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Miranda Clark recently launched her new initiative which is all about inspiring women to get running and keep running. Heart and Sole will focus on Learn to Run 5km programmes in Tauranga and the Mount and a 4km+ casual women’s running group. Find out, how she first fell in love with running and how this passion changed her life, in this article.
Back in 2009, Miranda Clark was watching the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman with friends when she decided she was going to do the event herself. At that stage she could barely run a kilometre and hadn’t swum or been on a bike in years.
“I was watching the event and I just thought ‘stuff it!’ I’m going to do that,” she says. And in her typical determined way, she did.
Miranda’s first Half Ironman event 12 months later saw her swimming 2km, cycling 90km, then running 21km. It took her seven hours, more than twice as long as the elite competitors, but the sense of achievement was life-changing.
In 2013 she decided it was time to revive a women’s triathlete event in Tauranga. “I was on the committee of the Triathlon Tauranga Club and we realised there was a real gap in the triathlon calendar. In the past there had been the Bendon-sponsored women’s event, then it became the Special K Duathlon and then it just stopped after a couple of years.”
The club contracted Miranda to get an event off the ground, and they were rapt when 480 women signed up for the first one, four years ago. The event has grown bigger since then. Two months prior to this year’s event, all 800 places had been allocated, and at least 40 women are on a waiting list to enter, if competitors drop out.
“They were not elite athletes – lots were women like me, who may not have exercised for a long time and had been through tough times. It was amazing, and it has grown every year since.”
The partnership with the club has ensured it stays a community event. “Because the Triathlon club owns the event, they can apply for grants to help run it. Any profits go back to the club and are put into further developing the sport,” she says. “A lot of our gear is loaned to other sports clubs in the region, so we are sharing around the benefits.”
While Miranda is paid for her organisation of the event, the income in the first years was minimal and she swallows a lot of the costs ‘for love’. “I put in about 400 hours a year, and I get so passionate about seeing people succeed.”
Miranda and friends Maria Woods, Bec Dent and Deb Rolls at the end of the 2011 Port of Tauranga Half Ironman.
Some years it has been a helpful distraction. A really tough pregnancy and birth, followed by 20 months of sleep deprivation was a tough time, and she believes organising the women’s triathlon helped keep her afloat through that period, a few years ago.
It’s a job she does alongside her own business as an ACC Business Consultant, being a wife to husband Leon and a mum to five year old daughter Samantha. Fortunately her family is right behind her, and she works out of the office of her mum Heather’s security company. “It’s a lot of work and last year I had to put my business on hold for six weeks. This year I’ve organised for one of my sisters to work part-time to help and I have a group of amazing ladies helping me behind the scenes with some of the Tri jobs.”
They are a close family and live handy to each other. Miranda is one of three girls, and mum and dad are just around the corner. “I try to fit work around my daughter and to make my life as easy as possible,” she says. “Being able to work in mum’s home office nearby means I don’t have to commute and I get a lot of support from close family and friends.”
Her ACC business has snowballed, growing at a rapid rate. “Currently we have as many new customers coming on board each week as I had aimed for each month, so it’s very exciting.”
Miranda’s family and friends are also on hand to help on race day, along with Triathlon Tauranga members. “We have up to 80 volunteers helping with the race, and everyone gets into the spirit of it. Last year some dressed up for a fluoro theme – lots of 80s lycra and pompoms – it really added to the atmosphere,” she says.
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This month she’s planning to compete in the triathlon herself, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the event. “I’ll do the race briefing then whip my clothes off and join the ladies in the water,” she laughs.
But it hasn’t stopped at the Triathlon event. Her own need to start training got her thinking about how many women didn’t really know how to run. So with Triathlon club coach Kathy Miller of Fit Goals, they advertised a ten week, zero to 5km training programme, promising to have women running 5km by the end.
“We expected 20-30 women – we have 90 women on our list. Bethlehem College kindly allowed us the use of their grounds, and we started at the end of September. It’s so popular that we’re going to keep the group going with weekly runs, then offer another Zero to 5km to begin in March.”
Keenly aware that many women are put off the event because they are not strong swimmers, she has also helped launch women’s only swim squads at Liz Van Welie Aquatics in Pyes Pa. “We get 35 ladies in two sessions each Saturday. It’s catering for a range of swimming levels, and some have gone from being able to swim 200 metres to being able to swim 1800 metres in the six weeks.”
A key benefit is the coaching, and swimmers are taught a lot of technique to improve their style and breathing.
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Like many women, Miranda has struggled with her weight but she is adamant that a less than perfect body is no reason not to get involved in physical events. “Few women have perfect bodies, yet we let this hold us back from doing activities we enjoy,” she says. “It’s a tragedy and I’m trying to share that message and get women active, whatever their body shape.”
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Free Telfer Young Tri Chicks Coaching/Training Sessions
These started January 16 and go for six weeks. Designed to teach women skills and gain confidence for the triathlon; on Tuesdays, 6.30pm. Participants do not have to register and can come along to any of the sessions over the six weeks.
Women’s Only Swim Squad
Liz Van Welie Aquatics has been running a Saturday coached swim squad for ladies of any ability/fitness. The sessions are designed to increase women’s swim fitness and enhance swim technique while spending time with other like-minded amazing women. This may continue past the Triathlon event, pending interest from participants. Email admin@lvwaquatics.co.nz for more information.
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