So i didnt meet my pace target, I made every beginner mistake there was, and im on a couch eschewing movement now. But I did it. Thank you so much for all the support! It really got me through the last 3 or 4 km when I was running on mind alone.
This is my 1st
year sweating
I’m sweating to fight for equality, one sweaty session at a time!
Why I’m Sweating with Pride
Whole lotta noise out there in the world, making it harder for many to just be.
Im not into that.
So, I'm fighting discrimination with perspiration—exercising 30 minutes every day in June to raise money for life-changing Rainbow support services.
Thank you so much for your support! ❤️
My Fundraising
Impact
Achieved
In Progress
$100
Provides vital resources to support Rainbow communities
Achieved
In Progress
$300
Free, confidential mental health support for Rainbow Kiwis
Achieved
In Progress
$500
Ensures more people can access life-changing health services without cost barriers
Achieved
In Progress
$1,000
Fund an educational workshop to create safer, more inclusive spaces
Achieved
In Progress
$2,500
Provides a full day of community outreach, to improve wellbeing and reduce stigma on a large scale
💖 I’m $472 away from my next impact milestone. Will you help me reach it?
Track My
Sweat
My sweat goal was 30 minutes per day in June
1,068 minutes completed
900 minutes goal
Stats reflect challenge period (1–30 June) only
My Fundraising
Ranking
I’m #324 out of 4,091 Sweaty Bettys
324
Murray Lee
Raised
$528
My Blog
Updates
Well, well well.
Sweat goal: Check
Fundraising goal: Check
Team goal: Check
Nailed it! Im well into my taper for my half marathon now, so the amount of sweating is actually coming down, with less than 3 weeks to go until the big day.
I have every badge apart from VIB, but we've raised so much more than I though possible, and I've never seen myself as Very Important. Very Important people always seem so stressed.
But I'm happy, and so glad I decided to do this. My half Marathon was always about me, proving to myself that Im still a strong functional human, but carrying with me the support of the people who backed me here? Now, its not personal, it's for all of us.
My kids signed up to Sweat with Pride first, they saw Bjorn was a coach and they were in.
Why? Well, because Bjorn is AWESOME, but also because we were once trapped together in a library by hate, and he was strong for my kids, despite being in a shit position himself. And they remember that, and I remember that, and I'm glad we got to be in team Bjorn together to give back.
I dunno if the coaches have an internal competition going on, but I hope so, and I hope he's kicking arse. And Im sorry my terrible wife went Team Wanda. Traitor.
I told the library story to a friend at work, and he said "Well I guess that bigot got you fit at least" and I said "haha yep".
I have every badge apart from VIB, but we've raised so much more than I though possible, and I've never seen myself as Very Important. Very Important people always seem so stressed.
But I'm happy, and so glad I decided to do this. My half Marathon was always about me, proving to myself that Im still a strong functional human, but carrying with me the support of the people who backed me here? Now, its not personal, it's for all of us.
My kids signed up to Sweat with Pride first, they saw Bjorn was a coach and they were in.
Why? Well, because Bjorn is AWESOME, but also because we were once trapped together in a library by hate, and he was strong for my kids, despite being in a shit position himself. And they remember that, and I remember that, and I'm glad we got to be in team Bjorn together to give back.
I dunno if the coaches have an internal competition going on, but I hope so, and I hope he's kicking arse. And Im sorry my terrible wife went Team Wanda. Traitor.
I told the library story to a friend at work, and he said "Well I guess that bigot got you fit at least" and I said "haha yep".
But that sat with me. Because no that prick bloody didn't. I did. I got me fit.
What we do, what we achieve for causes like this, is DESPITE OF, not because of pricks like that. He doesnt get to claim any of this. My family getting out there, getting fitter, earning money for an amazing cause ... thats for us and because of us and he gets no credit.
This is probably me signing off. If the page is still up, I'll report back with a marathon status update. But thank you for all the support, financial and otherwise, and to the real MVPs here, the people behind the scenes at the Burnett foundation, doing their amazing work every day.
What we do, what we achieve for causes like this, is DESPITE OF, not because of pricks like that. He doesnt get to claim any of this. My family getting out there, getting fitter, earning money for an amazing cause ... thats for us and because of us and he gets no credit.
