OMGosh, flippin amazingly excited!!!

Week 26/11/12 - 02/12/12 - 106.7km running (both barefoot and Luna Sandals)
Week 03/12/12 - 0912/12 - 92.9km running (both barefoot and Luna Sandals...including 50km race)

WHAT UP CREW!!!???  So, just a short summery of the last two weeks today as I have too much other exciting news (well for me anyway) to ramble about!  First up...race day...

09/12/12 - Kurrawa to Durranbah 50km road race.



Not the best photo as off my phone
but you get the idea!

So...for those of you who know me, know that I don't run road races...UGH (unless I am barefoot!), however after my disappointment of Glasshouse this year, I wanted to round the year out on a positive and this event is one that I have been wanting to do for some time so WHY NOT!?  So, Dad and I headed down for the event and it was an absolute hoot!  We caught up with the beautiful Woodward family on the way down for some lunch and also met up with the Tomlins for some good laughs and awesome company on the Saturday night.  The next morning, I was booked in for the 50k and Dad, still returning from injury was locked in for the 30k so it was time for bed in prep for the next day.



The spoils...

On the morning of, we headed down to the start line and caught up with some friends, had a laugh and got sorted...sandals, shorts and I'm good to go!  Before long we were off and on the way down (out and back course) I met a young fella named Sean.  He was a really lovely bloke and we got along like a house on fire.  It certainly made the 25km trip out fly by.  Before long we turned and started heading back.  Things were going well however I may have gone a touch fast on the way out...hum...  At about the 30km mark, for some reason my stomach started to disagree with me.  I found it hard to take on much fuel (very out of the ordinary for me) but still kept plugging along, on my own by this stage.  By the 42k mark I started suffering with bad cramps in my calf's and feet.  I never suffer with these but I think the combination of the heat, running on bitumen and concrete (yuck) and not being able to fuel so well made it all the worst!  I went into the ''pain closet'' and pushed through.  I started the race with a personal goal of under 5hours and ended up finishing in 4hrs 48min 40sec.  I was pretty darn chuffed!  My fitness/training and diet has improved dramatically over the last weeks and I am stoked with how the day turned out.  We mingled at the finish, chatted a heap and generally had a good time.  After a quick over night stop at the Glovers (love you guys) we headed home after what was a really, really enjoyable weekend.

The Engine 2 Diet - 11/11/12 - 10/12/12 - One of the most life changing, challenging things I have EVER done!

So, leading up to my 30th Birthday I had made the decision to go vegan.  I needed something to really kick start things and challenge me like I have never been challenged before.  I had heard of the Engine 2 Diet in some of my research but didn't know a whole heap about it.  I had bought the book about a month before my 3-0 and consumed the information like nobodies business!  So, come the 11/11 I was ready to rumble.

For those not aware of the plan, it is basically a complete vegan diet (no animal products including dairy, eggs etc), whole grains (brown rice, pasta etc), no fat and no stimulants (ie. coffee, tea etc).  What a journey this was going to be!  The first 4-5 days were hell!  I was falling asleep at lunch time, falling asleep at 7.30 at night and just so tired!  Who woulda thought my three coffees a day had such an effect!?  As the time went by though things just got better and better.  There were moments were I hadn't consumed enough calories therefore was tired, but apart from that I was powering!

The best thing about this plan, for someone like me who trains alot, is that as long as you stay within the guidelines, you can eat as MUCH AS YOU WANT!!!  This is because the food your consuming goes in, does what it is meant to and then goes out.  Simple!  The recipes in the book are AMAZING and the thing I found is that because it is American, and Texan of all places, if a recipe says it will serve 2-3, that means 4-6!  Ha!  Ripper!  Heaps of super tasty, gold left overs for lunches and extra meals!

One of the things I was worried about doing this was my training.  I didn't need to worry though as I trained pretty hard during the four weeks and my speed actually increased about 10-20seconds per km just by my change in diet, nothing different!  For the four weeks of the plan I ran (barefoot and in Luna Sandals):

120.9km
127.7km
106.7km
92.9km (race week)

One of the main reasons this plan was created by Rip Esselstyn (an ex-professional Ironman triathlete and Texan Firefighter...no wimps there!) was for Americans to lower their cholesterol (among a VAST number of other health reasons).  Being pretty healthy already, I wasn't overly concerned with this (it has always been in the 'normal' range) I made the decision to go vegan for long term health.  I have also wanted to get my eating and weight more stable and under control.  Although I was vegetarian and ate better than the average person, there were still alot of decisions and things about my diet I wasn't happy with.  This plan really kicked that right in the face!  Wait for the results below!

During the time I also ordered and watched Forks over Knives.  If any of you haven't seen it and want a wake up call about your health, WATCH IT!  I am sure you can get it from your local library or if your local to me, let me know and you can borrow mine.  INCREDIBLE!

