Right now – 27 November, as this is written – it is exactly 64 years past the mid-point of the athletics’ program at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.
Sixty-four is not an anniversary we usually celebrate, I’ll grant you, but consider two points of mitigation in that regard. Firstly, the four-year Olympic cycle does not lend itself to the five-year rhythm of most anniversary celebrations: the two waves only coincide once every 20 years, which is way too long between drinks.
My name is Sophie, I'm 29 years old and live in Cambridge, New Zealand. I am part of the NZ High Performance Triathlon Team targeting Olympic Qualification for Tokyo 2021. I started the sport of triathlon as a 16 year old in 2008, and have loved being in the High Performance team from then up until now. A big highlight for me was competing at the 2019 Tokyo Test Event. My training is a little different than many other triathletes. My coach and I are not big on volume, but prefer specificity and a "quality over quantity" approach. I train around 20hrs a week, including 4-5 runs, 4 rides, 4 swims, 2 gyms and 1 yoga session a week. My favourite sessions are speed sessions where I might do 300m reps as fast as I can run. I love the feeling of running fast and I find the most satisfaction from these sessions. I occasionally enjoy long steady runs but prefer to do these with company so we can have a chat and a laugh! Nothing beats a bit of banter with friends. My husband George and my friend Ryan Sissons paced me to a PB 5km last year of 16:37 which I found a lot more fun with them beside me!
When I look back on 2010, overall, I see a successful year. It is a year that could have been much better, but it still wasn’t too bad. Through some ups and downs, I have learnt a few lessons that will put me in good stead for what 2011...
I have always loved running, whether that be racing on the track, running the road for a marathon, chasing a football growing up, or running after my twin brother. Running has given me so much and I am not sure where I would be today without it. It is...
Hello Runners,
This is my first blog for Runner’s Tribe and I hope you all enjoy it. Far from my life story, here are some quick opinions and anecdotes …
Being a hatchet:
My former school teacher, long time coach and good mate Johnny Meagher is great with an analogy. He described...
Australian Mountain Running Championships
I have run Australian championships in distances ranging from 3000m (or 1500m as a junior) to half marathon, over steeples, cross country, track and road, but I have never run an Aussie mountain running championship. With the titles being held in Canberra and the course not...
#2016
The ultimate goal of every athlete is the Olympics, especially in the sport of athletics. It is a sport which can offer an abundance of self satisfaction - but the “income” and “fame” that most other sports see are outcomes which elude most Australians - therefore, basically rendering the...
All I wanted for Christmas...
This is for all those whose Santas wish lists included GPS watches, compression tights, heart rate monitors and racing flats. For anyone who started off Christmas Day with a hills session or snuck out of the family gathering before dinner for a recovery run. For...
The 2004 world cross country (WXC) in Brussels was certainly the highlight of my career. It was my 4th world cross country (my first time in the 8km race) and without a doubt, going into it, I was in my best shape of my career to date.
I had always doubted my ability in these big races, i.e. Olympics, world track and field champs, world indoors etc, but for some reason, when I ran in the WXC, I always knew I belonged at the front. In the back of my mind in WXC races, I knew I could beat everyone (even the Africans) if I had a good day. I had no fear and always raced aggressively, putting myself in medal winning positions even at my first one in 2001 (where I placed 6th). I was incredibly consistent at the WXC year in, year out. I was never able to achieve this consistency on the track or road.
I am sitting on the plane flying from Hong Kong to Melbourne after an amazing experience at my first World Championships. I have broken the trip up into sections below to try and capture what my experience was like and how I coped running a marathon in the Beijing...
