The Cat is Back... we review the new Puma Deviate Nitro

Shoe review : Puma Deviate Nitro

The Cat is Back! 

The Deviate Nitros in action, great at a variety of speeds including faster track sessions!

I was fortunate enough to be gifted these running shoes a few weeks ago, and was more than a little bit excited to try out my first ever 'carbon plated' running shoe!
Admittedly it had been some time since I last wore a pair of Pumas for running; in fact I graced the Doncaster Little Aths track in a stunning pair of royal blue & white Puma Darts way back in a previous century coming second in the 100m final of a twilight meet with a hefty 20m handicap ( could not sprint to save myself ha ha).
Nevertheless I was more than happy to try out Pumas latest shoe marking the brand's return to serious performance running shoes, with absolutely no idea or preconception of what to expect.

And here's what I found...

Deviate Nitro…. all the bits & pieces, featuring super grippy PumaGrip, Nitrofoam & carbon Innoplate

“The Puma Deviate Nitro shoes are amazing!”

I wore these shoes for all types of runs from longer steady runs, faster tempo sessions, Intervals, hills, track and they felt great in all of them. 
The shoes have firm & snug fit through the mid-foot, but not cramped in the toes or forefoot. The fit feels like a performance shoe should, not soft but springy & stable. 

The thing about these is that they feel very springy & responsive at a variety of speeds, from your very easy running to fast tempo & even faster intervals on the track. Like most performance shoes the more energy you put into them as you push through the ground the more you get back, and that certainly is the case with the Deviates, but the key thing here is you can also feel that return at cruising speeds.
However, the biggest rewards from the shoe occur when you are 'running well'; up tall, forefoot striking with your feet underneath you allowing your glutes to work early & push you forward, and this is where you really feel the benefits of the carbon plate which essentially acts like a spring as it pushes back during toe-off.

Basically the harder you press, the more it pushes back & propels you forward!

Puma's carbon plate or  "Innoplate" is unique in it's design as it's split shape reaches forward under the big toe which enhances the effect of the big toe in stabilising and propelling the push-off. 
The big toe or hallux is critical in providing stability, leverage & power during toe off and the carbon Innoplate from Puma takes full advantage of that.



And this effect became much more apparent when I went back to my other favoured running shoes, the Adidas Adizero Adios & Nike Pegasus Turbo 2, that I could really notice the difference with the Puma Deviate Nitro with it's carbon plate.

Here's the stats on the Deviate Nitro;

• heel toe drop 10mm (38-28mm)

• weight 258g

• carbon fibre plate

• Puma Nitro foam ( nitrogen infused)

• designed for daily running to longer distances to marathons +

• suitable for mid-foot & heel strikers

Whilst I will happily wear these for racing, they are a little heavier than other comparable carbon plate performance shoes but are also significantly cheaper and much more versatile & suitable for the average or above average runner.

In summary, Puma has delivered a great performance carbon plated running shoe that is both comfortable, responsive & fast at a variety of speeds, unlike other carbon plated shoes.
This makes this more affordable performance shoe more suitable to more runners as a daily trainer for easy or faster tempo & even racing.

If you're thinking of entering into the carbon plated performance shoe market, but don't think you're quite up to it, this is the shoe for you!

THE CAT IS BACK & THE CAT IS GOOD!

Run Well Crew steps out in style!

Run Well Crew Race Singlets spotted around the Tan every Friday morning!

The new Run Well Crew kit is in, as you can see here last Friday morning, like every Friday morning at the Tan, from 6am!

The new design comes in a lightweight racing style that goes as fast as it looks, so keep an eye out for these beauties around the track.
You can have your very own by joining the Run Well Crew membership here which includes your race singlet, or by signing up for any Full Performance & Support Marathon Training Package.
Or just simply order one through the website and you can have one for just $35! 

Congratulations to these great Run Well Finishers!!

