Melbourne Marathon 2006 [Half] Report

I set off to Melbourne about 3 weeks underdone and struggling to get down to race weight, which saw me losing 2kg in the last week prior to the race. My late start at training didn't allow very much taper either. Despite feeling underdone I set my focus on a 1:25 at best and at worst beating my last time at the Half in Brissy this year: 1:26:34. The Gold Coast Marathon had taken its toll, and City 2 Surf was a fairly average performance from my tired legs and flu ridden body.

Having vowed never to return after my arctic experiences at the MM in 2005 I was reminded at the start of this year's [albeit Half] why sticking to your threats is wise. Saturday in Melbourne was positively balmy. I'm talking T-shirt and shorts weather, blue sky, gentle puffs of wind. We are talking Darwin Dry Season here. Cut to early Sunday morning. I am awoken in the early hours by my window rattling. What makes windows rattle? Icy cold rain soaked gale force winds make windows shake and rattle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was deposited at the start after being driven most of the route [and thinking to myself how incredibly long 20+km seemed!]. I decided to keep my tracky dack bottom & top on, in order to counteract the onset of hypothermia. I lined up for the obligatory pre-race loo stop and got so cold my system virtually shut down. The cubicle, normally the last place you want to spend time in was bliss compared the arctic blast of the wind coming of the Bay only meters away.

15min before the start I decided to disrobe and attempt to hand my clothes bag in. The clothes-bag-handing-in-table was besieged by a human traffic jam. In the end I lobbed my bag over the heads of the panicking masses and tried to make my way to the start only to find that I had been sardined out of the front section. It took ages to get across the line, with the clock ticking, each precious second seemed like a minute.

After eventually breaking free I found myself in the 1:30 pacing group. I was intending a 1:25 which works out at 4:02per/km so tried to hurry up a bit. At about the 3km mark the 1:30 bus ran past me again. The Half only had markers every 5km which made getting your pace right in the first 5km very difficult. The first km is always false, either too slow due to the start, or too fast cos you are compensating too much for all the dodging and weaving you had to do in the first km.

Once I got to the 5km mark I was able to work out how I was going. Too slow was the verdict. This slow first 5km was to come in handy at the end I feel, as I felt very strong.
My splits worked out well after making up lost time in the second 5km. Pacing carefully was important in this race due to bad start I had, and my questionable form.

The goal time per km was 4min2sec. My splits worked out as:
first 5km: 20:57 [47 seconds over the target]
I knew I had to pull things together smartly, even though my time was over due to the long wait to get over the start line.

second 5km: 19:52 [I had made up 1min6sec]

Getting to the 10km mark and feeling so good was a relief. I must mention the wind, which although nearly accounted for me succumbing to exposure at the start became our firend and it was up our rear most of the way. I think I felt so strong thanks to the wind and having lots left in the energy bank after a slower first half

third 5km: 20:11 [1 second off the target of 4min02sec] and still feeling ready for a big push up St Kilda Road and a fast last 1.1km

4th 5km: 19:49 [the wind at the start of St. Kilda Rd just seemed to lift me up from the backside and put me into another gear] The crowds were great from here on in with lots of encouragement.

I divide the race into 4 main sections [as above] and then the last 1.1km which hopefully you've got enough left to let it all hang out. The splits above show a rare negative split for a race. I am stoked about that.

Last 1.1km: 4min7sec. [my Kayano's were smoking at the finish line, and I'm thankful they had a fire extinguisher on hand to save them!] Well not quite, but it was a good strong finish.

Gun time was 1:25:05 , my start line to finish line chip time was 1:24:18. Anyway, a pb of a over minute and a half.

The bag collection at the end was absolute chaos, with human traffic jams and then only to find the bags strewn all over the floor with little order. I spent ages in the freezing wind searching for my bag, like looking for an interesting paper at an accountants convention. The post race massage was heaven, as always.
Apart from the bag chaos this was another brilliantly organised event, and a pleasure to have run in. Most of the water stops had water bags whcih was excellent. Hopefully this will become a standard feature at major Australian events. The days of trying to get the contents of a cup of water in your gob instead of all over your face are well and truly over [or they should be!].

I think that's it for me in terms of long races this year. From here on in after a break I'll hit the Masters Athletics scene and hone my racing skills again at 3,5 & 10km. Next official race will be the Pacific Mastes Games in November [5km].

Race Preview - Melbourne Marathon [Half]

Last year as I staggered across the finish line of the MM I vowed never to return. What an absolute shocker of a day and a race experience! The start of last years marathon was extremely cold with horizontal rain whipped across our path by a vicious gale force wind howling across Port Phillip bay. After some shielding by the shopfronts of Frankston we were left to the mercy of the wind. By the end of the race we had sunburn. That's Melbourne for you: nice place to have a coffee or a pizza but the weather is atrocious [4 seasons in one morning] and the only sport that counts is AFL.

I was also not in shape for a sub 3hr run although foolishly tried. St. Kilda was all a blur to me as I struggled to bring the whole thing home eventually in 3:10. Then it was a PB but an altogether traumatic experience which did not endear me to the race. To add insult to injury, the post-race rub down was open to fun runners as well which made the queue massive.
[I'm happy to say that at the Gold Coast Marathon this was well controlled].

Despite the vow written in my own blood, I am returning. Well sort of. This time its just the Half, so divide the misery and pain by 2 and I've got a taste of last year perhaps?
Recovering from Gold Coast, the August round of cold & flu, and City 2 Surf has been slower than expected, and my training run up has been short.

This means pain and misery on the day, cos I can never settle for less. The goal this time is to have a crack at 1:25, just under would be good. However, I expect that I may need to submit to reality at about the 10km mark and adjust my goals slightly. Can someone remind me what's so great about running?!!!
Stan.

Summer Update

Summer is here, the mornings are lighter and warmer, and so are the evenings. If you have been in hibernation over winter now is the time to venture out again and start getting fit.
Our Tues & Thurs morning runs have been going throughout the winter using roads but we are now able to venture back on to the track around Bullocky's Rest in the mornings. We start at 5:30am and are usually back by 6:15. The pace is easy and most of use it as a recovery run after a hard track session on Monday.

The evening group set off at 7:30pm and do a number of routes around Eatons Hill & Albany Creek. With the lighter nights we can venture along some the the river tracks around our area.

Any questions call Stan on 0402019050.

City 2 Surf Race Report

Long overdue I know, but a bout pre & post race flu has knocked be about, leading to dire neglect of this blog. Apologies.
Preparing for the C2S was like fumbling around in the dark. I had never run the race before, I had nothing to compare the race to, and the unique topography of the course makes predicting a first off time difficult. Heartbreak Hill plays havoc with your times, as does any race that is not flat.
Add to the above the terrifying prospect of a race with 63,500 other runners! After submitting race times I managed to get a prized preferred start just behind the seeded runners. The race starts at a 4 way intersection at Hyde Park and heads hell for leather down the road to a tunnel at Kings Cross before turning left towards the harbourside suburbs and some great views.

In the week preceding the race I filled the equivalent of North Pine Dam with run off from my nose [snot], a 7km cross country on the Wed before, a 12 hour drive to Sydney, and more rivers of the lemon curd to fill half of Sydney harbour.
Having a preferred start saved me from lining up for too long before the start. I was able to warm up in a park before taking my place 15min before the start. I filled a few bins in the park with tissues trying to get as much mucus out of the orifices of my head before the start so that I didn't share it with fellow competitors.

Making my way to the start down Oxford Street was a culture shock. As I'm walking down the road in my running gear ready to flog myself others were pouring out of bars and lining up outside nightclubs [early morning clubs]. I guess both cultures revolve around punishing your body? I would like to think my form of flogging results in good?
Near the start I chanced upon Adro's Army [he of Biggest Loser fame], a group of oversized runners getting ready to take on C2S. Yo respect! At least they were having a crack. Adro has fashioned a faux military uniform with camouflage style hat and T-shirt.

It became clear to me after lining up at the start that staying alive was the first priority of the start. Falling meant certain death, either that, or 60 odd thousand footprints all over your face and torso and barely alive. Once the gun went off the mad dash was on. At one point 50m down the road the bloke behind me stumbled and grabbed onto my right shoulder and started pulling me back. If its you reading this I hope my elbow didn't do too much damage!

Once we reached the tunnel things got a bit more orderly as the hills always sort out the wheat from the chaff. Talking of hills, much of the focus is on Heartbreak Hill, which is aptly named. However, there are more than a few hills on the way to Heartbreak which achieve the same purpose: lactic & terror!

