Wednesday, September 30, 2015
New arrivals and new destinations
Well it's been a while since I've blogged on this page. Lots happening at the moment. Completed my first year of masters (over 35s) footy at Redcliffe, spent a week in Thailand for a bucks party, won some weight loss competitions, also won a free trip for two to see the Lions v Crows AFL game in Adelaide. The biggest change to the Fraserland family is probably the new addition of Pies the cat. We picked up Pies from the Little Legs Cat Rescue a few weeks ago and he is settling in nicely (apart from the occasional shredded jumper). The real test for Sarah will come in a few weeks time when we travel to Vietnam for 3 weeks and Pies gets to visit his grandma.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Gold Coast Half Marathon
Well the day finally arrived. After three months of training, covering 350kms. We were well prepared.
Before I start I should mention our target goal times for the 21.1km race.
Me - 1:45
Sarah - 2:11
Suzy - 2:20
We drove down around lunchtime on the Saturday and checked into our hotel in Broadbeach, the lovely Le Chelsea Apartments. We stayed with another couple Suzy and Russ along with their son Oliver. Suzy was also running the Half Marathon. After check in we walked down to the main shops in Broadbeach and begun our carb loading at Sushimoto Sushi Train. After lunch we began the bus journey to Metricon Stadium for the Gold Coast Suns v Collingwood Magpies game. The game was ok despite my team playing poorly. More of a disappointment was not being able to enjoy the beers and especially the Cider bar right behind us.
After the game we headed back to the hotel for an early night and some pasta. A 4am wake up awaited us.
Sunday
4am
Early preparations are underway. A small breakfast of oats, a shower and putting on our marathon gear including our official marathon numbers. We decided to drive and try our luck and getting a park near the start line. We passed some really big bus lines on the way. We needn't have worried though, plenty of free parking at Australia Fair, a short walk from the start. It was there we met up with my mate Jorgo who happened to bring his awesome 7D Cannon SLR Camera. Although it was still dark at this time (5:30am) so the lighting prevented any decent pre-race photos.
This photo was taken with my phone. After we gave all of our gear to Jorgo we headed off to our starting positions. Suzy to the 2:20 group, Sarah to the 2 hour group and myself to the 1:40 start group. It was nice and cold at this time of the morning, but with so many people in one place (around 9000) it didn't feel too bad. I had a quick chat with a couple of people around me, trying to shake the nerves. After a while the crowd started slowly moving forward. I was about 2 minutes from the start line. I did some last minute checks on my GPS watch, turned on my iPod and hit the line running.
The Race
6am
Well I would like to say I started off running, but with a huge amount of people at the start line, it was difficult to get moving despite the fact I was supposed to be in the 1:40 group. Dodging around a few slower joggers I couldn't seem to find an opening. Then my sunglasses fell off, so I nearly got run over trying to rescue them. As soon as I was settled I realised that the pace was started to feel a little slow. I waited for the 1st km marker to check my pace. It was 5:20! Immediate panic as I needed at least 5 minute kms to get under 1:45. I started to pick up the pace and even resorted to running on the pathway, dodging some of the cheer squad to get around the slower runners. I hadn't seen the green balloons of the 1:40 pace runner yet, so I knew I had some ground to make up. The second km flew by in 4:11. So getting closer to my pace. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. I felt the group was still a little slow, so back up on the pathway again. Before I knew it, I was 5kms in. My pace was back on track and I started to get glimpses of the 1:40 pace setter. I rounded past my mate Killer who was on target for a 1:45 and tried to catch up to the pace setter. After a small hill climb I reached them. I settled in behind the man in the balloons next to a bloke who was blowing pretty hard. I was finding the pace a little easy, so I jogged up next to the pacer for a little chat. He advised to pick up my pace if I was finding it too easy. There is no point in leaving anything in the tank after the race.