So, overall the last four weeks of my life has been far and beyond what I could have expected and dreamt of!  I feel so much lighter, healthier and really love all the amazing food/recipes I have been cooking up.  Yeah it takes a little more effort but it is well worth it!  As I always say, nothing worthwhile in life is easy!  The only thing I don't like about the whole thing is that it has the word 'diet' in it!  This is not a diet!  It is a lifestyle change and choice that is sustainable, liberating and beautiful for YOUR WHOLE LIFE!

So, now I am finished the initial four weeks and going forward, I am going to continue to eat pretty much exactly the same as I have over the plan.  I am starting to have coffee and tea again but all the sugar is gone.  I am also coming up to some heavy training so I will have some sports nutrition (vegan obviously) to keep me going.  I am going to continue to keep my food journal and keep a close eye on how I feel and also my weight.  If things start to slide, or I'm not 100% happy with how I feel and am training, I will not hesitate to get back on the 100% clean Engine 2 plan and stay on it for good.

I just want to say thanks to all my friends and family who support me in my adventures, all the on line informantion out there, my beautiful wife and also all the crew at Engine 2 Diet.  Rip and your team, I know I don't know you, but thanks for inspiring my life and helping me to change for good!

SO....apart from feeling AWESOME and running/recovering better than ever, a VERY exciting result for me was on the scales!  I started the plan at 83.7kg and in the four weeks I lost 7.1kg and am now weighing in at 76.6km.  HOLY MAKRAL!!!!!  Words cannot even describe how amazed and proud of myself I am at this result!  I never would have thought it would have been possible, eating more, feeling great and losing that much weight!  SUPER STOKED!!!!  I have a few kg's I want to drop yet however have no doubt that by continuing to live this new beautiful lifestyle I will far exceed my goals and ideas of how healthy and lean I can get!

Well, that is it my friends!  I want to encourage you all to explore your options!  Broaden your ideas on what 'healthy' is and try to make every day, every moment, better than the one before!  Life is short friends, but with a wholefoods, low fat vegan diet, IT CAN BE LONGER! 

I love you all and there is some really cool stuff coming to round out my year!  I am a guest on a Podcast coming out in the next week or so, and I have a big training challenge ahead too so stay tuned for these adventures!  Keep smiling friends, say gday to a stranger, do something for free, chat to your Chrissy postman and...run on...TattooRunner.

http://www.lunasandals.com/?aid=4c7p5f3p

Another week down...

19/11 – AM – 8km sandals 45.49min. 2.03km barefoot 10.29min. 15min stepper.
Run was good this morning. Felt like I was only going slow but kept a nice solid pace. Was awesome to get some barefooting started again after a little hiatus on it.

20/11 – AM – 13km sandals 1hr 09.46min. 2.01km barefoot 10.20min.
Was hella windy but my first run back with my buddy Jodie so it was a chat fest and very enjoyable! Good times!  Ah the counselling is so good!

21/11 – AM – 10.02km sandals 58.21min. 15min stepper. PM – 7.43km sandals 38.30min at Road Runners.
All my Hummock buddies deserted me so I decided to punish myself! Ha! Did a big loop and did 8 x grass hill repeats in a row! Oh the burn! Was ripper fun though! There was also a group from Be Transformed down there doing PT so I got to encourage a few of them doing hill repeats.  I get a sweet satisfaction in encouraging those around me ripping in!  I hope I did this in a small way.  In the arvo I went to Road Runners and did about 3k with Rick chatting which was good then got into it a little. Really focused on form and felt great.

22/11 – AM – 19.08km sandals 1hr 41.21min.
Ran 11km with Jodie and then finished off on my own. Another enjoyable run in the beautiful sunshine.

23/11 – AM – 6km sandals 31.13min. 3.02km barefoot 20.00min. 15min stepper.
Ran with the superstar, Female 10km overall winner of the Lighthouse Series Tanya today and had a nice chat and run. Enjoyable all round.  Well done on your achievement too Tanya, you deserve it, you train hard!

24/11 – AM – 40.04km sandals 3hr 49.48min.
Ran 30k with dad and a bit of time with the running group too. OMG, did not even struggle. Even though I got up to start at 3:15am to get this run in before work, it was easy! I can only put this down to the diet…felt awesome! Another really good mental builder before Goldy Ultra.  I am at a special place at the moment where I am actually surprising myself with my training!  I can not believe how good I feel and how well I am running/recovering.  It makes my heart so happy to be eating and training so well.

25/11 – AM – 17.06km sandals 1hr 35.31min.
Ran with Dad and Lee. Was a little tired in the legs from yesterday but otherwise great. Always good fun to catch up with Lee the big skirt!

