The Blue Arrow Trail - Cairns

A beautiful trail run or walk in Cairns is the Blue Arrow - a loop that follows on from the very popular and smaller Red Arrow track.  The Red Arrow is around 1 km long and is a straight forward uphill then downhill loop. I run that a few times each Wednesday as it's near where my girls have their hockey training, so it's a convenient hill workout. There are always plenty people walking or running the Red Arrow track at any time!

The Blue Arrow is a bit longer and for me takes about an hour to run combined with the Red.  My best time is 58 mins, but I haven't run it in a long time and I'm sure I could go a little faster than that now - but maybe not yet as fast as my speedy husband! It's kind of uphill with a few flat parts for the first half, then downhill, flat with small uphills for the second half. A good interesting twisting, turning trail, and nice and shady for running in the tropics on hot days!

At the weekend we took our girls around the Blue Arrow track for a walk - so it was a good opportunity to take a few photos to show the trail!

This warning sign is at the start of the Blue Arrow track.  The track isn't hard to follow, but I guess I wouldn't want to be on it after dark!

So here's a few pictures of the trail itself:

A view from near the start - out over the sea and the Great Barrier Reef. You can see Green Island from up here.

There are LOTS of steps..

And plenty of roots..

A nice distinct and clear track.

 You definitely have to be careful where you plant your feet!

There are some interesting trees and plants along the way..

Towards the end, the trees thin out and it gets brighter!

And you finish off by going down the well worn and quite civilised concrete Red Arrow Steps:

So there you have it. The Blue Arrow - Cairns. A beautiful walk, or a good trail run!

Limiting Beliefs

There is nothing that holds you back more from achieving your goals than your own limiting beliefs.

I do believe that you can do anything you set your mind to. This year I've set my mind to improving my running. 

So far I've won my first trail running medal and improved my PB time for a 5 km run by nearly 2 minutes.

There is however something I noticed in that last 5 km run, and I've noticed myself doing before and tried to change.  I didn't expect to run that fast in the 5 km race, and there was someone else I knew in the race that I didn't expect to even be close to. During the last couple of kilometres of the race, I could see this person ahead of me, and I was surprised but my first thought was that I couldn't catch them but I would try to keep them in my sights.  In the end they only beat me by less than 20 seconds.  Also at the end of the race, when I could see the clock and realised that I might go under 23 minutes, I managed to sprint to achieve this even though I believed at that point that I was going as fast as I could go.

Looking back at this, it makes me wonder if I could have beaten this person had I had a different attitude in my mind. If I'd had the belief in myself that I could do it. Honestly, I think I could.

Running is more than just who can go the fastest. A lot of a race is in your head. The more I run in various races, the more I'm starting to see this.  I think to improve my time further, I need to do some more races to get used to running with and against other people. And try to never limit my beliefs.

Last year before my daughter took part in her first school athletics carnival I told her the story of 'raising your hand'

A teacher asks their students to raise their hands as high as they can in the air. 

The students do this. Then the teacher asks them to raise their hands just a little bit further. Again the students do this - pushing their hands just a little higher.

The teacher then asks, "So what happened the first time I asked you to raise your hands as high as you could? If you had, you wouldn't have been able to raise them any further."

The point of this story is to show that even when you think you've given all you've got - there's always a little more left in the tank to give!

My daughter took this to heart, and in her first race, the 80m sprint, she was in 4th place with 20m to go, then she put on an extra burst and managed to win the race. Afterwards she said she told me she remembered what I'd told her about raising her hand further, and she did just that.

I need to remember this story myself, and next time I see someone ahead of me in a race - don't think, "I'll never catch them", instead I need to think, "I can catch them - let's go!" and push just that little bit harder. I might even surprise myself!

Cairns Post 5km Fun Run 2014

In June, I ran my first ever 5 km 'race'.  I often run 5 km from home, and have run several trail races, but never just a straight 

5 km road race, until this one.

