Weekly Wrap – 16/12/24
Your weekly dose of running highlights, insights, and tips to close out 2024 strong!
Hey everyone,
Welcome to another week of the Weekly Wrap! A big thank you to those who tuned in last week, and thank you for joining us again. I hope you enjoy this week’s edition.
If you have any questions you’d like answered, feel free to send them in. Alternatively, I answer as many running questions as I can on my Instagram every Monday, with the question poll going up on Sunday nights, so don’t miss out!
Things are definitely heating up here in the Southern Hemisphere, especially if you’re based in Sydney, with high humidity levels. Just a reminder that some runs may feel a little more challenging due to the heat. It’s a good idea to back off your intensity marginally to keep your heart rate in the right training zone and maintain sustainability in the heat.
You’ll also need to hydrate more than usual, so increase your H2O intake and consider adding electrolytes to your drinks to replenish what you lose through sweat.
Weekend Highlights
Minimal racing last week, but there were still some incredible efforts worth highlighting:
Peter Baines continues his Run to Remember, a 1,400-kilometre journey across Thailand. As of Monday, 16th December, Pete is on Day 16, having completed 838 kilometres with 562 to go. Pete is set to finish on Boxing Day, marking the 20-year anniversary of the Boxing Day tsunami on Thailand’s West Coast, where he led a forensic team to identify victims. Since then, Pete founded Hands Across the Water, aiming to raise $1 million to support children in need of housing and education.
Caleb continues his fast-packing adventure on the Te-Araroa Trail, a 3,000-kilometre trek from the top of New Zealand to the bottom. Caleb has covered 418 kilometres so far, despite a mid-week setback when an eye infection required hospitalization. Fortunately, he’s back on track, completing 40+ kilometre days as he pushes through this incredible journey.
In Victoria, three of our athletes, Laura, Warren, and Benny, took on the Hyrox event. Warren and Benny impressively backed up after competing in the Kosci Miler just two weeks ago, while Laura improved on her previous Hyrox time from earlier in the year in WA. Well done to all three of you!
December Reminders
As the temperatures rise and humidity increases, here are a few tips to keep in mind during the summer months:
🏃♂️ Adjust Your Pace: High heat and humidity often lead to higher heart rates. Ease off the intensity to ensure you stay in the right training zones.
💧 Hydrate Well: Increase your water intake and include electrolytes to replenish what you lose through sweat.
🛌 Prioritise Recovery: Ensure you’re getting enough sleep and balancing your weekly sessions to prevent burnout.
Prompt of the week
With just a few weeks left in 2024, it’s a great time to reflect on your running journey this year. Strava is brilliant at providing insights through its yearly wrap, and I encourage you to check out your stats and see how your year has gone.
For some, this year has been about less running volume but better performance and staying injury-free. It’s a fantastic reminder that quality over quantity can really make a difference.
When reviewing your year, consider:
What has gone well?
What areas could use improvement?
How can you carry those lessons into 2025?
If you’d like to share your reflections with me, I’d love to hear them!
Tip of the Week
💡 What do we do with our hands when we’re running?
I like to teach people to imagine they’re holding a budgie in each hand. You don’t want to squeeze too tightly and harm the budgies, but you also don’t want to hold them so loosely that they fly away.
Think of maintaining a gentle, easy grip, this will help keep your forearms and arms in a relaxed state, reducing unnecessary tension.
Relaxed hands mean a more fluid running form and better energy efficiency, especially on those longer runs. Give it a try during your next session! 🏃♀️🐦
Client Spotlight: David Topham
1. What is your go-to nutrition for long runs?
Go to nutrition that never seems to fail is cola koda gels!
2. What is your favourite training session?
Favourite training season is definitely winter. So much easier to get out there and do a good training run. Saying that, you can't beat a morning dip after an interval session in summer!
3. Which race are you currently training for, and what motivates you to run it?
I have just finished training for Kosci30. But next year I'm gearing up to do UTA22 and the Sydney Marathon. UTA22 was my first trail race many moons ago so I'm keen to have another go. For Sydney I'm hoping to break 3 hours! For me running is about solving puzzles. How do I break down the tace and the training into small puzzle pieces that allow me to hit my goals.
Final Notes
As we dive deeper into the festive season, it’s all about finding balance! Enjoy the celebrations and social events, but try to stay consistent with your training. If you need to skip a session, make sure to adjust your week with a good mix of easy, moderate, and hard efforts to keep things on track.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this week’s wrap—feel free to reach out with any thoughts or questions!
Thank you for being part of the Academy. Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!
Cheers,
Matty