Thursday-June 29 The Ship Inn 6.30pm
$35

(three days prior to Gold Coast)

Deek (Guest speaker) will do his best to ensure you're full of desire to achieve your goal in the Gold Coast Airport Marathon/Half Marathon or 10k.

I work as a Case Manager for the Multiple Sclerosis Society with lots of individuals and families in their good and not so good times which occasionally are a real reminder of the true value of simple, everyday things. I live in Manly West with my wonderful and mostly very understanding wife Lynne and our two great young teenagers and have lived in Brisbane most of my life apart from six years in Tassie where our two kids were born and joined PCRG in September 2005.

My favourite restaurant is Wilson’s Boathouse overlooking Manly Harbour because it’s where Lynne and I go on the rare occasions we get to have a quiet, intimate lunch together. On family occasions it’s definitely Sizzlers, the kids favourite particularly the “pile as many smarties as possible on top of the ice cream option”.

An earlier childhood memory is having what seemed an endless number of adults rubbing their hands through my very blonde hair and calling me “snowy”. Thank goodness for older age and greying hair.

Being an older adult I’ve found, is basically the same as being a young adult except with more wrinkles and a less forgiving body but with hopefully more common sense and the increased inner strength of life experience.

My favourite movie is among others, Dead Poet Society. I love the concept of challenging norms and thinking outside the square, even though I’m not always that good at it. I really related to the saying “Seize the Day”. Life is so full of existing opportunities, big and little. Often apparent barriers I have initially thought to be insurmountable have turned into a great source of pride and achievement when I’ve found the courage to push myself (often with the support of others) outside my comfort zone and beyond what I previously believed my limits to be.

Brisbane City is certainly changing rapidly from the large county town it was in my childhood to a modern city. It’s a shame in some ways because kids today don’t get to walk to school in bare feet and make dams in the local creek along the way with their mates like we used to and in pretty much total safety. On the other hand Brisbane the modern city is great because there is so much to do and see and the explosion in walking paths and bicycle ways makes running choices so much more varied and interesting.

My regular holiday destination is anywhere cold with great bush camping and lots of interesting bushwalking. Last year we spent a great week in the Warrumbungle’s NSW’s where apart from bushwalking in the freezing wind and hail showers, I continued marathon training most early mornings with a run along the main road dodging dead roo’s from the previous nights road kill. Even more interesting was the next 4 days camping in Lightening Ridge. Remember that big flood on the Gold Coast just days before the Gold Coast Marathon? Well, several days before that it went through Lightening Ridge, certainly an interesting place to run in the rain.

If money was no option I would take my family on an extended holiday in Canada for lots of snow skiing, outdoor ice skating and trekking and then onto Alaska for a cruise along the rugged snow and ice covered coastline.

It frustrates me when I come back from an early midweek run and I can’t get the front door to open with the key without waking the whole household. Got to get a new lock!

I have been involved in running since I lost 20 kgs at Weight Watches 5 years ago by at first fast walking and then running and later shorter triathlons (given my brick like ability to swim) Among my most memorable running experiences is probably the 2004 12 km Bridge to Brisbane where I ran much faster than I thought I was capable of at the time. I think joking with a couple of young guys in McDonalds t-shirts around the 9 km mark helped to distract and relax me which as Pat says relaxed running is fast running.

I enjoy distance running because of its simplicity and freedom. Minimum gear, just me and the environment to run anywhere and at any pace I choose in any weather. And for some extra fun, the goal of trying for a PB in the occasional long distance race, the personal challenge of speed vs endurance.

My favourite run among others is from my house at Manly West over the mangrove boardwalk at Lota, through the bush tracks at Ransome, down to the Thorneside waterfront, then along to Wellington Point and at low tide out along the sandbar passing King Island and return. Along the sandbar at sunrise is just the most spectacular spot, the water glistening on both sides and the bay islands and coast line all around.

Motivation is something of a family activity in our house. Each New Year we write up a goal sheet which sits on the fridge all year. We each have individual goals, some challenging like a running PB or increased flexibility for me or learning the piano for Lynne or an academic target or trying new foods for the kids (that’s a big one) and some fun goals like the kids swimming with sharks at SeaWorld. We also have family goals like maybe a skiing trip and even goals for the house (well, more of a wish list really). We just tick them off as we get them or near a goal although we rarely get every one which is fine too. It really provides focus and a feeling of achievement at the end of the each year.

Injuries are a frustration I could live without. Thankfully they are getting less frequent as I get a better understanding of what my body will and won’t tolerate and respond to the warning signs early. Bless the person who invented ice.