By the time I reached the base of Heartbreak I realised that I was in for a fairly neutral day: not very fast, not too slow, nothing to write home about other than a half decent 56 minute finish and a first C2S under my belt. Now that I have my first under the belt I can plan on a return to avenge my ordinary day and at the very least get in under 55min preferrably further down into the early 50's.

The view from halfways up Heartbreak across the harbour is worth the climb. Once Heartbreak is over its pretty much downhill, and the body needs to adjust to stopping gravity rather than struggling to overcome it. The run down into Bondi is spectacular and even though the finish seems so clos but so far its a great way to end a race.

For a race that has so many competitors the logistics are superb. Not sure my racing calendar next year will fit this race in. I will never drive to Sydney again for a race, that is for sure, its not good for your legs! If I was to choose between Bridge to Brisbane or C2S I think I would go for C2S, just a tad more exciting and beautiful!

Kokoda Challenge Report

Well it was about time I finally got around to writing this report but you'll be pleased to know I've narrowed this down to a few paragraphs rather than the 22.20hrs it took our team to finish.
Kokoda was a 98km cross country / mountain / mud challenge which I started with my team of 4 and finished much (much) later still intact (well almost) with the same team of 4 and a much greater appreciation for mateship and teamwork. We had 36 hours to finish it but our goal was 23.

We arrived at 5am on the Saturday morning ready for the 7am start and the rain arrived at the same time. We had been warned all week of the impending rain forecast for the entire weekend, yeah right it hadn't rained solidly in months... until then! Cold, dark and wet we joined 96 other teams from all over the country, checked in and got nervous. The rain was constant as we threw on our back packs, gave last minute instructions to our support crew, listened to the ode and the Last Post, and then the gun went off.

Everybody took off and headed right. We looked at each other and took off to the left. Laughing we found ourselves in the lead (not for long mind you) and heard the confusion as the teams all realised they were heading in the wrong direction. Imagine having to navigate 98km and going the wrong way in the first 50 metres. Pretty funny really!!! It didn't take them long to catch us and the challenge started.

We wanted to hit the first mountain near the front end of the field as we knew it would be difficult to get around teams on the long (40min +) climbs so we worked hard the first 5km to hit the mountains in around 7th place. Still it was early day. Up and over the first few and we were feeling good and making good time. Our strategy was to walk up the hills (and down depending on the terrain) and run the flats. All was good until about 3hours in and the wheels started to fall.

Dave (one of my team) "blew" a calf which made walking painful. Not long after this he started to develop strong pains in his gut. As he would hit the hills his heart rate would max out causing him to stop every 5- 10mins and violently dry retch. This would settle briefly and he would restart the climb and repeat this until he made the top. On the downs and flats he felt average (apart from the calf) so would push as hard as he could, but the hills were his enemy and there were an awful lot of them! We would get to hills and Pete and I would try to lighten his load and help push him up until he got to the top and then we would keep moving. Dave would almost be fainting with pain and nausea on the climbs, but he pushed on showing amazing tenacity and incredible toughness.

For the next 6 hours it rained intermittently, the wind blew and the hills were relentless. Dave just kept going! We met our support crew every 4 hours and they fed us, attempted to warm us up, we restocked our back packs and kept going. We were still sitting in about 10th place and making pretty good time but it was getting colder and wetter!!! Around 4pm the rain came and stayed for the next 11 hours varying between solid and heavy. It was dark, the wind was howling, the rain was cold... very cold, we were wet and Dave continued, unable to run but keeping up a good pace walking. Each support station was similar. We would arrive and try and warm up (almost impossible), feed ourselves with hot food and soup (very difficult to cook under a tarp), restock and take off again trying not to waste too much time. It was impossible to put dry clothes on under a tarp and you were wet by the time you started again. We were starting to lose our sense of humour, but still enjoying the challenge nevertheless. Dave was tough! We would take off into the dark, cold and wet, Merryl leading the way making sure we followed the trail, and Pete and I making sure we still had Dave. The hills were tough. The rain had turned them into a big slide and it was incredibly difficult to climb up or down without sliding or falling. We felt for the teams following us as it would have been much tougher for them!

By 1am Pete was having trouble seeing on the downhills as the mist continually fogged his much needed glasses and he found his head lamp not nearly bright enough. He slid and damaged his knee on a downhill and showed incredible toughness to continue. We would get to a hill and help Dave up the hill then turn and give Pete as much light as I could to help him get down in one piece. The last 20km was incredibly long but the boys were tougher! They could have given up any time but our goal from the start was to get our team across the line together and thats what we were going to do. At 5.20am (just before sunrise) we walked into the finish, exhausted, cold, wet but very proud of what we had done. We finished in 12th place, second mixed team but more importantly, a team of 4!

We could never have done it without our support crew who had it tougher than us. They had to find the checkpoints before us, set up a makeshift tarp and kitchen in the rain and wind, and somehow have things ready for when we arrived, whenever that was. Then they would have to pack up and beat us to the next checkpoint. They deserve a medal for that.

Thanks to Dave, Pete and Merryl for an incredible experience. You are an incredibly tough team and we learned a lot about ourselves and what it takes to get through a course like that. You were all awesome! Would I do it again? Absolutely! I'll be back next year with some newbies in toe. If you want a life experience then try it.

Mary

City 2 Surf preview

I thought last years Comrades Marathon in South Africa had a lot of competitors: 16 000. However my eyes will be opened this weekend in the Sydney City2Surf, with a field of 65 000 runners!
The start is a logistical nightmare, with three main starting groups sectioned off behind barriers and strict rules governing where you need to be standing [on pain of disqualification].
Thankfully I have a preferred start which means I can head out in front of the majority of the pack, and hopefully will not have to pick my way through hordes of walkers and pram pushers [who seem to have a thing about lining up ahead of the runners].

The course is 14km long, winding its way from the CBD to Bondi. There are a number of hills along the way, with Heartbreak Hill being the most feared. Having done lots of hill sessions I now find myself looking forward to hills, even if that is merely a psyche trick on myself!

It's difficult to work out what your target time is first time around, as you have nothing to compare it to. Let's face it, how many other 14km races are there around with similar topography?

I think my goals will be to enjoy the spectacle of running in such an incredibly huge race, and not taking it easy on the big hills!
Race report will follow soon.
Stan

Striders Sessions Update

Striders sessions have been continuing through the winter, although numbers have dropped on the mornings. Many people consider a 5am rising for a 5:30am group run to be a bit more than they are prepared to commit to during winter. Fair enough, the spoils after all go to those who count the cost. For those of us who were preparing for races continuing to train was a no brainer, and there is a higher satisfaction level to your accomplishements when they are off the back of a few months of cold, dark early mornings.

Tuesday mornings at 5;30am, Lake Samsonvale have continued, with a nucleus of 3 runners. We have kept off the tracks due to the darkness and we run a range of different routes along the road, averaging about 40min per run.

Tuesday nights have up to about 6 runners, meeting at Eatons Hill and doing a range of routes taking in Eatons Hill and sometimes Albany Creek. During summer this group will grow and we expect to split it up into two different groups, one fast one normal.

Thursday mornings have a nucleus of 2 and sometimes can reach up to 5. Hopefully our morning groups can grow in the summer.

GCM pictures

the pictures never quite capture the pain!

35 and over?

Congratulations, you are now a Masters Athlete. And there's more! You can keep competing well into your 90's!!!
Lets be honest, if you are 35 and competing in Masters there is more than a whiff of try hard about you. Go and play with the Open athletes until you are 40 and then come strut your stuff!
However, if you insist, come along cos 50+ athletes just love putting it over 35+ athletes when they can. And let me tell you, there are some 60+ athletes who kick my rear at running!

The Queensland Masters Athletics crowd are a friendly bunch. There is an average of one meet per week, catering for people of all ages and all disciplines. You may be a bit of a sturdier build, in which case swinging a hammer around your head and letting it go with an ox like bellow may be the thing for you. Doing the high jump may be your thing, although I'm always up for the high jump with my missus! [no matter how hard I try to be funny it jsut doesn't work does it?!]

If you are a regular runner or walker QMA provides valuable competition experience on a regular basis. If you are trying to get quicker there's nothing quite like racing to sharpen you.
The new season starts in September, with most meets on Saturday's, some on Mondays and some on Fridays.
Another attraction in November is the Pan Pacific Masters on the Gold Coast.
Check out their website here.

Race Report - Gold Coast Marathon

This year's GCM loomed large on my calendar, and in many ways was the centerpiece of my running goals for the year. The simple [yet hard to achieve goal] was to join the sub-3 club. In other words, break the 3hr threshold for the marathon. In days gone by roughly 10% of marathoners would achieve that. Thesedays marathon demographics are changing. The number of participants is growing, but the average finishing time is blowing out to 4:30 and sub-3 runners constitute 2% on average.
If you want to have a crack at a marathon PB, the GCM is the place to do it. Brilliant weather virtually guaranteed, excellent organisation, flat course, heaps to look at and plenty of support on the road.

