In the beginning, episode 45 and we are back live in the Courtney Atkinson Studios on the Gold Coast in person. Courtney, how are you? Yeah, it's always good. Yeah, it's always good to see you in person. But off the off, off the bat, got to get something straight here. Our audience aren't happy, listeners aren't happy. Plenty of feedback. The mention of you doing high rocks, it's gonna break the podcast, so we're gonna have to put a stop to that right here, right now. Why?
Plenty of, but in particular Brett Doherty 'cause he he put his comment on the Spotify comments, I suppose. Yeah. OK, that's enough to talk. Courtney, please find something to distract Liam from this high rocks thing. I've been with you from day one and this pod and never missed an episode. But if he starts talking about high rocks, I'm gonna start to run. OK, I'm joking, but I'm also
serious. Well, what if let's find a happy medium though I look, I haven't signed up and I'm not going to turn this into a High rocks podcast. Now we've we've now. Identified that what if I if I decide to explore it? What if I only discuss my running training for High rocks on the podcast? Well, I can't answer that. You know, we don't get that feedback from triathlon. We talk a bit of triathlon. No one seems to give us Flack. I mean, running's a pretty key
component. Yeah, we've got a lot of triathlon listeners too. So Noosa, it's all all good. Well. And this is, I mean this segues nicely, but sadly into Noosa. I want to talk about this off the top I have I I've done I'm now officially qualified to be a Noosa legend. I've I've raised 10 Noosa triathlons, which qualifies me to now race as a noose legend, which for those that don't know, that means you get preferential. You get a preferential start in a certain they look up time of
day. You get to rack your bot, your bike in a in a in a better spot in the transition. And it's, I mean, look. It also equates to you being old enough to have raced 10 nooses. And also having spent enough money on the entry fee for that entry, you know it's not a cheap exercise to race noose. But I've done 10. This was going to be my first year actually racing as a legend. I say going to be I can't race Noosa, Why not? And you find this is news to me.
You find out how much a race or a weekend means to you when you find out you can't do it. I was down in Sydney over the weekend. I was down there doing. I did the Sydney Swans GWS game. Amazing. I have a footy. Great third quarter. Stayed with my mate Ed. Now you know Ed because Ed, I raced news Red Bull defiance with up at Mission Beach. So you know Ed. Yep, Ed is my he's my best mate. He was my best man at my wedding. We've been through a lot together.
And as I was sitting in his lounge room over the weekend while I was staying with him, he said, oh, by the way, just put it in your calendar. We're having our 40th together, he and his wife. I'm like oh great, when is it? Same weekend as Nusa Triath. And was your reply like did you not look at the calendar? That I so and and here's the story I'll tell you. I said to him straight, I'm like, mate, that's NUSA. Try weekend.
He's like, what do you mean? I said that is the weekend of NUSA triathlon first weekend of November. There'll be other people in your friendship circle who I know because we go up there with them. Can't won't go and and to the point where accommodations booked and paid entries are booked and paid. It's not a cheap exercise to do all that. And for other people, there's probably flights booked and
paid. Yeah. Now Ed is probably 1 of maybe only three or four people in my life that I would re that I would basically be prepared to miss NUSA for. So I can't believe this, but I am going to miss NUSA this year. Oh. Wait. I'm gutted. I'm I'm seriously gutted. And I explained this to him because, and we've said all this before, it is that news to triathlon weekend is Christmas for fit people.
It is just such an amazing weekend in such an incredible spot with a triathlon thrown in. And whether you're you've trained up to the point where you're going to try and PB or whether you're just happy to roll through the distance, you never walk away having had a bad experience at Noosa. So, and, and for me personally, having got to be involved in that Legends race alongside you the last couple years, it's just added another excitement level to this whole weekend.
A friend you're willing to take a loss for. That's brilliant. This is it's a serious kick in the pills. I thought you were all in. You sent me that bike on Facebook the other day and said what do you reckon? Should I buy it? Which got me thinking I just let's just, yeah, a bit left here. So we've talked about bikes on Facebook before and when you buy a second hand bike or nice. And I said to you, I don't wanna answer you.
When I saw the bikes, I think it was a Bianchi didn't have a year on it. No, no, it wasn't. It was a BMCBMC didn't have a year on it. And I was looking at it and I could see the the Chaman you had just manager Ace and I could see the years. I'm thinking it's probably about 2012 to 216 model.
Yep. And then I the first thing I did was I jumped on Canyon and went to their sales and I went, Oh my God, you can get a carbon fibre road bike, disc brakes, electronic gears, you know, in the lower end. I think they were one O fives or what whatever the equivalent was in tram and I went, would you pay it $1000 more? So what was the cost of the bike? It was, I don't know, it was like. 2 1/2 hours. Yeah, yeah. Would you pay $1000 more to get a new bike? And and then literally you're
getting the best of everything. So you're comparing a second hand bike, non electric gear or everything else. Is it worth an extra $1000 to walk away with a new bike? Yes, it would have been, but not anymore because now honestly, and I had this thought this morning, because normally we are in, what are we are in? We're at the back end of July.
August is usually my transition month where I start to the bike comes off the wall, The the the goggles come out of the drawer and I suddenly start to panic train for the bike and the swim at Noosa. Yeah, there's no need now. So my entrepreneurial brain, you're going back to the thing? No, I'm looking on the Facebook. Yeah, I was thinking, well, if you the answer was no. Yeah, I was going. Well, maybe I've got this old bike I use on the wind trainer, a Giant from 2018, top of the range.
Maybe I can sell that to you and upgrade. To the Canyon I I have no need for the bikes now. I have, by the way, what we're talking bikes and we will get to some running stuff because there's a bit to talk about. Have you your kids are, I mean your daughter's grown and she's off exploring overseas and your son's still at high school. But having kids bikes. I was blown away as expensive. We got a couple of birthdays coming up for my soon to be 9
year old soon to be 5 year old. How much do you reckon for a 20 inch? This is what size my my son would be. We went into one of the I won't name the bike stores specifically. We went into one of the bike stores looking at a new bike for him. For a 20 inch bike, for a 5 year old. Yeah, 20 inch wheel. Yeah. What do you mean? Mountain bike? Road bike? Yeah, mountain bike. How much 700? Oh, wow. OK, maybe maybe it's just that I haven't bought a bike, you know, bikes better than I do.
Yeah, 430. Bucks, yeah, I mean it depends what you're getting right? Like every level of suspension goes up anyhow. Yeah, I mean, but bikes are expensive. I know, but the ready creep recycling the dump shop that's around the corner, you can pick a bike up there for $10. They. Are cheap. Hey, while we're on bikes, yeah, if you've been on socials you might recognise this. Oh yeah. So this is the Tour de France
finish. I don't know which which exact stage it was, but that was SBS with the the signing act. Did you see this? Yeah, I've seen the clip. It is, it's wild. So an amateur rider has decided I'm going to get a bit of airtime jumped up the road to the Tour de France finish. I think he's AK ahead of the actual pack coming into Sprint as he's crossed the line. The security guard has just laid the one of the best show rugby shoulder charges into him. Knocked him down on the deck
come over the smothered him. I reckon he's collarbones busted. To add to it, the copper then comes over and just grabs him off the scruff of the neck and pulls him across the road. Warranted. Let's talk through all the aspects of this. Firstly, I respect that bloke having his moment, trying to get his moment in son. It is akin to the streaker. It's a streak, a stripper, a streaker. Sorry. It's it's it's like the streak that can. Yeah, it's like the streaker at
the footy game, right? You know what you're doing. I don't think he realised the consequences that might happen though, because unlike the any streaker at a footy game knows that, well, security is going to come for you and this is going to be part of it and you might get SAT on your backside. Andrew Simon's style, right, that hit from that security guard that is run it straight stuff that's like that. Oh my, he was, that is this guy would have been doing what,
maybe 3035 KS an hour? Yeah, I reckon. And he wasn't a small guy, you know, He wasn't a Tour de France rider. 35 KS an hour coming straight towards you on a bike. Took it the first, the first security I'd missed the first security I'd kind of short armed. It went, Nah, I don't really want to take that on. But this second. Guy mate, I reckon he played for the Toulouse rugby around the second seconds he was.