 Earlier this year I tried out a 5km training programme I found free on the internet. I stuck to the programme and did timed runs just from my house at the beginning and end. So I had my 'fastest time' to beat of 24 mins and 17 seconds.  Of course that was running 5 km on paths, roads, crossing roads, up and down slight inclines and measured with my husbands Garmin watch.  So I was interested to see what my time would be on just a straight forward flat 5 km run.

 My husband offered his Garmin watch for the run, but I don't usually run with it and so decided not to. I didn't want to be checking my pace all the time on the watch. I run 5 km quite often at home, so thought it best to just go with the pace I know from that.

 The run today was a 'fun run' with hundreds of competitors; so I made sure of getting as close to the front as I could for the start.

Before the start of the race, a friend told me to focus on a runner in front of me and try to stick with them. I did this with several different people who I then passed! By around the 3 km mark I found someone to focus on that I didn't catch, but found it did help me to keep going to try to keep up with them.

 I was hoping to get under 24 mins for the run, and was watching my watch now and again to see where I was with that. Close to the end I knew I'd done it, but within sight of the line I saw the big clock showing it was still on 22 minutes, so despite thinking I was by then running as fast as I could, I managed a final sprint across the line to break the 23 min mark!

 I'm so happy with my time - 22 mins 54 seconds.  Faster than I thought I would go - and a huge lift and motivation for me in my running. I'll definitely be doing more 5km races and will be back for this particular one again next year.

Coral Coast Enticer Triathlon 2014

In June, I competed in an Enticer triathlon up in Port Douglas in Far North Queensland. I did it a year ago to support my youngest daughter who was then 10 years old and doing her first triathlon. This year she was confident enough to go it alone so I decided to do it again just for me. It was a 300 m swim, 10 km bike ride and 2.5 km run. I run a lot so that part was no problem. I have a bike and like riding, so that didn't worry me either. But I'm not a swimmer so the swim was the part that worried me.

This year I was just as scared about the swim, plus it was a windy day and the sea was quite choppy! However, I think the fact that I knew I'd done it before and survived helped me, as did the decision I made before I started that I was just going to do breaststroke, which I find far more comfortable than freestyle, despite lots of people telling me that you should do freestyle in a triathlon.  So the swim went by fairly quickly and before I knew it I was running out of the water filled with total relief that the hard part was over! Transition for me wasn't a speedy thing. I know you're supposed to fly in, slip on your

shoes and helmet and you're off. But I dried off my feet, put on my shorts and t-shirt, my socks and running shoes, tied my laces, helmet on, carefully lifted down my cheap mountain bike and set off on the cycle.

I really enjoyed the ride, pedalling hard and going as fast as I could.  Several ladies flew past me, cruising along on nice skinny light road bikes! But I wasn't in the race to win - just as a challenge to myself and against myself.

Finally I finished the bike leg, and got to the run up and down the beach to finish off the race.  I could feel my leg muscles were really heavy after the ride, and could still taste the salt water I'd swallowed on the swim. But once I settled into my run and my legs loosened up a bit I enjoyed that too, and even sprinted for the finish line! I was happy to achieve my goal of finishing in under an hour. I did it in 51 minutes, and later found that I was only 46 seconds away from a 3rd place medal in my age category! Amazing!!

 Although I enjoyed the triathlon and feel a great sense of achievement having completed it, I don't have a great desire to do it again next year. To do more, I would want to improve, which would mean more swim training, and looking into buying a road bike - neither of which really appeal. I definitely enjoy running - particularly trail running more right now. But perhaps one day I may look at triathlons again - maybe in 15 or 20 years time !

Fitness Karaoke Style

One morning last year I woke up with aching leg muscles but as I had not done any kind of exercise the previous day, I was puzzled as to why. Then, when I swallowed and found my throat dry and sore, I remembered the previous evening – we’d had a karaoke party at our house!

 Now I'm a big fan of karaoke and I have to admit I do like to hog the microphone but I had never thought of karaoke as a form of exercise – let alone one that would leave me with aching muscles. Singing Karaoke is not a static activity, far from it; you have to work that stage, or living room floor, move to the rhythm and of course, crouch down now and again to croon to your audience who are listening raptly from their comfortable seats on the sofas.

