Jenny Cawood, Tony Banfield & Gabriel Petrie working together in the Half and Marathon (Tony) at the recent Brisbane Marathon Festival

Strider takes out the Towoomba Marathon in 2008

Last year we had a very successful weekend away in Toowoomba competing in the 10km, Half and Marathon, which was won by one of our own Striders (Stan).Read reports here, here, and here.

This year we plan to go back up for another weekend of run fun.  We leave on Saturday at lunchtime, drive up the range, check into a caravan park where the guys and girls have their own cabins.  On Saturday night we all go out of for a pasta at an excellent Italian place, and then get ready for a big morning.

After the race and the prizegiving we all retire to Sizzler for a big guilt free feed before returning reluctantly down the range and home to nurse our gloriously wasted bodies.  If you are intending on coming please tell Gabriel (evening runners), or Stan (morning runners).  We will be booking cabins soon so need numbers.

The Course

The race is organised by Toowoomba Road Runners which is an excellent club who are very experienced in putting on events. The course is quite tough, a 10.5km loop which has a few turns and twists and one or two inclines.  It’s a good honest run that keeps you on your toes and there’s no help from large crowds or flat courses here!  If you can run this coruse, you’ll do well at the major races which are a lot flatter.

It’s a great weekend away, and an excellent social time.

Lisa Maj & Jo-ann Filmalter all smiles after a 50km epic.

Lisa Maj and Jo-ann Filmalter completed the 50km Walk 4 Charity Epic on Saturday, from Mitchelton to Scarborough.  The duo came in 6th and 7th of 120 participants. Jo writes:

On Saturday the 1st August 2009, Lisa & I set off on a 5okm charity walk: “Go the Extra Mile” – which is an endurance walking event designed to raise money for Gospel For Asia’s work amongst the neediest children of India – the “untouchables” – Dalits. 

The walk started at Teralba Park in Michelton and finished at Owens Park in Scarborough. The morning started out really cold but turned into the most perfect day. The whole route was through parklands and beachfront, it was really beautiful. We ran the first 25km and walked most of the second 25km. The volunteers and marshalls were wonderful along the route and we have never been offered so many lollies! We thoroughly enjoyed our day and crossed the finish line in 7 hours 50 mins in 6th & 7th place out of a field of 122 starters. We look forward to tackling this event again next year!

Congratulations to both.  Jo is backing up this weekend in Sydney at the City 2 Surf and will be returning to Sydney for the SMH Half Marathon later in the year.

The best and fastest way of doing it is to use the web resources I am providing the link to.

If you have an idea of what your desired finishing time is, no matter what distance you are running this weekend,  go to Running For Fitness site here and enter your details. A detailed scientific explanation behind the predictor tool is provided. The best way is to race yourself and see.

Once you have your predicted time you can work out your pace per/km [on the same site, look in the left hand sidebar] and even print off a pacing wristband to compare with your watch time on the run. Do that here.

See y’all there in the Big Green Striders Marquee!

For those of you who are nervous, I’ve included my well rehearsed race day routines here below:

Here’s my normal race morning routine:

Night before: Big pasta feed, minimum meat, maximum pasta.  Don’t eat steak etc.  Keep it to pasta, you can’t go wrong.  Don’t walk around too much on Sat especially if you are doing the Half.

1.                   Rise early and eat a light breakfast using the same brekkie you normally eat. Don’t drink too much milk.  Keep it light.

2.                   Try and go to the loo before you leave home.

3.                   Pack loo roll.

4.                   Have some GU’s or PowerGel sachets ready, eat one 30min before start of race, with appropriate water. Half runner take a GU every 45min, 10km runner don’t worry about it.

5.                   Make sure you have ‘lubed’, if not, I have some ‘lube’ sachets especially for runners with Blistershield. Don’t go the ‘red headlamps’ on us now will you?!

6.                   Put your entire race gear on, and then trakkies over race gear.  Check from feet up that you have everything.

7.                   Double check pacing wristband.

8.                   Double check watch.

9.                   Don’t leave going to the loo at the race till too late, you will miss the start and be stressed.

Race Tactics:

1.                   Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing – you are running your race, and you will probably pass everyone who races in front of you at the start.  Be patient!

2.                   Stand near the front so that you avoid running around all the joggers.  Don’t be shy, go up front.  It’s easier to be passed than to pass.

3.                   Keep a lookout for km markers.

4.                   Settle into a rhythm early, and don’t worry too much about anything.

5.                   Don’t attempt any sudden surges, keep any increase incremental/gradual.

6.                   When your body/legs start to hurt – it’s OK, they’re supposed to!!!  You are running a long way.  You WILL keep running at the same speed even though you feel worse, your body is capable of putting out and it will, you have proven that in training and in your time trials.

