In the beginning runs the Gold Coast Marathon.
We're counting down. We're following along.
The specials will continue. No Courtney Atkinson this week,
which it's about time that we got rid of the OH.
Sorry. Dead white, take the girl out of
radio. You can't take the radio out of
the girl. Moment of seat freeze up.
They jump into it. Yeah.
Courtney Atkinson away this week as part of his duties with the
wonderful company. That is super.
I think he's somewhere near Lightning Ridge, so he's not
involved today. But as you just heard, Brondy
Lanebrook in the house and the masterful coach, the best in the
business, the queen of lace up running, Bonita Willis.
How are we? Hey, yeah.
Good, good. Going really well.
Well, we're in your hands today because it's time for an update
on Gold Coast Marathon prep. 9 weeks yesterday, well as at time
of record. At time of recording. 9 weeks.
We're counting down. Let's start with you, Bronte.
Sure, and how you're travelling? OK, that's sorry I just thrown
my toys out of. Yeah, if you do, if you do hear
the rattling in the background, it's because we've got little
Maxi here in the studio as well, Bonita's young fella who is just
so keen to be a part of all this.
He's a future runner. Look, so at time of recording I
am one day after 1/2 marathon I did the Gold Coast Running
Festival. They they asked me to run in it,
which was very nice. Maybe I wish they hadn't based
off the course. It was very hilly, very hot at
the back of Robina kind of running down the Robina Parkway
and wasn't a great performance from me.
I think my coach might be a bit disappointed but mainly also it
was a good test before the marathon because I did
everything wrong, came out too fast, gassed myself and have
been feeling the ramifications of that all day today and
yesterday. Have you seen the numbers from a
run? No, I haven't, but I yeah, no, I
know that. Yeah, it's very.
That's a hard. That's a hard race, though.
Yeah, it's deceivingly hard. Very.
Yeah, Yeah. I think I was probably a bit
unprepared for what it was going to be like.
But yeah, just to give, I mean, Benita wants me, right?
And this is my whole issue and this is what I need to be
schooled today is running slow. I know you want me to run
slower. And I think yesterday was a good
reminder of why I need to do that because I came out the gate
at like 5 minute cage. Oh.
I'm just I'm pulling up the old the old graph there, Bonita.
Yeah, I saw the overall pace of that run and I was like looking
at going, oh, that's not too bad.
But I think sometimes when you learn the hard way, it actually
helps you because you know if you do that in the marathon,
it's it's a heaps times worse. It's such a longer longer.
Run. That's what I thought, actually.
I think it's a good. It was hard, it wasn't fun, but
it's now a good, yeah, a good lesson that what you're teaching
is very right and very important because it just didn't work for
me to run that fast and to double that.
I just wouldn't be able to. I was guessed.
So from OK, the run. That run aside, though, Benita,
how has Bronte been going with the training you've been
prescribing? She's been going awesome.
Yeah. So I've looked over all of her
training and you know, Bronte, you do everything perfectly and
like, say, if you, you know, if you want to move something, you
move something and it fits in well.
And like, yeah, I don't even really hear from Bronte.
She's wrote a few comments, but but yeah, she, yeah, she's doing
her strength toning with her PT and Pilates as well, which is
really important. But getting the runs in.
And I think we had an optional run, an optional extra run this
week that's just gone that she didn't do, which is good because
it was, it's optional. And I don't always want people
to be doing too much. So it's good to sort of pull
back to if you if you want to. Especially those intervals.
Well, this is what you want to raise this, because there are
people out there like you running their first marathon who
don't have access to a coach like Benita.
And it's just, well, I just need to run.
And they're running and they go out and they run their sessions
where what, 2-3 weeks into this programme, Yes, as said by
Benita, and I bumped into you in the office after week 1 and you
for the first time ever had run an interval session.
How did that go? Well, it's very kind that you
said that. I did.
I'm gonna say I attempted to run an interval session.
I think I finished said interval session, sent an email to Benita
saying, Hey, Benita, I hate intervals.
I hate them. I don't know why.
I think it's, again, what we talked about in the first
episode. I just love to just run and go
out and just do the distance all the time that I've been
assigned. But I don't know what it was
about having to do certain lengths at certain times.
My brain just struggles with it is.
That a common reaction. Yeah, yeah.
Look, I think as you get older as well and you start enjoying
the longer races, a lot of people, the first thing they'll
cut out is interval sessions. So yeah, there's a lot of people
out there just like running. They just go for a run, which is
fine, you know. But I think if you want to
improve, the interval sessions really help when you go to run
that slower pace or the longer races.
But, but you, you know, we're only doing them every second
week. And I know I don't.
Yeah, I don't want you to be like, I hate this programme
every week, you know? You know, you're like, oh, I
just hate this session. So we're always gonna mix it up.
But. But, you know, you've done
really well with it. And you do have speed over the
shorter distances. Yeah.
You know, a lot of people in your situation, they only have
one pace and that's their jogging pace.
But you actually have different paces and good speed over
different distances. So I think it'll just improve
you out of sight just doing them every second week.