Tanya Schulze recently completed her third marathon in London with a new PB!! You can see her flying through London's streets in the top pic. Not only that, but and she's following that up and joining the Run Well Crew in Berlin later this year, where another PB almost certainly is within reach!!

The Buffalo Stampede Ultramarathon took place back in April and Run Well regular Ryan Czwarno conquered this monster in 11 hours and 26 minutes, which was good enough for 16th place overall.

The 77km course began at the Bright Brewery and you might say it was all downhill from there!
But you'd be wrong, with a journey up and down Mystic and Clear Spot before heading up Mt Buffalo before heading back to repeat the course and finishing up at Bright Brewery. With his previous longest run of five and half hours and 56km, this was a big step up in distance, time and elevation - the course has a crazy 4390m of climbing and 4390m of descending!

Ryan was tracking well through most of the race, sitting in 10th place after the descent down Mt Buffalo but found it tough going on the back end of the course with the steep climbs and brutal descents of Clear Spot and Mystic taking their toll. 

What’s next for Ryan - he’s already set is sights on September’s Surf Coast Century 100km run. Why the Surf Coast Century? “No mountains” says Ryan, still slightly scarred from the Buffalo Stampede. 

This photo of Ryan just after the race, broken but still smiling with the sponsor’s product in hand.
Also worth mentioning that Ryan ( & his wife Lucy) even managed to buy a house during the race!!
Now, that's impressive!!

And not to be outdone, well in distance anyway, one of our longest serving Run Well Crew members, Matt Bull took on the Oxfam TrailWalker (100km) race last month. After a long and comprehensive preparation, Matt " walked away with many unanswered questions ". Plenty in store for Matt this year it would seem, the elusive sub 3 hr marathon beckons!!

I call it the “6 degrees of separation”. ( ps it’s 6 degrees in there, bloody cold, bloody awesome feeling!)

WE HAVE A COLD TUB FOR RECOVERY!
Stay tuned for some key Run & Recovery Sundays to help you through your marathon training programs as we prepare for our Marathons in the coming months.
Our new TREATMENT - TRAINING - RECOVERY Centre has now opened in St.Kilda. Called VERSUS, check us out here;
https://versus-stkilda.com.au/

VERSUS - St. Kilda & the Armstrong boys!

What Did the Marathon mean for You?

It's been more than a week since the running of the 2018 Melbourne Marathon, and I'm sure the hallmarks of this great event are still being felt across it's many runners.

As we can see from some of the pics below, this race will mean many things to different people, and some may still be bearing the scars, be it physical or perhaps mental.
Well done to all those runners and volunteers out there for producing once again a spectacular event for our great city.
For the Run Well crew, it was a job well done with 100% finishers from those that lined up at the start.
Half of you achieved PB's on the day, which is impressive particularly given two of those backed up from Gold Coast Marathon only 3 months earlier!
The biggest improver recorded a 15 minute PB as he inches towards the holy grail of a sub 3hr, which is surely his on the next time around. And yes, Andrew, you (just) need to go around once more...!!

AND SPEAKING OF GOING AROUND AGAIN, it would be rude not to. Particularly after you've done all that hard work, you wouldn't want it to go to waste now....

And if 2019 is your marathon year, start your planning now. The longer you prepare, the easier it is for your body to adapt & develop the condition you need for a great result. The better prepared you are, the better your result will be!

Even if it's your first.

Here's just a few to consider for 2019 as you continue your recovery from MM;
p.s Berlin ballot is still open now!

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2019 RUN WELL CREW MARATHON & EVENT CALENDAR

JAN 13 - TWO BAYS 28KM*, CADBURY MARATHON* (TAS)
APRIL 15 - BOSTON MARATHON*
MAY 19 - GREAT OCEAN ROAD* 23/45
JUNE - RUN MELB*
JULY 7 - GOLD COAST MARATHON*
SEP 15 - SYDNEY MARATHON*
SEP 29 - BERLIN MARATHON* 
OCT 13 - MELBOURNE MARATHON*
NOV 3 - NYC MARATHON*

* we have Run Well runners in all these events for 2019!

