Kurnell

Got a text yesterday from Brett, one of my old Kyokushin team mates, saying that they were going to the sand dunes at Kurnell. Sweet, I've been itching to do some training, but nothing too hardcore, so this was a good opportunity. The dunes are actually pretty well-known among Sydneysiders, especially the folks of Sutherland Shire. All sorts of people, from weekend warriors to pro athletes like Anthony Mundine and NRL players frequent the dunes for cardiovascular training. For me, the dunes were a regular part of my team training during my Kyokushin tournament days, so I was looking forward to training there again with the team one last time before I leave Sydney. Here's a couple pics taken during team sessions back in 2006:

As you can see, the dunes are pretty steep and are a good way to develop cardio, leg strength and mental toughness. In addition, the unsteady sand also forces the core muscles to come into play in order to stabilize the body. Today, we took a different route and actually did a whole circuit round the area, discovering and climbing a few new hills in the process. We completed two circuits in about 50 minutes. Although climbing the steep dunes is painful, I definitely prefer this to the monotony of a treadmill. I think it is a good compromise between an aerobic-centric slow long run and an explosive anaerobic sprint session. Some pics we took today:

Overall, a good way to spend a beautiful Sunday morning in Sydney. Especially the Spanish omelette after training.