I I I agree. I know I need to, but I just
need to do. It but is there To that point,
though, is there a it's kind of it's like asking somebody to
like a food they don't like. Is there a way to learn to like
them? I don't really think so because
I reckon you have to just push yourself pretty hard, like
harder than you go in a marathon or it's interval sessions.
I feel like is like running like a flat out 1500 or 5K every week
and like I know I don't. So I've run.
I ran. I was running 80 KS with the
pram with Poppy when she was, you know, young and our interval
sessions were the first thing I wasn't doing.
So I was doing, you know, some harder runs and stuff, but I
wasn't doing intervals. And I think it's just because,
you know, it's just hurts that that bit more.
But that's the one thing that helps the improvement really
quick. You know, it's very nice to hear
that because I thought, I thought I was alone in thinking
intervals were hard. I didn't realise that they are
genuinely generally yeah disliked.
Oh, that makes me feel better. Yeah, makes you feel better.
Yeah, it does. But I.
Mean if they are, can you feel good at the end?
But yes, yeah, but like, they are.
And like, you know, it's one of those things that sometimes you
can feel a bit sick at the end of intervals, whereas like if
you did A20K run, you'd probably feel fine.
Yes. OK.
So that's normal. Yeah, yeah.
Yep, definitely. See, this is I'm a rookie when
it comes to this stuff. I thought you're meant to love
intervals and they're meant to be easy, but they are meant to
be hard. Yeah, they're meant to be hard.
Yeah, but I mean, and like you've got to enjoy it too
though. Like you're not supposed to feel
sick all the time after intervals.
But but it is that harder running.
And but then the really slow recoveries like war or slow jog
recoveries, whereas like you know, when you're doing the
longer stuff, you're running for longer, but it's it's slower.
So it's sort of more within your comfort zone sort of thing.
Good tonight. Have you found, have you found
'cause I find that the hard runs, that run is high.
It kicks in a lot in a bigger way, like I've, you know, for a
long slow run. It always feels great.
Yeah. And you enjoy.
But the, the endorphins that kick in and release for me on it
after like a hard session where I feel horrible and this is
hurting or whatever. It's yeah.
It takes AII find it comes probably Yeah, you're right.
I probably feel the run is high on the long runs during the run,
but the run is high from the harder runs comes after the run
after you completely gas and you're like grey.
I'm glad this is kicked in now. But yes, I agree.
I think that's very true. So aside from not liking
intervals, how have you? How have you found the other?
How have you found the other training though?
It's been great. I think it's just completely
worked in with already what I kind of was doing previously to,
to signing out with Benita and yeah, just continuing strength
training with a PTI. Think that's definitely helping
not getting sore. Today is probably the first day
of the entire training where I've been sore.
But I'm going to blame the the hills of Robina Pkwy.
Well. You're you're 24 hours out from
a or after 1/2 marathon. Yeah, yeah.
So that's good. Did a bit of Pilates, then
stretched it all out. I was going to ask on my
training programme, I've got a run today 35 to 40 minutes.
If should I be doing that or is it too soon after the half
marathon? Yeah, definitely.
If you're a bit sore, we wouldn't, we wouldn't do that.
Yeah, great. So, so a good thing to do would
be walking or you know, some swimming or elliptical or just
having a rest. Easy that I can do.
Have you, I mean, it sounds like I'm really jealous of how you 2
are going between each other and your relationship because it
sounds like everything's going really well.
It's really nice. Before we get to my disaster,
have you met any other as? Have you learned anything in
these first three weeks as far as running training and and how
you compared to how you've been approaching running, I think
without a coach. Yeah, I think it's, I definitely
feel more accountable, which is what I really like.
I like the idea that somebody is banking on me to do my part in
order for, you know, the process to continue.
So but I feel bad that I have been writing comments and notes.
I didn't realise you were writing essays After everyone
massive teachers pet, I'll start writing notes.
But no, I think it's just been a really and I think this is good
because I was already kind of in a programme.
It's nice that it hasn't felt like it's derailed me in any
way. It's just been a very easy
switch and I genuinely like learning that about intervals
has completely changed my mind about them, which I probably
didn't think to to ask in our first chat.
So yeah. There you go.
Yeah. And you know, you with you
Bronte, like, yeah, we're doing an easy sort of switch from the
programme you're on. And then we're gradually
increasing stuff as we get into those harder runs in the
intervals. And then we'll have a bit of an
easy week coming up too, because you need like a whole week to
just recover and then then you're on the last stretch.
That's going to be hard how just in my brain to be like we're
easy week. I guess reduce.
How do I is it just the competitive side of me goes
well, I'm going to lose all of my progress?
Yeah, no, no, it'll just be plenty of jogging, but there's
nothing hard and a bit, a little bit less volume, but still
everything on the same days. Amazing.
Yeah. So sometimes people make that
mistake because I feel like they get to maybe 3 or 4 weeks out
and they just start feeling really tired.
Yes. So you're on that improvement,
Yes. And you just want to keep going
harder and harder and harder, which is awesome, and you're so
motivated. But we just have to be careful
that we don't get to that top, you know, way too early.