Thinking about all this, I began to see that singing karaoke in your living room is potentially a great workout. What a discovery! No need to go to the gym, or sweat it out on a run. All I need to do is belt out some of my favourite tunes with feeling. Sing with my whole body as it were. Sadly, I had not personally discovered the next fitness fad.  Fame and riches were not to be mine on this occasion, as apparently, karaoke fitness is already all the rage!

Karaoke yoga, karaoke spin classes… it’s a whole new world of fitness I never even knew existed.  Did you? Take a look here and see! But forget about the spin and yoga part for a moment, you don’t need to add anything to karaoke to make it a workout. If you really get into the groove and feel the moment, you’ll be working your body up on that ‘stage’ and working up a sweat as good as any gym class! Here’s what’s really going on when you’re belting out your favourite tune through that microphone, pretending to be Bon Jovi or Taylor Swift!

Burn some calories 

 Singing in itself burns calories, on average around 130 per hour but just singing along to the radio in your car is only the beginning. Once you’re singing standing up, with a microphone in your hand, the number of calories burned jumps up again. Think strutting your stuff across the stage like a real rock star, or belting out those ballads with your arms flung out wide and your legs taking you into a half squat as you build up to the chorus. When you get lost in your karaoke moment, every muscle in your body is lost in the moment too, and you don’t even realise how active you are!  

Sing your way to a six-pack! 

 Not only does singing burn calories, but …wait for it, it can also help you on your way towards that six-pack! How? I hear you cry; well, normally when we breathe, we just expand our ribcage, but when you sing, you use your diaphragm, the large dome-shaped muscle across the bottom of your rib cage.  This muscle is in turn part of your ‘core’- those muscles that you strengthen to get that six-pack. Since muscles don’t work in isolation but together in unison, strengthening your diaphragm by singing should then assist in strengthening your overall core. Now that’s a bonus!   So, Karaoke in the pub while sipping on a bottle of beer? No you don’t!  It’s off to the gym to karaoke at a spin class, while sipping on a bottle of water.  See? Exercising can be fun – and you won’t even know you’re doing it!

 "Image courtesy of [imagerymajestic] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net".

Barron Gorge Trail Run - race report

Back in March I ran the Barron Gorge Trail run up here in Cairns for the first time. There are 2 choices of distance for this run - 18 km and 11 km. I did the 11 km run and was so happy to win my first ever trail running medal, coming in as third overall female finisher!!  Yippee!!

 The run starts at Stoney Creek car park and you run back along the bitumen road for around 1 km before turning off into the bush and heading steeply uphill on a narrow track through trees and long grass for around 2 km.  This was a hard slog, but it's a pretty steady gradient so I soon got into a rhythm. Just before the top my foot caught in a root and I tripped and felt flat on my face, winding myself a little and over-stretching my shoulder in trying to save myself!  No lasting damage though so I jumped up again and after around 45 mins came out at the top where the track split for the 18 km and the 11 km run.

 The next part of the run went along a ridge then descended down a steep and very slippery track (there'd been a fair bit of rain in the days leading up to the race) to the river crossing.  The river was only about calf height and it was nice and refreshing to wade through it - much easier than trying to balance my way across on top of the rocks.  This was my first time running after a river crossing and I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I forgot that my feet were soaking wet. No rubbing from wet socks - just nice cool feet, how nice!

 The next half and hour or so was mostly flat along a ridge with wait-a-whiles and lots of branches and roots to run around, over and under.  For this section of the run I was completely on my own - couldn't see anyone in front or behind me, and it was such a beautiful place. It was a peaceful and wonderful part of the run - and I had to marvel at the fact that I was 'alone' out in the bush, with my snake bandage and whistle 'just in case'!! Fortunately I saw no snakes, bush pigs or cassowaries and only got one cut on my ankle from a wait-a-while!

 The last 40 mins of the run was when I really started to fatigue.  Any vaguely uphill parts of the trail I had to walk - and it really felt like I was plodding slowly then.  It was about then, just before the trail turned into it's final descent that I was overtaken by 3 ladies. They were slowly jogging uphill past me, and I just had nothing left to keep up with them. The final 30 mins of the run was from Glacier Rock downwards. I've done this section of the trail before and it was nice to be back on a familiar track.

