Yesterday, we did what we are calling the “Rollercoaster Loop” from Brighton train station to Luna Park in St Kilda and back. In total, we ran just over 15km, which is the first time we did this together.
Here is Joshua’s Strava post from the run:
Weather
The weather was epic. A sunny day. Not too hot and not too cold. Just right for running. Josh tried running with no shirt on, which is classic Josho.
Parking At Brighton Train Station
Parking at Brighton train station was perfect because it was free and not busy (especially because it was a Saturday). PLUS, we were able to sneak into the train station toilets like a couple of cheeky monkeys. Perfect for a pre-run. We highly recommend it.
Running Based On Time
We made the decision to run for a total of 80 minutes non-stop (40 minutes up and 40 minutes back). We did this because we were on a bit of a schedule for the day, so instead of focusing on distance, we decided to structure our run in this way. It went really well. We had the idea in our head that we would be running 15km, but the time was the initial focus. We discussed what our strategy would be if we finished and we were close to 15km. But if we’re being honest, it was always going to be a 15km run lol.
Running based on time, especially now that we know our general pace, will be something we do again.
Running On The Bike Track
Something we didn’t consider was how many people would be on the Bay Trail, so we found we were constantly dodging people on the walking track. There were people with prams and dogs, old people and old angry mofos. This made it difficult for us to maintain a steady pace and lock in. Kate made the call to start running on the bike track and it was much clearer. It was ALSO much flatter than the walking track, which was better for the ankles (Kate had some sore ankles after the run).
Gels (Bring More)
This is something we still need to perfect in terms of when to take them and also how many to consume. Josh had his first one at about 7km and he felt in the zone for the next 3kms. Kate brought gummies but ran out at about the 10km mark. Josh brought 2 gels so at about the 12km mark, he offered it to Kate and we shared it.
Kate felt good for the next 2km, so need to look more into what gels to take and when to take them. Initial thoughts are 1 gel every 5km.
Kate also wants to look into getting better gummies – the ones she had were “shit”.
Post-Run Stretch
Immediately after the run, we found a water fountain and had a drink (this was opposite the train station parking, so another positive there). At the same time, we began stretching on the grass. This helped heaps in dealing with the initial leg soreness and we will continue to do this for surrrre.
We based our stretches on the below routine, which we created for our daily stretching.
Post-Run Breakfast At The Baths
As per our new ritual, we went looking for somewhere to have a feed and a drink post-run. We had run past The Baths on Brighton beach during our run, so we drove up from the train station to check it out.
It was nice to sit outside and look over the water. Josh had the option to be a FC or a HC and he went the HC option with avocado toast, instead of the french toast. We also had chocolate milk and ibuprofen. Great post-run spot.
Chocolate milk
We’re testing chocolate milk post-run. Not 100% sure how effective it was for recovery, but it tasted bloody good.
Need a Post-Run First Aid Kit
Josh had ibuprofen in his bag for post-run inflammation and that gave Kate the idea to create a post-run first aid kit. We will definitely be doing this.
Here’s an initial list of what we’ll add to it:
- Ibuprofen
- Voltaren
- Hydralite
- Electrolyte
- Bandaids
- Strapping/Tape
- Magnesium roll on
- Emergency vape
Reminders
- Bring more gels
- Find better gummies
- Wear sunscreen (it’s getting warmer)