True this. I think felt you've been on a
really interesting point because that mindset you talked about, I
think he's common amongst a lot of people that might have gone
through playing a high level of junior sport and now they're
fine finding running at whatever age they're at.
How important is that slow week? Easy tape A not a tape a week,
because we're not that we're not.
We're still 9 weeks out from the marathon.
But incorporating those easy weeks into your programmes,
whether it's a structured one or you're doing it off your own
back? Yeah, Look, I think it's really
important just because you need sort of time for your body to
absorb the training, but also like mentally as well.
So sometimes I feel like you've got this marathon, you're doing
awesome training. You just, you know, you keep
training more and more and more, but you just want to make sure
that you get there, like without it, without an injury and
feeling pumped to do it and mentally that you're fine.
And like, easy weeks can be around, say, someone doing a
half, you know, three to five weeks out.
So we'd go easy and you'd do the half and then sort of easy, sort
of 3-4 days either side of the half.
But it also can be a structured, A structured plan.
So say if you get asked to do another race, say, at a half
marathon, yes, you know, there's plenty of races three to five
weeks out. So you could do something like
that, too. OK.
Yeah. More, more opportunities to be
invited I. Know right, I've already paid
for the next one. It is a 30K race so.
It's still goes 30. Yeah, Yeah, yeah.
That's. A good one, yeah.
So we'll put that one in. Yeah, Yeah, that's, that's on
fairly soon. I.
Know trail and trail and running, which I'm a little
nervous about but. How are you?
I mean, nine weeks out, Yeah, mindset was it sounds like it's
a good question. It does sound like your training
is absolutely flying. How's your mindset?
Probably if you had asked me that maybe a week and a half ago
before us on radio had a bit of a break.
Yeah, I think I was probably getting to that fatigued stage
of being like, I love running, I want to go for this run, but I
also don't want to go for it. We've had a week off now, we've
caught up on some sleep. I feel better again.
But nine weeks, it doesn't sound like a lot, but it also does.
So I don't know. I'm kind of in that stage where
I'm going to have to knuckle down and make sure that I just
keep going with. What we've been doing not it's
still that ungraspable, ungraspable length of time.
And it's a. Little bit over two months out.
So it doesn't it's it's you could still bail on it.
I know. Essentially, one of my
girlfriends I think is bailing on it, really, which I think she
told me that last night. And after the half marathon
where I feel like I didn't do great, I'm like, Oh well, I'm
not bailing. I would never bail, but I'm kind
of at the point where I'm like 9 weeks I can just run 25K.
That's the most I've ever run. How am I going to be able to run
42 kilometres? Is there, is there, I don't know
if you've done any research into this Pineda, but just over the
course of your experience coaching people, is there a like
a quitting point in the lead up to a marathon?
Is there a is there a 8 weeks out, four weeks out, one week?
Is there a point where it's more common for people to quit on a
marathon? Look, I, I, I don't know, but I
know a lot of these big races, they hold spots in the half so
people can downgrade. As well.
OK. So there must be a lot of
people, yeah, that go from the marathon to the half or the half
to the 10K so they don't sell out all their spots.
Interesting. Yeah, Yeah.
So I think they're they're expecting it as well.
So it must happen with a lot of lot of races everywhere and sort
of people. Can we ask about Bronte's
training? She's flying, she's getting
eyes, she's set for a slower week coming up and then what is
the next couple of weeks look like for her?
So we're looking at doing another one of those interval
sessions. OK, I'm ready.
No, I'm ready. I've reframed my mindset around
intervals. Yeah.
And and then around Gold Coast 30, I think we'll probably have
an easy week, OK, that's coming up fairly soon.
And 18. Yeah, yeah.
And look at looking at getting to a specific long run probably
I would say the longer she'll run is not over 35K even, you
know, might even be a little bit less.
So I think if you can run anything over 30 K, around 30 K,
you'll be fine for the marathon. Yeah.
So we're looking at every second week.
So whatever week you do an interval session, it's an easy
long run that's fairly short. And then the next week you just
jog all week and you do a longer run that's a bit longer and
harder. Yeah.
And I've looked at we're, we're looking at a marathon pace of
about 625 per K, which is about a four hour 30 marathon.
But I'm I'm completely just guessing that.
And normally for beginners, I don't even put paces in there
for the long runs. But I think for you, Bronte, I
think you're, you're pretty good.
You're you're. I would class you like a bit
better than a beginner. No, that's great.
But I think it's just fun to have a look at some paces when
you're doing those long runs, even though they're very slow
compared to what you can run for 1/2 marathon.
Yes, those paces. So they look very slow on paper,
but they're good. Something to just keep in your
mind when you're doing those sessions I've.
Really got to try to slow down. What is that?
What is that idea of of like starting to actually think about
a pace for the marathon do for you?
Yesterday, I appreciate and understand the importance of a
slower marathon pace, right? I think even after our first
chat where I said why can't I just go out and run as fast as I
can. And just I think got being in a
competition atmosphere or race atmosphere yesterday, which is
what I imagine the marathon will also feel like and not running a
good enough race. And and now I really I think it
has reset my mind frame of why those slow runs and that pace
whilst it seems slow is necessary for 42.
