Gold Coast July 6th 2014

Great course, great event and now is the time to start preparing for this event as it provides a solid 6 month lead in. 

Yes I know it hot here in Perth however, the mornings are still relatively cool as are the evenings. I'm not talking about covering a million miles at the stage, more about simply beginning to build. No focussed sessions, just simply run.

Start slowly and build. For a novice, never run before start with 2 miles (3km) every second day of run walking depending on your fitness. Essentially its not rocket science, rather its about playing with lego. Each block you build allows you to add another.

Establish how many days you can train a week, what commitments do I have to family and work? When can I realistically commit to going for a run? Am I a morning person or an afternoon person? can I run twice a day? These are all important questions in establishing your plan of attack. Can I train by myself or do I prefer to run with people?    Do I need to find a club or an established group to do the occasional session with? Again, all important questions. Get these sorted , get these right and your journey will have begun. 

The first thing you really need to do is step out side :))

Barrel on wombats...

Perth's main marathon season in now past given that the hot weather has finally hit Perth. This signals, for most, a break from winter programs and a move into shorter faster sessions. Remember however, that while the sessions are generally shorter and sharper , the tempo run and long Sunday run ( traditional for most) are still important elements in your overall program.

Sarah Jamison's group, Front Runner groups along with most of the running fraternity can be and will be found around the various tracks Perth as they work on the summer aspects of their training programs. These groups still have their runners covering a longer distance at some stage of the week.

If your new to track work outs think about what it is that you are trying to achieve before your start your attack on the sharper work. Be aware of the change from racing flats to spikes as well. This can bring some calf soreness for the uninitiated. The main thing is enjoy your work outs. If like me you prefer to be alone and push yourself along, that's fantastic, if however you are like the vast majority and prefer to run with a group then work to latch onto a group.

Initially work into your summer season. Possibly trying some longer kms with longer breaks before you really shorten up the distance and get up your toes in your wafer thin spikes. The main thing is establish a plan and work out what it is that you are trying to achieve.  A fast 10km, 5km 3km or 1500m , this decision will determine where you go to next in the training evolution.
@wombatwarrior

Barrel on Wombats...

Time , patience and bloody hard work... When will your journey begin?

To the casual observer this was just another marathoner celebrating  finishing  the Perth City to Surf for 2013. He was indeed a finisher and he did compete as part of the 'Team Archer' group. To those who knew him however, he was celebrating something that took him 10 years to achieve , the goal of running a Sub 4 hour marathon.

What is your dream?

Time to start planning.

Barrel on Wombats...

Quarters digs deep and shows the world he is a deserving Wombat Warrior....

42km Marathon Man

Today was a special day for the Wombat Warrior, today was a day when he met another person prepared to show the world that the wombat lives deep in all of us.

Quarters completed the 2012 Chevron City to Surf Marathon with a feeling of better sweet. He had completed the journey from start to finish, this being the goal for anyone who embarks on such a challenge however, once again, the elusive 4 hour mark had alluded him. Not to be denied, he allowed the feeling of exhaustion and despondence to wash over him and once that feeling had passed, he began a new journey. On April the 27th 2013 he started to prepare again. 

He called me, we hatched a plan, a simple plan, train strategically, structure a program around your family life and work commitments, learn how to do a tempo  run and build and build and build and he did. Day after day, week after week, Quarters soldiered on. To say it was all smooth sailing would be a lie, but then preparing for a marathon never is, in fact running the marathon is the easy part, getting through the training is the hardest part. While Quarters did not know it, he was already displaying the wombat that lives inside all of us, he was displaying a level of persistence that is necessary to keep on keeping on.

A cold, a calf niggle and a sore throat were a few of the things that challenged him, on top of this , work deadlines kept him on his toes. Come race day he had done the work, he had made it to the line and he was ready to put it on the line. This gnarly old bugga did everything he had trained for. He ran to a plan, he believed in himself because he had done the work and he ran. His tempo work had established a new default pace, a pace of 5.30/km the pace that just seemed to stick with him and serve him well for the duration of the race. He found he could run faster but even when he felt tired his default did not let him down.

