Mt Cootha has everything a trail runner could ask for. This 1.6km (1 mile) circuit has some fast downhill and technical up hill climbing and an easy 1km recovery trail, starting and finishing at the Gold Mine Picnic Area. A great circuit to build an aerobic base, strength endurance and develop your pain threshold. Oh and welcome to Fit Tribe Oz! This is my first video uploaded to Youtube. I'm uploading new and fresh content relating to all things strength and running training and events. Subscribe to stay updated and check us out on IG and FB. See you on the trails!

Back in Mt Cootha, this is great 4 kilometre loop to build endurance strength in the legs for downhill and uphill racing. The track is very runnable and you can generate some speed on the downhill to condition the quads. There's about 200 metres of elevation in this loop as well. It's a very popular walking track from the residents of Chapel Hill making their way to the summit. If you're taking on long distance hilly trail races, this loop is a must do! Give it a go and let me know what you think? Subscribe to stay updated and check us out on IG and FB. See you on the trails!

10km South East from the Brisbane CBD lies Whites Hill reserve, a multipurpose area that houses kilometres of trails and Australian wildlife and many trails for runners and walkers. Join me on one of my favourite hills to train on in the reserve, only a few hundred metres from one of the trail head entrances. I'm often doing repeats on this hill as I love the downhill training as much as the uphill running training. This is a great hill to push the body into an anaerobic training state, whereby oxygen alone isn't enough to fuel you, so the body is looking for glycogen in your muscles as fuel. The more we train this lactate state, the more you will see progression in your cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance i.e. long runs. If you're into your OCR, grab a weight bag or jerry can for your session. You'll thank me come race day! Tips on running uphill: -Maintain form -Run on the balls of your feet -Look up, this opens up your chest and lungs to suck in as much oxygen as you can -Pump your arms with power back and forth -High knees Tips on running downhill: -Don't fight it, fighting the momentum will only fatigue you quickly -Keep the feet close to the ground -Arms out for balance -Stay confident! Let your body naturally glide down the hill. Be sure to warm up adequately first as hill repeats are hard on the body.

If you're beginning to think I like running hills, you're right! Hill running is beneficial in so many ways, It build's leg strength, running endurance and it's great lactate threshold training. I also find it beneficial in developing a strong will and mind, especially doing the same hill in a repeat session. It's important to focus on the downhill running as well. When you think about it, how many running races are just 'up'? Downhill running beats up the quads considerably, so use the downhill as part of your conditioning training too. This morning a team of us started at 5am at Camp Mountain, about a 10 minute drive from the Enoggera Reservoir just off Mt Nebo Road. Starting well before sunrise we and tackled a 3.6km trail loop with around 320m of vertical gain/loss. The uphill section is called chainsaw trail, for very good reason! Here's the strava link to our run https://www.strava.com/activities/3782896247

Checkpoints at Running races are there for a number of reasons, primarily for your safety. Some are a smorgasbord of food and drink to devour with music blasting through loudspeakers and crew and spectators there to support and cheer you on. In this video I run you through a 3 element checklist, covering the body, nutrition and mindset to keep you on track. Whether you are a back, mid or front pack runner I hope you take a tip or two away from this simple self check prior to arriving at the checkpoint on race day to make your experience rewarding. Is there a tip I missed? Or is there something you do that works well? Please share :) Thanks, Jamie. Fit Tribe Oz.

Downhill Running Technique and Strength Training Running downhill can be your best friend or worst nightmare in a race. It's usually not until some time into your running journey that you become aware of the work needed in running downhill. Improper technique and lack of training (both on the slopes as well as in the gym) can dramatically affect your time in a race and recovery from a training run, especially in the quads, glutes and core. Check out our full article over at https://www.runvaultperformance.com.au/post/downhill-running-technique-and-strength-training Running at speed downhill is a real skill and you're able to make up a lot of time in race, you may even be able to put in an attack on opponents to make up places. Disclaimer: When doing this workout in your own time or joining me, precautions are required to be taken as your health and safety is the most important. To avoid any injury or harm, you need to check your health with your doctor before exercising. By performing any fitness exercises without supervision like with this video, you are performing them at your own risk. See a fitness professional to give you advice on your exercise form. Run Vault Performance or the instructor in this video will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of this video. Let us know what you think by commenting below! Subscribe to stay connected with more workout videos to follow along. www.runvaultperformance.com.au IG: @runvaultperformance FB: @runvaultperformance #realpeoplerealresults