TOTAL – 127.7km running and 45min stepper
Weight loss - 600g

What a ripper week!  My running has been consistent and this has been my biggest week for a little while.  My body and mind is feeling the strongest it has in a long time!  I am contributing this mainly to my new eating plan!  It has been amazing and my running has improved out of sight in such a short time!  Average speed, recovery, leg turnover...everything!  I am also continuing to drop weight which is awesome and feeling super light!  GOLD! 

I am really looking forward to the up coming Kurrawa to Durranba run!  It is now going to be a boys trip (Dad has decided to do the 30k) so it will be alot of fun!  I am really looking forward to running strong, catching up with friends and having a heap of laughs!  YES!  The way I have been training, I think I would be pretty disappointed if I didn't go under five hours.  Time will tell though!

This week I have also made the leap to getting a new GPS watch!  I have upgraded to the Suunto Ambit and trying to learn the ropes getting the bad boy set up!  I am a bit technologically challenged so it is proving a test!  Ha!  I am relying on the help of my friends who also have one!  Seems like a pretty amazing piece of machinery though!

So, apart from that there is not alot to report this week!  Things are just cruising along really nicely and I am loving eating super clean, running free shirtless and in my huaraches/barefoot.  I have also come to the realisation that if I can remain consistent for the rest of the year (no reason why I shouldn't) I will achieve the goal I set myself last year about this time....5200km for the year!  That is an average of 100km per week people!  This is a MAJOR achievement for me and I hope and pray I can reach it without too much effort!  Good times!  My running is going forward in leaps and bounds which makes this young man very happy!

So ladies and gentle men, I hope that this reaches you all well and that your life, wherever it may be is blessed and firing!  Keep your head up, run free and savour every moment!  Until next week...RUN FREE!

Engine 2 REPRESENT!

09/11 – AM 9.25km – 53.59min in trail sandals, 15min stepper.

Nice run at the back of Shalom school with Dad and Melinda my sister.  Enjoyed pretty much the only trails Bundy offers!

 

10/11 – AM 30.10km for my 30^th BIRTHDAY– 2.59.49min in trail sandals.

Ran the whole journey with Dad and Tanya and met up with the old running crew and did about 12km with them.  Was met by them all singing Happy Birthday as they were running along.  Was a really nice way to start my big 3-0 and catching up with old friends made it super cool too.

 

11/11 – AM 15km – 1.28.16min in trail sandals.

Ran the Bargara track toward Burnett Heads with Dad, Melinda and Chris.  Was a little slow on the way out but picked things up a bit on the way back.  Always an enjoyable run along the water front.

 

WEEK TOTAL – 112.8km and 15min stepper.

 

12/11 – AM 10.05km – 52.04min in trail sandals, 15min stepper.

Was a heck windy but ran strong and at a good pace.  First day on the Engine 2 Diet.

 

13/11 – AM 15.02km – 1.18.46min in trail sandals, run with Pria.

Ran to Telegraph Road and then with Wade.  Was great to catch up with him and we kept a good pace too which was a bonus.

 

14/11 – AM 11.28km hills – 1.04.16min in trail sandals, 15min stepper. (Solar eclipse)

PM 7.4km – 40.45min in trail sandals at Bundy Road Runners.

AM - Started off with Wade and Tanya and did our loop with 3 x grass repeats.  Amber then met us for 5k and I kept on going with Wade.  Did another 3 x grass repeats and kept a solid pace.  Was a good hard workout.

PM – Really nice run with Dad and Sabo.  Pushed Pria in the pram and she had a good time so everyone was happy all round!

 

15/11 – AM 17.03km – 1.28.15min in trail sandals.

Was a good solid hit out.  Getting quicker!

 

16/11 – AM 8.04km – 45.20min in trail sandals, 15min stepper.

Ran to Bargara Road and then ran 5k with Brett.  His first run back in sometime so was nice to get out with him.

 

17/11 – AM 35.01km – 3.20.02min in trail sandals.

Started with Dad and ran to Sabos place.  Then ran together for a while before Dad dropped off to do his own thing.  Sabo ran strong but stated to fade after a couple of hours.  He then detoured and we met up at the end.  This run was a real breakthrough for me.  It felt effortless and I ran the last 7k at under 5:10min p/km pace.  Felt euphoric when I finished, a real runners high!  Was so stoked!  All this after working all night too!  Good old night work!  PB for Sabo – 25km.

 

18/11 – AM 17.06km – 1.30.22min in trail sandals.

Was super tired from work and it was HUMID, WINDY and brutal conditions.  Felt sick most of the time but I toughed it out.  Was a stark contrast from yesterday!

 

WEEKLY TOTAL – 120.9km and 45min stepper.