Bullied him you've been What's the heaviest bike crash you've had, 'cause I'll never come off a bike like that. But you talk about collarbone, potential injuries. What's the biggest bike I've had? Coming off like that and then sliding, but no one's ever shoulder charged me. No, no, no. But when you hit the deck at that pace, have you come over?
That's your. Slide, you slide that I think the I think it's often the case that a slow bike like for example, if you snap, if you're riding along really slow snappy chain and go over the handlebars. Well look at Ree at Noosa. Oh yes, last course, sometimes the slower we like sorry, we just mentioned Ree like she was coming into transition breaking yeah and went over the
handlebars. Sometimes it's that slow impact of hitting the ground really hard when you're not ready for it is worse than the actual cooked. You know, if you're going quick and you slide across, unless you hit something like the sidewalk of the ballads or whatever it is, slow bike crashes are often worse. In this case, he's got double whammy. He's got the run at straight hit and then he's hit the ground, broken his collarbone, I reckon. Or both, yeah.
We have some half thought out, half cooked ideas here on this podcast. It's straight cycling. Ride it straight. Ride it straight. Ride it straight right where we get where the winner of Run It Straight has to take on a cyclist. With a josty pole. We should give a shout out while we're talking Tour de France. We'll move on from bike riding very quickly. Tadej Pogaka has won his fourth. Yes, puts him just one short of the all time.
The clean record. The The biggest story is I think the biggest story that's come out of this isn't his win is that he nearly won the green jersey. So he he played his jersey. He played second in the green jersey, which he's nearly won the sprinters jersey because he's won so many stages, not just the mountain stages. He's won those kind of kick stages with a short hill at the end and even in the last stage to the you know, this morning.
Well, they're not he's gone after him and still come in in the front pack. So crazy. And he's 26. Yep. So now Apollo, Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we will get, we will get off. Let's move on from, but we're not going to go straight to run cause I've got a confession and this is a big confession. I'm going to show you something. So sorry to those watching, but Liam will describe it. I can't see anything. After my boat trip I've made the move I said I would never make.
So never say never. I'm owning this and. Courtney Atkinson, Two time Olympian, stylish guy with all the clothing he represents. He works for Red Bull. He's a very cool person. Right now, he's holding a pair of camouflage Crocs. I've gone, I've, I've bought a pair of Crocs and I paid for a pair of Crocs. They are. They are the real tree collaboration they're in. What's real tree? Real tree the like the actual real it's. A brand? A pattern? What's real tree do? I've never heard of them.
No, it's camo. OK. I was just thinking if I'm going to buy them, I don't want anyone to see them. No, but the reason I bought them, I was on the. So like when we're up at the Windsunders on the boat, I had a pair of, what do they call it, rubber Birkenstock? Yeah. And the tide dropped one day and we're going across in the tinny trying to get to the shore and I had to get out and walk in these books and I'm looking and I can't, mate, This is a
nightmare. And then I thought, you know what, if I had a pair of Crocs with the speed, what do you call the back thing, putting it in sports mode, Sports mode. I wouldn't be having the trouble I'm having now. So only being used in certain occasions. Oh. Don't, don't, don't. A camouflage open No one. Can see. Don't dip your toe in, just jump in the pool, mate. You, you're a croc wearer now that's the you say that you'll only wear them in certain circumstances.
I guarantee people of the Gold Coast keep your eye out. You'll see Courtney Atkinson going down the shop. No Crocs. No you won't. You will. Moving to running though, we talked about Western States and the prototype and all the different shoes. Solomon heard me, got me a couple of pair very quickly. This is the pulse of four that I think the third third female one that I'm really keen to get my hands on you know, top of the range trail running shoe.
The eraser got a bit of got a bit of foam in it. I. Was gonna say I'm having a Courtney's just passing it over to me now. This is God. They make sexy shoes. They're just good looking shoes. But this is that is a lot of foam in the in the I mean. Heel I haven't had I haven't got to have a run in the man. He just just rocked up. But yeah, a lot of foam. But yeah, looking forward to running them. But they're they're the shoes we were talking about how all the trail shoes innovating.
Yeah, putting them on and just walking around the house, they do feel like they've got some kick, like a little bit of spring, like a plate. But I need to do more research. But so watch out. We'll, we'll come back to those ones. I just quickly going back to your Crocs for a moment. I actually need to buy some new ones 'cause I had the, the, the sort of the off roadie looking ones. I reckon they've been stolen
'cause I'm guilty of leaving. I'm just, I'm, no, I, no, I wouldn't have left them anywhere. I don't. But I am guilty of just leaving shoes out the front of my house and I reckon someone's pinched my Crocs. Damn, anyway, gotta buy some new one. Let's move on from croc chat. We we've talked running and high rocks and Crocs and we haven't talked. We haven't riding high rocks and Crocs and we haven't talked any running yet. No, we haven't. Well, let's scan it.
I mean, we're, we're steering everywhere today. We've got a lot to cover. But Travis Barker, Oh. Yes, Spotify, I love this. Have come out as a collab with Travis Barker as a run club. I love it. He's mad for his running. Yeah, it's it's wild. So he's going to do a series of music inspired 5K races across U.S. cities in collab with Spotify. So this one, I suppose why I picked it out was it's not with Strava for once. Spotify also getting in on the
bandwagon here. So kicking off in Chicago 20th September, bringing together, running live music culture. This is happening all over the place. What's he got? Featuring tracks, groups and Prodigy. For anybody that doesn't know Travis Barker is the drama from Blink 182 really into his, you know, like a lot of middle aged blokes he's got? Anything to do with the Prodigy? No, but they're probably. Just they're just rolling out a bit of everything.
But why do I? I might be getting him confused with the fella from The Offspring on who? We know he's mad for his triathlons, but I believe the guy from The Prodigy might be into his running as well. Potentially. So let me ask you this then, because does Spotify need that name to make this event work? Can't hurt. No, it can't hurt, but is it needed? Because is that if the if a
hurdle? I, I just wonder whether, because I think we're already starting to see, we talked about I've, I've been to a couple of the Nike events where they've tried to create this sort of environment. I don't know whether having a a music act would have necessarily added to that. I suppose. I suppose the catch has to be it's got to be a big enough music act that would bring people into music.
It's not like if you want to create a new audience, you're bringing those people who follow them because of music and hopefully bringing them across into fitness. I don't think it really works as well the other way going. We've got fitness and now we're going to introduce you to this artist. You've already got the artist you like to listen to, all the music you like to listen to. So I think this is more the flipping it from music into fitness versus fitness into music.