My last marathon was the Melbourne Marathon in October last year. An atrocious day for me, atrocious weather, and memories that I have tried to bury lest they haunt me! Coming off the back of Comrades Marathon in June 05 [90km], and a prolonged period of illness, I journeyed to Melbourne and foolishly attempted a sub-3 without the necessary form in training. I held the pace until the halfway mark and then suffered unimanigeable torment until I eventually breasted the line at 3:10. Had I set out to run 3:10, I would have had a much better day, but instead I bit off more than I could chew and paid the price.

Coming into GCM I had a few indicators about form whcih is essential. My time at the Brissy Marathon Half [1:26] suggested a 3:02 marathon. This showed that there was some catch up work to be done if I was to join the sub-3 club. After the Half recovery, a solid month of training lay ahead within which I needed to lift my game.
My coach was instrumental in achieving that by stretching me with interval training, and gifting me a far superior runner at track to drag me around quicker than I thought I could sustain. Essentially, my coach allowed me to realise that the deeper I dig, the more I can find, if only I have the heart and mind to go there. He helped me discover that my ceiling was artificial, and only placed there by myself. My limitations were entirely self defined.

In the week before the race I rolled my ankle on the side of the bitumen avoiding a car in the early morning darkness. This put a dent in my pre-race taper with 4 days off the road and a great deal of swelling. I made a return to running 7 days before the race with the aid of heavy strapping and plenty of icing and compression.

The weather on the day was perfect, and although I had nagging doubts about what the strapping would do to my calf muscles later in the race, I stood at the start line knowing that I had done the work necessary to run the time I wanted to. My goal time of 4:10 per/km was printed out on a pace wristband around my right wrist. This gave me my 5km splits, but 4:10 is easy to work out on the run, especially in the earlier parts of the race, where staying on pace and not surging ahead is important. Later on in the race I have noticed that my ability to think straight is affected by fatigue.

The start was magnificent with a large field [2000], pumping music, helicopter swirling above and lots of international runners.

My initial plan was to run in front of the 3hr pacing group, as I assumed they would be pacing a bit slower, at about 4:12. By the 5km mark I discovered that they were pacing dead on 4:10. Pat Caroll and another pacer kept us well marshalled, paying close attention to slowing down the group. You always feel so strong at the start of a marathon, but every second you spend in the first half you pay for big time after the 35km mark.
The real halfway of the marathon is 33km. The real deal starts at about 35km.

The pacing group kept slightly ahead of our goals every 5km, but only marginally. I went through the halfway mark at 1:27:35 which was bang on target. A 4:10 pace if kept to will get you across the line in 2:55:50. I felt that I needed that cushion at the end, in case I was doing it tough. It's good to have a little bit of margin when you are close to shutdown!
My calves usually start to tighten around the 20km mark and this time it was no exception. Runner's have the unique ability to forget about how painful their last race was, but the downside is that you have to go through the whole realisation again in each race. At around the 25km mark I remember having a stern lecture at myself about how marathon's are supposed to be painful and that I should just shut up and get on with it. Negotiating with yourself is common for me in a marathon. I split into two personas, one is whinging, the other is positive and encouraging. Thankfully, the positive persona mostly wins out.

Things progressed to plan until the 35km mark, when the 3hr bunch started to stretch and a number of people started falling off the back of the 'pacing bus'. Up until then the 3hr bunch had pretty much stayed together, much to my surprise. I usually expect a pacing group to begin stretching out after the halfway mark. Perhaps because this was the Australian Marathon Champs there was a higher percentage of sub 3 runners in the field, not sure about that.

Pat Caroll kept up his encouragement to those around him to stick with him which I pretty much managed to do until the final km when he pulled away, or more like a slowed down. By then I was experiencing the dreaded 'wall', with a gradual shut down of physical and psychological resources. I was still negotiating with myself with only 500m to go, whcih I found bizarre.
At the last km marker I looked at my watch and realised I had 7+ minutes to do the last km, which was encouraging. I knew that I could crawl a km in that much time if I needed to.
I crossed the line at 2:58:34 for my first sub 3 and my second ever GCM.

GCM is major stepping stone to my next goal: a Comrades Marathon silver medal [90km, sub 7h30min]. The KPI for silver medals is a sub 3 marathon. My goal over the next 6 months is to keep on getting faster by racing and pushing things on the training track, whilst taking in a Half in October sometime. I need to arrive at the start of January in the same if not better form than now in order to complete the harsh demands of a silver training programme, which takes 6 months and up to 2000km.

But that's for later. Right now I'm just trying to get back into running, although the legs are still a bit trashed!
cheers
Stan

Gold Coast Marathon

Well I am waiting for Stan the super fast legend to give us a race report from the Gold Coast Marathon. Potentially he is still having trouble walking to the computer after such an awesome race. For those who don't know, Stan had been training extremely hard to reach his goal of a sub 3hr marathon (very, very fast). His race was excellent (but I'll let him tell us all about it) with the main result being his very first (of many) sub 3hr. His time was 2.58. Fantastic. Well done Stan. You deserved it with all the hard training you have put in. Bring on the next one.

Mary

Race Report: Spectrumfunrun

This year's Spectrumfunrun [website] kicked off on Saturday morning from the Kensington Village Shopping Centre in fine weather conditions with a field of about 300 contesting the 8km and 2km. For results check here.

The Race
The 8km route is a good fast course but with two challenging hills, the first being at the start of the race and the second at the 7km mark. The field is typical one for a fun run although the $250 cash prize for the winner attracts a handful of gun runners, as evidenced by the 8km winners, Scott Carlsson in 24:59 and Helen Stanton in 28:15. A local triathlon team has a group of very good runners in both events.

It's a good race for the runner who needs a good speed workout and a chance to check on their progress. With the Gold Coast Marathon coming up in two weeks it was ideal for me to check on my speed. I was way off the money coming in behind Helen Stanton on 29:34 in 8th, but I felt good and was able to put in a big effort on the last hill to move up two places.

I thought it was a well organised, well publicised race, and a great credit to the Council and sponsors for backing this. The info in the local paper for novices in the run up was helpful and contained good information for beginners. Next year the field will probable be bigger, especially as word spreads about the cash prize. [Runners will go a long way to win a bit of cash!]
The daughter of one of this blog's editors and a Striders running host [Mary] took out the 2km run, so congrats to Kirsty!

Great Walks #2 [run and cycle this one too!]

Sandgate Pier to Woody Point. Drive out to Sandgate, park at the pier. Head in the direction of Redcliffe, determine how long you want to be walking/running, divide the time by half and turn around when you are halfway through your time.
If you are having a leisurely ride, try and make it all the way to Woody Point pier. Treat yourself to a coffee on the way back, and have a good stretch on the end of Sandgate pier before you get back into your car. Flat, scenic, a tad windy on some days, but absoutely priceless!

Life Balance Launched

The inaugural Life Balance Seminars kicked off on Thursday night focussing on the BODY: nutrition and exercise. Great speakers, great food and great company. Catch next week's action on Thurday night at 7:30pm free admisison at South Pine Community Church on the corner of South Pine and Eatons Crossing Rds. check out the website for more details here

Kokoda Challenge

In 6 weeks time myself and 3 others (Merryl, Dave and Pete) will contest the Kokoda Challenge. The Kokoda Challenge is designed to reflect the key elements of the Spirit of our nation. The Challenge is a cross-country, running, bushwalking team event over 96kms which represents the distance of the Kokoda Track, to be completed within 39hours which symbolises the 39 th Militia Battalion, the first of our Australian troops to arrive at Kokoda, 15th July 1942.

It requires a team of 4 who must ALL complete the course together ie the 4 Team members who Start the Event Must be the SAME 4 Team Members who FINISH the Event, together. Much of the trek covers very difficult terrain in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Last years winning team finished the event in 19hours (though there isn’t any place prizes as the emphasis is on competing and completing). We hope (health permitting) to do around 24hours though our first goal is to complete the course as a team of 4, whatever that takes.

The Challenge will commence at 7am on Saturday 15th July 2006 at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds on the Gold Coast Hinterland - proceed in a south westerly direction, winding through varous forest areas and arriving at the highest point, Lower Beachmont: From here the trek winds downwards through Mt Nathan - north to Nerang State Forest then to the finish at Nerang.
Long hours have been spent in the Bunya Forest getting distance and hills into our legs, but the hills there are just babies compared to what we will have to cover in the event. To check out the website go to http://www.kokodachallenge.com/

Mary

The Tour is coming!!!