Kilometres, I think we might put that down as something we get to
another day. Bonita talking, getting your
advice on on race day experience the actual the vibe around race
day because I mean the numbers beneath just giving you as a
projected time potentially is essentially what you did and in
your half again. Yeah, yeah.
So it's maintaining that pace you ran and you just said the
idea of running that again at the end of the yesterday.
But but on an easy call, yeah, and you've run fast.
One hour, 50 and half. Yeah, and not going five 20s at
the beginning of the race. Have you ever run over 30 KS
before? I have not.
OK, 25 is the most. I did that on Easter Saturday.
So the 30K race that's coming up in what, 3 weeks is going to be
the amazing. Everything from here on out,
from 25, it will be the new frontier.
That's incredible. Yeah, no, it's it's when you
finish, you just, you know, I look back on the Brunty this
time last year saying she ran 25 coming up to 30 KS goes what?
Where's the medal? It's at home, it will be in
studio tomorrow, don't you worry.
We like to adore our medals. No, I always think too within
marathon preps, you always don't run quite as well in halves as
you think you might. And everyone is different.
Some people, some very few people run PBS in 1/2 within a
marathon prep. I don't know, I never used to.
I used to run a long way from my PB in 1/2 when I was training
for a marathon. So I would say for this, the
next race it's 30 K. You use it as practise for the
marathon more so than you're going flat out for the whole 30
Ki. Did think of that yesterday when
I was running when in our first chat when you said prepping for
1/2 marathon is completely different.
Yeah, prepping for a marathon. That did come in some of my
darkest moments yesterday. What did you need to say again?
Well, Bronte, the first time is flying.
She's absolutely flying. Three weeks into the programme
and everything is looking rosy. On the other side of the coin,
if you haven't kept up with the episodes, we started the
programme and I got injured literally week one.
We finished week one of the programme and I sent Benita a
message saying I've hurt my calf.
So this came off the back of not recovering properly from Kanani
is what we think. The elevation there, the heels,
I've gone out for that longer session on the the longer run on
the Sunday with the building in at the 1st 12 KS at the 5:30 and
then accelerating. And hindsight I would have
stopped after 7 KS because I felt that calf then and I
finished the 22 or whatever it was and I knew this was going to
be a problem for a couple of weeks.
So since then I have been, we went from doing a week of about
55 KS, followed by a week of 10 KS, other by week of just gone
of 24 KS. The good news is the update is
that the calf's actually feeling fine.
So I've done the right thing there and gone to the physio and
all the rest of it. But I guess questions are Bonita
and I want to talk strength training with you in a SEC, but
when do I seriously reassess or when do you as the coach
reassess what I'm shooting for? Because.
A week ago, in my mind I'm like, if Benita comes and says let's
just go after a sub 3:30, I'm fine with that.
I was that flat about running and about my calf and
everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I think the main thing is that it's feeling good.
And then what I always look to is to get you back into full
training. So I wouldn't be putting
pressure on times or anything until, yeah.
And we're probably a few weeks away from that.
OK. So yeah.
And then once you're in full training and you've got no, no
issues, then we'll look at what what we're going to go for.
OK, so I've got a couple more weeks of just getting getting
back up to full training. What for?
For a catch up perspective last week has been the physio Liam at
Gold Coast physio said no back to back training, incorporating
some cross training stuff as well as interesting this you
might find this interesting. I'm allowed to on days when I
run. I'm actually that's the day the
physios encourage me to go and do the strength training because
he said you won't. You're not going to tear the
calf at the gym doing your strength training.
It'll feel fatigued and tired the next day and that's fine.
But he's like it's the back to back running because he a little
bit of background as well. I'm an idiot.
Who? Thought that, yeah.
Thanks. I'm an idiot who thought that
first time injured my calf. The physio, this is back in
Sydney, told me, are you doing strength training?
And I was like, Oh yeah, I'm running.
And he's like, that's not strength training.
I'm not, but it's getting my legs stronger.
Isn't that like, no, it's not. So I now know that strength
training is actually doing weights and all that sort of
stuff. But so we've been, I'm strength
training now and the cross training has been very
interesting because you've had me on the bike for some sessions
which I've done. But the one I wanted to tell
people about was the pool session that you had me do on
the weekend just gone. I was.
Have you ever run in a pool before?
I haven't. I've run around a pool.
Yeah, never in a pool. Run around a pool.
Run towards a pool. Yeah.
No, I had to. I was doing running in the pool.
Oh. My God, that sounds difficult
it. Was and I will never laugh at
the Aqua aerobics class again. No, it is tough going.
What what is the? I mean, aside from the non
weight bearing, what's the the theory behind what you had me
doing those those 10 or 15 second efforts in the pool
running? Yeah, Look, I think, I think
it's just like gets your heart rate up pretty well.
Like I always found when I was cross training that, you know,
on the bike, unless I'm riding up like a like a hill climb
that's like 30 minutes of climbing up at up elevation, I
don't get my heart rate up very high.