But I love the fact that, you know, Spotify have obviously identified the fact that a lot of people, if you're running, you're listening. A lot of people are out there listening to Spotify in one shape or form. Whether it's podcast, music, whatever it is, it's a big part of running for a lot of people. How do you, I'm just now I'm thinking about through the Australian market.
Obviously I'm, I'm looking at this from through the Australian market lens and wondering how do, how does Spotify activate that locally here is there, there's probably, I don't know if there is an act that would create that same sort of crossover necessarily. I think there is. You reckon there's an Aussie act that would drag? Well, I think this is already happening across a lot of
different landscapes already. Maybe not in the shape or form of like partnering with Spotify, but there's I mean the night I I didn't know the DJ the on running down the track mate the on the on track nights, so I forgot the artist they had two
years ago. I. Think those I think those track nights are, and I don't know what these these run Travis run events look like, but I think the track is what the these jungle giants, jungle giants, OK, they're a big actor, but I think that it's the track environment which has the ability to have long term success as far as events go, because the difficulty when you talk about running events, crossing over into nights out
music events, right? If you send, if you say, hey, come on down, we've got a 10K fun run. There's no there's no heartbeat. There's no if you send people out on an an out and back 5K, the moment you get 500 metres away from your start line, the vibe. Goes, but I don't think the purpose. I think the purpose is to run and then come back for a DJ event. So it's at the end of it.
Whereas the on track nights, the challenge there is you do it, all the running happens and then they have a concert after it, but it's for the audience. So they're trying to drive people to come and watch running. These ones are trying to get people to come and run, come along, be fit, run, and then have the concert verse. You're there to watch running, and then we're adding a benefit at the end of it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna disagree.
Yep, this is we can disagree. We don't often, but I'm gonna disagree. I think the opportunity. I don't know and I'm happy to be if people disagree with me, please send us your feedback on this because I think it's a really interesting. It's what's next, right?
It is what's next in running. I don't think running and then staying at that spot after you're hot and sweaty because you look at the marathons, for example, People run the marathons, then they go elsewhere, they go and get changed or they go to a pub, right? City deserves a perfect example that people finish the race and admittedly you're finishing in Bondi, so there's something to
stay around for. But I look at these events and if you go, I go run 10K and then hang out here at this concert, I think. The track though, if you create that environment where people it's, it's at the one spot, there's a venue, there's a location, there's a heartbeat to it. And if you create an environment where people can chase a beat, you are creating a carnival atmosphere in one spot. And I think AG One does night of
the PBS. That's for me, that's the sort of event that has the potential because you look at the football games, right, people go oh we're going to People First Stadium tonight for the footy. If you create an event at OH, we're headed down to what's the athletics track up at Southport. Runaway Bay. Runaway Bay, thank you.
If you, if I feel like that has greater potential to be, hey, we're headed to Runaway Bay tonight because they've got the Runaway Days Running Festival happening tonight and I'm going to try for a 5K BB or I'm going to enter the 10K race or no, I'm just going to sit up in the stands and listen to the music and watch the runners. For me, I think that's got the greater opportunity then an event where, OK, it's a 10K run out and back. Yeah. Then it's a concert back here. Yeah.
We're going to disagree on this one. I I'm I'm I'm hard the other way that you're always going to be limited of who goes to attract to watch running. You got to be running, you got to be into running. And then, yeah, they're trying to add a concert to drive you in. But I don't think the concert's enough to someone who's not interested in running. I'll just go to the concert. So if they're playing down at Horton Jungle Giants or Peking Duck was the other one at the on
event. Well, if they're playing at Horton Pavilion in Sydney, I'll go and see them there. If I'm not into running, I don't want to go and watch running. Whereas if to watch running, you see what I'm saying, but if I actually just want to get out and deal 5K and feel fit and then that's their part of it and add to the event, I I'd possibly go and do that anyway. So we'll we'll agree disagree on this one, Liam. Yep, and see what it goes. But on that, I had a. What do I have on that one now?
We'll keep moving on. You gonna move on? We'll keep moving on. We've talked about, talked about. Let's, let's now you can we, we'll get to some more. I don't want to, I don't want to disappear too far away from running for a moment, but British and Irish Lions tour. OK, can we listen? Actually, let's let's listen to this first. This is a good this is This will be a good intro. Hey mate. Hey mate, how are you? I'm flown all the way here for the Lions tour.
I thought, am I in the right place? I I, I thought I'd be packed in here. Oh. Brisbane. Brisbane Lions. No, like rugby. The Lions. Yeah, OK. Is that like, is that like NRL? Is it? No, the British and Irish Lions. Soccer. Is it the soccer just yeah, I mean. I'm just trying to I. Can't understand what you're saying, it must be just a language barrier thing that's all. So mate, it's pretty obvious he's here for The Lion King. Lion King the Musical.
Yeah, this is Melbourne specific, but I think this is going on all around Australia from that was from Dara, Dara Curran and Choc Choc, so yeah. Now at time of release of this episode today, the final tour match for the British and Irish Lions is happening tonight in Where is it Sydney? Yes, it's that demonstrating no. That's that's my question. But it is, it's happening. The final match of this tour is
happening in Sydney now. The game, the last game last weekend in Melbourne, the MCGI actually watched it and it was a cracking game. We will not care about the Wallabies until the next World Cup, Agreed. No one will talk about them. Agreed. This is, I've had this conversation with so many people during this tour about the fact that when I grew up in Adelaide and we are not a rugby town, we're not a rugby league town,
we're not a rugby union town. And yet still was it the 2003 World Cup, Adelaide got caught up in it. We all knew the players we knew, we knew that I could tell, I could still tell you that team that you know, with Larcom and and Burke and Greg and Eagles and I like, I could, I could go through that team. I am attached to sport in a very big way from my job. I may be new to players in that Wallabies team and one of them was because it was Joseph Suwalee who'd come from rugby league.
Yeah, it's for me. The Wallabies have never been less relevant. It's taken a visit from a a composite team that's come here for the first time in 12 years for us to care again. And I'd I'd argued except if you will, like a die hard rugby fan, do you care? You care about Australia, you care about Australia. But it's like it's that old situation now where because we, because you can't control mainstream media anymore.
Now, if you're not watching it, if you don't cop the algorithm, you don't see it. How do you find out about it? And when it's not at the top of people's priorities to go and watch rugby or listen, watch around rugby, It's, it's an issue. I know even like even down the grassroots, cause like don't get me wrong, I grew up on rugby union. I went to a rugby union.
You're a private schoolboy. Yep. So here on, you know, the Gold Coast or in Brisbane rugby, it's absolutely, if I know the school on the weekend was packed because there was a rugby game on. However, across these schools, these private schools, there's more basketball teams. So when you go down ABCD in each age group, there's now more basketball teams than there are being filled rugby teams. So at a grassroots level where rugby's being driven from, it's even affecting there.
Now. Here's my question for you. We're going back to grassroots and then we'll come to the top end again. Is that being driven because of contact sports? Is this, is this part of the new of a new era where you know, soccer is becoming? Obviously soccer. Soccer still the contain football. Soccer still a contact sport. Come on. It is. Did you play soccer growing up? Come on. Did you play cross soccer growing up? No, the way I played soccer was a contact sport.