Quarters ran and worked, he saw the race leaders, something he had not done before during the switch back of the marathon and on coming out of Kings Park he was still on track. At 30km the real work began, this was the time to show the wombat, wombats like to dig and dig Quarters did. He was chasing his dream, five years of hoping , of working , of racing , this was his time , this was his moment. Quarters knew it was going to be close but like Roger Bannister in chasing the magical sub 4 minute mile, Quarters only needed to hear one number. As Bannister did back in 1954 , a day that coincidentally was also a little wet and windy, a day when the conditions also mysteriously calmed for the assault on a long standing barrier. Quarters made his drive for home, he lifted, he drew on all his wombat and he ran. Bannister, in his final drive for home ran solo, his legs screaming and like the young trainee doctor Quarters also felt his legs scream. Quarters glanced at the clock , he had crossed in 3hrs.... the rest is drowned out by the cheering in his head, the explosion of relief, the knowledge that he had achieved what he had set out to do those many months ago... to break the elusive 4 hour mark . Tonight, I am sure that the old wombat is celebrating somewhere in Perth , in his own burrow, thinking about the day he earned his wombat warrior badge. 

Well done mate, never doubted you....

Barrel on Wombats...

Footnote: The following announcement was made on that magical day back in 1954 by Norris McWhirter "Ladies and gentlemen, here is the result of event 9, the one mile: 1st, No. 41, R.G. Bannister, Amateur Athletic Association and formerly of Exeter and Merton Colleges, Oxford, with a time which is a new meeting and track record, and which—subject to ratification—will be a new English Native, British National, All-Comers, European, British Empire and World Record. The time was 3..." 

Stanley Lambchop heads out with the Wombat Warrior for the Perth City to Surf...

Stanley heads into Perth

Aside from commentating what turned out to be a fantastic day of racing at this year's Perth Chevron City to Surf, the Wombat Warrior was charged with ensuring that Flat Stanley was kept safe while taking on the field in the multiple events throughout the day. This task was set by the year 1 and 2 students in room 2, at West Beechboro Primary School.

Stanley's day began at 4am when he drove down from the Wombat's burrow and headed into Perth to meet with fellow commentator, Jon Kappler. The drive was an easy one with very little traffic of the roads at this hour and this provided time for Stanley with an opportunity to ask any questions that he had on his mind about the busy day ahead.

Stanley rides briefly with the Race
Director Chris Letts.

Stanley assigned his media
pass access all areas

Once in Perth Stanley parked the vehicle in the Esplanade Car Park and started walking to the Terrace, where he met with Race Director Chris Letts for final instructions and was also assigned with his media pass for the day. This would allow him to move freely around with the athletes and get into and out of restricted areas without any concerns.

Light rain began to fall just prior to the start of the marathon event which delayed the planned 6am start by about 5 minutes. This gave Stanley an opportunity to meet with and talk to an Australian icon in distance running , Craig Mottram. Mottram competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympic games over the 5000m, was a bronze medalist in the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki and a silver medalist in the 2006 Commonwealth Games over 5000m.

Stanley chats with Craig
Mottram prior to the marathon
start.

Marathon.

Shortly after this chat Stanley took up commentating duties in the lead vehicleas the marathon got under way. The event was a cracker with John Ryui   of Kenya pushing hard from the front early in the race and making a small break at the 3km mark. By 14km this gap had closed and Ryui was joined by eventual race winner Luka Chelimo, Lilan Kennedy and Fredderick Kipchumba. Through the picturesque Kings Park this group worked however, once out of the park Chelimo put on the accelerator and really pulled away for a convincing win. Stanley had little time for rest as he quickly headed back to the start to join the half marathon field in the Terrace again. 

Stanley leads the 12km event

Stanley got a little carried away at this point and on hearing ACDC pump through the speakers joined the field to head up Malcom Street for the 21km journey.  The Wombat Warrior soon caught up with the exuberant Stanley and reminded him that we needed to call the 12km event. Stanley quickly joined us in time to see Harry Summers pulling away from Brandon Hargreaves and Neil Berry to take a convincing victory on the 12km blue ribbon event. Once at the finish line for the second time in three hours Stanley mixed with the crowd, pumped out some tunes through the PA and meet with the Chevron cheerleader squad.

To the class of room 2 I hope that Stanley had a fantastic day at the 2013 Perth Chevron City to Surf.