The Tour de France is simply the greatest cycling spectacle there is. France is a beautiful backdrop to the most inspiring, painful, tactical and insane sporting event around.

The tour still boasts the biggest audience at any sporting event ever when in 2004 over a million spectators crammed the Alpe de Huez time trial course.

This year the race becomes even more exciting for Australia. We have a genuine contender in Cadel Evans. He showed last year that he had what it takes in the mountains and he has always been strong in time trials so that gives him General Classification possiblity. He kept on saying that it was just a fact finding mission last year and then he finished in the top ten. This year his team have bought a few riders to support him, not just the powerhouse sprinter Robbie McEwen. There will be a lot of other riders there for Australia as well. Michael Rogers will play wing man to the great Jan Ullrich (if Cadel can't I hope Jan can). Stuart O'Grady will be a key supporter of Ivan Basso (the clear favorite at this time). Matt White should be there as well as probably Matt hayman and a few others as well.

My tips for watching the tour are:
1. When it comes out in a few weeks go and purchase the RIDE magazine guide to the tour.
this publication will inform you about the difference between The Yellow, Green, Polker Dot and White Jersey.
2. Look carefully at each stage map so that you can understand the agony the riders are going through and know which stages are most important.
3. Get a general understanding of who controls each stage and why certain teams push to the front so that it all makes sense and then becomes more exciting.
4. Sleep at work so that you can get enough energy to stay up most nights glued to the screen.
5. Read updates on cyclingnews.com
6. If you can't watch the whole stage on SBS its acceptable to watch the 30min nightly wrap up (probably 6pm or 6:30pm on SBS)
7. Make sure you have a few cycling buddies along side in the best stages
8. If beer is your drink stick to the lights or you'll sleep through the finish.

Keep an eye on the Aussie's and have a great time watching one the most exciting and gruelling events you'll ever see. Will power at its best!

STEVE

Great Walks #2 Clear Mountain

This is a good run too, but lets stay with walking..
Drive out to the base of Clear Mountain Road, by turning left at the Ira Buckby roundabout onto Samsonvale Rd which becomes Winn Road. There is a little parking bay at the intesection with Clear Mountain Road. It's 7km in total up and down, a good walk, with steep inclines on the way up, and steep downhills on the way down. Concentrate on your posture on the way up and keep those legs pumping. Your heart rate will rise, keep it up there and you will get maximum benefit!

On the ay down control your descent, your quadriceps will get a good workout. Brilliant views to the north on the way up and down, across to Glasshouse. At the turnaround point just after the Hotel at the top, you get excellent views south down past the city towards the Gold Coast.
I've only ever run this so I estimate it will take you an hour all up - a well spent hour!

This is obviously good for running and cycling, although I'd hate to ride up. Running usually takes 20+min for an experienced runner to get to the top and a bit less down.

Striders Session Update

All our sessions are still running as advertised on our schedule [click here and follow the links].
Tuesday and Thursday mornings Lake Samsonvale sessions [5:30am] are still happening. We are no longer running on the lakeside gravel trails due to the darkness. We have a number of routes we follow including a run to the dam wall and back thru the waterworks Big Dipper.

The Mon & Wed mornign walks [Mums on the Move] at 9:00am after mornign school drop off is still going. Tuesday nights at 7:30pm was growing until the cold snap, but a number of timid souls missed out this last week. Once harassed they will return!

I am doing a Wed am [5:30am] 10km fartlek run from Lilley Road Park over a fantstically undulating course which takes in the new link road from South Pine to Kremczow Road. There are two of us at the moment, all are welcome. 'Fartlek' is Swedish for 'speedplay'. Our strategy is to sprint all the uphills and run neutral on the downs and flats. Its a great workout! It is a training run rather just a run.

Steve is still fronting up for 5am Wed morning Bayside runs, and won't give up for winter lest he becomes lazy and bitten by the Doona Bug. Don't let the Doona Bug bite you, its worse than having an injury. Well it is an injury of sorts - its a serious tear of the heartilege, a condition which can affect people for the whole of winter and into the summer, making them lazy and and unfit.

Reckon you can beat a steam train?

If you do, this race is for you! An 18.5 km foot race against the famous 'Valley Rattler' Steam Train. Includes an individual run or team challenge. Teams are made up of 4 competitors and each member completes approximately 4.5 km.
Where: Gympie
When: Monday 12 June
Train departs Gympie Station for Dagun at 8.00 am with the first 300 runners to register. Other runners and supporters are taken by bus to the start of the race. The race begins at 9.30 am from Dagun.First runners cross the finish line shortly after 10.30 am and competitors and supporters will enjoy entertainment throughout the day at the old Gympie Station.
11.30 am - Course timing closes.
12.00 noon - Presentations and random draws.
Buses will transport the team challenge runners to their changeover points from Dagun.
Food will be available at both Dagun and Gympie Stations

I'm thinking of going to this, sounds like a whole lot of fun for me and the kids. The missus will have to grin and bear it....
Stan

A walk this weekend could Work Wonders!

This Saturday you can walk and help raise funds for the Royal Children's Hospital [Working Wonders Foundation]. Check our the details and register here
The route is fantatstic, lots to look at. The atmosphere is festive and the cause is great!

It's never too cold to run!

This morning we had our first taste of winter, and a sharp reminder it was! Many runners go into hibernation during winter, imagining that it is too cold to run. The alarm is greeted by simply pulling the doona cover higher and settling in for that last hour or so.
These days though there is some excellent gear available to keep you warm enough, without making you sweat on those snappy winter mornings.
From the bottom up here's some tips for keeping warm:
TIGHTS - you can wear either basic running tights or compression tights whcih are all the rage. Compression tights help reduce muscle vibration, aid circulation and are used generally for recovery as opposed to actual running. The most popular brand of compression tights are made by SKINS. Other brands are cheaper but don;t offer the strength and compression of Skins.
Other running tights simply help keep you warm If you are strapped for cash, head into Kmart and purchase some basic black tights from the ladies section, no one will very know. The only disadvantage is that they are cotton and not wicking. Another problem is that some guys are self conscious about wearing tights. You may also notice that other people haven't gotten over tights. My famliy fall about in fits of laughter when I appear in my tights!
Well, get over it everyone. Men have been wearing tights since before Shakespeare. If its good enough for Robin Hood its good enough for me!

LONG SLEEVE TOP: Must have for winter. Make sure it is a wicking material, COOLMAX is best.

GLOVES: White cotton gloves for $2.50. Just right for keeping your fingers warm without making your hands sweat.

EAR WARMERS: $15 from cycling shop, keep your ears warm and toasty

RUNNING JACKET: only for when it is VERY cold, get them cheap at aLDI ofr $20 or spend up big on a Asics one for $120.

Go on then, get out there and enjoy yourself!

Great Walks #1 - Bullocky Rest, Lake Samsonvale

This has to be one of the best places for a walk in the shire. Beautiful scenery, good walking paths, lots of shade along the way, good amenities and parking.

Where: Forgans Road, Joyner. Head west from the Ira Bickby roundabout on Samsonvale Rd, turn right into Forgans Road. Bullocky Rest picnic area is 1km on the left.
UBD pg 90 4M
Distance: The actual Bullocky Rest peninsula walk is 3.5km. You can double back for a 7km walk, or do a loop walk following Joyner Road back from inside the fence at the Forgans Cove causeway. I estimate the loop to be a 5km walk, start to finish.
Features: No traffic, beautiful scenery, flat trails, lots of trees, peace and quiet.
Check out the SEQ Water weblink here

Double Amputee Reaches Everest Summit

Sir Edmund Hillary has hailed double amputee Mark Inglis's conquering of Mt Everest a "remarkable effort".
Inglis, who lost his lower legs to frostbite 23 years ago, reached the summit of the world's highest peak overnight - the first double amputee ever to do so.
Wow, awesome story - check out the rest here

Another good reason to join Striders!

AUSTRALIA is sitting on a time bomb of disease and early death, according to the first national survey to examine how quickly diabetes and other health threats linked to obesity and poor lifestyle are taking hold.
New figures reveal 100,000 people each year develop diabetes, which in turn doubles their chance of dying during the next five years, according to the study of more than 6000 men and women, to be released today by federal Health Minister Tony Abbott.
For the rest of the article click here

Combine Walking with your Holidays

Ever thought of going on a walking holiday? Many have, and Australia is the ideal country to do it in with endless breathtaking walks which will get you places where cars can only dream of going.
It will kepp you healthy as well and work up a good appetite for teh evening meal. Here's a great website about how you can plan your Aussie Walking Holiday

Great Walking Tips

10,000 STEPS A DAY
10,000 steps a day - pedometer walking program, walking routine, beginning walking, beginner walker"How many steps do you walk each day?Maybe you have heard the recent guidelines about walking 10,000 steps per day. How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day.