The last 5 kms started to get a little tough, but I couldn't see any pacers in either direction. I was below my goal times for the kms splits that I had noticed, so I thought I was in a good place to beat my 1:45 goal, maybe even get close to the 1:40 time. I put my head down and ran the last couple as fast as possible. The crowd noise was terrific and I was very pleased and surprised to see the big clock reading 1:36 as I crossed (adjusted time was 1:34:10 minus the time it took me to cross the start line).
My stats:
After my initial goal was to get under 2 hours 6 months ago (adjusted to 1:45 after my training), I was ecstatic with my time. As you can see in this video (around the 1 minute 55 second mark).
http://www.couriermail.com.au/
After grabbing a drink I drifted back to the finish line to see how Sarah, Suzy and a few others I knew running the race. I missed the girls, but was able to cheer home my mate Cougar over the line.
After finding Russ we waited to hear how the girls went. Their times were:
Sarah - 1.57.57 (her goal time was 2.11)
Suzy - 2.13.58 (her goal time was 2.20)
Understandably everyone was very happy with their results. We spent the rest of our time on the coast at various pubs to celebrate.
Before I start I should mention our target goal times for the 21.1km race.
Me - 1:45
Sarah - 2:11
Suzy - 2:20
We drove down around lunchtime on the Saturday and checked into our hotel in Broadbeach, the lovely Le Chelsea Apartments. We stayed with another couple Suzy and Russ along with their son Oliver. Suzy was also running the Half Marathon. After check in we walked down to the main shops in Broadbeach and begun our carb loading at Sushimoto Sushi Train. After lunch we began the bus journey to Metricon Stadium for the Gold Coast Suns v Collingwood Magpies game. The game was ok despite my team playing poorly. More of a disappointment was not being able to enjoy the beers and especially the Cider bar right behind us.
After the game we headed back to the hotel for an early night and some pasta. A 4am wake up awaited us.
Sunday
4am
Early preparations are underway. A small breakfast of oats, a shower and putting on our marathon gear including our official marathon numbers. We decided to drive and try our luck and getting a park near the start line. We passed some really big bus lines on the way. We needn't have worried though, plenty of free parking at Australia Fair, a short walk from the start. It was there we met up with my mate Jorgo who happened to bring his awesome 7D Cannon SLR Camera. Although it was still dark at this time (5:30am) so the lighting prevented any decent pre-race photos.
This photo was taken with my phone. After we gave all of our gear to Jorgo we headed off to our starting positions. Suzy to the 2:20 group, Sarah to the 2 hour group and myself to the 1:40 start group. It was nice and cold at this time of the morning, but with so many people in one place (around 9000) it didn't feel too bad. I had a quick chat with a couple of people around me, trying to shake the nerves. After a while the crowd started slowly moving forward. I was about 2 minutes from the start line. I did some last minute checks on my GPS watch, turned on my iPod and hit the line running.
The Race
6am
Well I would like to say I started off running, but with a huge amount of people at the start line, it was difficult to get moving despite the fact I was supposed to be in the 1:40 group. Dodging around a few slower joggers I couldn't seem to find an opening. Then my sunglasses fell off, so I nearly got run over trying to rescue them. As soon as I was settled I realised that the pace was started to feel a little slow. I waited for the 1st km marker to check my pace. It was 5:20! Immediate panic as I needed at least 5 minute kms to get under 1:45. I started to pick up the pace and even resorted to running on the pathway, dodging some of the cheer squad to get around the slower runners. I hadn't seen the green balloons of the 1:40 pace runner yet, so I knew I had some ground to make up. The second km flew by in 4:11. So getting closer to my pace. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. I felt the group was still a little slow, so back up on the pathway again. Before I knew it, I was 5kms in. My pace was back on track and I started to get glimpses of the 1:40 pace setter. I rounded past my mate Killer who was on target for a 1:45 and tried to catch up to the pace setter. After a small hill climb I reached them. I settled in behind the man in the balloons next to a bloke who was blowing pretty hard. I was finding the pace a little easy, so I jogged up next to the pacer for a little chat. He advised to pick up my pace if I was finding it too easy. There is no point in leaving anything in the tank after the race.