Well, I played it all three. Soccer is a contact sport. Soccer is not a. It is a contact sport. You do not anything weird. Look, it's it's a different contact sport, but it's a contact sport. It isn't a. Contact. No one has ever said soccer's a contact. Yes. It is Lee. Are we gonna disagree? It's a disagreeable episode.
I'm putting soccer as a. Contact sport ball Basketball's more contact than so. I've never seen anybody in basketball fast like a spectator like Eric Cantona did for Manchester United. It is a contact sport basketball way. The the West, what's the women's basketball, WNBA, It's getting bigger hits over there on Caitlin Clark at the moment. Then soccer. I'm gonna I'm asking ChatGPT. Is soccer a contact sport?
Yes, soccer is considered a contact sport, but it's classified as a limited contact or semi contact. There we go. Limited, a limited contact sport. We are not comparing soccer to rugby. No, that's different. Getting back to the lines in Australia and everything else, yeah, there is. It's a it's a big issue. They have fallen. What was once the whole nation getting behind that Wallabies team as big as any other football code. It is no longer happening.
Paywall. The fact that the fact that Super Rugby, I think, I think, I don't know, I'm not going to define how much of the blame pie goes to it, but the fact that that sport is essentially hidden behind a paywall permanently is a contributing factor. Yeah, right.
TTV rights for those it's it's easy for the mainstream sports like AFL and NRL to syphon off some and in America for NFL and MLB and all that, it's easy to syphon off some of your games to pay TV because there's cash, because your audience will consume and will go there for because you are the biggest sport and you've still got certain offerings on free to air TVI don't know what rugby union. You could watch the Lions game
on 9 but I don't know what. For the most part, Wallaby's games are hidden, as far as I know, behind a paywall with Stan. Now, this is something I actually think soccer's got to be really careful of because the wave of momentum that the Matildas created and then most recently I believe their games have been their national games. The their international games, the Matilda's games have been
hidden behind a paywall. You created this groundswell of support and excitement around this team with the World Cup here recently, and now you're asking that new supporter base to go into their pocket if they want to keep support. It's the easiest way to lose. Them, Yeah. So rugby chicken or the egg, is it because of that that grassroots is suffering or is it because is it's the top suffering to a degree because of what I suggested around the grassroots challenges around participation?
We're not going to be able to answer that. All right, no, I think I bet I can't give a definitive answer, the chicken or the egg. But what I will say it's a it's an environment, a perfect storm has been created now where rugby at an administrative level needs to pull their finger out because Ozkick as an example, is an incredibly successful grassroots programme, right. The NRL has figured out rugby league is going, geez, that Ozkick's buddy good we need.
And now they partnered with touch football to try and create that similar junior grassroots level involvement thing. Soccer flies, netball flies. Rugby union does not have that and they need to find. I did have that discussion, we were having that discussion the other day around women's NRL. It's a skill level is reason like it's great and. Continues to but. But what I didn't until it was
put to me, I didn't realise. But all of those young girls who have played touch football, you know, it's not the contact, but they played touch football. The rules, the skills, it's all been there since they're kids. AFL, you might challenge. It's growing. It hasn't had that skills base from young females until maybe, you know, the past, what, five years or so? So I love this.
I'm going to, we're going to stay here for a moment because this is something that for me, I talk about quite a bit. Yeah, with people, whenever I bump into them. You're right, NRLW, aside from cricket, is the best elite version of women's sport right now in terms of development. Basketball's always been elite netball, of course, but in terms of the news, women's sport growth, the NRLW is so far ahead
of the AFLW. As for the exact reason you spoke about, it's that these girls into women never had to stop not playing their sport at any stage because there was always a version of it with touch football that they can play. So the skills are always there as a result. And also now I think if you go back, if you watch the most recent NRLW season compared to the first NRLW season, you're also now seeing the impact of when you treat these athletes like professionals and pay them
accordingly. Look what they turn into. They now you're now seeing physically the different like in that first season of NRLW, some of those women, some of those athletes look like Yep, they're full time employees who play a bit of part for the on the weekend. Yep, and you saw that right now when you watch these athletes like Jess Surges and I forget Isabel, the captain of the Roosters. They these are these are
athletes, right? These are professional athletes and you can see that physically in their bodies. The AFLAFLW, similarly that first season. Daisy Pierce is a pioneer, Aaron Phillips is a star. I think when we look back on how these women played the game in 10 years time, by comparison with what the product is, we'll go, wow, I can't believe that level of football was the star of the competition compared to what it is now. Because now Ash Centre, who was the number one draught pick to
Collingwood? Havana Harris who went #2 to the Gold Coast Suns. These are young women who were able to play the game from when they start and got interested in it all the way through. So now you're not just drafting athletes and turning them into footballs, you are drafting footballs. And the standard of the product will continue to rise as well. You'll see it on field SO. Great stuff. Yeah, All right, back to running. Let's go back to running.
So remember last week I was talking about lower upper limb injuries. Yes, so and the question I we proposed to the audience was around, is it the shoes? Is it all these new stacked shoes, high stacked shoes, lots of rubber, all the, the different gait you might be running in that's contributing to upper limb stress, which we've seen more of. Here's one take. Who did this come from? This is coming from Ready Friend of the podcast. Morning boys, long time
listener, first time caller. I'm just out on my early morning Saturday run listening to the app and I just want to put my two cents in about the upper limb injuries and and the more people getting them. Do you think it might have something to do with the boom in running? So there's more people running now, right? But without coaches, without learning good technique, without an understanding of cadence and things like that. And do you think that's leading to more injuries?
I mean, who thinks they need a coach to go running, right? But how important is running technique to running efficiently? Anyway, food for thought. I will throw in that Steve Montagetti probably had one of the ugliest running styles in the world. Before we we haven't we haven't checked this light. I hadn't edited this. Mona's copying a drive bar from Reedy. Was that Reedy himself? Yeah, that was right. Right.
That was that was Reedy not always got a really particular voice read he must be mid long run. Reckon he's he was literally mid run mid long run when he got about Reedy's voice. I'm going to get hammered on to saying this, but Inside Running Podcast, which is arguably the biggest running podcast in Australia. For now. For now, one of the the main host on that one. Have you ever heard he is sounds identical to Reedy? I reckon Reedy's moonlighting.
I reckon Reedy's, yeah, I reckon every so often he's filling in as a stump double for Reedy. They have got an identical voice. Now I should we just just, we'll come back to the injuries for a moment. We should give Ready a shout out because Ready was the running podcast pioneer. Ready actually had a running podcast. I'm talking. Brady that Sorry, I didn't. Want to get? I didn't want to get called out. Yeah, Brady. Ready had a running podcast maybe 12 years ago, I think at
least. And you talk about people being before their time. Yeah, no one cared. Like, I think it, the podcast was really good and it was really interesting, but because running hadn't had this window, this boom, this explosion, it just became. I used to listen. It was because he used to come into the studio. Yes, after he used.
To go into the radio studio and record it yes yeah but it just it there wasn't the the audience or the appetite for it then so he was ahead of his time Yep so shout out to already fallen podcast yeah yeah now going back to what he had to say though, about so not so much the shoes but the lack of technical know how and the fact is there's. There's way more people running SO and their news are running, so maybe there's more injury.