 

First week of Engine 2 Diet – 3.3kg loss in weight!  YES!

 

Well this last week has been VERY exciting!  I turned 30 on Saturday 10/11 and celebrated with 30km!  I had a ripper awesome party with my friends and got some beautiful presents!  Stoked to now have a slack line (SO FUN) and looking forward to getting a new toy in the Suunto Ambit!  YES!  Thanks to my beautiful bride, mum and dad and special friend Lori for all the hard work you put in to make my day so memorable!  Bless your hearts every one of you for rocking up and sending me much love!

 

Sunday also saw the dawning of a new chapter in my life.  I have gone vegan!  I decided to kick things off with a bang and commenced with the Engine 2 Diet.  It is basically a four week vegan kick start program developed by a Texas Firefighter and professional Triathlete, Rip Esselstyn!  Check out www.engine2diet.com for more!  Basically it is a brutal welcome to vegan living however also includes no oil, very minimal sugar, everything wholegrain (bread, pasta, rice etc) and NO COFFEE or tea!  WTH?! 

 

For the first three to four days I nearly died!  No exaggeration!  Ha!  I was SO tired from not having coffee and sugar I could barley keep my eyes open!  I persevered, feeling like absolute crap for four days but have come out the other side!  I was worried about this weekend at work (night work) and am proud to say that I survived with no caffeine!  This has been the hardest thing for me because for those who know me know I LOVE coffee!  The food has been awesome and I have enjoyed eating beautiful fresh unprocessed foods!

 

I also did my first bulk wearhouse fruit and veg shop!  WOW!  It was RIPPER and the food is amazing quality and price!  A vegans God send!

 

So it is all very exciting!  I am basically doing this kick start to shake myself free of anything that I feel dependant on (ie. Coffee)!  After the four weeks I may go back to having oil, coffee and being a little less strict on the complete no sugar, but I am committed for the four weeks to the E2D. 

 

I am also making the change to vegan for long term health and wellbeing.  I have been running quicker than ever and my body is really enjoying the amazing food I have been eating and preparing!  I am so very grateful for an amazing supportive wife who puts up with my cooking and is so on side with my constant quest for health and a better way of living!  I am also super stoked that my mum and dad have shown great interest in giving the vegan lifestyle a go!  Although the ideas are foreign and full on for dad they are both taking it in their stride.  Mum is trying out the E2D and dad is making some good healthy adjustments to his diet and lifestyle to try and get healthier and more plant strong!  

 

So it has been a really positive time the last week or so!  I hope my madness and constant quest to improve myself and life is an encouragement to you all!  There is hopefully going to be some really exciting times ahead for my beautiful family and way of life.  God is so good to us and I am incredibly blessed to have such an amazing wife by my side in this life!  I hope y’all going tops and that life is good!  Keep loving life and all those around you friends and until next week…RUN ON!  TattooRunner

 

Viva la New Zealand!!!

Ok crew....what up, and a sunny Gday after a couple of weeks in the land of the long white cloud! Providing my computer plays the game, this blog will be pretty much be a daily summary with photos of shortly before and during my little jaunt over in NZ! YES! I know there is a lot of scenery shots but I hope that you can get a glimpse and enjoy a little the time we had in NZ! RIPPER and here we go!

22/10 - AM - 5.03km sandals.  5.28km barefoot.  15min stepper.  Barefoot run with Pria.
Standard, non eventful.

23/10 (Dads Birthday) - AM - 10.01km sandals.  5.14km barefoot.  Barefoot run with Pria.
Hella windy and a little lethargic but good tail wind home.

24/10 - AM - 11.3km hills at the Hummock with 2 x grass repeats each loop, sandals (this is just a nice steep section for added flavor!)  15min stepper.  Barefoot run with Pria.  PM - 7.54km tempo run at Bundy Road Runners in sandals.
A good solid effort at the Hummock and then a quick run at Road Runners with an average of 4.31min/km.  Stoked in the strong wind.  Got paid a great complement by a guy I passed to...he said, ''Gees you run quiet.'' I said, ''The lighter you are, the quieter you are, the less impact!''  Then I shot off!  Good times!

DUNEDIN, New Zealand

The veiw of Dunedin from our Bed and Breakfast

25/10 - PM - 7km barefoot run.
Arrived in Dunedin and checked into our Bed and Breakfast.  We were up the top of a 2.4km steep hill climb so that was a nice little ditch at the end of my run!  Shoulda seen the looks I got barefooting in NZ!

The view from our Bed and Breakfast in Dunedin
looking toward a small township across the bay. 
Good climb up!

26/10 - 10year Wedding Anniversary - AM - 10.03km run sandals.  PM - 300metres up and down the Worlds Steepest Suburban Street in Dunedin.
Drove down the hill and ran around the harbour and into an industrial area of Dunedin.  Was a nice easy run after yesterday.  Went to visit the Steepest Street in the afternoon and couldn't resist running up and down it!  Good times!