For these people adding steps has many health benefits. I have outlined the basic 10,000 steps program, but also added a commentary below. A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day. Example: If you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day.

Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks. Wearing a pedometer is an easy way to track your steps each day. Start by wearing the pedometer every day for one week. Put it on when you get up in the morning and wear it until bed time. Record your daily steps in a log or notebook. By the end of the week you will know your average daily steps. You might be surprised how many (or how few) steps you get in each day.

There are many ways to increase your daily steps. Use your imagination and come up with your own list:
· Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend
· Walk the dog
· Use the stairs instead of the elevator
· Park farther from the store
· Better yet, walk to the store
· Get up to change the channel
· Window shop
· Plan a walking meeting
· Walk over to visit a neighbor
· Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding

Continue to track your daily steps and/or mileage; and keep notes on how you feel, how your body is improving, or other changes you are making to improve your health.If you are in very poor physical condition or at any point you feel that you are progressing too rapidly slow down a bit and try smaller increases. If you have any health concerns seek your physician's advice prior to starting or changing your exercise routine.

For more info go this excellent site for walkers called The Walking Site

Running website review

By far the best online running community in the Autralian websphere is coolrunning.com.au
It's not so much a website as a chatboard for runners of all abilities. You can find out what races are on and listen in or even participate in conversation about a range of running related topics.
You can find people with the same injury as yourself and their stories of how they recovered, and post questions about anyting to do with running.
There are plenty of knowledgeable people wo contribute to the site.
Another aspect of the online community is its physical presence in races. Coolrunners identify themselves with hats, caps, singlets and shirts whcih can be purchased.

I've worn one in the Melbourne and Brisbane Marathon and as a result received enthusisatic support, including an icy pole from a young girl in Melbourne, who ran after me down the street after I had dropped it.
In both races the respective 'cheer squads' provided much needed support at a critical time in the race. Being runners, they know where the 'breakdown' points are where people need the most encouragement.
You can use your name or an alias to post, and your identity need never be known.
The whole project is a not-for-profit venture run voluntarily by Kevin Tiller and some helpers.

It has become an important part of the national running scene, building community and provided heaps of encouragement and advice. There are no other sites in my opinion that come near coolrunning.
Check it out and have a sticky beak!
Stan

Life Balance Seminars registrations start

Advertising for Life Balance Seminars will start as of next week, get your registrations in a.s.a.p. and reserve your place. Email us here to book.

Life Balance Seminars - 8, 15, 22 June

Coming up soon, a series of seminars which can give you some good tips on nutrition, excercise, stress and time management and spiritual growth. These seminars are free, and will go from 7:30pm to 9:15pm. More info at southpinechurch.com, follow the links.

Indian boy ultra-marathoner

Get this startling news about a little ankle snapper running ultra-marathons?!:
He runs seven hours at a stretch, sometimes as much as 48km (30 miles). On a daily basis.
And Budhia Singh is just three and a half years old.
When Budhia's father died a year ago, his mother, who washes dishes in Bhubaneswar, capital of the eastern Indian state of Orissa, was unable to provide for her four children.
She sold Budhia to a man for 800 rupees ($20).
But the young boy came to the attention of Biranchi Das, a judo coach and the secretary of the local judo association.
Mr Das said he noticed Budhia's talent when scolding him for being a bully.
"Once, after he had done some mischief, I asked him to keep running till I came back," Mr Das told the BBC.
"I got busy in some work. When I came back after five hours, I was stunned to find him still running."

Bay Cycle Review

Our wednesday morning ride is starting to attract people which is great. But i thought i would give some more details to everyone. We leave the church carpark at 5am sharp. Then we decide which of the three variations of the ride we will do, 45, 50 or 55km.

We head out through aspley then out to the bay at shorncliffe. We do the hill and the water front then head back. Our average at the end of the ride is usually about 32km per hour. Its a great ride and there are no real dangerous sections when it comes to traffic.

So get on your bike and ride.

STEVE

It's getting cold!!!

Now for all you runners out there that's no big deal, but for cyclists AHHHH!!

In fact a lot of cyclists put there bikes into hybination for a few months fearing the wind chill factor. Especially those of us who ride at 5am. However i have noticed a speacial trend in the cycling around brisbane and have a system to help you get the jump on everyone else.

You see the cold weather comes and the bikes dissappear. Then just after the tour de france is telecast on SBS (best TV all year, thanks SBS) all the cyclist re-emerge. If you keep going during the winter when the hoads return to the roads you will be leading out like a legend. At this time of year all you need is some arm warmers and a wind vest. You can go to a cycling shop and spend up big or just get some gear online. Large shops like anaconda sell fluid gear cheap all year round. When it gets really cold though, i say splash out and get a lined long sleeve jersey. They are awesome! When i have it on all i need is knee warmers, but some people buy long leg knicks as well.

I bought my winter kit three years ago and all but the knicks are still kicking, so its costly at first but can be managed (just like everything in cycling). Remeber winter weather is the best for cycling, you just need to keep warm.

The hard part this year will be getting any sleep with the world cup and then the tour. At least this year the stupid ashes won't be telecast during the final stage in Paris!!

STEVE

Tuesday Night Run Progress Report

Tuesday Night running session is going well. Gabriel has been hosting this run which has seen a number of women initially and now a bunch of new blokes turn up. The run is an easy one, 35min max taking in a route which includes the old and new parts of Eatons Hill. The route changes direction each Tuesday and new routes will be added.
If you would like to come along, try to wear white clothing and if you have any high vis gear you can wear that as well to make sure you are very visible to cars for the parts of the run where you will be crossing the road etc.

The run meets and warms up from about 7:20pm, sets off at 7:30pm and returns by 8:05, for a warm down in the car park.

Gadget Report #2

Rid yourself of the “destructive energy of impact” and walk on the water.$899 buys you a gadget that will let you propel yourself effortlessly along with the grace and beauty of swans, while reducing weight, wasteline and the burger you ate at lunch.

Walk on Water - Sea Jogger Systems Inc. Introduces Its Revolutionary, Unique, Patented Water Walking System Called Sea Jogger
Addressing the latest trend in fitness and recreation, revolutionary Sea Jogger allows the user to exercise and relax at the same time. This unique and easy-to-use personal water propulsion system provides no-impact exercise by converting the destructive energy of impact into exercise. Sea Jogger is totally portable and lightweight. Easy to assemble and disassemble, Sea Jogger fits into a custom bag, which makes it easy to carry on a shoulder or in a car. Sea Jogger utilizes a unique, quiet and effective fin propulsion system which allows you to glide effortlessly on water. Using Sea Jogger is so easy - just set up, step on and walk. Sea Jogger moves forwards or backwards, and it is easy to turn and change directions. Sea Jogger is extremely stable and comfortable. There is no need to take off your shoes or get wet. You just naturally walk on water. If you can walk, you can walk on water with Sea Jogger.
Inventor Gregory Lekhtman, whose worldwide, award-winning patented products include Exerlopers no-impact running shoes and Insta-Pulse heart-rate monitors, and others, explains how Sea Jogger works:
“Sea Jogger’s patented construction performs a unique functionality, which is to effortlessly walk on water. This functionality is achieved by a combination of rugged aluminum parts and flexible polymers. Sea Jogger consists of a collapsible frame, two high-quality inflatable pontoons, two elongate members with flexible fins, a flexible floor, which attaches to the frame and a flexible rudder with a handlebar. The fin propulsion system works on the energy of a person’s weight transfer while walking on the flexible floor. This causes the up- and-down movement of the elongate members with the fins attached to them, resulting in forward propulsion. In addition, this combination provides a noiseless operation with excellent efficiency of propulsion. “Sea Jogger moves forwards due to the fin propulsion and backwards due to the operation of the flexible, fin-like rudder. Easy steering is achieved by the efficient front rudder, which has two functions: steering and backward propulsion. The rudder is connected to the steering column and handlebar with comfortable handgrips. Sea jogger is extremely easy to operate since the operational movement is a natural motion of walking in place.”
Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price: $899.00
Website: http://www.seajogger.com/

Gadget Report

Do you struggle trying to convince people around your house [or even strangers] to massage your weary and damaged legs? Fret no more, Massage Stick has arrived in Australia thanks to seemerun.com.au I got hold of one of the sticks over the weekend and look forward to using it as soon as my pain from the Half subsides. Check out their website here.
They have also imported a product to rival Bodyglide, called Sportshield.
Chafing should be a thing of the past with the products you can purchase these days. I have been using Bodyglide, which is a silicon based product which doesn't stain, doesn't melt, and provides maximum protection. I've run Comrades 90km with no chafing at all. I have a few sachets of Sportshield if you are interested in trialling it, they have handy wipe on applicators. It is a lot more slippers to the feel than Bodyglide, and the reviews are good. Check out the website for more interesting products and gadgets.