More of a data skew thing. Yeah, but that still doesn't explain to me why it's upper limb verse. You know what it may have been in the past, like skewing towards lower limb. Brooke also messages on Spotify comments and said she's running in the Brooks Glyce glycerin. Glycerin. Great song by the band We. Shouldn't have probably called out the shoe but because it's happening with a range of shoes. But she's nursing a stress fracture in her femur as well, right?
I've had three people in my small kind of circle with famous stress fractures just in since Gold Coast Marathon. So I'd be interested and again, we, I mean, we're not going to do this, but it'd be interesting to know a the shoe they're running it. Yeah. B. The age bracket and see what sort of load and then you add to that the comment really made about if there's any technique or, or if they're having any professional coaching or whether they've jumped into an AI
generated programme. Yeah, all that information would be fascinating. Or whether they're doing high rocks and lifting before they're running. Or if they're. Doing our listeners. Training, you know, that's all a part of it. That's all a part of it. Can we? Speaking of running injuries, now my body is at the age of 40. The body has decided that, you know, we want to throw some some issues into the running pot here, but I got a new one. No. No, no, no, I'm OK.
It's interesting. But I, it has been, I don't think since I played, not since I was playing footy back in AFL back in sort of 2005 have I had this issue. I've got a swollen knee. I went for a run. I was running down in Sydney just going for nothing. Crazy, did you? Run with AG1 the not AG. One, the runners in the runners in the dark. No, and this is another. Well, let's talk about that one first. I'll get back to my running
injury for a moment. So the runners in the dark crew, great bunch of runners who I was laughing. I caught up with one of the members for a coffee and we laughed about the fact that when it started, it was a very social 5 minute pace type run group. It has gone. It's, it's different gravy now. The there's Will Myson who runs a, you know, a 220 marathon, like they, their cruising pace is now, you know, sort of 415 type stuff. But I was said I'd go and run with them on the Friday because
of the radio show. It's been a long time since I've run early hours. It's been like I haven't done a, an early morning run for a very long time. I don't know if I can do it anymore. I I woke up with my alarm went off and I was like, did you hit snooze? Yeah. Oh, I hit snooze. I bowed. It's also dark in Sydney at that time it. Was cold and dark and that's what I mean. Also my legs because I've been for around the day before my my calves felt really tight and stiff and sore.
So I hit snooze and then went for a run at 3:00 in the afternoon. I don't how do I switch back? I don't know. I don't know if anybody else has these problems where you start running at a certain time for so long that the idea of running. And even yesterday, David Rhodes, friend of the podcast, friend of both of us, messaged me that he'd been for his early morning Sunday long run near my house. And he said, I kept an eye out
for you. And I said, oh mate, there's no way I'd go running at that time in the morning. I went for my, I went down to Kingscliffe with the family and I ran home from there. So I put A17K run in at like 11 o'clock 12:00. And he's like, oh, how did you do that in the heat of the day? And I'm like, that's my running time. This doesn't feel it didn't feel hard or hot or difficult to me at all, so I just don't think I'll be ever out to do early morning hours again.
What? Are you doing at Kingsliff down at the beach there? Just went down with the kids, down there with the family, down at the river. Or the beach showing. We went down to what the reason we went down there is actually there's a new sandwich shop opened up down there called Breadwinners and it is excellent. So shout out to Breadwinners. Great sandwiches. My Alana really wanted to try them. My daughter been playing soccer down there. She'd seen it so went down, had
a sandwich. I put my stuff in the car and just ran home from there, which sounds picturesque. And the running along Kingscliff was really nice. But then you kind of have to run through Tweed and then you and, and not really. There's no beach. Doesn't really get nice again until you hit Kira. It's like the old hospital and that. Yeah, it's got. To get all that sort of stuff, but. So injury.
Sorry, back to my injury. So yeah, and I ran that 17 K long E with this injury and it was fine, but. Swollen knee, tight quad. It was only I went for a run prior to the Sydney Derby down in Sydney and I just rolled around Centennial Park. Nothing crazy, but I was in the cab and I was in the Adidas Boston Twelves. So they've got the carbon rods in it. And I was kind of just trotting at about sort of four 45450
pace. And then I went and sat down and called the Sydney Swans Giants game and it was only when I stood. Oh, no, I because I tend to stand up when I commentate games. And then when I sat down and bent the knee, it was really tight and I was like, oh, this is a new feeling and I'll I'll show you. I'll stand up for a second, Courtney. Yeah, we've had a bit of a, it's a little bit swollen, isn't it? So that's the. Just blocked my camera. Anyone watching on Spotify?
That's the left knee and the last time I had any sort of the sensations about this was back when I was playing footy and I got some bursas around my knee due to a tight ITB. Bed ITB. So have you been down doing your strength down with alley cats or I haven't? No, no. That's what you're missing.
Yeah, I and the reason I say that I have had a bit of a refocus at the moment, like really concentrating on, you know, getting back and addressing my strength, you know, of sick of having these niggles and things. Cause in the end, it's not about for me, it's not about the performance, it's not about anything else. It's just about getting out and running, enjoying it and not, not happening to worry and geez, you know what's going to happen
today type thing. I just want to get back to being able to go out and enjoy my running. Two fold of what I've, you know, addressed doing that one is getting back to, you know, proper strength. So some weights lifting, even activating before I go out, you know, the coordinate and making sure that I'm I think I'm just to be honest, I think I just got weak, right. I really, really, you know, through a range of different
things that were happening. I just think I've just thought I'm Superman and can get away with just running and that's just not the reality. And I feel 1,000,000 bucks since I've been doing some of this stuff. You know, I'm still getting back and and doing it. The second thing I'm done. I mentioned play golf the other weekend. Nothing to do with golf, by the way. So I'm calling us out on golf, but I went for a surf on Sunday. Oh nice, just got out in the
water, had a paddle. Having a paddle, my glutes or just my lower back was on fire. Really. So it was all these things that you know, so many things I used to do throughout my whole career, I suppose because I was more, you know, we were run focused, but multi sport in discipline in the sense that would always be riding, swimming, surfing, paddling, whatever it is. And then I've just tried to run and that's what I've worked out as probably being my biggest Achilles heel.
So the goal is running, but I'm going to do it with a holistic approach and so far, so far. For those that can't see it, alarm just went off in the studio because Courtney used the word holistic. Oh no, we've become that podcast. Oh, that is a. Wanker. A holistic approach. A holistic approach? No. OK, OK, I'm going to let's let's walk that back. I'm going to say I've taken a more outdoor approach. No, that's not even how you'd say it. A more multidisciplined approach.
Diversification, not specialisation. I'm not only used to diversification, either they put us in another, we'll get flagged or something else on this podcast. So that's all the stuff. Anyway, I I get what you mean and I don't mind the phrase holistic, I was just having a bit of fun with. You big? No. But now you've called it out. I do mind I. Feel like that is also a trigger word with AI. Think that's an alarm word if you see someone saying they've got. Like going through a midlife
crisis or something. Yeah. It's like, I'm a holistic physio, I'm a holistic nutritionist. I'm a all right, we get. It hey, I've always said Jack of all trades master and I mean that was my life it's what he used you're. Taking a you're taking an an all trades approach to running trades approach to running. I like that. That's so that's a because that's oh. Really. I got off your. No, no, no, no, no. That's my advice on it was go back and look at what you're missing.
