Australia Day Marathon

Published January 22, 2020

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip.

First impression? LOVE Australia 🇦🇺

Similar to the US, think they’re also crazy East Coast centric. What we know: Sydney, Melbourne, mass-destruction wildfires, kangaroos, crocs. Western Australia? Nada. Prepared for melting Down Under heat & desert. Oh it’s warm… but Perth, WA’s capital city – truly stunning. Manicured parks, multiple bridges, WA’s Swan River & the friendliest of people. Hidden gem. Continent’s best beaches too! So yeah – of all the crazy quick Triple 8 touchdowns, Australia I’ll return. Well worth the long cross-continent flight time.

Late nite touchdown (9 hours in the air). Crowne Promenade check-in, early a.m. Start.

5 o’clock hotel lobby. Short walk to Burswood Park. Day 2. Registration, bib pickup – & 2 hours of comfortable morning temps. Told today would be the prettiest of our 8 continent locations. Check. Absolutely! 6 laps. Bike path course with eye-candy scenery. Australia!

Tunes loaded. Focused/plugged in. Bang out the first half while it’s still pleasant. Push the next two laps, walk the last [one] if I gotta. 26.2 miles run, walk, crawl but finish. One day, this day. Live the moment.

First mile sore, 2nd mile slow. Change of tunes: old-school Abba. Oh yeah – run rhythm clicking. Day One stiffness gone; on the path/in the zone. Swan statue. Pedestrian bridge cross. Short section of nada – look right, focus on the River. Aid Station. Water sip, volunteer thanks… & keep moving! UP UP the BIG bridge incline (our only real Hill). Breathe, pace pick up. River loop back to the Start. Move, move, move.

3 laps done. Refueled. Feelin’ good – don’t overthink it, just logging miles.

THOR! ⚡ Bestest company for 3 loops. Mika from Finland. Strong runner, great conversationalist. Crazy amount of Wiki knowledge (‘though think some of his tales were ‘Mika facts’ LOL>). Comfortable pace, time went by quick. Dropped me Bridge Walk, lap 5.

FIVE warm miles left. Gal volunteer ran alongside most of my last loop. Trail angels are everywhere 😊

Faster FINISH than yesterday, best of the Quest. Right on target with my strategy. But last… again. Never been slowest & the oldest. Make peace, move on. Today I ran 26 miles in Perth, Australia – with some of the most amazing travel partners. HUGE GRIN.

2 marathons down, next 2 – no plan. Y’all know I fade in HEAT. Kept thinkin’ I’d figure out summer marathoning.

Live the moment. One day, this day. Don’t look ahead.

Day 3, the EQUATOR. Continent: Asia. Touchdown: Singapore.