Of course there's plenty more to consider here;

https://www.runningcalendar.com.au/calendar/2019/

---

Run Well crew runners have achieved marathons all over the globe this year including;
Disney, Florida
Manchester
Tokyo
London
Paris
Moscow
Pyong Yang, North Korea
Boston
Chicago
NYC
& still to come
Antarctica ( in DEC this year)

Marathon Man !

This man Ryan McNaught celebrates his most recent marathon completion with Tracey, at Moscow in September this year. The Moscow Marathon marks Ryan's 8th completed marathon in the past 24 months since joining the Run Well crew, and his third for this year.
What an incredible effort Ryan, you are a beast!

Friday morning Run Well Crew meet at 6am on Anderson Street at gate B.

Don't forget we are still firing up every Friday morning for our Interval session of:

• Hills, Stairs & Track

With only 9 sessions left til we break for Xmas it's a great way to work on your running strength & speed, with a strong form focus on technique.

Hope to see you there soon!!
p.s marathoners can still have a couple more weeks off!

Key Training for marathoners

The marathon is a unique event: it’s long enough that not only does carb loading become an important key to your success on race day, but there are several other factors that are perhaps even more important.

These relate to your running efficiency and hence your ability to conserve this valuable fuel to make it last the distance.

The human body can only store enough carbohydrate in the muscles, blood, and liver (in the form of glycogen) for roughly 20 miles or 32 kms of running, especially at more strenuous intensities.

Run out of fuel and the inevitable crash or “hitting the wall” will happen, typically around the 32-35 km mark of the race. And you don't need to speak with many marathoners to learn just how common this is.

This is why as coaches we love those sayings like; " the marathon starts at 32km", and "the half way point of the marathon is 32kms".

The goal of the first 32kms is to arrive there in good shape, and enough fuel to get us through the final 10km to a strong finish.

Apart from ensuring you have a full complement of glycogen at the start of the race ( carb loading), we also need to ensure that we are using it efficiently.

Firstly, race planning is critical so we don't start too fast and use up too much glycogen during the excitement of the first 10kms. But even more important is in our preparation and training.

We do this by training our body to become more efficient by training it to utilise less glycogen as we run. Using less glycogen occurs at lower heart rates where our body will use O2 (oxygen) & fat as it's primary fuel source. 

This system of energy production is known as your aerobic energy system and when well developed appropriately, can propel you at faster and faster paces, using the same amount of effort or fuel. 

And this is where HR training is so critical to your marathon success.

Here's the science...

1. - the higher our intensity of effort the more glycogen we require, and the less fat is used (&O2).

2. - Also, the longer the duration of high intensity effort, the less glycogen we have available to us as it is depleted.

The longer you go, the less glycogen you have to use. Hence a well developed aerobic energy system will conserve your glycogen for longer.

What these graphs tell us it two things;

1. In order to have enough glycogen to fuel us to the end of our marathon, we must rely on our aerobic energy system predominantly to supply enough energy to maintain our intensity and conserve our glycogen for when it is needed most, at the end of the race.

2. By training your body to produce more energy aerobically, thus more efficiently we can conserve valuable glycogen thus making it last longer. The less muscle glycogen you use, the more efficient you are!

The Physiology:

Fat is the primary fuel source of the aerobic energy system. As we develop this energy system our body learns to break down & utilise fat more efficiently. It does this by improving oxygen transportation to the muscles, increasing vascularisation ( more blood vessels= more O2), and reducing lactic acid production ( removes H+ ions quicker that want to slow us down), and importantly, developing our mitochondria within the muscle that are responsible for the energy production from fat & carbohydrate oxidation.

So, how do we do this...??

This is where monitoring your heart rate in training is so important.

