I have a challenge for you to live and be fit for life. By the end of 2025 I want you to pick some where you want to travel but at that place do something athletic by your own will and in your own capacity. It doesn’t have to be an extreme feat like IRONMAN, Marathon, or an Ultramarathon. But, it should bring you some place new (the travel aspect) and then it should be used to explore a place by your own athletic abilities. It could be as simple as a hike on a mountain, a park-run 5K, or something far bigger like hiking the Appalachian trail, biking across the country, or that IRONMAN you always wanted to do. I am not naive enough to realize that there aren’t folks out there just struggling to walk to the house from their car or up some steps. This is about making a challenge for your own growth and discovery, whatever that may be.
I’ve thanked my old colleague Trevor many times in my blogs for introducing me to endurance sport in September 2009 and since then I followed in his footsteps by competing in more than 50 marathon and ultras, 19 Ironmans, 13 70.3’s, and it brought me to 5 world championships including this last trip to the 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand. One of the ideas Trevor talked to me about while inspiring me to run was the ability to go anywhere in the world and run just to explore. Being an athlete brings one health, adventure, happiness, and joy. But it open’s avenues that many do not even conceive.
This blog is about some of the adventures I took over the last 3 ½ weeks between New Zealand and Australia and many with my wife Fiona. Things that I would not have been able to do if I was not fit for life. By being fit, my life expanded and not necessarily my waistline.
Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand (Mostly pavement RUN)
We flew Tucson – San Francisco – Auckland, drove 3.5 hours to the North and then went for a run. This run brought us along the water front to hidden lookouts and across a bridge to views over the Bay of Islands. We ran past the Māori treaty grounds and a trail that we would use for another run. We saw horses and cows. It was a great start to the trip. We went easy 9:11/mile. I ran with Fiona my wife who was also going to be competing in the Buckeye Marathon with me the 2nd week in January 2025.
Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand (Short Hike)
We took a boat trip tour to the Hole in the Wall where our boat drove through a hole through solid rock that was created over thousands of years from waves hitting the rocks but on this tour there were a 2 islands we visited. The first island had us hike up 210’ to an incredible view of the Bay with amazing water colors that was only 11minutes long. The 2nd island had a 33min walk with 285’ of climb where we played with Fiona’s new drone.
Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand (Mostly Trail & Gravel RUN)
Fiona went for a 2hour long run but I had a week till the 70.3 so I went a bit shorter. We went to the trail we found and ran down that. This run was a big highlight running over wooden pathways through mangroves that brought us to the same waterfall we went kayaking to 7 years earlier with a cruise. We made this a loop covering some of the prior run and had a rough estimate of how long it would take so we just went for it.
Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand (Open Swim)
I swam parallel with the beach on and out and back. The water was fantastic and I used my wetsuit and a visible inflation device you tow behind you. It was great to get back in the water and in this stunning place.
Turangi, North Island, New Zealand (White Water Rafting)
I have white water rafted on the North and South Islands, in the US, Europe, and Australia; it’s an absolute blast and such an awesome thrill. But, it does require someone to be active and fit because you have to actually row in this case for nearly 2 hours down the world-famous Tongariro River which is the #1 Trout fly-fishing river in the world. Also, jumping out of the boat requires you to be able to get back into the boat with assistance of your teammates. We saw the rare Blue Duck, floating pumas from volcanic eruptions, and I met people from Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Turangi, North Island, New Zealand (Trail Run)
Just a short run along the same Tongariro River trail which filled me with desire to run the full loop that I would have to fit in the afternoon after the 70.3 race.
Turangi, North Island, New Zealand (Open Water)
We drove to the beach and I swam straight out into Lake Taupo and turned around after 5.5 minutes. The water was crystal clear and in this area of the volcanic caldera, very shallow. I was a bit freaked out about this having not really swam much open water since the Bay of Islands and my last race 70.3 Santa Cruz, California in 2023. No worries, just needed to get some comfort for future swims.
Taupo, North Island, New Zealand (Bungy Jump)
Ok, a little cheaky here but there is a weight limit on these things, you hang upside down, and then you have to climb back up 200′.
Taupo, North Island, New Zealand (Team Zoot Shakeout run)
Just an easy 5K but I got to run alongside 3X IRONMAN World Champion Craig Alexander. I’ve been fortunate enough to get this opportunity with other races including Eric and Paula from TTL at T100 Las Vegas. Anyone can do these run’s so it was so awesome having that opportunity.
