Wide Bay Fat Ass represent! Today we took the trip to beautiful Hervey Bay for the second Wide Bay Fat Ass event! For those living in the dark who still don't know what a Fat Ass run is after all my rott talk, they are un-organised, organised runs. There is no entry fee's, no prizes but a heck of a good time! Check out http://www.coolrunning.com.au/fatass/hq/index.php?title=Main_Page if ya wanna know more! Anyway, back on track!
It was Dad, Mum, Tegs, Pria, Corlè and our good friend Nix who took the trip. We stopped in one of our favourite little cafe's Enzos for a brew and snack. We then headed to the start for some shenanigans before getting started. It was an amazing day and we were all keen for some fun in the sun! Mum was kind enough to look after the kids so Tegan and I could both run which was great!
We headed off for an easy first lap with some good laughs and a look at the course. Andrew did a super job organising it with a figure eight type set up. There was a fair chunk of the course on the beach and rocks. That made things fairly tough going but added an interesting element to the day. The rest of the track was through parkland, parks, footpath and a bit of trail. A top course.
I went into the day with the goal of doing 5-6hours, not really worrying about distance so much but just time on the feet. We did our first two laps at a pretty quick speed which made things go by smoothly. After this, things started to heat up a bit. I did my third lap with Andrew and his young fella and was still at a pretty decent clip.
After this I was left on my own. My legs felt pretty good but just had to mentally keep myself moving forward. I think a combination of the sun and sand took it out of me a bit. I keep moving but things were taking their toll. I approached my fourth hour and decided I would be calling it quits after five hours. I wanna have a decent week k's wise this week and didn't want to completely destroy myself!
I plugged on through the last hour and finished pretty done at five hours. A super time out and just shy of 50k done. Some huge highlights of the day were Tegan, Nix and Melissa running the furtherest that they have ever done, 24, 35km (not sure on your distance Melissa sorry...close to 25k??) respectfully. Awesome work ladies! Coach Jeff and his bride Deb also made the trip and although I have been scarred for life seeing him shirtless (just jokes brother!!!) it is always a enriching and blessing time seeing you both.
After some chats, tucker, drinks and good times, it was time to take off. I just wanna thank my partner in Fat Ass crime Andrew for putting on a super top day! It was such a great time and we loved every moment! We have some cool stuff in the pipeline for the future so head on over to Facebook, send us a friend request on the Wide Bay's Fat Ass page and keep track on whats doing!
I hope this finds you all super dooper and lovin life! Keep smiling and come on in and visit me at my new job at Nana's Pantry for some AMAZING tucker! I have only worked two shifts but let me tell you I LOVE it! Until next time my friends....live long, run on, plant strong!
I guess you enjoyed your run around Hervey Bay. But perhaps you should have taken the little bit of extra trouble AFTER your fun to remove all the bits of plastic and pink tape with which you 'improved' Paraweena Park. Which does not need these decorations. The chalk scrawl on the footpaths will come off in the rain. Big asses maybe, but tiny brains. Maybe you would like your own neighbourhood with notices nailed to the trees.
ReplyDeleteMe/Mrs no name. I appriciate that the ribbons should have been pulled down however I did not organise the even and had to travel back to Bundy. I don't really understand though how you think name calling and pulling others down is going to help the situation. Also, how bout leaving a name so we know who you are! Your approach should have been thought about instead of being negative and trying to bring everyone else down to your level. Cheer up no name, offer some advise and maybe think of helping an oversight that should have been addressed. Oh, and by the way, if you ever want to organise a run in my neighborhood your more than welcome!
DeleteDear Anonymous, My name is Andrew Dower my phone number is 0459 245 836 and i organised Sundays run. I apologise for causing you distress about the pink ribbons in Paraweena Park and would welcome a call from you to discuss any other concerns you have.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the Park and many other areas in Hervey Bay / Pt Vernon. Which is the reason I chose to hold the run here. Fat Ass Runs are more about the beautiful environment and friendship than they are about the running.