Go slower to get faster!

Ideally we want to train at the peak of our aerobic threshold to maximise the benefits of aerobic training & development. Whilst this heart rate threshold can be precisely measured in a VO2 Max test, where HR & blood lactate are regularly measured during running efforts, it is easier & still very effective to use a simple formula as set out by the HR training guru, Phil Maffetone in the 180 rule.

As you become more familiar with this type of training, you will start to get a feel for precisely where this threshold is and when you cross it and observe the effects of your HR spike up abruptly. Then of course you need to slow down and get it back under control.

Over the weeks and months of this type of training, you will know your aerobic energy system is developing as your training pace increases at the same Heart Rate and effort. This is when you know you can run faster whilst still conserving valuable glycogen.

Work Intensity is directly reflected by Heart rate & to a degree Pace/Speed. Training at lower intensity, and lower speeds around your aerobic threshold will ensure you develop this system effectively.  

The good news is also that when you develop this system, all of your other shorter race distances will get faster too!

So at this early stage of your marathon preparation make sure you spend more time (70-80% at least) of your training time, developing this energy system. Those that have the discipline to slow down and train aerobically for a period of time, will see great dividends down the road. 

If you're looking for some more marathon training advice, or for a personalised program & race plan, please get in touch here.

As always, Run Well!

2018, let’s make a plan!

Fail to plan = plan to fail.

The year is well underway now, in fact it’s February already! This means it’s time to put the excuses aside, revisit those resolutions & identify your running goals for the year & start to set out a plan.

With that in mind I should just mention we have a crew of about 12 or more runners committed to the Gold Coast Marathon this year (July 1 - just 21 weeks away) if you're interested, and then of course there is Melbourne in October followed by New York in November and plenty more in between just to name a few.

Believe it or not, one of our own has ticked off 2 marathons this January; Hobart  and Disney marathon in Florida ! Not only that but he’s heading to Tokyo in a couple of weeks to make it three for the year already!!

With that in mind, I thought I’d set out a few key races & run events to kelp you decide which ones you’d like to aim for and those you’ll tick off along the way to your ultimate goal for the year. Of course there's  full list on the Australian Running Calendar here;

Here's but a few...

FEB 3 - VRR Tan Time Trial ; 4km, 8km First Sat every month. Great way to test yourself

FEB 18 - Muscular Dystrophy Run 4 Strength ;  10km Won by our very own Run Well runner, James Clarke!

Rip to River ; 10km Beach run from Pt Lonsdale to Ocean Grove. The first run event I ever ran ( 1988.)

FEB 25 -  Sri Chinmoy Yarra Trail Run ; 7, 14, 21km Famous post race pancakes!

MAR 17 - Sharpy’s Beer Run ; 10, 21km Tough, pub for pub a most beautiful trail run. The most fun run ever with the best runners medal ever!!

MAR 18 - Run 4 Kids ; 5, 15.3km Have to do this one at least once!

APRIL 14 -  Great Ocean Trail Run ; 11, 18km Anglesea trails are great!

APRIL 14 - Run the Rock ; 5, 13.5,22km Hanging Rock

APRIL 15 - MS Half Marathon ; 21.1 Flemington

APRIL 29 - Puffing Billy’s Great Train Race ; 13.5km Say no more.

MAY 6 - Wings For Life World Run ; ?? How far will you go! MAY 19-20 Great Ocean Road Run 23,44,60km The most scenic road run.

MAY 27 - Sri Chinmoy Como Landing HM ; 7,14,21.1km Test yourself here!

JUNE 30 - Surf Coast Trail ; 22, 42km Torquay to Fairhaven, a beauty!

JULY 1 - GOLD COAST MARATHON ; 42.2km THAT’S US, GET ON BOARD!!!

JULY 21-22 - You Tangs Trail Running Festival ; 5km -100 mile Something for everyone this weekend!