Taupo, North Island, New Zealand (70.3WC)
Turangi, North Island, New Zealand (Trail Run)
This was probably the hardest athletic test of the whole trip because I did this 10mile run after finishing a 70.3 and I had to run/walk in the back half but the trail was absolutely stunning and I got to do it with Fiona. Trail running is definitely a blast and running probably 90% of the 1,771 miles I ran in 2024 on a treadmill makes it that much more enjoyable when I get to do this.
Auckland, North Island, New Zealand (Cement Run)
Using the Strava App with Premier, I used the heat maps and run routes to see where the most traffic goes. On one segment I am ranked 18,630 of 30,466. So we headed that way and ran along the waterfront on an out and back. We saw heaps of runners and cyclists; NZ is a very active country which is not surprising why they are so happy and live so long. The life expectancy in New Zealand is 5 YEARS longer from 2022 at 82.7yrs vs 77.4yrs in the USA. We saw a Disney cruise and great views of Auckland.
West Lakes, Adelaide, South Australia (Lake Swim)
Fiona and I swam here 2 years ago and it made us fall in love with the area. It is where we are planning to move by mid-2027. We swam with our really good friends both in their 60’s and 70’s, both IRONMAN and 70.3 athletes who we’ve also mentioned in this blog when we went to KONA together in 2019. The lake is a channel loop lake that would be 6KM around an island (which is on my bucket list). It’s surrounded by houses. There are no boats but swimming, rowing, SUP, and kayaking.
Adeliade, South Australia (City Run)
We reunited with a friend after 7.5 years who is a 4:17 miler and 1:15 halfer. We ran along with him around the Torrens river past the Adelaide Zoo, rowers, and touring boats. It really set the stage for what an amazing city it would be to live in directly in the CBD. Another beautiful place.
Adelaide, South Australia (Kayak)
The VRBO we had was amazing. We had kayak’s we were able to use free and kayaked basically around most of the west lakes looking at ideas of houses that we would like to live in. It was peaceful and calming. The arms didn’t get sore as I had expected. This was a bucket item checked as soon as I booked this VRBO.
West Lakes Shore, South Australia (Bike)
We went with out 60-70yr old friends again and went for this easy ride that took us up and down half of the Adelaide coast. We got to see what the full scene was like and saw amazing spots to live. The Café’s right along the stunning water were fantastic. This ride continued to expand my love for Adelaide. There is no doubt, no if, in my vocabulary.
Mount Lofty, South Australia (Bike)
Another bucket item was to bike Mt Lofty which rises 2,200’ from the ocean. Great views and we saw our first kangaroo of the trip on the decent. The climb was fantastic and a good challenge.
West Lakes, South Australia (Run)
Another bucket item was to run around the entire West Lakes. Our lake in Sahuarita, Arizona is only 0.9Mile and very twisty. But this run was 7.5Miles and took just over a hour so it was another great way to explore the area that can’t be don by bicycle or car on the paths I went. Saw loads of rowers as well which makes me so happy since I rowed at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
Stawell, Victoria, Australia (Trail Run)
Fiona’s hometown and home of the famous Stawell Gift which is a famous running race on a grass oval. We ran some trails and came upon large paddocks with loads of Kangaroos. We ran up Big Hill which is an active Gold Mine Fiona worked at for a year. We also had our wedding photo’s taken at the top of the hill 10.5 years earlier.
Lorne, Victoria Australia (Road/Trail)
One of the bragging runs would be this one. Starting in the Lorne at the bottom of Australia and the Gateway to the famous Great Ocean Road which is better than Rt 1 in California, I ran out and then toa trail that took me to a series of waterfalls. All up it was about 10 miles and around 90minutes. Such awesome views and barely no one around.
Great Ocean Road, Victoria Australia (Ride)
Fiona and I were here to run the 45KM marathon in 2015 but it was the only race I ever DNS (Did not start) due to bad plantar fasciitis. This has been a bucket list ride for 10 years. A little sketchy with minimal shoulders but I started early and went from Lorne to Apollo Bay and back.
Of course, there were many more Swim/Bike/Runs during the holiday and those can all be found on my Strava: Kevin Coyle out of Sahuarita, Arizona.
When I look at these activities I smile with joy and not because any of it was necessarily “hard” for me. I mean, I’ve been active my whole life but am an accomplished endurance athlete. I don’t look at these as great accomplishments. But they are special because they are activities of the “road less travelled”. Completing these activities is fun! And, being Fit for Life means that when my wife and I go on a holiday, anywhere, we can do anything we want. We are not limited by our physical capabilities. Isn’t that the way it should be?
We can do absolutely anything we put out minds to (and our bodies)! But we must set them up for success by being consistent and balanced.
Now, go get out of the house and get Fit for Life in 2025!!!
Tucson Athlete 