Through our run on Sunday many people travelled to Hervey Bay, some for the first time and some as far as Brisbane. I can vouch that all runners have 100% respect for our Parks, Beaches and paths. I challenge you to find one hint of litter or damage to anything caused by our runners.
As i run through Paraweena Park almost every single day, i too value the untouched beauty that is there and wish that Hervey Bay had more. I oppose the developments and 'Beautifcation' that is happening on other parts of the Esplenade. The pink ribbons and signs were put up late Saturday afternoon as a safety precaution for runners unfamiliar with our area. I had intended to collect my course markers on my final lap of the run, however there were two people that walked past our BBQ area late in the afternoon, they seen how much fun we were having and asked to join in. For the benefit of my new friends and to share the wonderful experience we had all had, I decided not to collect the ribbons on my final lap. After 8 hours of fun, friendship, healthy excercise and a little bit of runnning on Sunday my three young children were ready for bed when we called it a day. I decided to collect my tape and signs on my next run around Pt Vernon on Tuesday morning.
Fat Ass Runs have a culture of friendship, beautiful natural environments, healthy living and general 'love life' attitude.
If pink ribbons hanging in trees for a few days is the only price we pay, i think thats a pretty good return on investment.
Through out the day we had people from all walks of life, all levels of fitness, young and old participate and enjoy themselves while providing a good example for others. We spent the day at a BBQ area at Gatakers Boat ramp, had you have walked past i am sure you would have been impressed with the welcoming nature and general good behaviour that everyone displayed. FYI all bins were full when we arrived, so we brang our own bin and when finished cleaned up not only our own waste but the litter that had been left from previous visitors.
In fact, it is common for me to return home with a hand full of litter that i sometimes collect whilst running around Pt Vernon and including Paraweena Park.
I appreciate your concerns and value your feedback but i must admit on this occasion i think you have been quick to judge.
Andrew, I just wanted to comment from the perspective of someone that also organises events in our beautiful city.
DeleteWe feel so blessed to be able to partake in our pastime in such a magnificent place and feel the right thing to do is to share that experience with as many people as we can. There is no better feeling than getting an email from a participant that may have experienced our region for the first time. It helps us to remember how lucky we are to have this pleasure on a daily basis.
One thing I have learnt though, is that not everyone has the same feeling about sharing this beauty. They may have their own little routines and customs as they live in their own surroundings. When we come along and do our thing, we need to remember that other people fill their lives in other ways. So a little thing like ribbons being in trees for a day might be offensive and upsets the equilibrium that person is used to. I experience something similar after last year's event with our road closure signs. Like you, I was pretty exhausted on the Sunday night so I planned to get all the signs down on the Monday. I had a call from Council Monday morning saying there had been a complaint from a resident about the road closure signs not being picked up!
Keep doing what you do. You inspire so many people to become more than they were before and go to places they never thought they could go. That is more valuable than you could ever know. You can't and won't please everybody, but now you will have an understanding of the little things that need to be done to keep another section of the community happy.
Happy running mate. Thank you for your efforts and I'll see you out on the trails.
Nick
Great day Andy and thanks for all the hard work you do in setting up great running events. Mat really good article and seriouly you are a legend and an inspiration. When is the next event? I volunteer to collect the pink tape as I am usually late anyway! I say we do Frease Is. :-D
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome day with some inspiring people. The time and effort you put into your community is amazing Andrew, makes me want to move to live in your part of the world. The masses have spoken and overruled the small minded minority. Looking forward to the next run, putting some thought into somewhere in my neck of the woods even.
ReplyDeleteFat Ass run.....Fabulous day, friendly people, fantastic backdrop - The Esplanade of Hervey Bay! What better way to show off our beautiful city and keep fit at the same time?
ReplyDeleteMat, thanks for entertaining us with your account of the day. Andy, thanks for inviting us on your run. Troy, I'll help you collect the ribbons so we can use them for next time.
Thanks so much for your beautiful words guys! It was a super awesome day out that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear what mr/mrs no name has to say when they call you Andrew...if they have the guts to...or they may just be a keyboard coward! Keep the love friends...next fat ass will prob be in October or November! Yes!!!
ReplyDelete