knows you as well, I'm like, Josh was the same when he started running. He just always wanted to run fast every week. And I'm like, you can't just run fast all the time. You've got to say, Oh, I've got a headless chuck.

Joshie 38:17

Yeah. I could I could understand. It's like if you want if you need you want to run faster, you've just got to learn how to run faster, don't you? It doesn't work like that, does it? No, it wasn't gratitude, uh Jen, that's for sure, because uh yeah, I'll listen to you eventually.

Jenni 38:30

Um It took you a while and probably took some other people telling you as well. Um Yeah, no, you loved it when you I I remember you just like speeding around the the oval and the cricket pitch when we used to do those Rastur in boot camp. You'd just be off. You had one speed and that was flat out.

Joshie 38:47

It did. Things have changed now. Although I don't have that same kind of energy anymore. That's what marathons do to your gym. They break you.

Jenni 38:54

Yeah, they do suck the life out of you. Yes.

Joshie 38:58

Yes. Well, one other thing that I do remember very distinctly when I joined your boot camp is you very cagely, if that's a word, talking about uh having met someone called Andrew, and I think you said, you know, it's early days, don't want to get my hopes up. How have things changed since then?

Jenni 39:15

Uh yeah, things have changed a lot, you know. Yeah. That was early days, and I think I was just trying I think we both did. We were just like, gotta take things slow, you know, like having been in both being married before and then not doing a lot of dating or anything then after that, and it's like, don't want to get burnt, don't want to hurt myself, you know, gonna take things slow, but yeah, things didn't go particularly slow. He just um yeah, we just we just we clicked straight away. And the thing was he lived really close to where boot camp was. So he would just conveniently walk the dog to um to finish right where we were finishing and we chat in the car park. And um, yeah, you probably I don't know whether you spotted us chatting then or or not, but yeah, no, I do remember No, I just saw this creepy guy lurking in the bushes with a dog and I was like clear for me. Yeah, that's right.

Joshie 40:13

Um for a bit of context, we actually spoke with with Andy. We featured him back in episode uh seven, and yeah, he he spoke um very fondly of his of his feelings towards you and his love for you. You guys are now married, and yeah, um just oh just uh make a wonderful, wonderful couple. And yeah, I I I truly love a story, uh a running related story that involves love, and it's just um yeah, you're gonna have to tell us how um how things sort of evolved um from when you first started seeing each other.

Jenni 40:43

Yeah. Well, we we met through running, obviously. Um I mean, there's a long version of the story and there's a short version of the story. We had to write the story out for our wedding the other, you know, last year. So we've gone through the story and figured out all the interests of like him stalking me at Puck Run and and at boot camp and coming along to training and stuff when he was injured and just just so we could catch up with people. Um but yeah, we just we he just started chatting with me at um training, he'd come along to to end training. And um yeah, it was just he was just he's a really lovely guy, as you know. Um and I started thinking, oh, I think this guy might actually like me. Um yeah, so we we met through training, but I guess kind of met through parkrun in the sense that parkrun is what got us both to to running training. And um yeah, went on some dates, kept it a little bit secret from from the group for a little while and not knowing if it was going to um eventuate and didn't, you know, didn't want to make things weird if if it didn't if it didn't work out. But um no, very fast realized that we were um we were each other's people.

Joshie 42:01

And um you guys do a lot of your running events together. I know that you're a big fan of Jetty to Jetty. Um what is it about that event, that event in particular, that gets you so excited?

Jenni 42:13

It's funny because I don't like running out there. Like a bit like no, you hate it. You like a bit like Sandgate in the bridge. I don't like going and doing like training runs out there, but for some reason I I registered for that event every year. And uh Yeah, it was it was my first half marathon. Um I did do it, I did do the 10k there the year before I did my first half. So that I so I did a 10K there in 2017, and that was with some boot camp people. Um back then there was a few a few people in boot camp who who were runners and we used to do events together. Um and then the next year I decided I was gonna do a half marathon, and I think I registered for like the super, super duper early bird in like February and the events in July, and um and committed to doing Jetty to Jetty and I've I've done it every year since. Um have only done the 10k once more since then, but otherwise have done the the half every year since then. But yeah, so I committed to the training. It's a good fun event. It's local, it's it's just up the road. Also you still have to get up early because everything starts early, even if it's close. But um, it's just always been a good vibe, and I guess it has good memories, you know. Um doing my well, I was gonna say my first half, but I ended up that's another story. I ended up two weeks before the Jetty the Jetty that I was training for, I got offered a free entry from a friend who was injured um to do Gold Coast half marathon. Oh literally the Wednesday before Gold Coast, she was like, Oh, do you want this, do you want this entry? So I did a half marathon before the half marathon that I was training for. I went to Gold Coast, I did Gold Coast and did Jenny Jetty a couple of weeks later.

Joshie 44:02

Well, I figured the offer was there.

Jenni 44:04

I'm like, I'm gonna have to do a long run this week. End anyway, I'll just, you know, I'll just think of it as a training run.

