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.