JULY 29 - Run Melbourne ; 5,10,21.1km Big HM event

AUG 26 - Wonderland Grampians ; 20, 37km Spectacularly tough!

SEP 9 - AV HM Burnley ; 21.1km Your HM test before MM.

SEP 23 - Sri Chinmoy HM Burnley ; 21.1km Ditto’ above.

OCT 14 - Melbourne Marathon ; 42.2km Our big race!

NOV 4 - NYC MARATHON ; 42.2km If you’re lucky enough!!

NOV 11 - Marysville Marathon ; 42.2km Another tough one!

After that it’s just a case of setting out a plan or program and getting stuck in!  

Here's some key tips on goal setting & how to make them stick.

Commitment to the process will deliver results!  

Please let me me know how I can help you achieve your goals this year; regardless if it's your first 5kms race, Half marathon or you're aiming for your first or your fastest marathon!

Remember, you are 50% more likely to achieve your goals with a written program!  

Don't forget to keep checking our upcoming events calendar here.

2017; the year in Review....2018 awaits!

As this year draws to a close, our 2017 marathon races are behind us for now, and we can sit back & relax and reflect on our achievements for the year. 

We had a big year at Run Well, with some 24 runners completing their marathons all over the world from the Tokyo marathon back in February, to Paris in April and finally New York in November, and many other races including Trails, Halfs, 10k, and Park Runs in between.

The big ticket races for this year were Gold Coast in July, the AV Burnley Half Marathon ( Vic Champs) in September and of course Melbourne in October, where many, many PBs were set

In summary, we had 10 runners in the Burnley Half, and all set new PB's on their way to the Melbourne Marathon. We had 12 finishers at Melbourne this year, with 8 PB's, including 3 runners finishing in under 3 hours and some new RUN WELL PB's set this year;

You can read what some of them had to say about their Run Well experience by clicking here ;

RUN WELL RECORDS ( 2017)

FEB : James Clarke, 10km ; 37:20

SEP : Andy Ray,  Burnley Half Marathon ; 1:19:51

OCT: Darren Bowden, Melbourne Marathon ; 2:55:13

2 x PB's in 2017 @ GC, MM.

new Run Well Marathon record ; 2:55:13

Congratulations to all those runners that have achieved great things this year, and some impressive new benchmarks to chase down in 2018.

Just as you reach for your second drink this Xmas, let's take a peek at what 2018 has in store, and I'm proud to announce we have some big changes at Run Well to look forward to.

Firstly, the Run Well portal that holds all of your programs, personal info & runners resources will look a bit different, as it has had a makeover! We have switched to a Google docs platform for your program docs that hopefully you will find looks more professional & prettier, but also works much better as an interactive live program.

We are very pleased to announce our new addition to the coaching fold in Ryan Mannix. Ryan has a very impressive running background ( sub 30 mins for 10km if you don't mind) and is also a yoga teacher/guru that takes running zen to w hole new level. You can read more about Ryan's story and relationship with running here.

Ryan will be joining me in coaching our next Running Technique clinic in late FEB 2018, as well as taking our new Sunset Sessions Series from Wednesday night, 28 FEB at 7pm from the St.Kilda foreshore ( meet out front of the Life Saving Club). More on that here.

As well as this we will get together for some longer Sunday morning runs followed by a cooling dip in the Bay and a bit of a group breaky. These runs will tie in with those training for upcoming marathons, with GC18 next on the Run Well list!

Stay tuned for more on that.

Ryan Mannix...yoga guru, and can run a bit.

Run Well Events;

We have added a new RUN WELL EVENTS page to the website that will feature all of your upcoming Run Well events so make sure you check in to this page to see what's in store.

Weekend Running Events & running training camps;

If you love running then we would love to offer you some running experiences that are not only steeped in running history, but also some of the most spectacular running no more than 70mins from the CBD. 

For years elite runners from across the state have trained in these spectacular areas and world famous trails and have now paved the way for the recreational runner to have the same unique experience. 