So with the with the pool running, you've got to have
really short recovery. So whether you're doing like 3
minute reps or you're doing 15 second reps and like I like like
doing short reps because I feel like it just keeps people
motivated to like go hard for that period of time and then go,
then you can go then go hard again.
So you're kind of stimulating that.
If you told me I had to run for three minutes in the pool, I
would have been done after one, right?
There's no way I could have run for three minutes in the pool.
Yeah, yeah, you've got a sort of, you gotta like the three
minute ones are more like sort of 10K pace feel if you're
running. So it's a different mindset.
Whereas like the short ones, you go hard, but I gave you the
short ones 'cause I thought you'd probably go hard anyway.
And also because once I get midway over pool I can't touch
them. I was.
I need a visual of how this endeavour goes so.
For me, you go to the shallow end.
Yes, Yeah. But so basically starting on a
wall. Yes.
And 15 seconds running up the pool, right?
But now, should I have had my arms?
I should have asked you this. Should I have had my arms out of
the water or in the water? In the water and yeah and, and
you know, like you can be in the deep water with a a a vest as
well. So that's probably and then
you're you're going really hard and that's that's the way that
you know a lot of, but you're going in the shallow where.
That, yeah, OK. I did not even think that I
could have put floaties on and done it that way.
OK. Yeah, but it it, it can work
both ways. But I think and swimming is good
too. But yeah, but that's that's the
way I would normally do. It second part of this cross
training, I'll I'll tell you about in a minute because that
was even harder than the running in the pool.
So Benita has said right three to four sets, 1015 second
evidence with a 15 second recovery running in the pool.
I've gone down the shallow end of this gym pool that I was at
and started running. By the end of the three sets,
I've got like burn grazers on the tips of my toes from the
bottom of the pool from the push, 'cause it's all tiles and
so you inevitably hit the ground or the whatever it's called.
And So what my toes right now are actually all quite sore
because pushing off with those things with effort really burns
the tips of your little toes. Yeah.
Well, we we'll, Yeah. Well, next time we'll do one in
the deep. We'll do it.
We'll get you floaties, see your kids.
Floating and you can't do it. Before I can't do that.
Oh, actually, I've got to pull it home.
I was gonna say I can't do that in public.
Yeah, yeah. So can't.
Absolutely weird. And the the deep.
End and yeah. Marathon training and people
leave you alone. And when you're actually doing
it properly, you're not going very far.
So you do look like you're not doing much like in when you're
in the deep end. OK.
So it does look really like I've done it so many times.
If we just look at you like, what are you doing?
Right. And so it is just heart rate
that's yeah, yeah, heart rate out nice enough 'cause I'm a bit
the same when I ride the bike, whether it's on the road or
stationary trainer. I my heart rate doesn't get too
high, yeah, compared to when I'm actually running.
Like I just find it really hard to get my heart rate up too
high. So that was Part 1 of the cross
training. The other part you heard of
hypoxic breathing? Oh no, but I I like the sound of
it. This was so this is how I had to
end my cross training session on the weekend with Benita was with
two hypoxic laps, which is go as far underwater as you can and
then when you come up, swim flat out to the end.
What? Can you breathe explain the
theory? No, Well, no, you just wanna
swim as fast as it. Well, I hope it wasn't with
breathing 'cause I breathe a lot.
What's the theory behind hypoxic training?
Hypoxic work. Yeah, Look, I'm, I don't know
too much about like the exact thing, but I think it's like
when you're holding your breath, you're getting less oxygen to
your body. And so then when you come up,
you're already feeling like really depleted and then just
going hard. You know, you're getting that
bit of that lactic feeling, right?
So she's supposed to like, simulate, like going hard.
OK. And just something different too
than just just doing the same thing all the time.
So I first when I was in A50 metre pool and I reckon I went
20 metres underwater and then came up and swam at, for me
pretty quick to the end, right, I reco.
I did the recovery 60 seconds or whatever it was.
The second underwater I might have gone maybe 5 metres.
I was like and then by and then maybe swam hard for another 10
metres. I was knackered.
That was really tough. Yeah, that like, I, I find
hypoxic swimming so hard and you can do like, like laps and laps
of that. And, you know, maybe you could
do, you can do like 50 flat out like sprints freestyle.
But I, I always don't like doing that because I'm not a swimmer
and a lot of runners don't even like the pool.
But when you're doing that hypoxic stuff, it just breaks it
up. And I feel like it makes it a
little bit harder. And like even if you're a bad
swimmer, it doesn't matter because it's still like, it's
just about working your aerobic system.
Yeah. And just getting like what, what
you wanna do is just keep your keep your body training hard and
working hard and like without. So we don't wanna do cross
training. It's gonna hurt your calf.
So there's lots of things that like elliptical, I think that's
probably too much pounding. So there's lots of things that
we probably couldn't do as well. This is so funny because all the
exercises you're now prescribing to avoid me hurting my calf are
the exercises I imagine old people having to do.