Yeah, you're right. We're just we're just so focused on the running and you know, The funny thing is talk, having the podcast each week and we're always talking running that I think in the early days, at least for the first, you know, six months, I was like, it's running, running, running, running, running, running, but it kind of come to it.
We're not going to go as far as high rocks, but it's kind of come to. It that like, that's the line, that's the line, that's the line we won't go to. Yes, Liam's found something he might be interested in, but we've decided that's the wrong side of the fence. We know the line, but my thing is we're about, we're here about fitness, yeah. Holistic approach to. That's everything and it felt bloody great then out on the surf. So I think that's great.
It's I bumped into, if people aren't familiar with Nick, a 35 who's become something of a Mr Gold Coast. In fact, that was literally the headline of an article he had about him on the weekend. I bumped into him this morning and he was about to go out for a surf and he's like mate, come here for a surf. In context, he used to do the SURF report for Trip. For you guys still does the the surf report and and in the surfing community on the Gold Coast, he's become quite prominent.
He's also DJ ING and stuff now. But yeah, he said let's go out for a surf. And and I have to say to all these people who say let's come out for a surf that, yeah, I can't surf. Like I can stand up paddle around and look like a twit, but I'm not, you know, when you say let's go for a surf. You don't. You don't want to be dropped in the middle of snappers. No, no, no thank. You you don't probably be burly.
I don't mind watching D bar from the headland but that's about it. Ohh good to handle myself. Had a burly but I'd be on the outside. I don't wanna be a burly. I I like no crowds. Let's go. Just so yeah, my approach to surfing is when I, I, I look at the look at the break and you can see like there's a good bank there. Yep, 4567 guys. Yeah, leave that alone. I'll just go in the middle. Yeah, I'll just say one will roll through every so often. I I'm not I'm not that into we.
Can't go for a surf together then. That's exactly how I approach it, except that I try and stay up and. Fall off. I don't like crowds. That's why I spend my time in the Bush. Yeah, well, now Speaking of staying with the running part of that despite the knee, so I did that 17K with the swollen knee and it's fine and it's actually today it's a bit better than it was yesterday. So I think it's a bit of clearly a bit of fluid and it's just
calm down. But my I am with my running because I'm enjoying being that running. I am taking the the 10% approach that in terms of load. Load volume each volume each week. So are you treating the volume as kilometres or time? Interestingly, and here this is so interesting you mentioned that, because after I finished that 17K run, I'm like, Oh yeah, I'm about 10% up on last week kilometres wise. I'm also the time matches up, Yeah, right.
It was about a 10% just to have a 10% increase both kilometres and in terms of minutes. So you haven't been in the forest? No, I haven't been in the forest. No, no, no, there's not a lot of elevation. Yeah, yeah, in, in the the, but look back to sort of I did 45 KS last week. So I'll build on that again and probably get somewhere around 50 KS in terms of kilometres this week. Perfect. But there's no need to.
Yeah, as I said from the start, I normally I'd be pulling out the bike and trying to add in some bike kilometres. Maybe I will. Maybe I'll just put some bikers in anyway. But with Nooser off the table, what about your running? You mentioned all your strength and your holistic. Approach. No, I'm just. I'm just running have. You been up in the trails? No, I haven't been in the, I haven't been in the trails running. I've been in the trails riding, right.
I've done a couple. I was out a couple of afternoons. It's just been, you know, in the days. Well, I'm just looking out the window now. The days have been magic. We've got that better range through, but it has been like specky winter weather and there's nothing better than being out exercising. It doesn't matter what you're doing. Running. I was out on the mountain bike a few times in the afternoon last week for an hour and a half. Like just brilliant out in the
ocean. Whatever it is, it's mainly, but I'm just sure at the moment was running, just building up, building strength, running about 40 minutes. I've got 5050 minutes. I've got nothing to really tell you about. That's too interesting because it's just been, I'm literally running. This weekend though, I'm heading down to Sydney. Yep. So Sunday morning, cuz city to surf's too. Well, when you're hearing us on Saturday, listening on Saturday will be the following Sunday.
So 88 days later, yes. OK, so in eight days, as you're listening on Saturday, yeah, you'll be a city to surf. But this weekend I'm heading down to have a run in I believe it's Centennial Park with Rebel sport and they're no it isn't Centennial Park. It is at the Swans Gordon Pavilion. What's that location around? Yeah, you're next to Centennial Park.
Is that's right next to Centennial Park, Moore Park, Moore Park, Moore Park. Yeah, so go down to Moore Park and they do a, they've been doing a kind of like 8 week programme up to city to surf. Oh fantastic. Gonna go and have a have a run with the Sydney crew. Oh. Great. I was just, it got me thinking then just as you, because I was down in Sydney, the weekend just gone and I was back in Centennial Park and and this coming weekend or the weekend
people are listening to this. I'm going to be in Adelaide. I'm actually going down to visit my folks and my brother. And I'm going to my plan is to go and I'm going to go and run the river, which for people that know Adelaide, I've done it the river times. It's nice. Yeah. So it got me. I'd love people to message in with, like, I don't want to call it the iconic run of where you're from, but I guess if people can only do one run. In your city.
From where or, or, or your town or your, you know, if you're from new, you know, but Newcastle's Newcastle is a city. They knew you were probably wasn't the right choice. But you know, even if we're like smaller places, Dubbo, Dubbo coughs, Port Macquarie, wherever it is, I'd love to know. And it doesn't have to be, you know, if you're from Melbourne or the 10, OK. But if there's another run, you think that it's like. Recommendations. So what's your, what's your Gold Coast?
What, what do you call the Gold Coast? What, what would you say is the if you got one run on the Gold Coast, what do you do? Because I know, I mean, when you were interviewing Andy the other week, we'll cop in a fair bit of Flack. And the Gold Coast and thinks this place sucks for running. But the comment is they all come and run here for that one race a year and just run along the Esplanade back and forth and don't even bother going up into
the spit half the time. So here's what I would here's the run. I this is a good exercise actually. And look, let's let's this is, this is a nice way to continue to reflect some running around the place. First thing first, if you're listening to this and you've got an iconic run or a run that you would recommend to somebody where you live, tell us about it and we'll share some. Here's the run I would recommend
to people. If you're coming to the Gold Coast, I would recommend what I'm going to call the burly head all in, right? And that is that you start at, you get your taste of Burly Pavilion, right? That's where you start. That's your start point. And the Nook. The Nook? Yep. Start there. Get your coffee. It's not the Nook anymore that moved. That cafe move. Yeah, it's not the Nook anymore. That's gone. OK, the hole in the wall the. Hole in the wall coffee.
You're gonna start there and the first thing you're actually going to do is head away from the water. So you are going to run back around Burleigh Head, not through it. You're not going to take the hills. You're going to run around it or along the Gold Coast Highway. Oh, and then you're going to Head. Why? Wouldn't you go beach side? No. No, no, because then you're going to head. Up into flays. Flays Fauna Centre.
Yes. So you're literally going to do a lap of Telly Creek. You're going to do the lap of Telly. Let's call it the Telly Creek lap. Let's call it Flays. Is it Flays Fauna? Oh, OK. Well, a flays loop. Is that what it's called? All right, The flays loop. I've never known that. Haven't. You taken your kids to Flay's fauna centre at the back. There no, never. Kangaroos similar to the crumb and central well. That's probably why we always go to Crumb and Flay's that loop.