Joshie 44:11

And um did you nail but did you nail both of them?

Jenni 44:14

Yeah, yeah, I did. Um, although it did it did spit rain at Gold Coast, and I kind of remember being in the Portaloos and being like, oh no, it's just started raining, and I I missed the start because I'm like, I'm just gonna see if it if it eases a bit, and then it didn't. So then I I I missed the gun, but that's okay. I still started with people and um yeah, was really was really happy with how I did, and then at Jetty the Jetty Um did a better time, including a bathroom stop during the run. So that was impressive. Um and was just that is impressive. Yeah, was was really proud of myself that um that event. Yeah.

Joshie 44:54

Yeah, looking back at all your events and you've completed a lot. Is there any that stands out as a favorite, like a hall of fame, either for the the time, the memory, the achievement, the adversity? Is there anything that sort of stands out?

Jenni 45:08

Um well Jetty to Jetty is always gonna be gonna be one because I also did my um PB, half half marathon PB there a few years later, just unexpectedly, which is really feeling good on the day and just and just did a great run. But um memorable events. I did the Hamilton Island Hilly half. Um that was just a few months after me and Andrew um started seeing each other and he came along, but he wasn't doing the event. But um that was a big that was like doing a half marathon trail that was and I was because that was uh 2021 and I did all my PBs in 21 because of COVID and we were just everyone was just running all the time, so I was just running all the time. So I'd gotten super run fit and um and that was good because I actually I back in my twenties I lived on Hamilton Island for a while, so it had it had a special place in that sense, um although it was also partially a trigger because that's where I met my ex-husband. But put that put that all behind me and I went to Hamilton Island, you know, and and and made me made new memories, and that was amazing. Um I love it, yeah. But a few of the different trial runs we've done have been memorable, like one of the favourite ones that me and Andrew have done together is Numman Bar. Um it was a year when the when there's there's like eight creek crossings, and we've done it when there's been water in all eight creek crossings, and we've also done it when there's been no water. Um it can be it can be either or. And that first year that we did it, and we didn't know what we were in for because everyone talked about it being really hard. Um, and it was, there were some really big hills, but um, but it was really fun. We ran it together.

Joshie 46:51

Um How deep is the water? Like are we talking ankle deep or most of it would have been ankle deep.

Jenni 46:56

There might have been one that was that was nearly knee deep, but but nothing, not swimming through, but uh yeah, got some good photos, yeah. Got some good photos waiting wading through those.

Joshie 47:10

But um We only you only need to be in that kind of water for a few seconds before the shoes and the socks can be.

Jenni 47:15

Well, and that's the thing, you'd think, oh, I finally got all the squelching out of my shoes, and then there'd be another creek and you'd just be squelching again. But no, it was good fun. But like just being able to do events with Andrew as well is um well, with anyone, but particularly with Andrew. Like having having a partner who actually wants to do things with you and wants to run with you is something I'm very grateful for. Um, I mean there will be I also do like running on my own sometimes. Um sometimes I don't like the pressure of thinking, oh, what if I'm going too slow for them or or whatever, but he has to run at my pace if he runs with me. So like I'll be running at my pace and he'll be having a nice leisurely run because he's running at my pace and and I'm not as fast as him and he's taking it easy. But um but no, that's that's that's something that I really enjoy as well.

Joshie 48:07

I love it. And Jen, just finally, when you set aside all of your finisher medals, kudos and accolades, how would you say that running has shaped who you are today?

Jenni 48:19

It's given it's given me it's given me so much. It's given me it's given me confidence, it's giving me something that was for me. Um so many things. I don't I don't think I would be who I am now if it wasn't for running and for that journey. Yeah, it's definitely made me a I don't know, I'm gonna say stronger person, um but I don't kinda know what I mean by strong, but I'm definitely I definitely like the version of myself that I am now more so than the person I was before I was running. Um and you know like like you guys having having it it it's brought people into my life, it's brought Andrew, it's brought, it's brought you guys. And although I am a a homebody and would be happy to stay at home, you know, the the amazing friendships and and things that that have come along with that, which what which people who aren't runners would think is a solo sport, it is it is definitely not.

Joshie 49:28

Jen, for everything that you've been through, you are truly worthy of happiness in life. Thanks so much for choosing to share your journey with us today. It's been an absolute pleasure.

Jenni 49:38

Oh, no worries. I hope I didn't waffle on too much.

Natty 49:42

What a story. Um, so much I didn't realise, um, having known Jen for quite a while now. But um, yeah, that was amazing, amazing story.

Joshie 49:51

I love the whole finding love through running. It really fills me with goosebumps. It's beautiful. It's kind of how we bonded too. On that note, that's it for today. If you've got an unbelievable story of your own, we would truly love to hear it. And if you'd like to be a guest on the show, it's up. Finally, this podcast provides your 1540 completely 15 moments to follow right and share it with your running mates. We really appreciate it and see you guys unbelievable today.