The Weekly Wrap – 30/6/25
Your Weekly Dose of Running Highlights, Coaching Insights & Smarter Training Brought to you by Coach Matty Abel
G’day and welcome
Thanks for tuning in to another edition of the Weekly Wrap. My goal each week is to give you practical, high-quality insights that help you become a more consistent, resilient, and well-rounded runner.
Here’s what we’re covering this week:
Team highlights as we lead into the Gold Coast Running Festival
Personal highlight reflecting on last week’s deload
Our July focus: Training with Intent
A heat adaptation strategy in your Tip of the Week
And a big thanks to our supporter of the week: CurraNZ
Let’s dive in.
Team Highlights
While there was no racing across the Academy last week, the energy was high with some big events on the horizon.
Most notably, many of our athletes are now in their taper phase for the Gold Coast Half and Full Marathon, happening this weekend. The work is done. The sessions are dialled. Confidence is high. Now, it’s about staying sharp and giving your body the chance to peak.
We’ve also got Curtis kicking off a monster challenge: seven marathons in seven days across seven states, starting in Western Australia on Monday and finishing on the Gold Coast on Sunday. A huge mental and physical effort and one we’ll be following closely.
Big few days ahead. Can’t wait to see how the team performs.
Personal Highlights
Last week was a deload; a chance to step back, absorb the previous block, and reset.
I went completely off-grid for the weekend. No phone, no service. Just a tiny house, good food, solid sleep, and space to recharge.
Night 1: 10 hours of sleep
Night 2: 11 hours
It was a reminder that recovery isn’t passive, it’s a powerful performance tool.
While I was there, I picked up Be More Human by Tony Riddle. It wasn’t planned, it was just sitting on the bookshelf. But it landed at the right time. A few reflections I took away after reading:
Barefoot walking: Strengthens the feet, resets posture, and brings you back into your body. I need to do more of this.
Nasal breathing: Not just for running but to reduce stress, promote oxygen uptake, and sharpen endurance.
Mindful eating: Chewing properly, slowing down, staying present. Makes a difference.
Sleep: Not just a recovery strategy, a performance pillar.
Rewilding: Stripping life back to simple, functional movement and behaviour. That hit home.
Now, we’re 8 weeks out from TDS, and I’m heading into another 3-week training block. After that, I’ll take a mini-deload before a key elevation-focused training camp, timed perfectly to sharpen things 4–5 weeks out from race day. From there, it becomes about refinement and specificity.
July Focus: Week 1 - Training with Intent
This month isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what’s already in your plan, better.
We’re breaking down five pillars of purposeful training, and this week we start with the foundation: intent.
Why intent matters:
It improves training absorption, you get more from each session
It reduces wasted reps, junk miles, and unproductive fatigue
It strengthens trust in your plan and your execution on race day
“How you do anything is how you do everything.” – Martha Beck
This isn’t just about hard sessions. Intent applies to:
Easy runs: Are you really running easy or just going through the motions?
Strength: Are you present in the movement or rushing reps?
Recovery: Are you actually switching off?
Action Step
Pick one area this week; running, strength, or recovery where you’ve been coasting.
Before your next session, write down the purpose of it.
Afterwards, reflect: Did I train with intent?
Small shift. Big payoff.
Tip of the Week: Boost Winter Recovery with Mobility & Movement Snacks
Cold mornings, dark nights, and reduced daylight can all affect your motivation and movement patterns. But winter is the perfect time to double down on one thing: daily mobility.
Tight hips, sluggish glutes, and reduced movement quality are more common when we sit more and move less, especially in colder conditions. That’s where movement snacks come in.
What to do:
2 times a day, spend 5 minutes on targeted mobility or activation work
Focus on the hips, glutes, calves, and thoracic spine
Combine foam rolling, banded activation, and controlled mobility drills (e.g. 90/90s, world’s greatest stretch)
“Movement is medicine but only if you take the dose daily.”
You don’t need long sessions. You need consistency. Winter is when durability is built, not just through training volume, but through movement quality.
The weekly wrap supporter: CurraNZ
Proud to be supported by CurraNZ, a high-potency NZ blackcurrant supplement backed by over 50 peer-reviewed studies.
Benefits include:
Improved endurance and fat metabolism
Reduced muscle soreness and inflammation
Enhanced blood flow and oxygen delivery to working muscles
I use it during big volume weeks or race build-ups, especially when back-to-back sessions start stacking.
https://www.curranz.com.au/
Use code WrapMA20 for 20% off (first-time buyers only)
Quote of the Week
“Recovery is where fitness is gained. Training is just the stimulus.” – Dr. Stacy Sims
Perfect reminder as many of you head into race week, or kick off a fresh training block. Respect the process. Let the gains land.
Final Note
The theme this week is intention over intensity.
Whether you’re tapering, building, or somewhere in between, step back and ask yourself: Am I going through the motions? Or am I training with purpose?
Remember:
Long runs build capacity
Recovery secures the gains
Intent connects the two
See you next week,
Coach Matty Abel