Every Thursday morning, come rain or shine (living in Perth it’s mainly shine truth be told) I get up before 5am and make my way to the Yelo Cafe in North Beach for a 5:30am kick off, sharp.  I say sharp because Bartsy, the school teacher amongst us, always insists of leaving on time which normally corresponds with Michael Kowal arriving, late as usual. (Funny thing is Mike lives the closest to the starting point and is an Engineer, so is particular about everything
bar time obviously ?)  Must admit the group as a whole does enjoy seeing Mike’s car come careering around the bend as we all trot off in the opposite direction.  This Thursday morning run started in December 2016 and just about every Thursday since we’ve been rocking up to Yelo for a 10, 12 or 14k progressive or casual run.

In the photo above you have Scotty, the cool car salesman, who is often the voice of reason. When he talks we listen. Next to Scotty is Rob ‘make mine a half’ Collins, famous for choosing the shortest option when racing and not racing often , also picking up injuries while racing and then running through them days later.

Adam is behind me and he is an all-round nice guy and a Qantas Pilot . Normally he would be the main man giving his profession but we have a younger, faster and prettier one in the group so he is always a poor second, bless. Desperate to run sub 3 he’ll go close at Gold Coast in July, but how close ?  Behind Rob is Super Nance our very own version of Wonder Woman, Nance is just an incredible athlete and one of the nicest women you will ever meet , also she’s Welsh. Attacks every race and training block with gusto and loves running in the middle of the night , alone on trails , swatting spiders. Swims a bit too apparently.

Behind Nance is another super calm and chilled guy Andy, who ran his first sub 3 at Bibra Lake with no aplomb just went about his business and got the job done. He’s like a diesel van with pace and consistency. Jules is next and she is one of the hardest trainers I know, week in , week out getting the job done while balancing two kids and all that entails. Incredibly focused juggling so many balls in the air and dropping none. Unlucky with injuries lately but big things on the horizon. Davin is next, the cool pilot in the group. Another runner who is just starting their journey towards faster times and new PB’s. He went sub-Bartsy last year (sub 2:52?) and will go quicker this year. Incredibly talented, pretty (apparently) nice guy and a pilot.

Jon is next and he is the conspiracy theorist of the group, every group needs one. He is anti-vax and anti-believing in anything, always good for a wind up but his heart is in the right place. He’d do anything for you and has ran over 100 marathons including over sixty sub 3 marathons. He has run more than any of us and continues to run 100 mile weeks,  week in and week out, albeit he was a lot taller when I first met him in 2008 at the Bunbury marathon (which Jon and I have both won by the way)  Behind Jon is Sarah, another consistent and big mileage runner. She has a few injury worries but will overcome these and become a very accomplished trail runner or marathon runner, she is motivated and will achieve what she sets out to achieve, just at the moment not sure what that is.  Sarah paced me at the Delirious West in 2023 and we had a ball.  Another new comer to the group next , Vici, who has fitted right in. Another voice of reason in the group , similar to Scotty, very sensible.

Bartsy is next and he is one of the founding members and most stories usually involve him together with his partner in crime , Jeffrey, (the Batman and Robin of the group?) there is much laughter listening to their adventures and there are many, many adventures.  He is the school teacher of the group and attempts to keep us inline but fails abysmally most  of the time, a real Aussi icon.  Between Bartsy and Jeffrey in the picture  is another founding father of the group , Mark Lommers.  Mark has crewed for me three times for the  Delirious West , a voice of calm in the chaos of a 200 miler.  Similar to Scotty, if we need advice we turn to Mark and avoid Bartsy and Jeffrey at all costs.  Jeffrey is the older statesman of the group , we’re not sure how old he is but I’m pretty sure it’s triple figures?

Finally Aaron has recently joined the group as we needed some young, cool blood and he fits the bill perfectly. Another motivated runner with a big future and a heap of cool tattoos, street kudos by the bucket load and another genuine guy.

 

Back in the day it was a 14k progressive , on for young and old.  The start started quickly and progressively ramped up to suicide pace at the end.  There were epic tussles over the years involving Myself, Mark Lee, Ross Langford and Phil Mosley with guest appearances from Zac  to stir the pot. The times we use to post back then are now way outside my capabilities, not even in the same ballpark or even car park ! In December 2016 I was coming to the end of a stella year which included a 2:41 marathon and a 1:14;59 half, my PB. Throw in three WAMC victories and many PB’s , it was a great year. Unfortunately I wouldn’t repeat those times and I started the slow decline to where I am now.  The point is the coffee still tastes as good and the conversation and banter has improved with age and more historical events to call upon, and there are many.

Ok so the average pace may have slowed but the post run banter is as quick as it was in 2016 and the coffee is always good albeit the muffins may have taken a nosedive lately. Trust me the Yelo muffin was so good that it made any other muffins look so inferior I gave up on them for a while. (other muffins. , not the Yelo version!) These days it seems to have turned into a ‘cake‘ rather than a muffin which is a pity because the Yelo muffin was special, really special.

Over the years the Yelo crew has grown and we even have a smattering of ladies who help keep us in tow, most of the time. You’d need to be pretty open minded to spend time in our company.  The point is I suppose there is a lot of laughter , post run anyway , and sometimes during the run. We all know each other so well after many years together that the banter just flows and it just works.

Recently we even has some cool Yelo tops made up so if you’re in the North Beach, Perth area around 5:30am on Thursday you’ll recognise us.  So consistency and coffee are good bed fellas, just keep showing up, keep drinking coffee with good mates and you’ll enjoy the process. Will you keep improving, not guaranteed, will you have fun trying, definitely.  Growing older with good friends over good coffee and conversation, sometimes this is enough.

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Big shout out to fisiocrem , this product is just incredible for tired and aching legs. I use it daily and have noticed a vast improvement in recovery.

Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ )  The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products)  can be difficult to digest later in the event.  From the website :-

As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority. 

In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance. 

In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born. 

BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work! 

BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!

What can I say about HumanTecar,  ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !

Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.

Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )

T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in.  It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong,  storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)

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