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Thanks man, and yep wasn’t paying attention haha but it’s all good luckily! Try out this parkrun sometime if you get the chance, it’s a nice break from Rhodes!

Thanks mate! And Taree is definitely on the bucket list if I ever swing by there, looks like a really nice one along the river! Have you done some Sydney parkruns btw?

Thanks man! What are some of your favourite parkruns around Perth or your area btw?

I've only ever ran at 3 parkruns. Applecross, Bibra Lake and Yokine. All of them are pretty flat, Applecross and Yokine are out and back course and Bibra Lake is a straightforward A to B. There is UWA parkrun which is the closest to this one I think. But I haven't done it yet. Have to try it someday

Haha absolute classic right, and a nice little break from the Gold Coast series (which is somehow still ongoing…), definitely gotta do more parkruns around Sydney!

Thanks man! You gotta come Rhodes parkrun sometime when you get the chance, I reckon you’ll really surprise yourself there!

Haha thanks man, not all of my parkruns are this quick but got out a bit quick this day and tried to hang on… I can’t say it wasn’t an honest hard effort that’s for sure!

Appreciate it man, and yea it’s a bit tricky to navigate with some narrow sections, hilly parts and lots of turns, not to mention it being 2 laps… but was still quite an enjoyable one to visit! What was your most recent parkrun btw?

Thanks as always man, and catch you at a parkrun sometime!

Hey thanks for stopping by! I haven't personally used Runna, but I know of some runners who have and they've gotten some solid outcomes from it. From what I've seen online and was also shown in person, it's quite feature-packed - there's personalised training plans (from beginner to advanced) for various distances (such as 5K to marathon and further), warmup, strength and mobility routines to follow, individual accredited coaches, user support and knowledgebase, and so on - all within an app that has solid user interface and design. However, there is a fee for the whole app and service and it's about $12 a month (or $120 a year). It could be an excellent resource for beginners getting into running (and even for more experienced runners, actually), as it seems to cover the bases quite well, has a strong backing of accomplished athletes and coaches, and has many of the things I wish I knew about back then (especially knowing what I know now, such as warming up and strength training). It might even be cheaper and more accessible than some coaching services out there, and although it could be a viable alternative, it might not be the best substitute for an actual coach - it still really depends on the individual and their circumstances and preferences. And as feature-packed as Runna is, it might not be entirely comprehensive and might have its own limitations to deal with, which might require the user to have a bit of initiative and awareness to fill in some of the gaps on their own and to adjust and adapt as they go. Again I haven't used Runna nor have I ever been coached so I don't really know what it's like for now... but with that said, I believe it could be worth a try sometime, especially given that there's a 2 week free trial for new users (with certain sign-up codes floating around online). So yea unfortunately I don't have much info nor experience with Runna but hope this helps!

Absolutely man, that's the aim of the game haha... again well done at Perth, it might've not gone entirely to plan but we both know there's so much to go from there (as is often the case with marathon training) so definitely keen to see how you go for the next!

@RobOnTheRun Thanks man! Yeah definitely! Keep up the good work with these videos!

Thanks for stopping by and keep up the good work! How many parkruns have you done so far? And also do you mind if I ask which parkrun it is, or at least what it's like, e.g. is it a hilly one, or even done on grass or gravel vs. pavement? I do feel like course terrain and profile is a fairly important factor for performance too - there's parkruns where my performance will definitely vary wildly due to how hilly or flat one is over the other! I also tend to run much better in the cooler months of autumn and winter, so you probably won't find me going too quick in the upcoming warm and humid summer months haha

@@RobOnTheRun I do the Taree Parkrun, hit my 28th run today. It's mostly concrete and is rather flat along the bank of the river, the U-turns are a bit of a pace killer for me. Was fairly humid today but because of the river we are often saved by a good breeze. I loved that video you did at Wildflower with the hills, and you were still plenty fast haha, it's on the bucket list for next time I head to Sydney.