This is probably me signing off. If the page is still up, I'll report back with a marathon status update. But thank you for all the support, financial and otherwise, and to the real MVPs here, the people behind the scenes at the Burnett foundation, doing their amazing work every day.
See you next year, maybe!
Last Sunday, I had my second hardest run planned. It was 13k with two progressive pace sections: you need to run faster as the distance goes on, reset half way then do it again.
And somewhere in the second time the pace started to heat up: "There's no way I can do this, this is only half the distance Im planning. Somethings gone wrong, I have to adjust my goal pace. I have not done enough. I should not have slacked off" These thoughts circled like sharks.
S#1t got dark, until, " I can worry about this later, for now lets put one foot ahead of the other and do our best." I focused on anything but running, anything but "speed up" and let a kilometre flow.
A little later, through the pretty haze I tried to hold up around myself, I heard the voice boom "Slow Down". My pace had picked back up and I focused back in and tried to catch the last, fastest speed target.
Reviewing the run after, as I waned and sweated and staggered through a cool down- overall I had hit every speed target. I looked down the graph looking for that bit that had tortured me as I had "hit the wall" - When had I recovered, how did I get out of that endless hole of negativity that felt like forever at the time?
That 'endless hole' was only 800 metres long, and it was uphill. I hadn't even noticed the hill at the time, instead turning the blame on myself for so many perceived shortcomings.
It was a wake up call.
Today at work I held a fundraiser where I brought in cupcakes and invited people to decorate their own to celebrate pride and our own individuality.
My workplace really came out to play, cupcakes were demolished and donations just flowed in.
The generosity, love and acceptance of that place where I spend so much time blew me away. It made me realise that my hard times at work were maybe just 800 metre hills too.
Absolute kudos and love to everyone who participated, whether they could donate or not.
And I have been thoroughly reminded to refocus on the good, or even just distract myself when stuff gets hard because it does often come back around.
And sometimes, if you actually look around and take the time to notice, sometimes we're just going up a hill.
Well, here we go!
If I'm being honest, Sweat with Pride lines up onto the end of a half marathon plan Im already doing, finishing in early July.
But its a great cause and my whole family decided to sign up, make a team and keep each other accountable.
A question I've had already is "Why?" Why is a straight potato of a married 2.4 kids man doing sweat with pride?
And there are so so so many important answers to this question, but for now I offer just one. Why not?
There are answers, reasons, discussions and celebrations to come, but after only doing 22 minutes of stretching today, and already technically behind schedule, I don't feel qualified to get into that yet.
I'll also confess to being an ex-creative, needing an excuse to be creative again for my brains agility and health, and starting those circuits up by writing this blog, well its an added bonus.
I also hope to see my family getting more activity and getting the same joy out of fitness that I do.
There are answers, reasons, discussions and celebrations to come, but after only doing 22 minutes of stretching today, and already technically behind schedule, I don't feel qualified to get into that yet.
I'll also confess to being an ex-creative, needing an excuse to be creative again for my brains agility and health, and starting those circuits up by writing this blog, well its an added bonus.
I also hope to see my family getting more activity and getting the same joy out of fitness that I do.
So, let's go! 30 minutes a day average for the next 30, then 11 days later a half marathon. We've got this.
My Generous
Sponsors
$68
Hedgehog
$50
Heidi Nilsson
Thanks for supporting SWP, go well xx
$46
Christopher Bennett
$40
Greg Hedgepeth
Great cause Muzz...good on you!
$30
Supporters of Burnett Foundation Aotearoa
Keep on sweating! Arohanui to supporters of Burnett Foundation
$30
Anonymous
$25
Chris
Well done Murray you got this!
$20
Sacha Perry
Good on you, Murray! You are awesome :-)
$20
Maryanne Burns
Go Murray and fam! What an awesome thing to do!
$20
Ravi Amin
$20
Sara Coppell
Awesome work Murray
$20
Rochelle
Proud of you :)
$20
Sean K
You are the best.
$20
Anonymous
$20
David
$20
Murray Lee
$14
Anonymous
Great work Murray! All the best..
$10
Ali Rajabimehr
Wish you aluck
$10
Anna N
$10
Angela Tu
Thanks for the cupcakes Murray!! All the best on marathon!
$10
Karyn R
Go you good thing.
$5
Anonymous
Keep it up Murray, appreciate what you do <3
