As the race starts for the run/walker the mind floods with endorphins. It wants a bigger high of the endorphins. It sees everyone passing, running faster and looking much more pumped. ‘I want that’ and yells to ‘run faster’ but the athlete holds the plan and keeps it at a pedestrian pre-decided pace. Then when the 9 minute timer beeps and the athlete slows to a walk. The brain flips out and swears and curses ‘why the **** are you walking’, ‘the pace we were just running was little more than a ******** walk’, ‘you are *****head’, ‘I’m leaving you first chance I get!’

True to the plan the athlete ignores the yelling of the brain and sets off again at the end of the minute after having a drink and consuming a small amount of nutrition, resting the calves by utilizing a heel to toe gait, and allows the body to cool and absorb the nutritions being ingested. All of which the grumpy brain complains about. ‘Why the hell are you drinking and eating? We haven’t done anything yet!’

Stephen didn’t have my size as he said they were selling out fast and only had a pair of the female versions that he would love for me to have a run in to see if I liked them. I pondered for a moment and decided I could live with the bright teal as I did most of my running where no one else ran, so I wouldn’t suffer the finger pointing shoe shaming that running in popular places would accord me. So off I went in my trial run around the back car park. They were light, springy, comfortable and satisfyingly un-engineered where it counted. They were like the original Clifton’s from my distant memories. For me, in the Rincon, I had found my perfect shoe.

As we stand at the checkout line with a Snickers in one hand and a head of broccoli in the other we know that we are engaged in yet another battle in the 10,000 year war between what is right for us and what is good for us. If you read over that line a couple of times and said good and right a few times and stated, ‘what is the difference’, then you have discovered the secret of our battle. Good and right are in fact remarkably similar but when viewed through the lens of two parts of our brain then we can see two diametrically opposed meanings. These parts of the brain are the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system, and they are the two generals that tussle for control of every decision that we make.

The event is well organized, as you would expect from a group of like minded business people but the core of the committee is not populated with hard core runners. This brings with it some limitations that need to be mentioned now so that your expectations as an experienced runner are held in check. While the following comments may come across as slightly negative my views should not in any way detract from the overall feel of the event and your desires to attend the event in 2020 and beyond. I would go so far as to say that the quirks and features make this event an even more desirable event to enter.

Let me start by saying my historic approach to solving a jigsaw is the same as my past approach to training which was to ‘rinse and repeat’. It was akin to picking up the same piece of the jigsaw with excitement and being frustrated when it didn’t bring the results I was looking for. Just like Einsteins definition of insanity I was doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. It was this point that I struck upon this formula for maximizing potential by leaning on pre-existing strengths. Top end speed, technique and recovery are the training jigsaw pieces that are crucial for a 10k PB.

Let me start by saying you need to stand on the start line and pin your ears back because you are about to travel 5 km possibly faster than you ever have before. As I looked around the field I could see that the people in front of me meant business. This was the first time in my 25 park runs that I saw people creeping forward past the start line to get the best possible advantage. There were nervous leg kicks and jumps into the air like horses before the start of the Melbourne cup. As I surveyed the sight I let out a bemused chuckle and then the starter suddenly released us from the barrier and I was caught slightly off guard and got passed by 5 runners who anticipated the start far better than I did. They were off and I was following!

For every one of my 6 Ironman races and my two Ultraman races it was, in my opinion the run leg that turned an average race into a terrible one. I can recall a point in each of those races that I thought, ‘I really need to work out how to run a marathon better”.

The general feel of the Mudjimba park run is apparent as soon as you pull up and cruise for car parks with the local surfers. Perched on the path running parallel to Mudjimba beach this park run is as beachy as the sun bleached blonde tresses of the 60-year-old long boarder who is waxing his board on the start line. There is an instant relaxation that falls over you as you walk through the community of runners that are in attendance. You can’t help be caught up in the beach vibe of the area. This atmosphere is underlined by natures contribution through the smell of the salt air and the gentle sway of the casuarina trees in the early morning sea breeze. While there is a calmness to the area there is an under lying ‘crackle’ as the 7 am start time approaches and you start to notice the slightly hastened pace of the surfers as they make their way to catch, what they hope will be, the wave of the day.

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.