Stay tuned next year as we bring you some running experiences that will reinforce and build on the love of running. 

From the world famous Portsea sand hills made famous by Percy Cerutty, to the soft trails that Robert De Castella and Steve Moneghetti would run around in the Sherbrooke forest, to runs on our CBD doorstep, we will be creating memorable running experiences for you to participate in. 

Our first event will be on Sunday MARCH 4 with a spectacular run through Sherbrooke Forest followed by brunch at the superb Burnham Beeches Piggery cafe. All the details you need can be found here.

Both Ryan & I will be taking these group running events that will cater to all levels and take your running experience to a new level. So keep an eye out for updates on our events page for these.

2018....what's your goal?

Of course it is important to set ourselves goals for 2018, so that we can be well prepared to tackle & reach those. At Run Well, we like to consider all runs but tend to focus our groups on some key events for the year. At this stage, we have some strong numbers of commitment for the following...

GOLD COAST : July 1, 2018 : We got quite a crew together for this one already. I'm looking forward to some great training runs together, Long Runs from StKilda, pre-race planning meetings, pre-race pasta feasts, and a post race celebratory get together. Can't wait. Your 20 week program starts on FEB 11, 2018.

MELB MARATHON : October 16, 2018

TOKYO MARATHON : FEB, 2019

FRIDAY MORNING RUN CLUB

Of course our regular Friday morning training session will continue as it has for about 12 years now, when my wife melissa started it way back when. I hijacked it in 2011 when she was pregnant with our first born Duke.

For those that aren't familiar, this is a high intensity Interval session, that consists of a combination of running hills, stairs and various parts around the Tan, and alternates each week with a track session across at AAMI stadium.

This session is great for strength and speed development with a strong focus on running technique & form from your coach!

COST : $10 casual, or FREE FOR MEMBERS!

RUNNING TECHNIQUE CLINIC

6 week Running Technique Clinic: Run better, Run Stronger, Run Faster. Starts early MARCH. Some have done it before, and wish to do it again. COST: $300;

$240 MEMBERS, $120 IF YOU"RE COMING BACK TO DO IT AGAIN!

2 coaches, 4 eyes, years of experience. Rohan & Ryan on hand for this one, to help you take your running to a new level for greater efficiency & economy, and better performance with reduced risk of  injury.

WHEELS & DEALS

We have been working on some wheeling & dealing to bring you some great Run Well deals;

15% off at Sole MOTIVE - ask Duncan

10% off at City Osteopathy ( Queen Street) - Osteopathy & Myotherapy treatments

RUN WELL MEMBERSHIPS

For the first time Run Well is offering a one off membership fee that will cover all of your Friday morning training sessions, as well as a host of items, events, clinics & store discounts. With the addition of your new coach Ryan Mannix, we will be offering more great running based experiences and great training sessions as we work to establish ourselves as more than just a training centre but a great running club. 

full details here

Cost: $250

Yoga is great for Runners!

Let me tell you a little about my Yoga practise.

yoga, yoga, yoga...

For many years I wanted to do yoga, as like many men i couldn't even touch my toes. But it wasn't until i started track sprinting that I realised that the inflexibility of my back, hips, hip flexors and hamstrings was actually preventing me from striding out and sprinting properly and therefore slowing me down. This was all the motivation I needed to get started, and so i did. 
That was about 12 years ago and I was fortunate enough to have a great (Ashtanga) teacher who taught me well, so that I soon understood that yoga was about strength & support, creating space and lengthening, not simply stretching as I, like many believed.

Over the next 3 years practising twice per week, I learned and realised that yoga was the best adjunct to running i could have possibly asked for as the release through the back, hips & legs, and overall core strength I gained literally released the brakes that bound my running allowing me to propel my body further and faster.

