Things are fine, although I haven't posted in a while it's only because I've been busy preparing to go back to work after a nice break. I start in earnest on April 7th and will be pretty much full time until the next holiday which starts at the end of July.
For those that have been following this blog you'd know that I was asking you for suggestions about where I should run when coming to Australia. Thanks for your suggestions by the way. Well after much thought I have decided to come and do two runs in Australia. In late July my family and I will fly into Cairns, stay with my sister there, see my father, and also do some camping in the general region. As for running I plan to go down to Townsville with my family to run a full marathon there on August the 3rd.
The other race I want to do is the Noosa half, I was thinking to leave the kids with my sister for a few days and fly down to Noosa with the missus and do the race. I've been able to swing this with my wife saying it will be a romantic long weekend, just the two of us ;) We runners will sink to almost any depths to do a race ;)
This is as certain as can be so I hope I will see as many of you as I can while I'm there. Has anyone of you done the Townsville marathon? It looks good, relatively small event, but fast and not too hot about 10 degrees at the start and 25 at the finish. I should be able to handle the humidity as I will have been training for it in the early summer here Japan time. How about a few of you come up to Townsville for this race?
Just one more thing for now. I did a good session on the treadmill the other day 8 x 800m each just under 3mins. I was happy with that but wondering if doing that on the tready is the same, effort/difficultly as on the track. I suppose I will try next week as see for myself but I have a feeling its easier to run this inside.
I'll upload a photo of me and the boys taken yesterday among the cherry trees.
Townsville hey .... I was thinking of the Hunter Valley Marathon the week before but Townsville gives me an extra week to recover from the GC. Hmmmm, will give it some thought!
ReplyDeleteI did it back in 2003. It is fast. And flat. Dead flat. So flat in fact I remember looking at Castle Hill at one stage and wishing we could run up it.
It starts early so the first hour or so its still kind of dark which is different.
And the post celebrations were the best, the Townsville Road Runners (I think that's their name) sure know how to party. Its probably the last time I stayed at a pub until they they turned the lights on and off to indicate they were closing.
I'd love to come up, but a marathon is about 39,000 metres too far. The after party sounds like a corker!
ReplyDeleteNoosa is more likely, and being the "Renaissance Man", I'm sure I wouldn't spoil your romantic weekend ;)
We had a cherry just tree like that in the backyard at Wagga.
Hi Scott. Great photo. My chances of heading to Townsville are very remote. However, I absolutely hate missing the Noosa Half and sure plan on not missing 2008. You run the half so fast now, your wife won't even have time to realise you are missing.
ReplyDeleteAs for the the tready, I can't help you there mate. We own one but I have probably spent 5 minutes total on it.
Townsville is a great place to run especially that time of year. It was my home town for 5 years before moving to brissie 3 years ago. As Tesso said the course is flat, very flat and the weather is great. I haven't done the full but the half runs the same course. The townsville road runners is a great club and some very good runners make their way up there for the event.
ReplyDeleteWill be good to see you at Noosa another great event. Ref the tready I agree I think it is easier than running outside and far more boring. Nice pic!
I would love to see you - mostly because it means I'd get to go to Australia!! haha! Have a great trip & races! I look forward to reading all of your race reports!
ReplyDeleteThe tready (I like that name). Oh gosh, I did a 3.5 mile tempo on it last night. It might have been the fact that it was on the upper floor of the gym, so it was hotter and no real fans. I found it extremely hard. I started with a 6:50/mile pace and had to slow to a 7:03 and barely pulled that off (around 1600 meters pace). My coach said to set the treadmill at 1% grade for it to be more like outside. I was exhausted, but not my legs/body - it was overheating or something else. My friend next to me is used to them and said it is the opposite for her, so I guess it depends on the person.
Sounds great! Bloody life of a uni professor hey? You are making the most of it even before starting the job.
ReplyDeleteI find with treadmill running that if you set the slope to bout 1% or 1.5% the effort is pretty close to doing the same pace outside.
Ganbare...
Noosa half sounds good.. we were thnking of coming up for that, depends on how Steve's marathon goes.
ReplyDeleteYour experience in losing the boys sounded traumatic and I'm glad it ended happily for you all. I can't imagine the relief you felt when you heard they were safe.
I have just looked on the BOM site and the mean min temp for Townsville in August is 14C, so I think your 10C is a bit optimistic.
ReplyDeleteStill that shouldn't stop you from giving it a go.
I have never run the Noosa Half but it would be a good excuse for making the effort this year, just to meet you.
I've also heard that a 1% grade makes a tready more realistic (though I don't run on them, so don't know).
ReplyDeleteHmmm, Noosa. Might be nice, but August is also a very busy time of the year, so I may not make it. However, you never know when I might need to visit my mother (who lives on the Sunshine Coast)!