I found it because I followed Clint Kimmons on Strava and I saw Clint run it and he put some photos and some videos up and he's like all of this. I can do this 10K loop where I get hills, I get trail, I get boardwalk, I get flat and I get beach. And I get all of that within 500 metres of belly beach. Yeah. And he's right. It is just you get a variety of terrain, you get a variety of elevation and you start and finish at Burley. It brings you back to the carrot
behind the caravan, yeah. You end up running out along the front of the jump. Off have a jump off the bridge if. You wanted to to see the. That's it. See the Dolphins? I love it. Whatever. That is the run, I would say to anybody that's capable of kind of doing, you know, A10 to 12K run, that's the run I'd recommend. It's a great, we did a lot of our intervals. So when you're coming back along, I'm just trying to think of the drive.
I don't know the name of the road, but as you're coming along the other side, Yep, on the water, Yep, there's Mark, someone's painted markers there over the year and there's K markers and it's probably the best kilometre stretch of bitumen. If you don't want to run around a track, you'll find around the Gold Coast, low traffic, massive wide curve, you're running along the water there or the kind of
like mangroves. I spent a lot, many many years actually, for going up to a few Olympic preps. I'd go out on a Tuesday and run 15K. Telebudger, Dr. Telebudger Dr. I've just looked it up. Yeah 15K in the morning jogging yeah go and swim do our swim session for the day and then go back there in the afternoon yeah to do our you know, 8 by 1 K reps it's. Quiet because it's essentially no through Rd at the end there. Yeah, great, great loop. That's that's the runner.
I would that would be my TripAdvisor run recommendation. Yeah. What would you, I mean you tell people to go up to the ring? So I don't get really arsed about Rd. Yeah, every, every every question I get DM Ed on you know where. Can I go in trails? It's like where would you run on the Gold Coast for trails? Now if I said scenic loop I'll
send them up Spring brook way. Yep, I also when people ask directly where to go, I love to tell them I don't like to throw it out there into the world as well because you don't want places to you don't want to run. If you really want to know where to go, reach out. But yeah, so the spring go up in Spring Brook, pleasant places, but I always say Nerang.
It's great. If you want to come Nerang, it's National Park used to be a safe forest, but Nerang is probably one of the most underrated places you can go to exercise, I think, and I'm gonna say in Australia near a capital city. So there's there's better places to go and run and do things. But next to a in a capital, literally 15 minutes from the coast, 60 kilometres, a single track, endless fire trails,
hills, whatever. And you know, you go out there in an afternoon or morning, you'll see kangaroo. You see everything it is and it's literally in this. It's arguably in the city. Can we, this is just to pivot slightly talking about Nerang, there's an opportunity for that suburb to really what you just spoke about there. If I am a part of the Gold Coast City Council or a part of the Nerang Commerce Chamber, whatever, I don't know what they have you're barking up. No, no, no.
Barking up a wrong tree. Mate no, but I think why aren't they interested? This is Narang for those that don't know where we're talking about. This is a traditionally lower socio economic area that as you just pointed out has incredible natural resources at the door. Now the health and Wellness economy here on the Gold Coast is booming. I was talking to Taylor Steel
for those that don't know. Surf documentary maker owns tequila brand, runs the what's his fur festival that he just had on here called, I can't even remember Anyway, Cilento, the Cilento Surf Film Festival. That's the name of his tequila as well. I was having a conversation with Taylor about this very thing and he was saying that the the health and Wellness economy here is is booming. It is flying. It is growing at an incredible rate. If I'm Narang, I'm leaning in,
yeah, shoulder to the wheel. This is an opportunity to utilise your natural resources, your competitive advantage in this space to attract more events, more businesses, more people and build Yeah. We we would need multiple hours to be able to discuss this. But OK, what I do agree. I mean, it's an amazing place to go and walk, ride, run, exercise. But that's where I send people because it's so close to the coast and it's just, you know,
endless out there. Yeah, Yeah. But you know, the answer to why, you know, I kind of baulked and said you're barking out their own tree. Gold Coast is still built on our beaches. You know, we have an from now, we have, we have an amazing Himalaya. We have amazing everything else. But the beaches is what the you know, if you're gonna, if you're gonna display Gold Coast, it's always gonna be the beaches. Of course, let's the beaches are the gateway drug, though.
I feel like we can get the tourists onto that. I feel like we can. I feel like we can and, and I feel like we should, as much as I've just said, Nerang needs to do this. You and I have an opportunity through this a little bit and you don't. You work for Tourism QLD sometimes. Not in Nerang. But there is there is an incredible, the Gold Coast is beaches, but it is at the same time so much more than that. And the growth isn't around the beaches. The growth is around everything
else here. I did get called out the other day. We mentioned something on, we mentioned a location that I won't say again on the podcast where I'd been and I got a few people saying, hey, hey, hey. Down Oh, you gave it up really it's. Just yeah, we, we we like it quiet. We like it. We like it quiet where we are. And then I have seen one or two people who saw me on Strava go running in this place unnamed. Noise, yeah. Quickly did did wrong by our other community.
Gold Coast beaches, What do you think of beach bars? European style beach bars where they can serve you drinks on the beach. On the fence. You know what I am for though, what more restaurants, cafes, whatever that you can sit there and have a beach view. So this is here's here's. How do you do that? This is a Gold Coast specific question here, but if I said to you this afternoon, let's go down and have a beer on the beach and it's not a surf club, Cool.
How you've you've really taken my feet out from underground. Not a surf club. Where do I go to have a coffee or a beer in the afternoon or lunch and just overlook the beach? Got it. Yeah, you can. Besides pavilion and and of the obvious. Well, barely. Pav Kira Hotel. I think you can see it from there. It's across the road. It's. Across the road you might need to you. Might need like mini binoculars.
Still, it's hard. Hey, well, there's that new restaurant in the Kira. I forgot the name of it. I went up there. There. Siblings. Yes, siblings. Siblings. Yeah, it's downstairs from the surf. Club. So there are a few, yeah. But it's it's tough going, like even up in Surfers Paradise. There's nothing, Everything's across the road exactly. Actually, there's some places in Paradise Centre, but again, you're kind of looking, you're
up through things. Yeah, so the big there's a cafe just above the sole that you can sit out, but the balcony's only for about four two person tables. Yeah, it's tough. It's challenging. Tommy's Italian in Karaman Karaman RSL. That's an RSL. Hang on. But they're on the river. Yeah, maybe you can go on and poke your head around, all right, but it's we look, we won't disappear down a Gold Coast conversation here, but I did. That's where I think the beaches. Yep, there's an opportunity.
Hey, let's. Scoop away from the Gold Coast conversation to local races. Now. I am late on this one, but I've talked about triple, triple top, which is the Tasmanian race. I don't always triple.
Top. Triple tops, OK 3, three peaks down in Tasmania, I think the first one's roll instead of down near Launceston. I've called it out even though I've never done it. Want to do it as one of the toughest kind of proper you know a little bit of it's not off track, but there's the track is is very technical finishes with a 5K decline I think in 700 metres, don't quote 700 down under that 700 metres descent over 5K. So it's a tough race now it opened on Tuesday for regos.