The passing of a running legend - Wally Hayward

For those who may have heard of him, sad news. For those that have never heard of him, read and be inspired:

Wally Hayward’s athletic career spanned a period of 60 years, during which time he competed and excelled at distances from 100m to 100 miles. Having competed on the track in his early twenty’s, represented South Africa in the Empire and Olympic Games in the standard marathon and set world records for ultra marathon distances, he remains best known for his achievements in the Comrades Marathon.

Wally won his first Comrades Marathon at the age of 21 in 1930, after having won the national 10 mile championship earlier in the year. It was an Up Run which he won in a time of 7hrs 27min, after which he returned to racing shorter distances.

By the time he returned to the Comrades Marathon 20 years later had established himself as the national champion over distance from 3 miles to the marathon. On his return to the race in 1950 he was discounted as a serious contender on the basis of his age, only to prove the critics wrong as he took the lead from halfway and won in a time of 6hrs 46min. The following year 1951 he powered his way to a 6hrs 14min victory slashing 7min 57second off Johannes Coleman’s 1939 record for the Down Run.

Hayward missed the 1952 Comrades Marathon when he competed for South Africa in the Helsinki Olympic Games, but triumphantly returned to the race again in 1953 to become the first athletes to smash through the six hour barrier with a 5hrs 52min. The following year 1954 he broke his own Up Run record win a 6hrs 12min victory.

In 1953 he traveled to England and established records in the London to Brighton, the 100 miler Bath to London and the 24 hour track race. In 1953 Wally Hayward he was also awarded the Helm’s Foundation Award for the Outstanding Sportsman of the Year for the African Continent. However, his visit to England cost him dearly, when the South African Athletic and Cycling Association declared him a professional for allegedly accepting donations for expenses in 1954.

His amateur status was only reinstated in 1974, after which he professed little appetite for racing, but nonetheless attended the finish of Comrades Marathon each year to inspire and encourage other runners. Several years later he was persuaded by friends to participate in the 1988 Comrades Marathon at the age of 79. The nation was stunned as the 79-year-old hero crossed the finish line in a remarkable 9hrs 44min, beating more than half the field.

Wally’s most dramatic moment came the following year 1989 when he completed the Down Run at the age of 80. There was hardly a dry eye in the stadium as Wally staggered across the line in an obviously distressed state, making the cut-off time by a mere 1min 57sec, after which he finally quit the race for good. To this day Wally has the distinction in the record books of being the oldest finisher of the Comrades Marathon.

Wally was decorated during World War 2, being made a Member of the British Empire. Multiple winner and was record breaker of most of South Africa’s best known races, as well as numerous overseas records as well. He was an Olympian, a Championship medallist and decorated war hero and an inspiration and hero to thousands of runners. Wally Hayward was certainly a legend in his lifetime.

One of the great characters of the race, Wally was cherished as an icon and will be remembered as an inspiration to thousands of runners, and perhaps millions of South Africans as one of South Africa's all-time sporting legends.

Aldi Clothes Review

I managed to get myself along to Aldi, 3 stores eventually to make the most of the opportunity to acquire some Coolmax stuff for Aldi prices. It was strange walking out the shop with a bag full of gear that would have cost me hundreds at a normal shop, but instead only paying a fraction of the price.
Get yourself down a.s.a.p. and you may be lucky that there's still some gear left. I've come away with a great spray jacket for running & cycling with removable arms, a couple of pairs of coolmax socks, running shorts, short sleeve running shirt, singlet and running tights.
They compare favourably with all my other coolmax stuff from more established brands at much higher prices.

Race Report - Brissy Marathon Half

Strider Greg competed in the 10km race and did well, he certainly looked like he'd put out big time at the end. Good to see. Greg is looking forward to the Gold Coast Marathon 10km.
I took on the Half, and it was a hard day at the office. The humidity was fairly high, I was hoping for a snappy morning but when I woke I realised it was going to be a hot one. It certainly wasn't extreme, so I can't blame the weather!
The marathon set off at 6am, followed by the half at 6:30. The route took us over the river from a Southbank start by way of the Goodwill Bridge, then left along the riverside to the Regatta Hotel and back. Just across the bridge we ran into the first of the marathon field, but the congestion was minimal due to the stretched field.
After making our way back to the Goodwill Bridge we ran past it uphill into the Botanic Gardens. That bit messed with me, I like my races to be flat, and the change of incline messes with my pacing. A lazy and fussy runner to boot! Crossing the river over the Goodwill bridge was an effort, although short it is steep!
Going past the finish line provided heaps of good support, then we continued along the riverside past the Paul's factory and onwards for what seemed like an eternity.
I was happy to see the finish line and get that blissful rub down by young women at the end. I even got a foot massage, almost heaven!
Having starred in this years entry form, Mary made it down to support a few folks. Well they got supported and I got bellowed at and threatened! It did work, until I was out of her site. I last heard he muttering something about not bludging and not having any excuses. A cyclist rode past and commisserated with me. Whoever that was, thank you.
I messed up my timing, going too fast in the first 5km, which I did in sub 1h23 pace [should have been going 1h24 pace!], went throug the first 10km in 39min, and by the time I went through the 20km mark my second 10km had blown out to 42min, which makes for ugly reading.
Negative splitting is the goal, but blowing out by 3 min is ugly. I have 2 months to sort that issue out with some uncompromising interval and hill training.
Overall pace worked out at 4:06, which is good enough for for a sub 3 at marathon if you can hold on to it. Lots of work to do in the menatime though.
A great race, well organised by the Intraining crew and lots of very helpful and encouraging volunteers - thanks a ton for making racing possible.
See you all at Gold Coast!
Stan

One Day To Go

Its only one day to go for the Brissy Marathon, Half and 10km. Intraining are running an EXPO today at Southbank, heaps of exhibitors down there, worth a visit.
I checked out the race route by MTB earlier this week, and it looks like a very cramped start on the Southern side of the river. Building work has affected the pathway in a few places creating what will be massive bottleneks.
My startegy will be to camp out at the start early and then sprint out the first km to get away from the hordes. The Half runners will run into the Marathoners just after the Goodwill Bridge on the northern side, but hopefully that won't cause too many issues. Race report will be posted on Sunday after I can be revived!

Five Finger update

Having read more, the shoes are not individually made. You can order them from the States for $US90 which is $AU92. Can you imagine wearing them to Chermy for Saturday morning shopping?! Yeah! For 92 bucks I'm there!
The shoes are designed to go in the washing machine. Chuck them in, add detergent and make sure its on cold wash and they are back to new again.

Personalised Running Shoes Anyone?

Whilst surfing through some running blogs the other night I came across these new concept shoes, which apparently are moulded to your specific foot, and need to be worn in incrementally, to get your feet used to walking then running in them. I reckon I'd be interested in using htem for beach running, but the cost would probably be prohibitice. The Nike shoe which is designed to replicate barefoot running would no doubt be cheaper.

The are called Vibram Five Fingers, and you can check the website out here

I think I will try melting my old wellington boots around my foot later on and see if I can get something like this going!

Cheap running gear from Aldi

Aldi is making some running gear available on sale from Thursday:
$39.99 heart rate monitor $39.99 running shoes$2.49/pair coolmax socks $9.99 running shorts $19.99 running tights $9.99 coolmax t shirts $19.99 water repellent running jacket
I know Aldi is a bit of a cheap rubbish kind of shop but Coolmax is Coolmax in anyone's language, and anyone's shop I reckon. I'll be there at opening time, and yes, I will have bought everything to resell at 5 times the price. If you don't have any luck, make me an offer!
Stan

Why not have your wedding during a marathon?

A BRITISH couple gave a new twist to the idea of running away together by competing in the London marathon in their wedding clothes and getting married halfway around the course.
Katie Austin and Gordon Fryer from Romsey in southern England ran the race with the bride's parents who gave her away at the ceremony in the Bridge Master's dining room on Tower Bridge.
The groom and his father-in-law wore traditional waistcoats, wing-collared shirts and cravats, but with long shorts instead of trousers.
The bride wore a full length ivory wedding dress with train above her running shoes - an outfit she conceded she had never run in before. Despite rain, the bride arrived at the bridge with her make-up and hair still in place. The 80-minute ceremony may have scuppered their chances of running a new personal best time, but the couple emerged beaming to a shower of confetti and cheers from guests and wellwishers. The newly-weds and the Austins then immediately got back onto the racecourse and continued running without speaking to waiting reporters.

