Field notes.

Something peculiar happened today, I broke my personal record my climbing Anderson Street Hill - a fairly infamous segment around the Tan in Melbourne. It's unexpected because during the climb I gassed out about three quarters of the way up after doing 4 by 3 minute sessions on the flat.

It's a great sign to see when you're training because it means you're improving. It's always good to break a PR but it's even more rewarding when it happens on a day where you felt like you where nowhere near your potential.

Most of today was taken up by running to Princes Park and back. It's interesting how running long distances changes your perspective about travelling. At the beginning of this year running to Albert Park from my place seemed like a daunting distance where now it almost feels like warming up.

This was one of the more mentally difficult runs I've done in a while. Between the pain in my right leg, the rain, and the busy streets it was really difficult to keep a strong focus and mental fortitude.

Just a bit wet today. Cycling in the rain is character building one once in a while but I've got a feeling I'm going to have to get used to it. On average 14 days in June are rainy in Melbourne and it doesn't come in a downpour. The days are going to be drizzly and cold.

The ride home took twice as long due to flooding and just as I made it to higher elevation my bike chain jammed - there's nothing like trying to fix your bike in rain, in the dark, alone.

Standard Melbourne weather today with rain and wind being replaced with sunsets by the end of the day. Our office in Cremorne has a beautiful view of the city (at least when the weather permits) and the Botanical Gardens. I'll admit being sceptical about working in the area but it's grown on me a lot.

The most annoying parts of working here is that I now have to take two trains which due to timetabling has doubled the time it takes for me to get to work.

Thankfully after triaging today it only looks like some muscle swelling or tendonitis meaning that I'll be able to continue training albeit at a reduced load this week. Consistency is vital, momentum in training builds the resilience your body needs to do long distance running.

Exercising while sore is different to doing so injured, soreness indicates growth while injury often means the opposite. Knowing the difference or when one turns into the is really important.

I find it very easy to sink into a routine. Having a predicable schedule makes it easy to prepare for the week ahead and while there's a limit to the amount on uncertantity I can introduce during the week I've been trying to incorporate more chaos during the weekends.

Which is why I'm sitting in the 24 hour Pancake Parlour at 11pm writing this and eating the Bavarian Apple stack.

There are more people here than I anticipated, forgetting my headphones means I can hear the cacophony of conversations around - from the uni students cramming, to the families jeering. A reminder that chaos by its nature is unpredictabe and while you can seek it out it's never going to be exactly what you expected.

Another Saturday another long run, this time to Rowville and back. While I know the route like the back of my hand I have never ran it on foot before and as such never experienced the gradient first hand. It's not the most precipitous terrain in the world but the hill up to Jacksons Road from Eastlink will make you work for it.

Stretching on the grass out in front of the Mulgrave McDonald's is not something I've ever thought of doing but it is nice to enjoy the more inconsistent moments.

As the kilometers stack up so does the time. I left at 9am and didn't arrive home until 3pm, while I wasn't running for the entire time that much time on your feet does take a toll.

At least it didn't rain.

I love finding new music that fits this vibe. Even better being able to support a Melbourne local. I shouldn't be surprised as Melbourne's indie music scene is incredibly vibrant.

One of the great things about my one-on-ones at work is the ability to go for a wander around Cremorne in the day.

The modest suburb is often overshadowed by Richmond but it has a number of iconic landmarks such as the Nylex Clock. This tower is such a dog whistle for anyone who has lived in Melbourne’s South East as it’s just as recognisable if not more so than other Melbourne landmarks like the Arts Spire or Eureka Tower.

I’ve seen this tower every time I’ve driven into the city and I dare say it will outlive me as one of Melbourne’s heritage landmarks.

One thing I've found that helps after a long run is to do a fast (<4:00min/km) speed session the following to squeeze all the lactic acid out of your legs.

At least that's what I wanted to believe on the treadmill this morning.

Training for the 2026 Gold Coast Marathon is well underway as more and more of my Saturday's are being consumed by long runs.

The challenge now is to find a way of making each long run "fun". This week I decided to do 15 laps of Caulfield Park, with each lap being approximately 2.2km it was going to be a mind numbing experience. There is some comfort in a repetitive course as it allows you to enter a meditative trance as you try and remember what lap you're on.

The fun parts of this run were the pullups I did every lap which is why lats now hurt more than my legs.

The first week of commuting with a bike has been both challenging and rewarding. From 5am starts in the rain to vibrant afternoons the spectrum has been wide, perhaps cycling to work at the beginning of a Melbourne winter isn't the warmest idea.

The being said I have already felt my fitness improve over the last week, this hopefully will translate into an improved pace in the next few weeks.