SMH Half Marathon and Mother's Day Classic Training

Want to run in the Mother's Day Classic or SMH Half Marathon?

East Side Crew has the complete training program to get you fit for your event.  Our training program is open to everyone and we cater for all fitness levels, from beginners to elite. 

To register you need to do three things - easy peasy!!

1. Firstly, click here and register for our nine week training program.  You can register for yourself, friends or family members.  Registration closes on Friday 2 March - so don't miss out! We just need to know your full name, mobile number, email address and singlet size.

2. Click on one of the links below (or both!) and register for your chosen event. 

3. Come to training on 10 March 7:30 at Bronte Beach wearing your best running gear!

Join in our awesome training atmosphere, be part of a great group of people and most importantly, join in our celebrations of your achievements after the event!

ESC EVENT TRAINING PACKAGE - ONLY $99

• Saturday Morning Running Training. 7:30AM Bronte Beach.
• Complete Nine Week Training Program.
• Nutrition advice specifically for runners. Includes advice as to the best foods to eat before and after training. How to properly fuel your body for the race and great recovery meals. 
• Get expert coaching and advice from our specialist running coaches.  We will have some elite running coaches at training to help answer your questions and prepare you for your event. 
• ESC Training Singlet.

SMH HALF MARATHON

Date: Sunday 20 May
Distance: 21.1 kilometres
Where: Run around the City.  Start and finish in Hyde Park.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE HALF MARATHON. When you are registering, make sure you join the East Side Crew team. 


MOTHER'S DAY CLASSIC

Date: Sunday 13 May
Distance: 8 kilometres (4K fun run also available)
Where: The Domain

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE MOTHER'S DAY CLASSIC.  When you are registering, make sure you join the East Side Crew team. 

Fi's Six Week Challenge - Final Week!

Hey guys!

Welcome to the final week of the Challenge.   I can’t believe how quickly the past six weeks have gone.  I had a little bit of a set back last week, I had to fly to Melbourne twice for two separate photo shoots, so I missed a full week of Crew training.  I was really disappointed as I  was starting to really see a lot of improvements to my fitness and also my health.  Having to miss a full week of training is really hard - I started suffering withdrawals and I was scared that I was going to lose a lot of the hard work I had put in.

Before heading to Melbourne I had every intention of training every day, I filled my case with my training gear but once there and working long days I only managed to get in one session.  But I guess that's going to happen from time to time, and I won't always be able to attend a full week of training - so for me, it's about making sure that I train hard and eat well when I can and make the most of each session that I get to. That way, I won't feel guilty when I do have to miss a session from time to time. 

However, because I knew that I was missing training, I really concentrated hard on making sure that I was eating well.   I managed to be a lot better with my food and even attended lots of catch-ups and a 30th without a drop of alcohol passing my lips! With the possibility of sounding like an alcoholic I realized the other day I have been sober since the 8th of January! Very proud of myself!

But very happy to be back in Bondi and back training with the Crew. 

I am really pumped about training hard during the final week of the Challenge. I am going to give it a real nudge, I am going to try to make as many session as I can.

This morning, we did the final fitness test with the Bondi Crew. It was amazing how much everyone has improved over the Six Week period. I was a bit scared that because I missed training last week, I  wouldn't have improved my results, but I did - which was fantastic and gives me that bit of motivation I needed to push myself at training this week.

In a world of pain!

Good luck to everyone for the last week of the Challenge - hope you guys smash it.

Fi x

p.s. did everyone see the sunrise this morning - here's a photo Troy took of Bronte - amazing hey!

What a sunrise! So glad I was there to see it!

Crew Saturdays

We absolutely love Crew Saturdays.  We wanted to make sure that the sessions on Saturday were sessions that reflected the way we liked to train and that we were passionate about.  That's why we started Crew Run Club and ESC Elite.  Both sessions are tough sessions, but are our favourite sessions of the week. It's something that we really look forward to.

This Saturday we had two really great sessions.