A bushwalking club trip on Moreton Island was a turning point in my life because the kind female who looked after me after I was kicked in the face by a local brumby (wild horse) during a disagreement about who owned my loaf of bread is still looking after me 19 years later as my wife. Lynne supported me through concussion (I was more out of my head than usual), 6 stitches, a very swollen face and crushed nerves resulting in a lopsided palsy half smile for 3 months. On the upside brumby’s aren’t shoed thank goodness so I lived to tell the tale and I continue to be loved by that very special woman and our great kids. I guess maybe it was more of a head over heals moment than a turning point.

PCRG is a great way of learning to run hard in the heat and humidity of summer and the darkness and cold of winter and all the while have a great time in a terrifically friendly and supportive group. With Pat’s gentle but motivating words of encouragement testing the strength of our eardrums it’s virtually impossible not to improve. Good on ya Pat, I love the atmosphere of the group sessions.

I prefer running in the early mornings because it gets the metabolism going and really sets me up for the day. And besides, on speed session days it’s a great conversation starter when I hobble around the office like a stiff, broken down wheelbarrow.

Running is I find, often most rewarding when it is difficult and I’m struggling to control my thinking and push my tiring legs and body to maintain pace towards the end of a race. Digging deep for a strong finish and a PB is just the best feeling.

The best advice my parents ever gave me I have absolutely no recollection of. I hope it wasn’t important??

Pat inspires me every time he runs from the back of the group to the front with seemingly little effort to set up the next direction or whatever. How do you “float” across the ground at speed without even breathing hard? I guess with another 10 years of training I might get some idea or, is it all done with mirrors?
I will never regret being blonde as a kid but I would sure love to catch up with those now elderly men and women who used to call me “snowy” while running their fingers through my hair and pat them repeatedly on their balding heads. Luckily however I don’t need to, as I was unaffected by the experience.

I will post your Gold Coast 2006 Goal on my site as well as on a board which will be displayed at the group sessions.

I encourage you to accept the challenge.

Please get out your diaries, your PATHWAY to success will involve these important dates.

I thoroughly enjoy taking the Sub 3hr group at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon each year.

Pacing runners and helping them achieve their goal is a rewarding experience.

The 3hr journey and above moment at the finish line is what will motivate me to increase my running volume over the next 10 weeks.

Saturday-July 15-The Ship Inn-7pm $60 (two weeks after Gold Coast)

Imagine standing on the verandah at the dinner with a relaxing drink, looking down at where we meet throughout the year, rain/hail or shine.

Possibly you (or your company) would enjoy being a PCRG 'Countdown to Gold Coast' 2006 sponsor.

There are also opportunities available to be a naming rights sponsor for a PCRG post training session breakfast and/or a PCRG seminar.

Mike Simpson - ''Man, I'm excited''!

If you nominate PCRG as your team you are entitled to a 10% discount.

NB:
Group entry closes Friday June 2.

Make sure you visit INTRAINING @ Park Rd Milton for all your running needs.

Thank you INTRAINING for being a PCRG sponsor.

Australia's newest and most comprehensive running magazine.

The June/July Issue of R4YL is OUT NOW.

In Issue 6 of R4YL we catch up with Commonwealth Games Bronze medalist, Mark Fountain as well as Victoria Mitchell. There are features on: the effects of endurance training on levels of testosterone in males; Unversity Athletics; the second part to our insight into running and pregnancy; the Kembla Joggers.

Along with all of the usual features there is a fantastic double-sided poster of Kerryn McCann and Craig Mottram."

Thank you R4YL for being a PCRG sponsor.

Tues June 6: 8 x 1min, 45sec SR

Thur June 8: 2 x 4min, 1 x 8min OR warm up with group/stretching and strides - 20min out and back light run - warm down with group.

Fri June 9: Same as Thursday.

Thank you to pb sports nutriton for your ongoing support in providing product which is used at the group sessions.

Thank you ''The Ship Inn'' for being a PCRG sponsor.

INTRAINING stocks an extensive range of MIZUNO shoes and running apparel.

Thank you MIZUNO for being a PCRG sponsor.

If you fail to follow a sensible diet your body will not gain full benefit from all of those enjoyable and challenging runs and you won't recover as well as you possibly could.

Kerith Duncanson is an accredited dietician as well as a former International class runner. An online dietary assessment by Kerith may assist you to achieve your goal.

Kerith offers 20% off her advertised fees to any runners involved with me through online coaching or any runner who is a regular member of PCRG.

You can purchase your Fuel Belt from INTRAINING.

Thank you FUEL BELT for being a PCRG sponsor.

Thank you ''Auscript'' (Peter Wyatt) for being a PCRG sponsor.

A regular massage will help prevent niggles turning into injuries. I totally recommend Karla.

Thank you Karla for being a PCRG sponsor.

The Qld Half Marathon and 10k is the next goal noted on our ''Countdown to Gold Coast'' campaign calendar.

You can enter online.

Thank you Bill Cooper & Associates for being a PCRG sponsor.