Yeah, like the elliptical. You just have to accept that.
Man doing doing Aqua aerobic basically.
But look at them. They've been on those aerobics
and on those ellipticals. For years and that I haven't got
car problems. Exactly.
Have I told you that when I booked in for the physio
appointment? Bonita, this is the same physio
crew that I went to when I've heard it a couple of years ago.
The chat now at the physio is a oh, Liam's booked him for an
appointment. What for?
Don't I? Probably his calf, probably his
calf. I'm I now have a reputation
within the physio world here on the Gold Coast is having calf
problems, which is I'm the I'm the calf.
What is the issue? What did you feel like when you
were saying you have 7 KS into that run?
Yeah. Was it a very similar feeling?
I I knew the feeling because I've had problems with it before
when it's, it's kind of, but the previous injury when I missed
the Golden Marathon two years ago, it tore like I was doing a
warm up and it tore and I felt it go and I was like, oh, that's
not good. And that was about six weeks
out. This one was just a strain.
This one, thankfully this one was just a strain, but it it's I
know I should know better that I need to be doing.
If I let off on my strength training and I don't recover
properly like from Konani, I'm going to have problems.
Sadly, as much as I'd like to think I'm a 21 year old whose
body is invincible and can survive all of this, if I want
to keep running I need to be practical about all this.
Which gets to the point about strength training.
Yeah. Can we talk 'cause we've had
some people send through messages and say hey, what is
Benita's takes on strength training?
How should we be incorporating this into our programmes if
we're not already? What is your overall attitude
towards? Strength training, yeah.
Look, I think, you know, when we're talking about age, like I
think when you're in your 20s, you can get away with most
things. You can go out, have late
nights, not do strength training, you know, just just do
your running like you want to. But as we get older, strength
training just becomes more and more important.
Like it's obviously still important in your 20s, but 30s,
forties, 50s, everyone that I work with does some form of
strength training. You know, I can set some stuff,
but I think the best way to do it is having working with
someone that knows running that can help you and set it for you.
And like, I know a lot of people probably may not have access to
someone like that, but even if you've got, you know, weights in
your gym, you've got a few at home.
So you've got, you know, set some stuff up at home.
You can really get a lot of stuff done in 15 to 20 minutes
twice a week. So if you can't afford to go to
APT or you don't have your own strength programme, I can set
something. But the best way to do it is get
someone else to to help you and then you can get sort of the
right weights for what you need as well.
So and, and from a frequency perspective, obviously you just
outlined that age is relevant, but for someone like me, I'm 40,
how often should I be doing strength training ignoring my
injury? Let's imagine I didn't have this
calf injury and I'm just, and I'm trying to train for this
marathon. 2 * a week, 3 * a week.
What should I be doing generally?
Yeah. Look, I think when you're not
training for the marathon, I would do probably two or three
times and maybe do a bit of Pilates or some core on a few
other days, right. But when you're training for the
marathon a couple of times at least, but always think, too,
when you're training for the marathon, you know, you can't
build your days up with all this extra stuff because you just
can't. So we have to really work on
strength as well when you're not in marathon training.
But then obviously you're doing it in marathon training as well.
Yeah. I think 22 sessions a week would
be good. Yeah.
And generally a lot of people I work with, that's that's about
what they do. Some people supplement with a
few Pilates. They might do Pilates, they
might do their own strength at home.
Other people have a Pete like Bronte goes to APT twice a week.
But really, you know, as you get older, it's just so important.
Yeah. And it's one of those things
that I think, you know, I've got stuff at home.
I know what I want to do strength wise.
But, you know, when I was in my 20s, I probably didn't do it
properly, didn't do enough of it.
And I think it's gotten more and more important, especially as we
wear the Super shoes. I think the Super shoes too,
like I, I know I've said I've never worn them before, but I
know that they really can smash your calves a bit.
So you've got to really be careful, yes, and, and really
have that strength in your body when you're wearing them as well
and, and to recover. What did you run your half in
yesterday? I ran in and I think that that
might make sense. I ran in on cloud monsters yes,
this the second time I'd run in them.
Are they I think they're kind of considered super chewy esque.
They're they're for like half marathons and onwards.
Like if you're gonna run in long distances, that's but I have
found, and it's interesting you say that since I started running
in there, my calves and I was like, why are my calves hurting
for the first time? Do you think that is?
Yeah, yeah. And I've and I particularly,
yeah, I have heard about those, those ones.
But look, it's just important because I coach so many people.
I've had a lot of people telling me things.
It's just we've just got to be really, really strength trained
up to make sure that we can handle that, yes.
What is it about? What is it about that shoe that
make is more impactful on your calves?
I have no idea. Yeah.
You don't have the I'm just doing a bit of quick Googling
here. Yeah, So it's not a carbon plate
shoe, but it has a nylon speed board.
I love that. I could feel it.
Yeah, I could feel it coming through.
I was bouncing off that. Board sounds pretty good.
You have a on the on cloud Monster shoe does not feature a
carbon plate but rather a speed board made of nylon.
