Festival or fitness? Why not both - life is about balance

Wednesday, 26 February 2025

Reporter Maxine Jacobs finds a way to enjoy the best of both words by going to both Electric Avenue and run club.

Round the Bays Christchurch is ’round the corner, but how do you start running if you’ve never done it? The Press reporter Maxine Jacobs takes on the Get up to Five challenge to find out how to go from a couch queen to a jolly jogger.

I like a party as much as the next person - maybe more.

I have a big case of FOMO (fear of missing out) that forces me to make sure if there’s an opportunity to do something, I’m doing it. That’s why when I realised Electric Avenue, the biggest music festival in Australasia, was on last weekend I knew I had to go.

I also knew I had Bevan James Eyles’ Get Up to Five run club at 7.30am on Saturday as part of my fitness journey for Round the Bays Christchurch.

For the past five weeks I’d made a commitment to running with the club three times a week, but Electric Avenue only comes around once a year, and for the first time in its 10-year history was being held for two days. Surely I could only choose one - right?

No. Like the girl on the Old El Paso taco ad, I said to myself, “Why not both?”

Press reporter Maxine Jacobs feels the spark of life at Electric Avenue, hours before she attends her weekly run club.

Through the run club’s weekly motivational podcasts Bevan tells us that setting up systems to help you achieve your goals is key.

“There are moments where we fall off the wagon, we just want to minimise the time where we fall off the wagon,” he says.

Do you want to join Maxine? Click here to sign up for Southern Cross Round the Bays Christchurch 2025 and join the movement.

“When you think about, ‘How do I plan to get back to success?’, make the steps easy and achievable so you can get back on the wagon.”

The consequences of dancing the night away at Electric Avenue dawns on Maxine as she heads to her run club at 7am.

Now, to be fair, I jumped off the wagon. But I’d argue that just meant I could be even more prepared to get back on it. I put out my running clothes, put into Google Maps where we were meeting on Saturday, and set an alarm before heading off to the festival.

It was a whirlwind, filled with all kinds of adventures playing out to the soundtrack of Fat Freddy’s Drop, Th’ Dudes, and Chase & Status, but finally I returned home around midnight, wide awake and struggling to sleep.

Eventually I drifted off, but was rudely woken by my pre-prepared alarm. “Feet on the ground,” I thought to myself, another tip Bevan gave us at the club.

Shockingly, once I arrived at the running location I was good to go. I ran further than I had before - albeit with a quick pit stop at a dairy for a Powerade - and didn’t throw up once.

Third from right, Maxine is surrounded by friends at Electric Avenue on Saturday after successfully attending run club at 7.30am.

Bevan says we should celebrate our successes, and I’d never been happier to complete a run in my life and come back to a home-cooked breakfast from my greatest supporters.

* Disclaimer - I did sleep through my alarm for run club on Monday morning, but I made up for it that evening, so that fall from the wagon was short-lived.