Thanks to Jorgo for the above shot. So after leaving the 1:40 group, I was starting to feel like I could push a little harder, so I set off looking for the next group of people. After a few kms, I started to see balloons on the next pacer. For a split second I entertained the idea, that is was the 1:30 group, but as I got closer I saw it was another 1:40. There was a different 1:40 group for each section. Not knowing which section was mine, I aimed to beat this group to the finish. It was along this strip that I saw Sarah heading back in the other direction. She seemed to be travelling well and in front of the 2 hour group.The last 5 kms started to get a little tough, but I couldn't see any pacers in either direction. I was below my goal times for the kms splits that I had noticed, so I thought I was in a good place to beat my 1:45 goal, maybe even get close to the 1:40 time. I put my head down and ran the last couple as fast as possible. The crowd noise was terrific and I was very pleased and surprised to see the big clock reading 1:36 as I crossed (adjusted time was 1:34:10 minus the time it took me to cross the start line).
My stats:
After my initial goal was to get under 2 hours 6 months ago (adjusted to 1:45 after my training), I was ecstatic with my time. As you can see in this video (around the 1 minute 55 second mark).
http://www.couriermail.com.au/
After grabbing a drink I drifted back to the finish line to see how Sarah, Suzy and a few others I knew running the race. I missed the girls, but was able to cheer home my mate Cougar over the line.
After finding Russ we waited to hear how the girls went. Their times were:
Sarah - 1.57.57 (her goal time was 2.11)
Suzy - 2.13.58 (her goal time was 2.20)
Understandably everyone was very happy with their results. We spent the rest of our time on the coast at various pubs to celebrate.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
12 Week Challenge Completed
Wow what a long 12 weeks! But we made it. 10 kgs for Sarah and 16 for me. We smashed past our pre challenge goals and are keen to continue the new lifestyle (after a few celebratory beers of course). We must thank our lovely personal trainer Sami for all her guidance. Sami gave us a continually changing diet and exercise routine and continued to monitor, motivate and push us all the way along the 12 weeks. We also had some help from our training buddies Pete and Adrian. Both did remarkably well in this challenge. Adrian lost a staggering 31 kgs and surely is a favourite to take out the national title.
During the 12 weeks Sarah and I have also been training for the July Gold Coast Half Marathon. We have been able to get our training distances up to 16K and setting new personal best times along the way. The 21K is our immediate goal at the Gold Coast but we might see what challenges we can reach by the end of the year. Maybe even a full marathon one day, who knows?
After the challenge we took some photos to compare against our old selves. Here is me from 2007 and today.
During the 12 weeks Sarah and I have also been training for the July Gold Coast Half Marathon. We have been able to get our training distances up to 16K and setting new personal best times along the way. The 21K is our immediate goal at the Gold Coast but we might see what challenges we can reach by the end of the year. Maybe even a full marathon one day, who knows?
After the challenge we took some photos to compare against our old selves. Here is me from 2007 and today.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
YNB Challenge
Apologies for the big gaps in my blogs. I keep forgetting about this page.
So anyway the end of last year was pretty crazy. Our big trip to Phuket was followed by 4 days at the Ashes test at the Gabba, a trip down to Sydney and Albury for Christmas to visit the relos and also a trek up north to Agnes Water for new years with some mates. These big trips included a bit of indulging and plenty of drinks to undo some of the work Sarah and I had done in our weight management for the year. So we decided to shake things up.
First we said goodbye to our loved, but small Jetts gym and signed up with a larger one. Genesis Lawnton. Around 10 times the size, this gym also appealed with added classes, more machines and a specialised spin class RPM room. They also had a new program coming up in the new year called the Your New Beginning (YNB) Challenge.