Yes, absolutely. But it still has that intense
rocker, yes, to the front. And it's that same propulsion
mechanism in there that all the fast running shoes will give
you. Yes.
So, OK, so the strength training basically, if you're into your
marathon prep, you want to maintain it.
It sounds like the, the when to really focus on your strength
training is outside of your your training blocks.
Is there anything I mean, and the other take away there from a
strength training perspective is find somebody who can help you
at least put together a specific set of because it's one thing to
say strength training, but I need to focus on my calf
strength training because of the way I run.
So it's sort of not redundant, but it that wouldn't work just
to throw a blanket strength training set for everybody
because people run different ways and people were heel
strikers and people, you know, So it's probably hard to sort of
medicate for everybody in that sense.
The just for as it's a coach to let you know what I'm being
prescribed at the moment by Liam, the physio, I'm on the
Smith machine doing isometric holds.
So pushing into that as hard as I can and holding for 30 seconds
and then doing sets of those. And then the other one is AI,
can't remember what how we described it, but staying on
that Smith's machine with about 10 kilos either side and a lunge
and a push up on the front foot. Does that make sense to you?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I can.
I can. Picture what I'm doing, like all
that weight's going through that front foot, the back one's there
just for stabilising and doing so doing that heavy stuff at the
gym on run days and then doing just body weight stuff at home.
Yeah, but on the non running days.
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah is. There anything else you think I
should be throwing in as a part of that?
No, no, I think, I think there's a lot of science behind doing
strength training even like on run days or when you're doing
sessions on session days as well.
So making the hard days hard and the easy days easy.
OK. So that's something that I think
works really well. But also, yeah, with the stuff
that you're getting off Liam and the strength training, like a
lot of coaches out there, and I'm one of them, like we're very
good at coaching running and knowing running.
But a lot of coaches aren't like qualified in in strength
coaching or strength training. So it's really good as a coach
to work with people that you know that are good.
Or if someone says I'm going to this person, you say, yeah,
yeah. But it's it's it's good if you
can have that communication and with the physio too.
So you had an injury, you went to Liam.
I work a lot with Pogo, with Brad Beer at Pogo.
And Brad always lets me know, you know what I should prescribe
because and I've been asking you what Liam suggests because I'm
also not a physio. So it helps working with these
treatment professionals like if you've got an injury as well and
you're not sure what it is, diagnosis is best with a sports
doctor as well. So and then they work with me to
help you sort of get back to the point where I can start setting
proper training and then we're sort of on the way.
Brody, do you know what I'm really enjoying?
Found this with Courtney, and I'm finding with Benita now as
well. Unlike us in radio, who will
give our opinions on anything, Yeah, whether qualified,
justified or whether anybody even asked for it.
I was about to say yeah, if we've been offered one.
No one's ever asked for our opinion on anything, and yet we
jump on the radio every day and give an opinion when nobody's
asked for. It well, that's your opinion and
I would like to put mine forward after you finish talking.
The interesting thing about what Benita's just done there is
said, right, You're talking to an expert.
I'm not an expert. I'm not going to tell you how to
recover from this injury. I can coach your running, but
I'm not going to wade into areas that's not my expectation.
Courtney does a very similar thing.
Whenever people have asked him previously for his opinion on
how to run or train for something specifically, Courtney
has said I don't know how to train you to run this.
I know how to train myself and at my speed and with my body,
but I can't, he said. I couldn't coach you, Bronte, do
it for. Marathon in the first podcast,
in our first chat, I felt like I was in trouble with the
principle. He was like, I'm not the trainer
because I'm the coach. Because that's what he said he's
like and the idea he would be well within his rights to at
least OfferUp an opinion. Oh, yeah.
And yeah. And he'd, he'd be very good.
But I think we're the sort of like we're the same in the sense
that we're not gonna sort of just say what we think if
there's someone that's gonna be better.
Yeah, better to help. It's very responsible, it's very
big show. That's why they do what we do.
Why you'd be terrible at radio, but.
It sounds a bit boring. Yeah, I'm too.
Boring for radio you'd be no. You have people, you have our
bodies in your hands, and I think that's very understandable
that you aren't gonna tell us to do anything without the right
kind of backing for it. So we appreciate it.
We do appreciate it. We could take a a leaf out of
that. Can I just quickly on my mindset
about all this and I like that you've told me I've got a couple
more weeks until I'm back up to full training and then we can
assess the thing because what's what's been what's been tough
for me last week while this was while the calf was still really
hurting. And for anybody out there who's
got an injury at the moment or is recovering from an injury,
they'll know what I'm talking about is it's the, and I don't
want to make it sound over the top, but it's the hopelessness
of. The Blues it.
Because running, I don't get paid to run.
It's not my job. It's not gonna help pay the
mortgage, but it's what I love doing and not being able to do
that. And my wife has, when I've come
back from these recovery runs, she is hilarious because she
knows how the calf is feeling based on how I've walked through
the door. Like, I've come back from some
of those runs early and and she's gone.
Oh, no. And I haven't said anything yet.
Yeah. She's like, it is written all
over your face how that run has gone.