A cool building in Dunedin I found.

View of Dunedin from the Peninsular.

 27/10 - AM - 30.01km sandals.

War memorial at Dunedin.

OMG, was hella windy and ran down the peninsular to the 'beach'.  The only problem was I then had to run back up, through the country side, up the peninsular!  And what a climb it was!  Brutal, about 5km of steep constant incline!  I then finished my run around the city of Dunedin.  All up I did about 7-8km of steep climbing on this run!  Tough effort but loved it!

28/10 - AM - 15.02km sandals.
Calfs were a little sore from yesterday but had a beautiful run through Dunedin and then some magic time in the Botanical Gardens.  So beautiful.



Beautiful sunrise at Dunedin Harbour

Trail along the water at the Dunedin Botanical Gardens

Week total - 106.3km with 30min on the stepper.

TE ANAU, New Zealand

29/10 - AM - 16km sandals.

The beautiful Kepler

After a few google searches and emails back and forth, I managed to get in touch with a bloke in Te Anau named Dwight.  He was a local and was keen to catch up for a run and to show me some of the local trails.  A long story short but it turns out that he was also a copper!  We met up and he was in Five Fingers and after much conversation we had a lot in common!  He took me on 16km of the Kepler Track just outside Te Anau and OMG!  AMAZING!  Beautiful single track, cool suspension bridges and an overall awesome time!  Hope your calf came OK Dwight and thanks for an amazing run!  The best memory of running in NZ!  RIPPER



Lake off the Kepler Track, Te Anau

A Motarau Hut on the Kepler Track





Suspension bridge on the Kepler

Poser

30/10 - PM - 11.02km
An easy run on the trail around lake Te Anau to the control gates.  Was a top morning and even got a good selfie in!


The control gates at Lake Te Anau



Poser again

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand

31/10 - AM - 13km sandals.

The view from the top (almost) of Queenstown Hill

WELCOME TO QUEENSTOWN!  Decided to do some hills today and ran up Queenstown Hill!  Usually on hill day I use the Hummock in Bundaberg...just over 100m above sea level.  Queenstown Hill is 800-900m!  YES!  I got to what I thought was the top and couldn't find any more trail leading anywhere.  I did a bit of bush whacking and some down climbing but was still unable to find any other trail leading to the top.  I was a bit disappointed upon reaching the bottom and consulting the map to find out that I had just missed tagging the top of the hill...but still a good solid day of climbing!

Some cool gates on the Queenstown Hill trail

Queenstown

Cool stacked up rocks on the Sunshine Track, Queenstown

01/11 - AM - 17.15km sandals.
Ran a beautiful track around the Queenstown Botanical Gardens and then out the Sunshine Track toward Glenorchy and return.  Was a bit rainy but still very pretty.  Got a cool picture of some stacked up rocks too...I couldn't resist adding one to leave my mark on the trail.




Queenstown

Sheep in NZ...who would have thought

02/11 - AM - 7.01km sandals.
Ran a nice easy journey through town and then some trail on the George Road track.  Legs were a bit tired from yesterday but the scenery always alleviates that problem!





It SNOWED!!!

03/11 - AM - 25.03km sandals.


New snow on the mountains!

Huaraches in the cold!  YES!

Did a run around the water to Frankston and continued around on the Queenstown/Kelvin Peninsula Walkway.  It was COLD!  Man alive!  My hands were frozen and it rained pretty much the whole run, along with hella strong winds!  The thing that completely cheered me up though was that it SNOWED!  Only very light at the elevation I was running at, but enough for me to see white snowflakes on my gloves!  BEAUTIFUL!  And who would have thought, all in huaraches!  YES!

WANAKA, New Zealand.

04/11 - AM - 20.01km sandals.


Flippin awesome Lake Wanaka

Bloody cold run!  The coldest so far!  Was -0.3degrees when I GOT HOME from my run!  Cold!  But...ÓH WANAKA!  The view and the run along the lake was incredible!  I ran into town from our resort then onto a track along the lake.  After about 4km I was on a completely secluded gnarly track!  Had a massive laugh when I came around a blind corner with a cliff on one side and a sheer drop off on the other and I was confronted with about 10 sheep!  Scared the daylights out of me!  Hilarious!  Did some good climbing and descending on the middle half of this run and was sure fun!

Week Total - 109.2km.

Lake Wanaka sunrise

05/11 - AM - 10.12km sandals.
Nice easy run through the suburbs of Wanaka.

06/11 - 15.01km sandals.
My last run in NZ!  And it was beautiful!  I ran along the lake again but the opposite way!  Nice and flat, scenic trail!  Saw HEAPS of rabbits and snapped a good little selfie for my last jaunt.