Race Report: London Marathon [mens]

The race report on the official London Marathon site carries a blow by blow account of how the race unfolded. There are two things whcih emerage from this report which stand out:
Firstly, note the times that the runner's went through the respective marks at [5km, 10km, half marathon etc]. Absolutely phenomenal! Quite depressing actually!
However, there is hope. Limping over the line in an unexpected 9th position was the great Haile Gebrselassie who was suffering from, ...wait for it.........TIGHT CALVES AND CRAMPS!

Now that gives me hope that these guys are mortal after all, and that even the best of them suffer from the same problems we do in races.. Here's the London report:

Classic men's race thrills to the last stride
Probably the most talented field of marathon runners ever assembled sets off on the road to Westminster and No 925 grabs his not quite five minute of fame by an ill-advised spell at the front. The strike rate over the first two miles is less than required but a faster third mile takes the large leading pack through 3 miles in 14:21, a 4:36 section, and by 5km (14:52) the race is on schedule for a 2:05 finish.
Before the start, with puddles on the ground, Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) had tried out two pairs of shoes which seems a good move as rain starts to fall although further down the course the women's field are still dry.
By four miles the group splits into two with Baldini (ITA) the reigning Olympic champion backing off the pace which remains at 2:05 rate despite the wind and rain in the runners’ faces. At this stage ex-world record holder Khalid Khannouchi (USA) - out of action for two years - seems content to be in the front group despite requesting pace at a slower tempo before the race.
10km is reached in 29:39 with a smiling Gebrselassie fronting Felix Limo (KEN), Evans Rutto (KEN), Martin Lel (KEN) and Khannouchi behind the shelter of the pacemakers. The 2:05 pace continues through 15km and ten miles (47:45) and onto halfway which is reached in 1:03:33 as requested. At this stage the leading group numbers ten including four pacemakers.
Unknown to the others in the leading pack, Gebrselassie is having problems with his hamstrings and calves which are feeling tight and will eventually cramp up. However, at 14 miles (1:06:50) all of the principals appear, to the onlookers, very relaxed and they start to reel in the earlier starting women's championship field.
Designated pacemaker for the second group, Fabiano Joseph (TAN), does a spell in front but the main players are looking at each other and not interested in going for times - the pace drops to a 2:05:45 projected finish. Seven contenders, Rodgers Rop (KEN), Lel, Gebrselassie, Kannouchi, Rutto, Limo and Henrik Ramaala (RSA) - sporting a colourful headcloth - are left to battle out the last 7km, but Gebrselassie is no longer smiling.
As the front runners ease off the pace, Baldini, Hicham Chatt (MAR) and two-time World marathon champion Jouad Gharib (MAR) close to with 30 seconds. Just as it seems that they might be caught napping, the front group are drawn away again as Limo and Rop raise the tempo with Lel shortly joining them. Of the main group, Ramaala looks the most comfortable.
The decisive move comes at 24 miles with a big surge by Lel who is followed by Rop, Ramaala and Limo. Khannouchi struggles to stay in contact but the big surprise is Gebrselassie who drops away with no response and will play no further part in the closing stages.
Coming out of Blackfriars Underpass, Lel leads but glances over his shoulder. He is later to say that he was waiting for his friend Limo as he knows that together they can get away. And so it proves. Shoulder to shoulder the pair head towards Big Ben. At some stage in the second half of the race someone had thrown an egg at Limo - fortunately missing him - but he is remarkably unfazed by that someone's stupidity. Behind, Ramaala and Rop are having their own duel for the remaining medal.
The Kenyan duo continue running together into the closing stages and everything is set up for a classic finish down The Mall. The news comes through that Gebrselassie is 56 seconds down.
As Buckingham Palace comes into, view Lel inches in front and Limo waits. Turning the first of two corners Lel strides past the Palace but, as the pair turn the final bend, Limo Jumps to the front and stays strong, crossing the line in 2:06:39, the year's second fastest marathon. Two seconds later Lel finishes and removes 45 seconds from his PB.
Ramaala also runs faster than ever with his third place in 2:06:55. Strongman Khannouchi takes fourth and must now be looking at an autumn marathon to consolidate his return to form after an injury racked two years. Baldini, 5th in 2:07:22, set a life-time best as did Rodgers Rop (6th 2:07:34) and Hicham Chatt (7th 2:07:59).
Sad sight was Gebrselassie finishing 9th in 2:09:05 in what he says was his worst performance since 1991. "But," he says after the race, "If I can't accept this then I shouldn't accept my good performances." He then says he will look towards an autumn marathon and will do some track races in the summer.
Asked why he seems to run in big city marathons but not championships, 2006 Flora London Marathon winner, Felix Limo smiles and replies, "It's not me doing the selecting."

Anzac Day session cancelled

On Anzac Day I will not be present to host the usual morning run, due to involvement in a Dawn Service. Why not substitute your morning constitutional for a Dawn Service, and even take in the march in the City?

LEST WE FORGET

Striders Media Tart

It appears that the early running for the title of Striders Media Tart 2006 is being made by Mary Jackson, appearing no less than on the Brisbane Marathon entry form.
Early entries close today for the best running festival in Brissy this year. The marathon, half marathon and 10km will be run next weekend on Sunday at the Brisbane Riverside. For the online entry or printable entry form go to intraining.com.au
A few Striders will be going along, email me if you're interested at striders@southpinechurch.com

Pinnacles Classic Race Report II

The Search For A Lost Strider
Strangely enough, the marshalls at the waterpoint were telling the truth, most of the second half tended to be downhill except for a series of hills known as The Mother, The Mothers other, and some Mini Mums.
It was whilst shinning down the backside of one of these Mini Mums that Steve flew past a turn off, and didn't notice an arrow on the road followed by some white ribbons further down the turn-off. Steve and another runner headed off into the distance, and started what was to be a 35minute climb.
By this stage the rest of the field was making its way down the steep descent [ears popping] until a final sting in the tail: The March. A nasty twisting uphill climb just when you thought the pain was all over.
The finish line was a welcome sight, as was the bbq and drinks set up on the back of a ute.
After a while we began to get worried about Steve and the other missing runner and help was sent by way of a 4x4. The two lost runner's were eventually found and asked to be returned to the spot where they missed the turn off, and ran the rest of the way home, to a rousing welcome.
All credit to Steve for having a crack with his first run since stacking on his bike during a race 2 months ago and getting busted up bad. On top of his lack of fitness he did far more than the rest of the Striders crew.
My camera's batteries gave up the ghost so we can't bring you any pictures of the exhausted finishers.
$700 was raised for charity, and a good few stories were taken home too. Next year, same time, this time anti-clockwise, with all the vicious bits at the end!

Pinnacles Classis Race Report 1

On Saturday morning few hardy souls, and me, made the journey to Gold Creek Reservoir at Brookfield for surely the hardest half marathon in the known world. This year the race went clockwise, tackling the worst part of the course first.
There was mention of 17 hills in the first 8km, making an average of two hills per km. I lost count after the first 5 and it all seemed like a big hill to me. When I say hill, should I rather say 'ridiculously steep incline!'.

The route markers were white ribbons attached to trees and some chalk markings on the ground, which were difficult to see [we will get to that later]. Each of the hills or series of hills are named. Perhaps the names are indicative of the hill.
The first being The Randal, probably named after some poor bloke who got wrecked on that hill. It was a never ending hill, and the air started getting thin on the way up. When my ears popped I knew it was steep!

That was followed by The Brute, and aptly named it was. Talking about aptly named hills, The B******s were a series of hills that no parent would be proud of!
That was followed by the Double Whammy, which everyone found memorable. The halfway point arrived mercifully and the race helpers assured me that the rest of the way was downhill except for one hill. I know enough not to believe a single word they say to you at waterpoints. Each marshall is trained in psychological tricks to encourage you not to spit the dummy and chuck it all in! After a water refill and a few lollies, I set off to see if for once someone told me the truth. Well, the rest of the story will have to wait until I can get back to my PC.

Coming up:
SOS - The Search For Lost Steve

The difference between an adventure racer and a runner

Running quote of the day

Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed.

Peanuts

High Visibility Gear bargain

There is a sale on at KMart at the moment, and you can get a water bottle stuffed with some useful high vis gear for early morning or night running: high vis mesh vest, velcro ankle bands, shoe key holder, flashing light. All up for $16, its a bargain. Don't worry about looking good in the dark, worry about being seen!
Stan

Pinacles Classic update

There appears to be a few hardy souls willing to give this classic run a crack this Saturday morning, and the list is growing. The more the merrier I say. It's got to be better than staying at home, overdosing on chocolate! If you live in the South Pine region perhaps we can organise a ride so email striders@southpinechurch.com and let us know or call or SMS Stan on 0402019050

Attention all Females

Calling all girls and ladies (and those who like to wear dresses). Sunday May 14th there is a Fun Run /Walk called the Mothers Day Classic held at Southbank. You have a choice of 4 or 8km which you can either walk or run. I would love to see others come with me and have a great time together. Bring your friends and neighbours. You can even dress up if you like.