The rest of the track was very well marked and every time I began to doubt I was heading in the right direction, I would look up to see another ribbon tied to a tree! Such a well organised race by the Cairns Road Runners! - Thank you! I enjoyed this last section of the run, even though I was exhausted. I knew there were no more uphill sections and was able to push knowing how far I had to go.  I made good time going down, and was buoyed by a few hikers I passed who all stopped and cheered me on, stepping off the track to let me past! 5 minutes before the finish I overtook one of the ladies who had previously overtaken me on the uphill section.  I knew how close the end was now, and looking at my watch saw how close the 2 hour mark was.  I slipped and tripped, almost took a few wrong turns but pushed through that last section desperately wanting to get under the 2 hour mark. I was so happy when I crossed the last bridge over Stoney Creek, turned the final corner and saw the finishing line and timer.

 I finished in 1 hour 59 minutes and 6 seconds!  Exhausted but feeling very pleased with myself, I helped myself to some fruit and water then went with my husband who finished just ahead of me for a cool off in Stoney Creek river. Bliss! After a few minutes cooling soak, we were called back up for the presentations, where I was given my first ever trail run medal. 3rd place female overall - and only 5 minutes behind first place.  I was so pleased with myself that I wore my medal the whole rest of the day! The Barron Gorge Trail run is incredibly beautiful and was so well organised. I'll definitely be back again next year - hoping for a different colour medal!! :)

   

5km Running training programme review

Earlier this year I decided to try a 5 km running training plan. It was a free plan from online at Runners World.

I was really pleased with how I went with it, and the results gained.   Just before I started the plan, I went out and timed myself run 5 km from our house. I've previously measured this run so I knew it was the right distance, but also used a GPS watch to confirm it.

  My 5 km time was 25 minutes and 26 seconds (on Jan 17th)

 So then I started the plan.  I printed the plan off and put in on the fridge so that I could see it each day and check off the days as I completed them. This was really important for me as I find checking off completed workouts and seeing this visually and constantly really helps my motivation. I got up early through the week and did the runs before the rest of the house got up so the time didn't eat into my day. I also found this a great way to start the day too. I didn't generally eat anything before running, just drank some water, and occasionally had a small banana half an hour before running, although I didn't find this made much difference. 

Doing 'strides' after my runs was something new for me. Basically once I'd finished my run, I'd do sprints up and down our street for 20 seconds each, walking for 40 seconds between each one. Most days I found these more tiring than the long run, perhaps because I'm just not used to sprinting! For the days when I had to run certain parts of my run at a faster pace, I found this tricky out on the roads and paths to judge without a GPS watch. Some days I ran on our treadmill at home and this made pacing much easier.

 The runs throughout the 5 weeks were well balanced. They all pushed me and there were days when I didn't feel like doing them but I did stick to the plan and completed all the runs. So the big day was today - 'race day'.  I warmed up and set off at a good pace, determined to beat my previous time. After the 5 weeks of training I did feel stronger in my running and felt confident I could go faster. It was a hot and humid day - nearly 60% humidity and just over 30 C .

 I pushed hard the whole way. My first kilometre was fast (4 mins) and just before halfway I knew I was doing well when I was faster than I'd ever been at one of the turns.  The final kilometre was hard, especially thanks to the slight uphill incline, I had a stitch and everything hurt!

 

When I finished I checked the time and was so pleased!  Much faster than 5 weeks previously.

  My new 5 km time was 24 minutes and 17 seconds (on Feb 23rd).

 An improvement of 1 minute and 9 seconds in just 5 weeks. I'm pretty happy with that. I would definitely recommend this intermediate 5 km running plan. It was easy to follow, pushed me without being too much, and the last 'taper' week seemed just right to prepare me for 'race day'.

I followed this training programme once again, leading up to a 5km race I entered in June.  In that race I recorded a new personal best time of just under 23 mins!  Definite success.