@@ax88-e7t Ahh nice, I had a quick look at some photos of Taree parkrun and it certainly looks like a nice scenic one, also makes me want to try more parkruns as I've really been meaning to but keep forgetting! And yep certainly not a fan of u-turns either... there's actually a parkrun in Sydney called Cooks River parkrun with a very similar setup of 1.25km out and back for 2 laps along a river, perhaps not as grand as Manning River but a river is still a river haha, and it's also quite shaded underneath large trees. Been meaning to but haven't done it yet, have run along it many times during long runs. And oh man Wildflower is definitely a hilly one, the video didn't do it justice but it was really a massive shock over my usual Rhodes parkrun (10m elevation gain vs. 130m geez)... do feel free to let me know if you're ever down here and I'll try to join you at whatever parkrun it may be, but if it's Wildflower it'd be best to go chill there haha

Thanks for stopping by and sharing that! How long have you been running for btw? And yea I feel pretty much the same way, and though I'm still keen on chasing performance for as long as I reasonably can, trying to maintaining good health and general fitness at the same time isn't particularly easy or that conducive of each other... but personally I still reckon it makes the whole fitness journey inside and outside of running more interesting and worthwhile!

@@RobOnTheRun I took up running very late in age but from memory it was around late 2018 that I began. I suffered different calf and achilles related injuries on the way even though I tried to be aware not to overtrain. Thankfully, this year I've been injury free.I put it down to age and poor form at the time (not that it has improved much). Yes, it is nice to aim for a PB and achieve it.

@@white_deer1 Ahh I see and fair enough, honestly the possiblity of injuries in this sport of running has always been a concern for me, because as cautious, careful, strong, experienced or even fit as we may be, sometimes it can still happen anyway or even be caused by something out of our control... I guess it's important to not let it set us back or drag us down too much but to also learn from it and overcome it as part of experience, and definitely be smarter with it as we go... but hey it's awesome to hear that you're still out there getting it done - I reckon being injury-free for a good while is a massive win for anyone, and it's also likely setting you up for good things to come so here's to more injury-free running!

For years thought I had shin splints, but it was just bad shoes.. so now I run when I can

@@ax88-e7t Yea fair enough, personally I think a good part of enjoying running is getting better at it over time, which likely involves eliminating pain points and ticking boxes as you go. It's certainly not great to feel like something's holding you back or making running an irritating journey, especially with something like shin splints (or some other injury or chronic-feeling setback), but it's good that you were able to find out it was the shoes - did you have to get it checked up to find out? (I honestly really should be getting checked up more often, even if I mostly feel ok...) Also what kind of shoes do you run with these days?

@@RobOnTheRun I agree the getting better over time certainly helps with the enjoyment, and being at your optimum is going to keep you on that improvement climb. But I'm also really bad at even starting a training program to get better.. 😅Thinking about the first non-parkrun event I've signed up for next month, running opens the door to go new places, meet new people, face new challenges - all things I wasn't really doing prior. I had been wearing under armour shoes which to me looked like shoes that could handle walking/jogging.. but it got so bad I was visibly walking injured for weeks and having to get massages/dry needling. A mate convinced me it's the shoes and wasn't just me. So I got my feet scanned, found I was not wearing the correct size and should be getting the wider width. Have been wearing Ghost 16, so Brooks has my complete bias because they let me walk after I ran.

@@ax88-e7t Wow your experiences are certainly relatable... I started running during practically peak Covid with lockdowns and all, so the social aspect wasn't all there, and even when it slowly came back, it still took me almost 2.5 years from starting before I signed up for my first race! Then parkrun was the next biggest door I accidentally stumbled upon and looking back, I wish I found out about it earlier but we're here now so it's all good hey. And hope the event next month goes well for you, should be a great experience! And yea in terms of the shoes, similar case for me as well - I was wearing the Adidas Ultraboost 4.0 which was fashionable but also seemed sporty enough so I wore it for absolutely everything from casual, hikes, walks, gym and running. Took me about 1700km or about a year (of ignoring some slight fit and width discomfort) before I mustered the courage to go to Athlete's Foot, get my feet scanned and also found out that I had slightly wide feet just like in your case, then finally get a decent replacement (being the New Balance 1080v10). Have also owned a few Brooks since then and can agree it's super solid. Sometimes I do wonder what it'd be like to run in those Ultraboosts again, or even Dunlop Volleys like I used to in high school haha

It feels good, and it makes for a unique way to see new places when I travel.