Stanley gets the medal

Stanley and the Chevron Cheer Squad

Stanley pumps the crowd

Stanley meets the captain (L) Jackson Passeri 

and vice captain (R) Nathan Wytkin from Guidlford 

Grammar , two of the competitors in this year's 

12km event

IT’S NOT SO MUCH THE JOURNEY, BUT RATHER THE PEOPLE THAT YOU MEET ALONG THE WAY......

The last run of the GGS XC 2013 season was  tonight. The squad ran easy from the gym out along the Govo River Run course that heads out to the brick works.

Tonight's pass easy and I actually managed to run with the boys tonight and actually passed a few, this however is a small consolation as they really were just going through the motions for our last run of the season.

Tonight's presentations were bitter sweet as the close of this season draws a close to the end of an era. Long time distance coach and a man who is responsible for building the culture of the team to what it is today, Darryl White, has decided to hang up the shoes and step inside from his coaching role with the team.

Darryl has been a mainstay of the Guildford Team for many years, building the team from only 8 runners in the early years (9 seasons ago) to a squad of 45 runners. In that time, he has earnt the respect of the boys through his hard work and honesty, but, more importantly, through his passion for the sport.

Darryl and his trusty offsider (His wife Wendy) have marked the course for every home fixture, opened their home to the boys for training at Helena Valley and played a significant part in developing and shaping many a boy’s character over the years. His catch phrase of ‘Just One More’ has become a part of the culture of the team and the boys past and present wish to thank him for his dedication and endeavours through the years in building the team to what it is today. He was pivotal in the development of ‘Project Garmin’ which saw the school purchase 20 Garmin watches for the team and, in doing so, added another level to the training program for the boys and further developed that sense of belonging across the the team. The squad hopes to one day, invite Darryl back to celebrate the team winning the PSA Moyes Cup.

Thank you Darryl for your contributions to, not only the school, but to the building of runners who have the courage and persistence to set goals and work to achieve them.

Guildford PSA Cross Country Award Winners

Most Improved

• James Holmes
• Shannon Lislois
• Guy Taylor

Encouragement Award

• Isaac Ward
• Robert Watson
• Blake Hillier
• Aiden Sivic

Most Courageous

• Kristian Montgomery

Top Ten 

1. Jackson Passeri
2. Benjamin Armstrong
3. Angus Line
4. NAthan Wytkin
5. Marcel Niutta
6. Declan White
7. Thurston Hewitt
8. Robert Watson
9. Peter Siedentopf
10. John Spadaccini

Most Outstanding Performance

• Jackson Passeri - Senior recipient
• Angus Line - Junior recipient

Champion Boy ( Challenge Cup Trophy)

• Jackson Passeri

Congratulations to the GGS XC 1st Squad for a fantastic season of improvement. 

A week and a bit to go...

The following is an article that I wrote for the Sunday Times last weekend in relation to next week's Perth City to Surf.

You can feel it, your nerves have started and that sense of anticipation becomes almost all consuming as your final week of training, leading up to the start of Perth’s biggest participation 12km  event begins. Regardless of ability level, from social runner to elite, there are some basics that never change and are relevant to everyone during this lead-up. During talks, one of which I did tonight at the Running Centre in West Perth, I often say to the running audience there is very little that you can do to get any fitter during this week but there is a lot you can do that will sabotage your race preparations. 

This is not the week to start cramming, it’s not an exam, an extra few kilometres now will not help you drop a few more seconds. This is the week where you essentially go through the motions and enjoy the fact that you are reducing your mileage and allowing your body to recharge and regenerate for its assault on the course. For the social runner, most of you will have your last hit out on Wednesday when you may include a short sharp tempo session to shake out the cob webs. The elite will more likely carry this session through to Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the roll along runs where you go through the motions just to help you sleep and not drive your partner up the wall with your new found energy. Remember, at this point more is not better.

Try and get good sleep and rest a few days out, as the night before tends to be restless for most people as their excitement levels rise. Have your racing gear prepared the night before so the morning is not a mad rush. The race is not the time to be trying new running gear; this is the time for the old trusty’s. Finally your night before meal , like your racing gear, is not a time to experiment with food, eat what you know sits well. For me it was ham and pineapple pizza, garlic bread and a coke. Finally remember its 12km not 1km so ease into your running rhythm.