Crew Run Club

Our nine week training program for the SMH Half Marathon and the Mother's Day Classic starts 10 March. It includes nine weeks of Saturday morning training 7:30AM at Bronte, complete training program, nutrition advice so you know what to eat before and after training and your race. You can register for the Crew running program through our website or by clicking here. Just tell us what event you want to train for and whether you are a beginner or advanced (you can always change groups - but we just want an indication). In the meantime, we are working on building some strength in our legs and mixing it up.  This week we were working on racing tactics.  Finishing a race in a fast time isn't just about being a strong runner. It's about knowing when to push yourself and when to pull back.  I always try to have something left in the tank so I can finish strong. Depending on how I'm feeling on the day, I might start picking it up 2k out, sometimes it's just 100m out. I don't always get it right and sometimes I go out too fast, and have nothing left. But it's always good to be able to finish strong. 

We did the following 3K circuit twice.  We did it in two groups, so people could match up with others of similar speed.  The circuit started at Bronte and followed a loop around the Cemetery and back. 

3K Circuit.

Flag sprints to finish - the pics below show how competitive it was.

Alex and Gill diving for the flag. 

Jac and Lisa in full flight. Strong, fit girls!

ESC Elite

ESC Elite had one of the best sessions yet! If you are around Bronte at 8am on Saturday mornings, make sure you come by and check out the elite session.  It is awesome to watch.

We did 5 x  5 min rounds in pairs.  You had to get through as many sets as you could in the 5 minutes. 

First Round

20 Deadlifts
20 Sit Ups 

Second Round

20 Shoulder Press
20 Lunge Jumps

Third Round

20 Wall Jumps
20 Push Ups

Fourth Round

Run from Bronte Surf Club, up Hewlett St and back.

Fifth Round

20 Bent Over Rows
20 Russian Twists

Surf Lessons!

We're not all about training! Everyone has been loving the run / swim sessions we have been doing over summer. And for some of the Crew (ok some of the pommies) it was the first time that they had ever been in the surf!

So Troy took the guys for a surf lesson at Nth Bondi.  Had a great time - so good to see everyone so happy and excited!

Hope you guys had a great weekend and are ready for a big week of training! Two weeks left of the Six Week Challenge! Yewwww!!!

Bianca - just chilin

Mike killing it! 

 

The girls

Fi's Six Week Challenge - One word - Sandhills!

 At the end of last week, I told you I was going to take on the sandhills at Cronulla on Saturday morning.

So, at 7:00 on Saturday morning I met the rest of the East Side Crew Run Club at Bronte Beach and we all got in our cars and made the trek down to Cronulla.  I was really excited when Kimmy first told me about doing the sand dunes (sounded like fun at the time for some reason!) but I got pretty nervous beforehand, as it has been about six years since I have tackled a sand dune.  Plus it started absolutely pouring on the way down - which just added to my nerves.

 

 

Taking on the wall of sand

 When I arrived and saw the massive mountains of sand - I was sort of regretting my decision to try and run up these things!  But it was actually a really great session! I think everyone was equally as nervous as I was, so we were all cheering each other on, and it was just a great atmosphere. Everyone was so happy to make it through the session, and even though our legs were burning and felt like lead - we were a very happy bunch at the end. I felt very proud of myself for giving it a go!

Absolutely smashed! 

 

 

Feeling like Champions!

It was really nice to finish the session by going to breaky with all of the other Crew members and have a catch up away from training and talk about the session.  It always seems like the harder the sesssion - the more everyone likes to talk about it! 

Breaky afterwards

One of the good things about the Challenge, is that I can still go to breaky and dinner with friends and be able to stick to the meal plan.  I have found that I now know a lot more about basic principles of nutrition and what I should be eating at each meal.  For example, the breakfast for Saturday was scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms.  So it's really easy to order this at a cafe - I just swap the scrambled eggs for poached so I know that there isn't added cream etc. in the eggs. 

But overall, following the meal plan is a lot easier than I thought it would be. Each week, we get given a shopping list with all of the ingredients we need for the week to come, so it's really easy to grab the ingredients and prepare your meals in advance. The meals are really tasty, and I've learnt a lot more about using herbs to add flavour to your meals!




Looking forward to the rest of Week 4 - think it's going to be a great week!