Much appreciated man! I used my GoPro Hero 10 like I do for pretty much all my vids, except this time I didn't bring the grip/tripod stick (which I tend to bring for my parkrun vids) so it did get a bit tricky to hold the GoPro steady during the race (same setup as Sun Run actually). And for the overlay I used Garmin VIRB Edit, the software hasn't been updated/supported in a while now but still works fairly well somehow!

@@RobOnTheRun cheers mate - thanks for shy

Yea for sure man, I feel like over time the data that Garmin collects on us gets saturated with the typical limitations and inaccuracies of the watch (especially when it comes to heart rate and sleep data, for example) and at some point various metrics get thrown off and never really gets corrected, so I always thought it might be handy if one day we were able to recalibrate those metrics through some type of fitness test or benchmark run, though I don't think that'll resolve the issue entirely since it'll likely just resurface later on (maybe this is a feature on newer watches but I wouldn't know - my Forerunner 245 is still hanging on for now haha)... in any case I still find it fairly cool to have access to a bunch of data and analytics, and sometimes the trends make sense, sometimes it doesn't but it's all good I guess... Thanks again for stopping by and hope your training goes well for your first marathon too!

@@adambarnier Thanks for stopping by and appreciate it man! And that’s exactly how I felt when I edited the video, it covers the heavy breathing fairly well too haha

@@digthegrig Thanks for stopping by! And yup that might’ve been the case, I tend to do Rhodes parkrun fairly often, hope I can catch you there sometime haha

@@bb0yMark You mean during the downhill sections right? Haha

@@vikramr8679 Thanks Vik! Gotta appreciate the GoPro’s stabilisation… can’t imagine how awfully shaky the video would be otherwise haha

@@stevetici2668 Thanks man, and that’s definitely solid given your training, the course and how packed it is! And I guess that’s what City2Surf is all about - you have all types of walkers and runners from young to old, beginner to elite, some wearing costumes, and some barely sober haha, all out there having a great time. And yup Sonic Heroes is an absolute classic, figured it might go nicely in a race setting haha

@@Justin_Ly Likewise man, it was really great to catch you, Matt and the other guys at the start (even if it was only for a short while haha), and you guys absolutely smashed the race, LESHGO!

@@bon277 Appreciate the feedback man! Was worried it’d be a bit too distracting but looks like it turned out mostly ok I think haha

Totally agreed man!

Haha yea man there's only so much we can ask for from our running watches hey, it's probably trying its best given what it can log in terms of data and also the likely inaccuracies from the usual suspects (such as heart rate and sleep data) that come along with it!

Hey much appreciated and thanks for stopping by!

Hey mate, I used the GoPro Hero 10 for all the videos on this channel so far! It's not the current or latest model as that would be the Hero 12, but I think it still has pretty good stabilisation and audio, although doesn't perform too well in low light, nor is it that user friendly or modular compared to competitors. I reckon there's lots of nicer options on the market for running related stuff, such as the Insta360 Go 3 (really nice form factor I reckon, feel like I should've gotten this instead haha) and DJI Pocket 3 or Action 4 for example, but oh well I've had this GoPro for a while now and it still works well enough! Otherwise I use my phone (iPhone 12 Mini) for other random shots. What cameras have you tried or are considering btw?

Oh yeah for sure, seems like there's always plenty of learnings from training and especially the race itself! Some of the stuff I definitely applied for this year's Gold Coast Marathon, and definitely some that I forgot or overlooked haha... thanks again for stopping by!

Oh man tell me about it, it's certainly quite the struggle... what shoes have you tried on so far btw and what were they like for you? I can say for me personally, I have slightly wide feet but not crazy wide by any means, so I can usually slip into a normal width shoe as long as I go half or full-size up, and it feels mostly ok. Sometimes I can feel it when shoes have an aggressive arch or super narrow midfoot, but it's somewhat bearable for the most part. The bigger problem for me is that I have kinda high volume feet, and probably a tall big toe as well, since I tend to get numb big toes on long runs beyond 2 hours, which is likely a result of foot swelling plus the big toes jamming onto the toebox upper material (sizing up and extra length doesn't always resolve this!). Sometimes shoes with an aggressive toebox taper doesn't help either, which may cause some rubbing on the pinky toe...

