Then, I kid you not, Nambour simply placed an Emu on the path in front of me and suddenly all my pain was gone and my brain was wired as I knew I was in the middle of the highlight of my running career. As I ran initially behind then next to the emu I was suspended in disbelief and I oscillated between brain fog and clarity. The emu ran with such grace and effortless speed but it was an Emu on a parkrun course, what episode of the twilight zone was I in the middle of. As I drew up next to the emu I craned my neck to the left and he to the right and we simply turned our wary eyes to each other and shared a moment as our strides briefly united and we both thought ‘what the hell are you doing here’ before the emu gave me a master class in change of pace and was gone.

I love to hate this course. I know that is terrible to say but rest assured it is a good love hate relationship. I personally love the beautiful bush land setting and the cooling microclimate of the shaded course. I love the people that organize this run, their positivity and their love of running is infectious. They make people feel welcomed and want you to have a great time. I also love that the course is challenging and lulls you into a false sense of security then regifts the flying start by slapping it back into your face on the return. And what I most love is that it tries to teach patience.

There are many runs and rides over your lifetime that will live in your memory for many and varied reasons. Maybe it was lung-burningly hard, or breathtakingly picturesque, or possibly an awakening watershed event that opened your eyes to your potential. Whatever the reason you know you have experienced a great course because it continues to live and grow in your heart and mind as your body get older and your achievements fade. Your perfect course is…

The following is a companion post to a training program that you can find on training peaks. The goal of the training plan and this post is simple, train smarter to lower your current 5km PB. In reading this post and completing the 10-week program you will be amazed how simple running faster can be once you strip back the non-essentials. Running, after all, is an instinctual act and as such only requires the lightest of touches to maximize what is…

As it is so popular one must ask the question, what brings people to Parkrun? Parkrun is not just a free 5km run in the park, it is a physical representation of all that is good in the concept of community. Parkrun defines community because it brings people together and around the common goal of simply running. It encapsulates the notion of; ‘by the people for the people’ as there is no profit or materialistic gain from any external party. What you put in you will get out.

This shoe does not disappoint if you use it for what it is designed to do, which is to go long in comfort. Ultimately the Greyhound has delivered another step forward in their ‘no nonsense’ approach to bold and purposeful shoe design, production and marketing.

Just as we are born naked we also start running naked. Running naked is all about instinct and desire. Running naked is running with no technology and no data. Running naked is primeval as it encapsulates the reason many of us start running. Many of us run because it made us ‘feel’ at some level, like it did for Billy and his Mum. Whether we hated the way we looked in the mirror or hated the…

I have often thought that training is akin to cooking. You have the ingredients, you have the method and you have an element, usually an oven, which cooks and brings everything together into a final product. I have titled this blog “The Perfect Training Soufflé” because, as a child of the 70’s, the soufflé was a mythical dish that everyone spoke about. It was the dish that was impossible to get right but…

In February of 2018 I signed up for the Sunshine Coast Ironman 70.3. After I clicked on the ‘register’ button and loudly cursed Active.com for their 8% slush fund fee, I was fired up and ready to train the house down and crack out a PB effort. I had 6 months and a reasonable level of fitness so my first order of business was to take a month off!

Before you stop reading allow me to explain.

This review will read more like a reflective blog article, so feel free to scroll to the end for my verdict on the Salming Speed6. Otherwise, read on for a more scenic route discussing speed in the endurance athlete.

Firstly, let me put myself and this article in context by stating I am an endurance athlete and as such I have always loved the long run, all day rides and the allure of...