Mountains at Wanaka

Last run in Wanaka

Back home...

07/11 - AM - 4.1km barefoot in the mornin.  15min stepper.  PM - 10.14km sandals at Bundy Road Runners.
Was a big shock to wake up at 5:30am today and it be complete sunshine!  Gone is the 7:30am sunrises!  Good thing, I was stoked to be back in the heat and daylight!  The barefoot smashed my feet after being in the cold dry conditions and I got a big blood blister from no barefooting for a couple of weeks.  Ugh!  Had a good little hit out at road runners with Melinda (my sister visiting from Melbourne) and Dad.  Good to see them and have a run together.

08/11 - AM - 19.1km sandals.
Good solid pace run with 5km with Melinda in the middle.  This run was so easy and I didn't really feel like I had done that far.  Love ones like this!

09/11 - AM - 9.25km sandals.
Hit the Bundy trail up...as short as it is and had a nice hot run with Melinda and Dad.  Feet a little better but still quite sore.

Summery - New Zealand was AMAZING!  I had a truly blessed, relaxing fun time with my dear wife with some beautiful running!  I am so thankful and grateful to have such an amazing wife to let me go on these adventures while on holidays!  Ripper time but it is good to be back in the heat and sunshine!  A MASSIVE thank you to mum and dad for having Pria too so we could have the time away, just the two of us!  You guys are amazing!

Well friends, I hope that you have enjoyed this little picture journey and that you are all ripper!  Keep loving life, hope to see you soon, and I will leave the last note to my new friend Ernie the Eel!  Run free friends...TattooRunner.


The eel has the final say!

http://www.lunasandals.com/?aid=4c7p5f3p

But a fleeting moment.

15/10 – 10km road sandals. 2km barefoot. 15min stepper and run with Pria barefoot.
A good solid hit out. Felt great to finish this run off barefoot.

16/10 – 15km trail sandals. Run with Pria barefoot.
This was a fun little run down through Baldwin Swap…except for the Satan possessed, kill shot plovers! What the heck…they wanted blood and they nearly got it!

17/10 – 10km road hills at the Hummock with 2 x grass repeats each lap (four in total). Whole run with Tanya and 5k with Jodie. Stepper 15min and run with Pria barefoot.
We have started to include these cool tough hill repeats in our normal hill route. They are tough and add some good tiredness into the legs. We plan on building these up to doing five each lap…that will hurt! Wanted to go to Road Runners in the afternoon but got stuck on overtime at work. Priorities people!

18/10 – 10km trail sandals with Jodie. 3km barefoot. Run with Pria barefoot.
Again another nice cruise and enjoyable run out the back canefields.

19/10 – 8.4km road sandals. Run with Pria barefoot.
Had time restrictions today due to finishing work late last night and having to be at the coffee shop early this morning. A bit heavy but still a good solid run.

20/10 – Rest (mainly due to finishing work at midnight last night and having to be back at 9am this morning.

21/10 – 25km road sandals. Full run with Jodie and 15km with Sabo. Run with Pria barefoot.
A real good solid run to get the legs used to some longer k’s! Oh how I have missed you! Felt great to get a little time back on them and really looking forward to some serious training going forward.

Weekly total – 84.7km. Weight loss – 200g

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This last month has been a serious reminder, as if we need another one, as to why life is so precious and every moment should be treasured! Overseas, in runs that some of my hero’s have taken part in, has seen two runners die during the events. These were for various reasons but it is a timely reminder that although running ultras is a beautiful, peaceful, serene and sometimes even meditative experience, it also can be inherently dangerous.

I think at times it is very easy to look at a race, or even a training run as ‘just another outing’ but it is important to remember there are real risks in what we do. I know that most of the time we take all the precautions we can to ensure that we are safe and that our loved ones don’t worry anymore than they need to, but these recent events were a bit of a wake up call for me! It is too easy to think ‘It wont happen to me’ but to be prepared and aware of any possible dangers is so important. Do what you can friends to stay safe and make sure that your loved ones are happy with whatever arrangement you have to keep you safe! For those interested, check out roadid.com as a great way for others to know who you are just in case! I need to get my act together and get another one!

Although I wasn’t at either of these races and I didn’t know the athletes who passed away, my thoughts and prayers go out to your families and friends. I pray your spirits live on in them and that you can be remembered for doing something you loved with all your heart. Bless you all.