I don’t have much rotation.. one or two maximum.. When my main pair gets old I change it to my recovery shoes.. Asics Novablast is my main pair these days.. one size up.. Before Gold Coast, I tested plated shoes from Asics, Saucony and Adidas.. but all were narrow.. going two size up didn’t make sense.. My small toes get pushed to the next one and the calluses making cuts and swelling in them.. The big toes are good in my case.. waiting for a wide plated shoe..!!

@@bidulnarayanan2616 I see, it's definitely quite tricky... sometimes I feel like it might be better to go for the comfier option available, even if it's not plated. On a somewhat related note, for me personally, I think some brands just fit generally narrow, like Nike and Puma. Then we have other brands like Saucony or Adidas for example that are a bit more bearable and sometimes offer extra width variants for their shoes, although I think only add a bit of extra material in the upper over the normal width variant, but not widen the platform. And then some other brands like New Balance and Brooks that seem to actually widen the platform a bit, ontop of adding the extra upper material. I think there's also different parts of shoe width I'm concerned with, for example - a narrow heel area doesn't affect me too much, and toebox width is usually fine for most of my shoes but it's more about the volume and type of upper material, or even sometimes the midfoot width that gets me... But yea definitely tricky stuff, I guess looking back on some of the wider shoes I've owned or at least tried on in the past, it might be worth checking out some of New Balance's offerings like the Rebel v4 or 1080v13, and maybe even the Brooks Glycerin or Ghosts in 2E wide, for example. They may not seem like the most appealing amongst the current offerings of today's market, but sometimes fit and comfort is king, and if you feel great, you'll likely run well. I kinda miss having those kind of shoes in my rotation but I honestly have too many shoes in my rotation already... Let me know how you go!

Thanks Raghu! I definitely miss the days where I had only 1 or 2 shoes in my rotation... For example, in my early days of running, I did all my runs in the Adidas Ultraboost 4.0 (which looking back doesn't seem too suitable for running a lot in, but I didn't know any better, or cared for that matter haha). Later on, from late 2022 to the first half of 2023, all I ran in was the Brooks Glycerin 20 (daily trainer) and the Brooks Hyperion Tempo (speedy stuff), and that seemed to do the trick! Then ever since I pushed my mileage for marathon training in recent times, it's been a bit tricky to find shoes that fit and ran well, last a while and don't break the bank, and I might've went overboard in trying a bunch of shoes across different brands. Some purchases have been great, some have been slight regrets, but it's all good haha, I'll try to make the most of what I have and carry forward the learnings as I go... Anyways what kind of shoe are you looking to get next btw? Any likes or dislikes regarding your Nike Run 4 Infinity or Hoka Bondi X?

@@RobOnTheRun thank you Rob for sharing your progress in purchasing. Nike run 4 - shin splits was gone after moving to Hoka X ( or maybe it was too early to judge) but surely not good for parkruns on grass as too cushiony - used to always twist my ankle on that. Hoka X - so far so good for long and recovery runs but heavy for speedy stuff. At the moment - only using Hoka for everything - as I m afraid to twist my ankle on that Nike one maybe should try on hard surfaces

​@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Ahh yea fair enough, both of those shoes seem to be fairly high stacked and cushioned but might not be too stable so can be a bit of an ankle twister like you said... There's so many shoes of different styles and tech out there nowadays and given your fairly humble rotation currently, it'll be interesting to see what you end up getting as your next pair(s)! I remember feeling amazed when I first got my New Balance 1080v10s (felt lighter than Adidas Ultraboost 4.0), then the Glycerin 20s (felt more stable and lighter than 1080v10), then Brooks Hyperion Tempo (felt so nimble, speedy and lightweight), and so on. But of course I also had plenty of fit and comfort struggles with some shoes too... But yea might be worth a visit to Pace Athletic, Athlete's Foot or even Rebel Sport sometime to try on some new options!

