Health and Fitness: Point Run Enduro trail running event to be held at Lake Macquarie on November 2
Are you a creature of routine? Do you run, walk, cycle the same route on a regular basis.
There is something comforting about covering the same course. You can almost switch off and just go through the motions, with your body and mind seemingly on autopilot. In this case though, it almost makes you too comfortable and at times can make the motivation wane.
Mixing up your courses could give you an added challenge once in a while and bring new enthusiasm to your activity.
Go somewhere you've never been before. New scenery can be a welcome distraction and a change of scenery can equal a change of pace.
HEvents are staging a new event in November on the shores of Lake Macquarie that sounds intriguing.
It is a trail event at Green Point Reserve. For those of you not familiar with trail running, it has taken off in a big way in recent years.
I have done a few trail events now and have discovered that there are so many places right on our doorsteps here in the Hunter region to do it. And there are also a number of events to train for.
The inaugural Coastal Ascent was held through Glenrock State Conservation Area in April this year then the Raffertys Coastal Run through the Munmorah State Conservation Area in July. Yesterday, Trail Run Australia Tomaree was staged through Tomaree National Park and now the inaugural Point Run Enduro Lake Macquarie has been added to the region's calendar of events.
It will be held on November 2 through the trails of Green Point Reserve. It is an endurance trail event with a four-hour or two-hour option to enter and two looped courses to choose from.
But it has an interesting twist - participants will not know the courses until they run them on race day.
TRANQUIL: Running or walking through Glenrock State Conservation Area feels like you are a million miles from anywhere.
Point Run Enduro event director Paul Humphreys said numbers would be capped at 500.
"The concept is it's four hours and runners will have two courses to choose from on each lap," he said.
"Because they won't have seen the courses until the day they will have to run both to see what they are like. The course could be flat or it could be hilly. One will be around five kilometres and the other eight and not knowing the courses before race day is a bit of a point of difference.
"It's all in Green Point and most of it trails through leafy reserve with lovely views the whole way. It's amazing what's in the area."
Situated between the quiet lakeside suburbs of Belmont and Valentine, Green Point Reserve is considered one of Lake Macquarie's most scenic bushland pockets. But unless you are a local, you may never have been there.
Lakeview parkrun is held there every Saturday at 8am and on average has just under 100 runners each weekend.
The four-hour Point Run Enduro race can also be done as a relay.
If you are looking for the ultimate trail challenge, entries open this week for 2020 Ultra Trail Australia in the Blue Mountains. There are 11-kilometre, 22km, 50km and 100km options as well as the kids 1km.
Road events coming up locally include inaugural Newcastle international half marathon on October 6 and the Fernleigh 15 on October 20.
Upcoming Fitness Events
Newcastle International Half Marathon, Newcastle Foreshore, October 6: It is a new event on the calendar for Newcastle and will also feature a 5km option. The 21.1km course is from Nobbys to Merewether and back, taking in King Edward Park.
Fernleigh 15, Fernleigh Track, October 20: A 15-kilometre running or walking event which is staged along the Fernleigh Track from Adamstown to Belmont.
Point Run Enduro, Green Point, November 2: A new trail run set to test runners over two or four hours. The goal is to see how far you can go over a combination of two looped courses to be revealed on race day.
Spring Sessions Week #4
Doing something is always better than nothing, even if it is just 10 minutes a day. Chances are, once you get in the habit of devoting 10 minutes each day to some form of exercise it will easily soon become 20 minutes. Your continuous 10 minutes could look like any of these:
Workout 1: 30 seconds skipping, 30sec rest or 30sec squats. Workout 2: 30sec step-ups, 30sec push-ups. Workout 3: 30sec walking lunges (with or without weight), 30 sec pull-ups or rows. Workout 4: 30sec mountain climbers, 30sec ab rotation (with or without weight).
Add them together for a 40-minute workout.
Send your health and fitness news to r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au.
Renee Valentine is a writer, qualified personal trainer and mother of three.