So, on a more positive note…I am now on HOLIDAYS! I am SO excited! Tegan and I (that’s right, no kid!) are heading to New Zealand on Thursday for about 12days of pure bliss! It is our 10 year wedding anniversary (YEP, married at 18 and 19 years old! GOLD!) and I can’t wait to spend it with my beautiful bride! I plan on doing a HEAP of trail running and exploring all NZ has to offer on the nature side, spending time with Tegs shopping, eating and just enjoying the beauty that is NZ! Blessed! I will endeavour to post a blog next week of all the super fun adventures but just not sure what the internet story will be…

I have also just compiled a 12 week training program on www.runningahead.com. I couldn’t help myself! I have included the Kurrawa to Durranba race in December however the program will be pointed by Hares and Hounds on the 13th of January, 2013. The k’s aren’t as far as in the past (between 100-130km on average) with some challenging workouts in there which I am looking forward to! Jump on board if you like!

So crew, just a nice short little blog this week. Keep smiling, loving this warmer weather and if your keen for a run, give me a hoy! Love life friends…until next time, Run on…TattooRunner

Beauty of a child

08/10 - 5km barefoot. 15min stepper. Pria run (shoes).
A good steady effort with my first ever run with Pria. OMG SO AMAZING! A beautiful, memorable day!

09/10 - 11km trail in sandals. Pria run (barefoot).
This run felt pretty cruisy and fun with Sabo and upon finishing I realised that we had run low 5:20 pace...gotta be happy with that on trail.

10/10 - 15km hills on road in sandals. 15min stepper. Pria run (shoes).
A good workout on the hummock including three new hill repeats which got the heart pumpin. Felt a bit of tightness in the left calf...

11/10 - 12km sandals and 8km barefoot. Pria run (barefoot)
Ran 12k with Jodie at Bargara and it was BLOWING ITS ASS OFF!! Left calf was very tight and probably shouldn’t have done the 8k but was meeting Lee and wanted to run with him. In a fair bit of hurt during this 8k but got through. Hitting the roller/self massage hard!

12/10 - 5km barefoot. 15min stepper. Pria run (barefoot)
Very upset...calf was painful from the get go and limited to a very short, hurtful run.
Roller and self massage.

13/10 - 15km sandals at Relay for Life.
Calf started to get a bit sore at about the 12-13k mark but otherwise not too bad. A fun run for a ripper cause. Roller and self massage.

14/10 - 17km sandals at Relay for Life. Pria run (barefoot)
No calf pain today, YES! Only a little tightness afterward. Another fun run with Rony and Rob. Good spirits and good laughs.

Week total - 88.8km and 1.4kg weight loss. A little limited due to my calf soreness but all good now so full steam ahead.

So, this week has been an interesting one! I have wanted to run a heap however have been hindered by my pesky sore calf! I am stoked that this has now dissipated though, so onward and upward from here!

The biggest thing that I have learnt this week though has come from my daughter! As you can see from above she has started running with me! I have been waiting for the day that this would happen (and praying that it would) but Monday it finally arrived! She asked me to go running! YES!

Now, I have still been struggling a little for motivation however running with her reminds me why I do what I do! Simple, un-burdened joy in running and having the wind in her hair! She is beautiful...there is no other word to describe it! I NEVER want to push my kids to do anything that they don’t want to, so having her ask EVERY day to run with me is amazing! It hurt me to say no to her Saturday as we were quite busy, but I want to do my best to never say no to her when it comes to exercise! I want to encourage her and be by her side in whatever she does and if that is running...RIPPER!

So...her style...her conversation...oh bliss! She is all over the shop and I don’t care! Arms and legs flying!  God created her to move and run! It is a freedom that doesn’t need to be taught to a child, they just know they should be doing it and get goin! Her conversation is of such simple purity it warms my heart and nearly brings a tear to my eye as I am typing! Comments like ''Morning Sun'', ''I love running with you daddy'', ''Running is so fun with you daddy'' and ''Nice and steady, don’t want to wear out'' which I taught her, show the simplicity and amazingness of a child’s mind! She also has to run with a bottle in her hand just like daddy. I think I may have created a monster though with her wanting to copy EVERY thing I do!! Today she said, ''I go barefoot and no shirt like daddy''...Ah...shirts for girls darlin...or at least crop tops! Ha!

We might only be running about 200-250metres every morning but I tell you what, those few minutes are so precious and refreshing to my soul, I never want to lose that and just want to bask in the moment all day.

That kid, I tell you, she is busy and wild at times but her spirit and adventurous heart makes me feel young again! To live without ambition and worry, to run free and feel the wind in my hair, not having to worry about time limits or how many k's I have to or don’t have to run! To be barefoot cause shoes are too heavy (OK, so I do that) and not even be worried about rocks in the way. To say good morning to the birds and learn that the lights aren’t on anymore as the seasons have changed from Winter to Spring....the mind of a child is something that we can all learn from and hold dear! I think this is a reason I loved Micah True from Born to Run so very much. He was a simple soul with a simple phrase to live by...'Run Free'. Those words...as basic as they are can speak to our whole lives into eternity.