@@RobOnTheRun Rob great timing - I went to athlete’s foot and bought NB 1080v13 I think it is - definitely feels lighter compared to Hoka Bondi 8. As I used only one shoe I got niggle on my left foot arch and doesn’t feel right to wear Hoka anymore it dig deep on the arch - dint expect to last only for 500k… what do you think of NB 1080 for running a marathon? Now I know why we need more shoe

@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Glad to hear man, the 1080 is probably one of the most comfy daily trainer on the market for a while now, and v13 seems to be a decent improvement over its older outgoing models in many ways such as breathability and durability (at least when I compare it to v10 on paper), so it'll likely take care of you quite well. I reckon if you find it comfy enough during training (especially on those massive long runs), it should be more than suitable during the marathon itself (especially if it's your first one), as comfort is king when you're on your feet for quite a while during race conditions. Looking back, I can't believe I used my 1080v10 for all types of runs back then, from recovery runs to speed workouts, to long runs and even my first marathon, not to mention I had 3 different pairs to rotate back then... I definitely didn't know any better but it's also not too surprising given how comfy it was, apart from some blisters during wet weather due to poor heel lockdown I think (before I knew about heel lock lacing, or could've been something else). Anyways a shoe rotation (with different drops, foams, brands, etc.) can sorta help stimulate your muscles in slightly different ways to reduce the chance of overuse injury (of course strength training should be considered too), but no need to overdo the rotation like I did haha, maybe 1080v13 for most runs and possibly a sneaky fun addition for speedy stuff like the Saucony Endorphin Speeds for example (could be a hit or miss though). And if I were you, I'd probably look out for fit and comfort first and foremost, though this can often be a bit tricky since we're all so individual... And yea based on some reviews I've seen, some people mentioned Hoka shoes tend to be slightly narrow or have a higher than normal arch, not sure if this is true across their entire range since I've only tried the Mach 6 in store and found it fairly ok but slightly snug, otherwise have yet to actually wear a Hoka shoe myself...

Ahh yea it was definitely a bit tricky given that both shoes are excellent in their own regard, but with a few comfort and fit quirks (for me personally, at least)! The Vaporfly 3 was a bit roomy for me since I did go half (or maybe even full) size up from usual, so it wasn't a snug race fit by any means and so doesn't feel super quick or aggressive as I expected, but still felt very nimble, smooth and cruisy enough. It also didn't give me any numb toe issues which I was quite pleased with (at least for a 29km long run with 23km @ GMP, so it might still be an issue for longer runs but we'll see). However I did get some lace bite or pressure on the inner ankles due to the lacing and rough upper (or lack of padding in the ankle collar area), or maybe because of my ankle bone structure - quite uncomfortable for me but not quite a showstopper entirely, though I haven't really found a way to resolve it just yet. On the other hand, the Endorphin Elites definitely felt like it was stacked higher and had more cushioning, which was enough to mask the minor calf strain I was dealing with in the weeks leading up to the race. I think performance-wise it's more or less the same as the Vaporflys for me if it really came down to it, and we can appreciate the additional cushioning especially across the marathon distance, or even some races with big downhills. The fit is quite comfy and roomy initially, however I still ended up getting numb big toes during the marathon anyway (maybe it's due to the low volume toebox), plus an inner ankle blister that I've never had before (which might've been from the stiff upper from the ankle collar). I also didn't get to test it that much at race pace before Gold Coast so it was a bit of a gamble running in them on race day, but it turned out to be good enough to carry me through. Anyways going forward I'm not sure if I'd use the Endorphin Elites for a marathon again with too much confidence, unless I change up the lacing style and it somehow works out (I already switched it to a more accomodating style and even wore thinner socks but that wasn't enough!), though it'll probably be super solid for half marathon and below. In the end the numb toe thingy isn't too big of a deal since I'm quite used to it by now and still finished the Gold Coast Marathon fairly well for the most part. The Vaporflys might work for the marathon if I can get around the ankle pressure thingy plus I'll have to see what they're like beyond 29km first! Hope that helps a bit... what has your experience been like with both shoes btw?