Fi 

     

Fi's Six Week Challenge - Learning the importance of recovery!

 I have just finished my third week of training and am feeling really good. Lots more energy and I am starting to notice some really positive changes to my strength and fitness. I can recover faster between intervals and I am starting to learn how hard I can push myself.  As an indication of how I have improved, we do a high intensity circuit at the end of each strength training session.  On Monday, I completed the circuit in 4:20.  Today I did it in 3:18 - so over a minute faster! 

Healthy Breaky! Poached eggs, smoked salmon, spinach and tomato. Yum! 

Which brings me to my next point! I have gone from not much training to now training over 7 times a week.  Kimmy and I sat down and worked out a program with the aim of doing two things. Firstly, ensuring that I was getting the right balance of sesssions to help me achieve my goals, and secondly to make sure that I don't burn out or get an injury.  For instance, I am doing two sessions on Monday, cardio circuit in the morning and strength in the evenings.  Because of this, when I go to the running session on Tuesday, I have to really cut back the intensity and use it as a bit of a recovery session.  It's hard to do that though when everyone is pushing themselves - you get caught up in the competitiveness! 

East Side Crew guys doing strength training!

This week, I think the double sessions caught up with me a bit.  I started getting a really tight hamstring and I was a bit scared that I might have torn something.  I missed Wednesday's session and went to the physio instead.  As it turns out I have not torn anything thank god but pinched a nerve from my muscles being so tight.   It made me realise how important it is to warm down properly! By the end of the session I am usually so exhausted I really have no energy left to stretch!  But from now on I need to make sure I stretch properly after each session.   

Tomorrow I am going to take on the Cronulla sandhills with the Crew! So nervous! Wish me luck!! 

Fi 

Fi's Challenge - Week Three!

So we are in to week three of the Six Week Challenge and I am starting to feel really good. It feels like my energy levels are starting to pick up and my body is getting used to clean eating.  

Monday morning is weigh in day and I was happy to hear I am 4 kilograms lighter! However, for me, the best part of this Challenge is that the focus isn't on weight loss, but rather on increasing strength, fitness and health. I am surprised how losing weight has not been my all consuming thought, like it has been in the past.  Previously, I would weigh myself morning and night keeping track of every gram I lost or gained.  I would train solely to help myself reach a number on the scales. 

This time around it is a very different story,  I am focused on becoming fitter, stronger and healthier.  I am not looking to drop huge amounts of weight. I am happy with my curves but that said I am keen to get everything a little tighter and perkier!   My body is a weird one and loves to fluctuate, depending on the time of month, how much salt I ate and all sorts of factors, I can gain 4 kilograms over a weekend but then lose it again in a few days.  So all the focus on the numbers on the scales is a bit pointless and it is all about how you feel and more importantly how you feel favorite pair of jeans! 

Fi running up the stairs in the fitness test this morning.

This morning's session was the fitness test, and for the first time in a very long, long time I cried during the session.  Pretty embarrassing really, but I just pushed myself to the point where I hyperventilated and cried.  I think it is a good thing though because in the past I have only ever reached this point with someone screaming at me and with cameras in my face.  Today though I had Kimmy at my side giving positive encouragement and I think the reason I broke down a bit was because I had pushed myself to my limit.  I guess that's a good thing, and shows how motivated I am to train hard and really make a difference to my fitness levels this time around.  Hopefully next time I push myself that hard, I will manage to keep myself under control!   But all in all great start to the week, and excited for the week ahead! 

Fi's Six Week Challenge - Sleep Deprivation!

So this week has been a big week of training. It's Thursday and so far I've done two sessions on Monday, one session on Tuesday and two sessions on Wednesday! 

I will admit I have been finding the early morning starts hard to adapt to.  So I had a chat to my trainer Kimmy and she wrote me out a program that allowed me to have the option of training in the evening and having the morning off.

I think that is one of the great things about the East Side Crew they train in the morning and evenings so you can really tailor you training session so it works in with your lifestyle.   So I had a lovely sleep in this morning and will train in Bronte tonight.  The session is a running session, hopefully I will be able to keep up!