I did not intend to get all deep when I sat down to write this blog but I tell you what, I am glad that I have. Sometimes it feels like life is spiralling out of control and every day just blends into one, but when doing things with a nearly three year old, all the rubbish takes a backseat and the important comes into clarity. Life is good. It is meant to be enjoyed and not bogged down by insignificant rubbish. God is good, saying good morning to his creation and creations is good. Feeling the wind rush though your hair and your lungs and heart beating when running up hill for the first time is beautiful. A high five at the end of your 250metre run with dad is a moment he will cherish forever...one at a time.

Pria thank you for taking time to spend with your Dad...I love you more than my futile words can express and I hope we have millions of k's together to enjoy the simple things in life. I am sorry when I let you down and get cross at you but it is for the greater good and your future.  I thank God every day for bringing you into my life and that I have such an amazing wife to teach you and help you to grow into a beautiful woman one day.  I dont know what I have done to be so blessed, but, Thank you...

Smile my friends, run free and until next week love life...TattooRunner

http://www.lunasandals.com/?aid=4c7p5f3p

But I’m scared mummy!

What up hipsters!? Well it has been an interesting week to say the least. To give you a quick run down (no pun intended) it went like this…


- Run a lot! Calfs a bit tender??
- Run 15k of hills in the am on Wednesday and then run 7.5k in the pm at 4:52min p/km pace…ROOTED!
- Drag my ass for a short run on Thursday
- Completlly stressed and extending my maths skills to try and fit in 160km per week!
- Decided the time is not right again for the 100miles per week
- Eat too much food
- Make new plans…


So there has been my interesting week! As mentioned, I have decided to change my focus from the 100miles per week business, for now anyway! I found that half way through the week I was REALLY stressing about my k’s and in my opinion if that is happening something is not right! Running is the most beautiful, free, liberating thing to do and as soon as it becomes an effort things need to be switched up.


This in turn got me thinking a little about the future…as in next year. This year I only have one event left planned, the Kurrawa to Durranbah 50km and then Hares and Hounds the second week in 2013. I was reflecting on the 12 week challenge that I have done not long ago and how I lost, and have kept of 6-7kg’s (depending on the time of day!) and how I am still a little ways off my goal weight and REALLY want to get there. Then, with a little calculation, I realised that today (Monday) is exactly 12 weeks until the end of 20-12 homies! SOOOOO, why not another 12 week challenge to round out this awesome year!?


I have recruited three of my good buddies to take part in the journey with me and we have all set lofty but achievable goals to obtain by the end of the year. I am scared at my goal but VERY excited to try and achieve it!!! Can not wait to see what can be done and how ripped/fit I can get for 2013!


Basically my plan is this…eat a clean vegan diet where possible (all other times, and where not possible, ripper vegetarian tucker) and try and stick to a set calorie goal. This isn’t something that I have really done before (count calories) so it should be interesting (I will be using using MyFitnessPal App). I also want to eat much more mindfully and not just jam the tucker into the hole in my face as fast as possible. A food/training journal will also be kept. Food (especially plant based) is beautiful and meant to be enjoyed and this is something that I am planning on doing!


As far as training goes, I am going to focus on running free and doing as much as I want. This is going to be ideally over 100ks a week as this is pretty much stock standard for me now. (As a side point, for those who have been following my blog for a while, at the end of last year I set a goal for this year to average 100k per week all year, giving me 5200km before years end. I did some calculating on my online log (RunningAhead.com) and if I can do 100k a week for the rest of the year I will achieve this goal! KEEN!!!) I want to try and run EVERY day of the challenge with no rest days.


So Tattoo Crew, as I did last time the call is out…if you want to join me and my buddies in this crazy adventure, come on down! Text or Facey me your starting weight today and your goal weight by the end of 2012. Weigh in days will be Mondays and a lot of hard work will be done between them! Let me know if your in, and we can include you in our rott talk! Oh, and there is plenty of it! All ripper super fun though!


Ok my friends! The sun is shining, the warm weather is here and its time to tan up! Shirtless running is well and truly here to stay and its time to soak up that vitamin D! YES! Forks to the cold and running in the dark! Thanks to y’all for putting up with my rott and erratic adventures! I look at my life as an on-going challenge, fun filled, high-goal set journey of joy! Time is too short to be content with the normal and not strive for amazing and better in every area of life! I will leave you this week with a awesome quote that my mate Tanya said the other day while running (see below)…I’m pretty sure she made it up, and if not that is what I am running with anyway! Love ya mates, and even better, love your enemy’s brothers and sisters and until next week…Run On…


‘Running is not what we do, it is who we are!’ Love your work Tanya!