@@bb0yMark Thanks Mark, can’t wait for our next run together along the rail trail and other routes sometime!

Much appreciated and thanks again! I'm still quite behind on the videos and didn't record too much of the race day but let's see how it turns out sometime haha

@@NicoleAvery Many thanks Nicole! A bit of a late reply from me but I have to say that the race went fairly well for the most part and I definitely had a great time out there!

@@atmis5552 Thanks for stopping by and cheers!

@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Ahh yea you definitely raise some really good points! I think what’s sorta helped me personally is that my diet is fairly carby and salty in general (given my background plus all the seasoning I guess haha) - I wouldn’t say my diet is super healthy by any means but it’s just something to note. Then combined with the amount of overnight oats I have before most runs (maybe 4-5 gels or even more worth of carbs I think), it feels like I’m able to “get away” with not needing much extra during my runs. It’s also been fairly cool for the most part during autumn and winter like you said so I haven’t needed much water even though I still carry some on long runs anyway. So it’s definitely a different story in the warmer and more humid months where the body has to work harder to keep us going… I think the other thing is that we can sorta “get away” with having and carrying less as we get fitter over time and better at knowing our bodies, limits, how to pace ourselves, etc, and that seems to be mostly trial-and-error combined with experience. In terms of salt tablets, I’ve tried some before a few long runs over the past few months (was given some by a mate and I tried a tablet before the runs but never had extra during), and I haven’t noticed much of a difference compared to without it - again it’s probably because it’s been fairly cool so I haven’t sweated as much as during summer so I’ll try it again later on and see if it works better. So honestly I don’t have much experience with this stuff in general but I reckon it’s mostly keeping an open mind to try out stuff and see what works over time plus staying adaptive. Btw what kind of pre-run meals or gels have you tried so far, any that’s worked ok or been a big avoid?

@@RobOnTheRun Thanks Rob! Yeah experience, keeping open mind, trying what works best in trining block is the key then. As my runs are in the morning like yours- rolled oats at 5:30am half cup with hot milk + banana strangely worked and not giving enough gap for it to digest just 30mins before the run hmm. I m planning to try something dry, easy to digest next - in most TH-cam vids I ve seen ppl eat some cracker with banana and peanut butter that’s my next option to try

@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Ahh thanks for sharing your experience with that! I also gotta try some dry options too haha, it’s always nice to have alternatives to at least mix things up every now and then… we’ll have to see how it goes!

@@insomniaforever6444 Cheers mate, gonna try my best out there! I will say my right calf isn’t 100%, maybe 80-90% so I’m a bit nervous about it - might’ve been from going too hard downhill on that 10K fun run a few weeks back haha… it seems to be very similar to what I had last year on my left calf but now on the other side and not as bad (some minor sore tendon on outer side). I think it should be able to hold out during the race but you never know, so we’ll have to see how it goes!

@@RobOnTheRun I hope your calf does hold out and I look forward to your post race vlog no matter what happens. The weather looks to be okay for Sunday so hopefully it stays that way.

@@bidulnarayanan2616 That’s very true… I did try a GU gel about 2 weeks ago on a long run, which was leftover from the same batch that I used for last year’s Sydney marathon race and it seemed ok as usual… but it’s hard to say whether it’ll be ok during this upcoming race. I’ve at least used that variant a bunch of times before so it probably won’t give me stomach issues for example, but whether it’ll be enough to go for this race effort, I’m not too sure haha… that said, I’ll be bringing the same remaining 6 GU gels so might as well hope for the best and stay calm and focused I guess!

Thanks for stopping by Jasmine!

Thanks Vik, hopefully it goes alright!

Thanks mate! And yup still hoping the weather clears up by race day, though it seems unlikely given what I've heard from those who are already up there... I'll definitely remember and be somewhat grateful for all those rainy long runs at least haha

Thanks Ben!

Thanks Raghu! And yep I definitely struggle with a bunch of other drills too, but also haven’t given myself much time to look into them or practice haha… at least you’re doing some which is great, keep it up man!

Yep life happens… and thanks man!