7.                   Enjoy the occasion and take it in.  This is why you drag your carcass out of bed so early in the morning!  Soak it up, feel the energy of the race atmosphere, enjoy the encouragements of spectators.  This is what you have been preparing for, your time has arrived.  Enjoy it, feed off it!

After a lengthy and dedicated training run up which included plenty of long runs and sore muscles, Wendy easily nailed her first marathon, joining the select few Striders women to have completed a marathon. Training included plenty of early morning interval and hill sessions, lots of lunchtime running and also plenty of Saturday long runs.  wendy was supported by her sisters on plenty of the runs and also by fellow Striders.

Congratulations Wendy, we are looking forward to seeing you unleashed on the Queensland marathon scene! For those of you who read this and are inspired remember that we have two coaches in Striders who are very experienced at the marathon and ultra-marathon – so why not give it a go?  There are plenty of opportunities on the SE QLD running calendar for half marathons and 3 options for marathons.

To read the story of the race go to the official site here for men, and here for women. The womens winner is 36 years of age, which should serve as an inspiration to many.

Erik Anderson, Greg Hall, Stan Fetting celebrate the end of the pain at Pinnacles CLassic 2009

Greg Hall edged out Stan Fetting in a thrilling finish to the Striders unofficial King of the Mountains race at Pinnacles Classic this Saturday.  After 18km of gruelling trail running 4 seconds was all that seperated the jubilant Greg Hall from Stan. The young gun has been chasing the sly fox for some time now and it was only a matter of time before Greg’s hard work paid off.  The two came together just before the halfway mark after the tough ascent up ‘The Mother’ and from there on it was hammer and tongue all the way to the finish with each runner trying to get away from the other.  Greg opened up a lead of about 100 metres with 2km to go but the two were abreast again with about 1km to go down a steep descent.  By the time both runners got to the bottom they were sprinting and Greg timed his well to edge ahead of Stan.

Erik Anderson and Mary Jackson also put in solid performances in possibly the biggest field that Pinnacles has had in its existence.  OVer 60 runner lined up at the start for the tough challenge with climbs called ‘The Mother’, ‘The B******d’, ‘The Mongrel’, but to name a few.  Congratulations to Greg Hall on an excellent performance to knock the old boy off his perch.  Greg was quoted as saying “It’s all downhill for him from here!”, and in reply Stan was heard to say “No this simply means WAR!!!”.  We look forward to the next tussle between these two!

Previously a secret to a small group of runners, the course climbs and drops 1,060 metres in a series of mean sharp hills, most with names which define their characteristics.

Example hills: “The Brute”, “The Mother” (a one kilometer plus slog up a real heartbreaker) and the “Double Whammy” which despite warnings still manages to produce groans when the second part comes into view. The run which attracts a small field is run clockwise and anti-clockwise in alternate years and is followed by a BBQ (and a beer) for those who enjoy the post run de-brief.

Read the full report here.

A number of Striders will be heading over for an enjoyable Saturday morning.  If you are interested let Stan know so that we can car pool.

Stan Fetting & Mary Jackson celebrate the end of the pain in the recovery area of the Mooloolaba Triathlon

It was a busy weekend for a number of Striders both in running and triathlon.  Julie, Wendy and Lisa took on the Bayside 5km which is held on the last Saturday of each month at Sandgate.  This event is organised by Phil Hungerford of the Runn Inn in Enogerra, a great servant of the running and triathlon community.  For more info check out the Runn Inn website here.

Julie has been threatening to break through the 20 min barrier for the 5km and on Saturday morning she smashed it with a scorching 19:32.  Wendy is in tapering mode for her first marathon [London Marathon in April] and ran a good 21 and Lisa shook off recent injuries for an excellent 22min.

For more info on the London Marathon check out the site here.

Up at Mooloolaba a number of Striders entered the individual triathlon and we had a Striders team made up of 3 evening runners, Glenn [swim], Gabriel [bike] & Greg [run].  Steve Meharg took out bragging rights for the fastest individual tri time.  Other Striders included Stan, Joey, Emily, Fabian, Scott,  and Mary.

Weather conditions were bad with rough seas forcing the swim into the canal rather than the beach where the waves were thundering in, and driving wind hitting riders at the turnaround point of the 40km bike ride.  The rain began pelting down during the run so competitors were given a good workout. The rain did help keep things cool and that was a good bonus.