And I came back from a run on the weekend and she went,
everybody relax. She literally announced to my
family, everyone, it's OK Liam's not going to be a grumpy shit
because the run's going well. But the the hopelessness of
having this event that you're training for and wanting to to
be able to train for it, because I know what it's like to get to
a start line under prepared. I know what it's like to get to
a start line prepared. And I want to get to this
marathon start line prepared. But so from a headspace
perspective, mindset about all this, I know like I know that
there's broader horizons ahead. So I'm OK.
But for people like how do you coach runners that are from a
It's not your job to coach their minds, but it is a little bit to
talk their attitude through these programmes when things
aren't going well. Yeah, look, and that's a really
good question. I think as a coach, I think you
help need to help more, help people more.
When things aren't going well, then for someone like Bronte,
things are going really well for Bronte.
She probably doesn't need as much help from me emotionally.
But I think it's really important for people to stay
positive and look at, you know, how far they've come and, and
getting back to where they need to be and, and reassess and.
And sort of, you've always got to sort of you have a goal, but
you've got to reassess it and then move on.
And running is one of those things where you can't sort of
keep thinking, what happened 2 weeks ago, what happened a month
ago, what I really want to do at this race, because it might
happen for you in one or two years time rather than, you
know, in nine weeks. So it's one of those things that
I really think that it's important to stay positive and
look at what you're doing in your life and, and how far
you've come rather than sort of, you know, thinking, oh, what if
I didn't do that, that race in Tasmania?
And you know, what if I didn't, you know, and because you can't
think like that, you've just got to look forward.
And that's really important. But but yeah, but it's important
to have someone that understands what it's like because it's,
it's brutal and it's hard for partners of running.
It really is when you're talking about your wife.
Like I totally understand and, and totally get that.
And from people I work with. Yeah, it's a lot of a lot of
their moods are centred around how their running's going.
I love the I love the idea that anybody out there listening to
this who's who has a similar set up with their partners has has
walked back in and go see, it's not just me, but yeah, this is
what every runner goes through. It's so consuming, it is my
biggest personality trait at the moment and I'm like what happens
after 9 weeks? Who am I without this training?
The next race. True, Trevor ends.
We changed the goal posts. The other thing I will say, and
this from a headspace mindset about this, because that's kind
of I'm focusing on rehabbing the calf and get getting back into
full training. And the other thing I'm trying
to do is keep positive about it. I'm also jumping that inevitable
hurdle of comparison and being the what's the phrase comparison
is the FIFA joy. Yes, London Marathon, Boston
Marathon, Barrelarat Marathon. I've got all these friends that
have been going and competing in these races and doing these
amazing PBS and posting these amazing things.
I don't know if it's been a good thing for me consuming all of it
because it has again, just put into my head, well, I want to
run a peepee and I rather than just focusing in on what I'm the
right, what I need, yeah, to do right now.
Yeah, and it's really hard. Like I watched London Marathon
on TV last night and obviously followed Ballarat Marathon.
We're supposed to go, but our house is getting Renault today
because of the cyclone. So we've got too many other
things to do. But yeah, but and and followed
Boston Marathon too. And it's one of those things too
where you you just want to be in other people's shoes and you
want to do what other people are doing.
And it's just, and it's so hard, but just everyone and out there
listening as well. Just remember that your time in
running comes and your day comes and you don't always have
brilliant days. You don't always have, you know,
the ideal prep. But it's one of those things
that if it's in your life for years and years, you're going to
have those brilliant days, You're going to have those
fantastic races, but not every race and not every prep.
And like, if I look at my, my career over almost 20 years, I
had way more times that were hard times than those pinnacle
times. And, and not talking about it as
if it's like a career for, for any of us, but it's one of those
things that, you know, you remember those high times and
those, you know, those pinnacles, but it's about the
journey. And always think it's like a
roller coaster. This, this running journey for
everyone. It's and it's never smooth.
Yes, you stick with it long enough and your day will come.
Exactly, and the hard times probably make the good times
even. Alright, let's not get all
party. Yeah, group hug.
This is that. I think that's a perfect
outline. Bonita today.
Lace up running the great Bonita.
She's amazing. Right, Bonita Wills in studio.
Bonita, thank you so much. And thank you to your little
fella Max, who's been incredibly patient during all this.
Thanks, man. He kept quiet as long as he
could. Bronte.
Yeah. I'm so happy to hear your prep
is going so well. Thanks.
You stick with it. I will, I will, and you stick
with your new. Boring old rehab.
Yeah, yeah, Doing acro aerobics and living on the elliptical.
Hey, again, thanks for everyone for listening.
If you're on your marathon journey, feel free to flick us a
comment. If you've got any questions that
you want Benita or Bronte to answer, or myself, please send
them through. We'll answer as many of those as
we can across the course. If you've got other friends of
yours that are running the marathon, you think they might
benefit from hearing some of this stuff, whether they're a
first timer like Bronte or they've got a time in mind like
myself, or if you've got someone who's injured and needs to know
that it's all going to be OK, make sure you share the podcast.
We're having a great time and we will see you next week.