Tried out the start/finish banner this morning, infact it was the first thing I did when I woke up (apart from having a coffee). It's looking pretty great! Brent and the team at Art Fetiche did a freakin sweet job.

Woo hoo the Icebreaker prize gear has arrived. Man I love getting pressies, pity they're not for me, although it is verrrry tempting to snaffle a pair of Icebreaker socks...

So we've got a beaut Icebreaker SS Quest Crewe for the winners of men's and women's open category and an Everyday LS Baselayer top for the winners of the teams division. I'm still working out what I can give to the winners of the mens and womens vet category, maybe some wine? Vets always love vino!

There are quite a few spot prizes, they're really good too, and I've been tossing up how to give them out. From experience there are a few different ways, people who's number is called choose what they want from a table, or prizes get flung into the crowd or a board sits there with winner's names on it. I realise a lot of people leave as soon as they finish, but I'm hoping most of you can stick around for at least a sausage and potentially a spot prize. I'll try get through the prizes as fast as I can, but we'll have to wait until the final racer crosses the line. Basically I want to encourage a good community feel without wasting anyone's time. And, if you want a prize, you'll have to stick around! 

After a lot of near misses with the stanley knife last night, I cut up all the track markers for The Icebreaker Quickie in the Forest on Saturday.

These guys will be your friends when racing. The thing about Bottle Lake Forest Park is while the tracks are quite clearly marked, there are so many of them, there is the risk of taking a wrong turn and heading into it's picturesque, yet intricate warren-ness.

I went out and ran/biked the whole course a couple days ago with Dad riding along and counting the spots we'd need track markers. Turned out I needed heaps more than originally thought, as we adopted the mentality 'if there's even a shadow of doubt, use a marker'. So it's fair to say the Icebreaker Quickie in the Forest course will be substantially sign posted! I'll repeat this at the race briefing but if you make sure you only take a turn when you see a black arrow you'll be fine. I'll have the 'This Way For A Quickie' signs indicating you're on the right track, but if there's one to your left as you run past, that doesn't mean you should duck off into the bush, just keep on going straight. Easy!

I'm not going to lecture you on how to interpret track markers, it's all pretty straight forward, I just want to make sure everybody stays on course.

...everywhere I look around.
Yep after a very warm sunny weekend, and some decent breezes there is a stack load of pollen around these parts. Being a pine plantation, Bottle Lake Forest Park produces massive yellow clouds of pollen, it covers everything, like the car bonnet in the picture here. 

If it's a little damp on race day, pollen shouldn't be a problem but if it's dry it'll be floating around and if you're an asthmatic PLEASE BRING YOUR INHALER. OK, that's all I'll say about that.

The start/finish banner is being printing today, which I'm looking forward to getting my hands on. Feels like it's all official when you've got the start/finish line sorted. Entries are coming in thick and fast too, so if you're still deciding, make haste! Don't miss out.

If you want your name or your team's name printed on your race bib all proper like, then you'll need to get your entry in by the end of today.

I'm sending all the entries currently received to the printers tomorrow, so they'll be ready by Wednesday to take to R&R Sport for pick up on Thursday/Friday. If you don't get your entry in by end of today, then we'll leave a little space below your number on the bib and you can write it on should you wish. Please don't cover the number though. 

Online entries will be taken up until Thursday, but you will need payment made before 5pm so it shows up in our account on the Friday, or you entry won't be confirmed. Failing all else, you can register on the day, bear in mind the cost increases by $10 for both individuals and teams. If that's confusing, just flick us an email and we'll sort you out: info@quickieevents.com

This here is my buddy Jon, he's the handsome sanchez looking geeza on the right. We often train together, infact he's the only guy I know who's like minded in the whole running/cycling thing. But Jon's got a young family and can't always come out for a mission at the drop of a hat when I text him "Hey bro I'm just finishing up at yo Momma's house, want to come for a ride after?" 

Quick! Take a look out the window! Draw those curtains! Feel that strange warm feeling on your skin, no you haven't wet yourself, that's sunshine baby! 

I was so excited I hooned down to the forest and took this picture of the Bottle Lake sign. Just seemed like the right thing to do. Damn it's nice down there, I can see why those Park Rangers are such happy fellows. 

If you've got time today to enjoy the sun, do get out in it for a jog or bike or both! If you have to wait til after work, it might be a bit nipply, but chuck on some layers and brave the chill, it'll be worth it. If it makes you feel any better, I'll be doing the same and probably struggling quite a bit too, cause I'm a big wuss. But I'm sure you are not.

Now, I'm no motivational guru, infact I often really struggle to train. For anything. Some times the idea of merely leaving the house whether it be for exercise or just to go to the disco tech, especially while we're in the cold months is enough to turn me right off. So like any overly trusting modern day human I turned to the internet for help, because everything on the web is true.

I found heaps of helpful and interesting sites, lots of fit bods are keen to offer their advice to wannabe runners and cyclists. Weirdly enough, I checked out a site called HowStuffWorks.com and found a bunch of cool tips on maintaining your motivation to run. One very pertinent gem of advice in particular was to Register for a Race. And I couldn't agree more! Sure there are other tips like buying new shoes, which is nice if you can afford them, but if your current pair are hanging in there, then save yourself a couple hundy and get involved with The Icebreaker Quickie in the Forest. Actually come to think of it, I should try get a sponsor onboard to donate a pair of runners for a prize! - another to do for today.

Anyhoo, a goal - very important indeed. Something to work towards, it can be something small (like the Quickie event) which you chip away at every day, a 3km jog today, a 10km bike tomorrow. One thing I've always struggled with is the solidarity of training, I love being around people and find it really helpful to train with others. But my friends just aren't into exercise (except you Jon!) or even playing sports, so it's usually solely my responsibility to drag my ass up and chuck on my sneaks and head out. What I'm trying to say is, if you've got an actual goal to work towards, this can help you with motivation to get out and train. So I encourage you to give The Icebreaker Quickie in the Forest a go, as an individual or as a team, it'll be well worth it.

So I'm having The Icebreaker Quickie in the Forest race bibs made up right, and I need to make sure I have entrant's names to the printers in enough time so they can print them off before the race. This will mean with the two days prior to the event where race packs (including race bibs) will be available for pick up from R&R Sport, and the necessary couple days to print the bibs, if you want your name on your bib you'll need to have your entry in by Monday the 27th at the very latest.

If you've already entered then good on you! and if you know of someone considering entering or definitely will, but leaving it til the last minute, do encourage them to get on to it now. It's not a huge issue, but I'd like to have as many competitors hooning around with their own personalised number, it just adds to the experience. 

Entries are coming along nicely, but there's still room for more, so spread the word and let's make this a kick ass event!

I would love to be able to tell you that Whispering Jack, the man himself: John Farham is coming over to compete in The Icebreaker Quickie in the Forest, but it's just not true. I wish like hell it was, but I can only dream.

Teams could sing Two Strong Hearts as they race, that would be cool, while Vets could break into Age of Reason as they enter the transition area. That would be awesome! Did you know John's middle name is Peter? Yep, and he is the only Australian artist to have a number one record in five consecutive decades. That must feel pretty good knowing that you've accomplished that! But I believe he would feel even better if he could say, without a word of lie that he, John Farham has completed the inaugural Icebreaker Quickie in the Forest. He is the voice, try and understand it, but even legendary pop singers need exercise and fitness goals. I think he should come over for the event. Anyone know his email?