The YNB challenge runs for 12 weeks starting on February 17. So we signed up, paid our fee and met our new trainer Sami B. Sami set out our goals, designed our meal plans, provided recipes, organised our training exercises as well as taking us for a personal training session once a week. The program also included group PT sessions every Saturday.
So for the next 12 weeks, Sarah and I had to give up alcohol, takeaway, soft drinks and anything that is basically bad for you. We also have to work out every day. We also took this opportunity to sign up to the Spartan Sprint and Twilight 10km. After Sunday's Twilight run, we will look to register for the Gold Coast Half Marathon.
So far Sarah and I have lost 4 and 7 kgs respectively. 4 weeks down, 8 to go.
Head to www.fraserland.com to follow our progress
So anyway the end of last year was pretty crazy. Our big trip to Phuket was followed by 4 days at the Ashes test at the Gabba, a trip down to Sydney and Albury for Christmas to visit the relos and also a trek up north to Agnes Water for new years with some mates. These big trips included a bit of indulging and plenty of drinks to undo some of the work Sarah and I had done in our weight management for the year. So we decided to shake things up.
First we said goodbye to our loved, but small Jetts gym and signed up with a larger one. Genesis Lawnton. Around 10 times the size, this gym also appealed with added classes, more machines and a specialised spin class RPM room. They also had a new program coming up in the new year called the Your New Beginning (YNB) Challenge.
The YNB challenge runs for 12 weeks starting on February 17. So we signed up, paid our fee and met our new trainer Sami B. Sami set out our goals, designed our meal plans, provided recipes, organised our training exercises as well as taking us for a personal training session once a week. The program also included group PT sessions every Saturday.
So for the next 12 weeks, Sarah and I had to give up alcohol, takeaway, soft drinks and anything that is basically bad for you. We also have to work out every day. We also took this opportunity to sign up to the Spartan Sprint and Twilight 10km. After Sunday's Twilight run, we will look to register for the Gold Coast Half Marathon.
So far Sarah and I have lost 4 and 7 kgs respectively. 4 weeks down, 8 to go.
Head to www.fraserland.com to follow our progress
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Phuket
Ok since I've updated the website, I should update my blog. I wonder if anyone even reads this thing?
Anyway this year marks 5 years since our wedding in Ballina, so we thought a trip away would be a great way to celebrate. The location we decided on was Phuket, Thailand.
We booked our flights through Air Asia, flying out of the Gold Coast to Phuket via Kuala Lumper. The flight left quite early on the Saturday, so we decided to head down the the Gold Coast the day before. We were able to park our car at the hotel for the duration as well. We stayed at the Gold Coast Airport Hotel which was opposite the airport at Cooloongatta.
The flight was nice, although flying with Air Asia meant we had to pay for everything on board. We hired a couple of iPad's for the flight with pre-loaded movies. We also bought a few beers, spirits and food along the way. We had a 5 hour stop over at KL so to kill the time we checked into the Premium Plaza Lounge. It cost us $50 AUD for the 5 hours and included beer, soft drink, some food, WIFI and comfy seats to pass the time. We finally arrived at our hotel around 10:30pm.
Our first hotel was the Centara Beach Resort. A very large resort with three different pools, each with their own swim up bar (although one of them was under maintenance the three days we were there). Their gym was well equipped and we started every day in there. The buffet breakfasts were great and were included in the accommodation.
The first day we hung out around the resort, drinking in the swim up bars, relaxing in our private balcony juccuzi and ordering room service. We tried the Lotus room resturant for their Wok on Fire theme night the first night. You got to choose the ingredients (chicken, prawns, rice, noodles, veges etc) and they cook it up in front of you. Very nice. The other nights we visted the nearby bars and resturants outside. Two Chefs was the pick of them.