Thought: Remember ALL activity is good activity. Try and be active in as many little ways as possible this week. Aim for at least 30 mins of activity each day. This doesn't have to be all at once but it's a great goal to build up to.

Tip for the Day:
Conveniently lose the remote control so you have to get up and change the tv station, not only do you use your quads, but you use your abdo muscles when you get up and down.

Striders - the antidote to a growing epidemic

Let's face it, we as a nation are getting bigger and slacker and prone to certain ailments more than ever before. Obesity is causing a range of flow on effects. Check out the latest reports here:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18773034-37995,00.html

What better way to tackle the problem than participating in a regular Striders session? This morning I was joined by 4 others at Bullocky's Rest, Lake Samsonvale, for a beautiful walk/run around the peninsula, watching the sun rise, listening to the sounds of nature, looking across the still blue expanse of Lake, enjoying the green trees and undergrowth, and the company of others. All the while, my body was burning calories before breakfast.
Get Striding!
Stan

Last call for Pinacles Classic

This Saturday morning, a challenging but fun run at Gold Creek Reservoir:
Here's the details:

THE PINACLES CLASSIC
Distance: 20km. Event Time: 7:00 am. Location of race: end of gold creek creek road,Gold Creek Resvoir Brookfield. Race Address: Peter Holles 0429908339 Other details: Cost $25, All and I mean all proceeds to charity.A challenging course in the tradition of six foot track. Not held last year due to earth works at the dam wall. This year sees the course going clockwise with the downs now the ups and vice versa. Sorry about last year but we're back. contact: peter holles. email: paholles@hotmail.com.

I did this 2 years ago, and took some mates with. Just thought it would be a run around a dam, in other words: flat. Well, I couldn;t have been more wrong, and they hated me for it!!! The bloke who drove me there didn't want to talk to me all the way home. This one's not for wusses. It is a challenging track run, you need to watch your footing closely all the time, but the field ar a friendly bunch and the proceeds go to charity. No traffic to contend with, just you and nature and gravity!!!
I'm planning on going, let me know if you're interested and we can car pool to Brookfield.
Stan 0402019050

editors profiles #3

Steve Meharg>> married, competes in cycling and triathlons but his real love is cycling. Steve is a pastor at SPCC and a part time student.

Steve hosts our Wednesday morning road bike rides, to the Bay and back. Loves his Italian bikes and doesn't get much sleep during the Tour De France.

Editors profiles #2

Stan Fetting >> married with 4 girls, two times Comrades Marathon [90km] finisher and regular marathoner, pastor of SPCC and also a part time chaplain.
Co-ordinates Striders and hosts Tues morning run at Bullocky's Rest. Keen to help new runner's learn from his mistakes, set goals and achieve them. Always known to be complaining of one injury or another.

editors profiles - #1

This blog is currently edited by three people, who also host a Striders session:

Mary Jackson >> married mother of two girls, two times Ironman finisher, Comrades Marathon [90km] finisher, works in CF research with kids. Being an Ironman competitor, Mary has done plenty of swimming, riding and running. Last year Mary took on the Comrades Marathon in South Africa and conquered the course, helping others along the way. Mary hosts the Thursday morning run and is a mine of information, both athletic and medical.

Winning at all costs

The recent contrasting behaviour of Australian runners at the Commonwealth Games provides models for us to follow and reject. The 4x400m women's team protesting at England's gold medal when they had been clearly beaten by 10m was a low moment in Aussie running and sport for that matter. Craig Mottram got tripped up and lost out on a potential gold medal, but was able to write it off as part and parcel of racing. He shook the hands of the winner and other place getters and gave a philosophical interview after the race.
Good sport Craig, great attitude! Poor form to the 4x44m team!
The medals they have are a reminder to them of their bad sporting attitude.

The word is spreading

Striders has had a slow start in terms of numbers, but word is spreading and numbers are starting to build. We are open to adjusting our sessions times and locations if there is enough demand. Don't hesitate to contact us by phone 3264 5555 or email us at striders@southpinechurch.com if you have any queries.

It was great to see all those Aussie Gold's in the cycling over the past few weeks. I especially enjoyed the road cycling events. I think this sport is really going to take off in australia over the next five years. I even read an article about cycling as a sport that competes with Golf. In Golf the regular player does not want to get too much better or the handicapper will lower thier handicap and they will win nothing. In cycling thier is constant reward for extra effort. You can keep the wheel of that elite rider for a bit longer or make the sprint finish with friends on a pedestrian crossing somewhere on a group ride. You can join with a few of the guys who like to do a 'second lap' of the bay on a long saturday morning ride. Also it has to be said that you can play golf for many years and have your health and fitness get worse. Cycling is a sport that although social and relaxed in nature requires a lot from your body and results in strength and fitness. Its true that our cycling outfits don't leave much to the imagination, but if you have been cycling for a few years thats ok. Put all the golfers at the local club into lycra, and it may be a scary picture. So i say throw away those annoying clubs, swap the beer at the 19th with a coffee and join your local group ride. Sure a bike costs a lot, but if you give up the golf club and all the equipment you'll have the best bike in the bunch and enough change for a holiday. Get rid of the gut, enjoy some real fitness and energy, while meeting great people and seeing the beatiful sights of our area. Plus you'll have half your saturday back!!!

Get on your bike.

Steve

You call the shots

Our session times are open to your call. If you would like to request a particular time for a session or suggest a change of time [or venue] for any particular session, email or call: 3264 5555 and we can see what we can do. If you can organise a minimum of 3 people we can start a session and attract more punters.
It will take time to find the best times to attract the most people, so your input is welcome!

First evening run

Tonight is our first evening run: 7:30pm, leaves from the church car park. Our host is Gabriel.
Have fun!

Winning by Losing

Am I seeing things or since Australia's version of 'The Biggest Loser' aren't there a lot of of people out there pounding the pavement looking fairly determined to shed kilo's and get healthy?
The big test for any new resolution is whether we have the determination to push on and finish the task.
With the onset of winter and cold mornings/nights our resove will be sorely tested. I've found that by committing to particular events, I lock myself in and it helps me argue with myself on a cold winters morning. After teh alarm goes I usually lay in bed evaluating whether or not I can afford to sleep in.
When I have committed to an event it helps decide the argument. The most powerful tactic is to train/walk with others. That creates an accountability which helps you put aside the pathetic arguments your lazy side puts up just after the alarm has gone off.

Rain Policy

I awoke at 4:55am to get ready for my Tuesday session at Bullocky's Rest only for the sound of rain to fill my ears. I lay back in bed in two minds about whether to go or not. Running in the pelting rain, in the early morning murk, through mud, is not many people's cup of tea. I waited for the rain to finish but it got harder. After making the decision not to go, it promptly stopped at 5:27am.
To cut any confusion, here's the rain policy, which applies to runs, walks, rides:
If it is raining steadily, a session will be cancelled.
If it is raining at all, a cycling session will be cancelled.
If is only raining lightly and every now and then, a run/walk will go ahead.

As the sessions grow, and people get to now one another, mobile numbers can be exchanged and we can let each other know via SMS.

Striders Easy Riders Saturday Session 25 March

Easy Riders meet this Saturday morning, 6:30am in the church car park. Bikes will be loaded up and cyclists will head to Sandgate Pier, for a easy ride along the esplanade north, across the bridge and up to Woody Point and back again.
Expect to be back at the SPCC car park at 9:00am.
Hosts are George and Alan.

For more details ring ring SPCC on 3264 5555 or email striders@southpinechurch.com

Setting yourself some goals

Are you thinking about starting to walk or jog or ride? PErhaps you do already, but at a pedestrian pace? Why not set yourself a goal by entering a race? Once you've set the date and entered and paid your money, it provides extra incentive to actually train. Once you do that, and you experience the pain & pleasure of completing your chosen race, it becomes easier to set new goals and work hard towards them.
As you get fitter and start to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and buying clothes you've never fitted into before, it gets easier to mtoviate yourself.
If you are into running you have plenty of opportunities, ranging from weekend cross sountry races to the big events like the Brisbane Marathon [plus half marathon, 10km run/walk] and other major events which offer varying running and walking distances.
Check out the Striders webpage here for more info on the race calendar