Lake Manchester Trail Run

Photos from the Lake Manchester 22km Trail Run 12 August 2012.

I was catching my breath on an uphill when these two ladies sped past me. 

A grimacin' Martin. Behind again, naturally.

Posing with the mighty Bunyaville trail runners.

These two speedsters look very content. I hope they left a snag for a backmarker.

Google earth map of Lake Manchester 22km trail run.

Map of Lake Manchester 22km trail run.

Brisbane Running Festival 2012

5th August 2012 Brisbane Running Festival photos - Marathon.

Runners from 18 countries took part in the 21^st annual Brisbane running festival. It has been 30 years since Robert de Castella won the marathon in the 1982 Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane. More than 5000 runners joined the marathon, half-marathon, 10km, 5km and 2.2km for kids. About one-fourth of participants came from outside Brisbane.

The sun was not yet up (it must have slept in) when we approached the Story bridge.
Running this bridge was a good enough excuse to join the Brisbane marathon (and half-marathon).

Km 3. Runners pack the narrow pedestrian path on the bridge.
The organisers should consider including a bridge climb... :-)
or at least a lane closure.

Near the 5km mark in MacDonald Street or Hamilton Street in Kangaroo Point.
The camera was still rubbing its eyes or lens.

On the Go-between bridge at 16km+, looking north towards Coronation Drive.

Under the Coronation Drive overpass on the go-between bridge off-ramp.
Faster runners on the bicentennial pathway on the left, get first whiff of the Brisbane river breeze.

Km 16++

The bicentennial pathway runs alongside the Brisbane River next to Coronation Drive.

First lap turn 16.5km. I stopped my watch accidentally somewhere before 13km.

On the Goodwill Bridge on the second lap of the marathon. After the first lap, the course was suddenly deserted. The half-marathoners had finished, and I was bringing up the rear in the marathon.

Kangaroo Point cliffs. Great for climbing, but I was here to run.

I found a 26km marathon. But I had to run 16.2km to find it.

Thanks to all the cheerers and volunteers at the drinks stations and elsewhere.

Approaching the arbour in Southbank parklands near the maritime museum,
at the south end of Goodwill Bridge, Km27+.

 I also found an 8km marathon...
That's after running about 34km.
Isn't the Brisbane beautiful this morning?
It isn't always so.
Flow river flow, flow to the sea...

5km runners run in step.

Young and old, everyone's into running. Thanks to support crews too.

 Under the Captain Cook bridge (freeway).

Running on the Goodwill bridge

Gaps in the marathon route in red, are due to some runner accidentally pressing a button on his watch.

I'm too slow for this marathon stuff. Might have to scale down to the half-marathon next time.

Is what you read changing the way you think?

Man Seeks God. Eric Weiner wrote this when a well-meaning nurse asked him: "Have you found your God yet?"

The Atheist’s Bible. Recommended reading for non-believers, about God and religion. To quote the great springfield poet Homer Simpson: "God bless those pagans."

In Portable Atheist Christopher Hitchens writes:

"One is continually told, as an unbeliever, that it is old-fashioned to rail against the primitive stupidities and cruelties of religion because after all, in these enlightened times, the old superstitions have died away."

Hitchens argues in God Is Not Great that belief in a great god will persist for as long as we humans cannot come to grips with our own mortality. He states that it is time for science and reason to play a bigger role in our cultures.

Sam Harris agrees about the role of science in our lives. In The Moral Landscape  Harris seeks to link morality to the rest of human knowledge, that science ought to define human well-being.

Speaking of science-

Jared Diamond, James A. Robinson. Natural Experiments Of History. consists of studies drawn from history, archeology, economics, economic history, geography, and political science.

Of course these days science and technology are not the only things changing the way we think.

“How is the internet changing the way you think?” is what John Brockman (ed) posed to many of the world's most influential minds.154 scientists, artists and creative thinkers - explore exactly what it means to think in the new age of the Internet.

For a bit of lighter reading, here’s some fiction:

Bob Dylan Chronicles Vol 1

John Banville Mefisto

John Grisham Calico Joe

Or for some music:

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim Here lies love, about the life of Imelda Marcos.

Glasshouse Trail Runs - Flinders Tour

Photos from the 25km Glasshouse Mountains Trail Run – Flinders Tour 29 July 2012.

Beerburrum is about an hour’s drive north of Brisbane.
It is on the Glasshouse Mountains Road, less than 5km off the Bruce Highway.

The State School welcomes runners, while Mt Beerburrum beckons.

About 270 runners turned up for the 2012 Flinders Tour leg of the Glasshouse Trails Series, which included 10km, 25km and 50km events. 

This run is on moderate trails interspersed with great views of the Glasshouse mountains.

Doing the 25km run (my first time joining the Flinders tour) opened up my eyes to the awesome sights of the surrounding mountains, the forests and trees. The tour also revealed the extent of damage caused to tracks and ground surface.  Apparently this environmental damage is due to 4wd vehicles and trail bikes accessing and using tracks that are off-limits to them. The deep ruts and uneven surface is a safety concern for the recreational walkers, hikers, runners and other users with low impact or non-destructive environmental activities in these park areas. 

One of 'The Twins' Tunbubudla. 

During the run, I was quite amazed to meet two different groups of trail bikers and a 4wd ute on the same trails as the runners. I am not certain if they are supposed to be there, but I'm sure there was sufficient signage placed around the course cautioning about the trail running event. 

Mixing it with trailbikes. I was hoping for them to slow down for runners, but they instead revved up and turned up the dust.

On the west of Old Gympie Road (near the southwest of the race route), the first group of bikers that I met even accelerated up along a lengthy section lined with runners, and their bikes were turning up the dust and deafening us with their motors. To me this seemed to be a deliberate ‘in your face’ act of defiance by the riders against the trail runners. 

The other group of bikers (adult and youngster? near Caves Road reserve) appeared friendly and had stopped as I jogged past them. They gestured back with a wave and rode off on another trail.

Finally the 4wd ute that I encountered was going up a rough and narrow hilly trail. This track had ruts as deep as the ute's wheels, and I was negotiating carefully, coming down the opposite direction. The vehicle kept going although we were on the same line and about to joust, so I sidestepped quickly to let it go past, lest it get dented. It was going uphill and at the time I gave it the benefit of being a support car for the runners. If it was a volunteer’s car, then we were simply meeting at the wrong place and wrong time. But if it was not a support car, I do not know if it should have been there. And seriously if it was not supposed to be there, then again this highlights a safety issue that indeed should be addressed by the authorities. 

Whether these trails are to be shared or used exclusively by certain groups (eg for 4wd, trailbikes, or walking/running) should be clarified and the rules enforced.

I join the clamour for ministerial intervention for the benefit and safety of all park users and to mitigate environmental damage.

 The smaller of 'The Twins' Miketeebumulgrai.

 Mt Beerwah in the distance.

I sidestepped more trailbikes (can't really throw stones, I'm at the glasshouse

 mountains) and skirted around Mt Tibberoowuccum, before striding out to the finish.

Any finish is a good finish.

Yeah right Martin. These guys finished hours ago.

Thanks to TRAQ, the volunteers, support crews, fellow runners and all. Thanks also to the courteous trail bikers off Caves Road. Run and let ride, or ride and let run.

Map of the Glasshouse Trail Runs - 25km Flinders Tour 2012.