On the second day we caught a cab into Patong Beach to do some shopping and have a look around. A very busy place, but we had a nice time. The last day we did a short little pub crawl around Karon Beach.
The second hotel we stayed at was the Radisson Blu Plaza at Cape Panwa. This was a 5 star resort located on the other side of Phuket. We got it as part of a voucher deal. It also included wine on arrival, a couples massage and a day trip for two to Phi Phi Island. The resort was very nice, but a little expensive and also a bit isolated. We enjoyed the pools and the nearby shops and restaurants. The second day there we did the day trip to Phi Phi Islands, which was amazing.
Anyway this year marks 5 years since our wedding in Ballina, so we thought a trip away would be a great way to celebrate. The location we decided on was Phuket, Thailand.
We booked our flights through Air Asia, flying out of the Gold Coast to Phuket via Kuala Lumper. The flight left quite early on the Saturday, so we decided to head down the the Gold Coast the day before. We were able to park our car at the hotel for the duration as well. We stayed at the Gold Coast Airport Hotel which was opposite the airport at Cooloongatta.
The flight was nice, although flying with Air Asia meant we had to pay for everything on board. We hired a couple of iPad's for the flight with pre-loaded movies. We also bought a few beers, spirits and food along the way. We had a 5 hour stop over at KL so to kill the time we checked into the Premium Plaza Lounge. It cost us $50 AUD for the 5 hours and included beer, soft drink, some food, WIFI and comfy seats to pass the time. We finally arrived at our hotel around 10:30pm.
Our first hotel was the Centara Beach Resort. A very large resort with three different pools, each with their own swim up bar (although one of them was under maintenance the three days we were there). Their gym was well equipped and we started every day in there. The buffet breakfasts were great and were included in the accommodation.
The first day we hung out around the resort, drinking in the swim up bars, relaxing in our private balcony juccuzi and ordering room service. We tried the Lotus room resturant for their Wok on Fire theme night the first night. You got to choose the ingredients (chicken, prawns, rice, noodles, veges etc) and they cook it up in front of you. Very nice. The other nights we visted the nearby bars and resturants outside. Two Chefs was the pick of them.
The second hotel we stayed at was the Radisson Blu Plaza at Cape Panwa. This was a 5 star resort located on the other side of Phuket. We got it as part of a voucher deal. It also included wine on arrival, a couples massage and a day trip for two to Phi Phi Island. The resort was very nice, but a little expensive and also a bit isolated. We enjoyed the pools and the nearby shops and restaurants. The second day there we did the day trip to Phi Phi Islands, which was amazing.
The last resort we stayed at was the Novotel, Kamala Beach which was the pick of the locations and our favourite part of Phuket. 3 kilometres of beach with hundreds of bars and restaurants. Can't wait to get back.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
2013
Man have I been slack with this blog account. Just did a re-launch with Fraserland, new location at Fraserland.com and linked to my blog account to read when I last posted. For those that were eagerly awaiting the next update. Yes we did go to Stanthorpe and it was fantastic. Photos up on Fraserland. Since the last post, Sarah and I began a health and fitness challenge. Results and photos also up on Fraserland. We are both feeling a lot better and fitter. Our next big adventure will be Phuket, Thailand. Which we are very much looking forward to. Before then I will also be heading down to Melbourne for my mate Jimmy's bucks party.
Till next time
Fraser out
Friday, October 19, 2012
Stanthorpe
Think I might take the missus to Stanthorpe this year for our anniversary. Anyone been? Im not a wine expert, but do enjoy the odd glass. Got a great deal on a spa cottage with daily breakfast. Not sure if November is a great time wine wise, but at least it wont be cold. Probably arrange some kind of wine tasting tour, so hopefully we will be able to stock the wine rack at home when we get back. Providing we don't drink it all while we are there.
Our last venture into wine country was Mount Tambourine a few years back. Should be fun.
Our last venture into wine country was Mount Tambourine a few years back. Should be fun.
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