Since then, yoga has been a constant companion of mine, albeit somewhat spasmodically at times ( kids will do that!), but more recently I have returned to a twice weekly practise and am loving the benefits I am feeling not just with running but my daily movements, clearer head and calmer mind.

For runners specifically, yoga will help to strengthen your core, your hips, thighs & glutes, whilst also improving your stability, balance & range of motion; all the important elements of good runners. Great for recovery too as yoga lengthens (loosens) your tight bits, giving the tight, sore muscles (& fascia) that elasticity & energy back that is so crucial to being an efficient runner.

Here's a link to a great article that talks a bit more about how well Yoga fits into a runner's life.

Yes, yoga is an ancient practise that crosses many facets of our existence from the physical to the spiritual and can take many forms with lots of lovely Sanskrit names that can be quite confusing. Ashtanga, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Hatha, Flow, Power , Shadow, Hot....??

Recently I have been practising yoga at my wife's studio in St.Kilda, UP ATHLETIC located right on St.Kilda Beach. Whilst the location itself is hard to beat, the session is run by our yoga guru Dylan who describes his classes as; 

"a dynamic flow based yoga incorporating elements of Tai chi and mindfulness"

Like Dylan himself this is very understated, as this is a strong practise that sometimes has elements of kung fu thrown in. Essentially it's a pretty amazing experience that you must try.

As I know the Owner at Up Athletic pretty well, I have squeezed an exclusive deal out of her for you guys, my Run Well runners.

You can join our yoga classes  for $35 per week, (normally cost $22 casually for non-members) for up to 3 classes. Class times are;
6 AM TUESDAY,
7 PM THURSDAY, 
9 AM SUNDAY. 
This exclusive deal will also include my FRIDAY morning running session, 6 AM at the TAN, if you don't already come to that.

Trust me, sign up for the 6 weeks ( $210) and I personally guarantee you will be feeling amazing and running better by the end.

If you have any questions or queries, don't hesitate to email me or Up Athletic.

As always Run Well, see you on the track or the mat soon!

6 reasons why you should run the Melbourne Marathon this year!

Preparing to run the 42.195 kms to finish a marathon takes four to five months of dedicated training, a significant time commitment that alters your schedule, lifestyle, sleeping and eating habits. Such preparations also require sacrifice and support from your loved ones.

Melbourne Marathon, what a sight.

The Melbourne Marathon has become the biggest marathon in Australia with a record 6218 completing the course in 2012 and more than 35,000 entries across the four accompanying events – The Half Marathon, 10km Run and the Asics 5.7km run and 3km walk events. And best of all, you get to finish by running a lap across the hallowed turf of the iconic MCG!

Here's 6 great reasons to run the Melbourne marathon this year;

1. It will change your life. You will be tested and challenged, not only in training but mostly in the race itself. 42.2 kms is not easy for anyone.

2. There's still 21 weeks to go. Thus giving you plenty of time to prepare well & perform well!  Your typical marathon training program is 16-20 weeks, so what are you waiting for?

3. You've talked about it for ages, now it's time to just do it! 

4. Tick that Bucket list before you turn 40, or 50 or whatever!  

5. Because runners live longer, are happier & have more sex*! 

6. Goal Setting Reaps Rewards. Running a marathon doesn't just happen. You need to commit, be motivated, set a plan, and stick to it in order to achieve your goal. Thus the sense of achievement & reward once you've completed your marathon is greater than many others due to the greater sacrifice and effort you've put in along the way.

And here's 52 more reasons to run the marathon just in case you need more convincing!

Need more inspiration?

Seriously, you won't regret it, & it will without doubt change your life. For the good, & for the better!  

And when you do decide to do the marathon, then please plan & prepare early & well to ensure that your experience is a good one. If you need help with a training program to ensure you make it to the start line and finish line in good shape, I can help you.

All marathons are hard, however the hardest marathon you will ever run is the one you are least prepared for!  

Be a Finsiher!

Want to know more?

Go on, what's stopping you?