I reckon it's gonna be sold out by the time I'm saying this. But Stephen Hunkin, thanks for sending an inmate. I, I wanted to shout it out because hopefully I'm, I'm hoping. With over 1100 metres of elevation and almost 1000 metres of sent over the final five KS and an all time record of only one hours, 57 for the 19 kilometre course, the triple Top mountain run is not for the faint hearted. So put that in context. 19 kilometres less than half marathon. The record is basically two hours.
So that's I'm gonna take again like a guess and say we may be too late on this one, but. That's still one of the best, hardest, most gruelling and amazing trail run ever. Take only memories, leave only footprints. That is a cool sounding race. It sounds like the sort of race that Courtney would get me to join in 12 weeks before I do a marathon and then break and then my body is never going. To be I'm not suggesting it Liam, because that one is an
injury rating to happen that. Long You know the other reason you love this and as I just read a bit about it quickly, the walkers and runners are like we put to the most gruelling of testers. They've battled their way along this technical single track course. That's what you you get excited about.
Most people would see technical single track and think, well you see that and go. Oh well, some other races say they've got technical single track, but from what I've heard this is technical single track and sometimes I think the track disappears under the under the scrub. Culminates in a knee destroying descent. That's not what you want to hear. Well, it's not going to be great for your knee at the moment, is it? I. Love it all. Right mate, let's wrap up.
I'll go to a bit of comedy to finish your favourite. Matt Lyon had a great one a few weeks ago. How you doing, Tonic? Good to meet you. And I think it's time we start talking about changing the name of this thing from run Club to Cheeky Beverage Club. What do you think? Because look, what are we paying a $30 registration fee for when we're not even running to the
club? Once the organiser said we're doing 4 to 5 miles, I was like you've got me for three Max and there's nothing you can do. I'm cracking a cold one. Look, I know they said 9 to 10 minute pace but man, I'm here to socialise. I figured crank out the mileage in the 1st 15 minutes. That leaves an extra 15 for cocktails and banter. Isn't that the whole point? That's where you and I are different. I'd rather exercise my social skills than my cardiovascular
system. My buddy Cadence over there tried suggesting acai bowls and another 3 miles instead of drinks today. I said well I'm going to suggest you find another run club because the only fitness I'm trying to work on is fitting this ice cold beverage into a koozie. See that 26.2 sticker on my Subaru over there? A lot of people run marathons for a cause. You want to know my cause? That sound right there. I don't put the sticker on there
to flaunt how far I've run. I put it on there to express the distance I'm willing to travel, knowing there are good drinks and good vibes at the end. He's good. He's got it figured out a bit. The evolution of run clubs is something I we don't have time for this today.
Next week, next step, I'm going to come back with some more Strava theories because remember how I said that Strava, you know the premium Strava options and all that sort of stuff, the evolution of it. I'd just like to send this message to Strava quickly. I'm still not a paid up member. I'm still on the free model and you keep telling me every time I open my Strava app, last day is last day is 25% off. It's never the sales never going to win.
You're always going to be offering me a deal to subscribe to this thing. Stop telling me that it's about to run out. I. Missed your birthday yet? No, you haven't. It's coming up good. Good, But the Strava situation look, I'm getting last chance 25% off You've got goals. Get the tools that help you to reach them 25% off web only offer and soon. No, it doesn't. You'll always be offering me because you want me to sign up
and subscribe. You want my data Yes, and you'll probably get it, but I there is the Strava world. There's more happening with this thing. Yep, I did have it, but I'm not going to play it today though. We have the running races. We talked about the the the Barker times, Spotify. We had one from Bandit and they did the. Interesting, it was like the. F1 Do you want to hear it? What? Do they play? It play it, play it game play. It running just got its own F1 style racing series and it is
wild. So it's called the Bandit Grand Prix hosted by Bandit running and the first ever event just happened in Brooklyn. But this thing was nothing like a normal road race. They built a technical multi lap circuit that. Winds through Brooklyn with sharp turns indoor sex. And spectators lining the course cheering like it's an F1 pit lane racers kick things off with qualifying 5K heat, battling for spots in a 3K super final under the lights if you didn't want to run solo.
They had a team relay option as well. But it gets even better. The event didn't end at the finish line. There was a full on after party with a DJ, Food trucks and drinks the entire. Event experience was really one of a kind mixing fit. That's what a bit like what we talked, what I was kind of referring to at the start where not so much Travis Barker. Yeah, thing where you go out and do 10K run. It's a vibe where there's a host of different races that happen.
I saw, I saw this one. And to be honest, it's a bit frustrating. I mean, it's great to see everyone innovating and getting out there and trying different things, but they all treat it like they're the first to market and that the first ones to do this. I mean, Zirconi I saw online did something very similar. Zirconi, Zirconi. It's just you never get older, you just say with Sukkani mum. Said all like that for 30 years. I'm not gonna change now, I'm sure said.
The old man at the Christmas party. We're gonna get called out again, aren't we? We're never gonna get anything from no them. Yeah, so they did one. It's all happening to be honest, we I've thought about, we've talked about doing these industrial site like taking an industrial site and doing a run race through it and it's never really come to fruition. We haven't seen it as the right the right thing, but they're not new everyone. Of course you're not.
Brands coming out going look, we just did the first F1 style thing. There's nothing new. They're nothing new. There's nothing new. And the other thing I would say to everybody as well, it's like everything. Just because you see something on Instagram, I I have when people show you their highlights, yeah, it's highlights for a reason. I can make any bloke that's played AFL for for 10 games look like a superstar if I package up their highlights.
The reality is what they did outside of those highlights. And so these events, while they might get packaged up and look like, Oh my gosh, how did they come up with this unless you were there? Yeah. And experiencing it directly, don't just take it as read that it was as amazing as the brand that's marketing it made it seem. Experience it for yourself before you drink the Kool Aid, I guess. And as I'm saying that it's probably a fair lesson around Hyrox. Yeah.
Have you actually been to a Hyrox? No, I haven't. I have. I haven't competed in one. I better be in there. Maybe I'll just. Maybe I. Went I went to Brisbane to check it out to see what it was all about. So maybe that's what I have to. Do you know the most impressive thing about High Rocks was the way they had their, their, the management of getting people in and out of the middle of the arena.
And I've seen, I don't know if I've spoken about this before on the podcast, but the way the first thing I walked in see German engineering, they've worked out the way. So the course goes, obviously in a like a run track. And then they've got to get the crowd to watch across that run track while it's continually got thousands of people running around over to the other side. But how do you do that without stopping the runners? You put a bridge over the top.
Well that is the other option, but how do you do it in a cheaper way? They literally put in the middle a little bit of a like a hold or gantry. So half the field, half the crowd walk halfway across the course while someone stands there with an X and philtres all the runners down the other side. You're then standing in the middle. They change the course to run. It's like a pedestrian crossing, but not quite.
I know what you mean though. Kind of, but I think I saw Gold Coast Marathon doing this and I've seen some other races since and I but the first time I ever saw it was high rocks. So give give them. Give them props. Give them props on something. Here we won't go down that road, but can't. On something, Can't believe we're doing it. Talking about high rocks, after all the feedback we got, All right, very good. There it is. Get out there and enjoy your
running this weekend. Remember, make sure if you've got a recommended run, if you've got a run in your city, town, wherever you are that you would recommend, send it through. We might share some of those as we keep going and otherwise we'll see you next week. And if you haven't subscribed yet, subscribe. Subscribe. Spam you.