UP Coaching Rooty Hill

A marathon teaches you something you can’t learn anywhere else.

Somewhere in those 42.2km, you discover that you’re capable of far more than you thought.

When your body says stop, your mind finds a way forward. Every setback, doubt and difficult kilometre becomes part of the journey.

The medal is great. The time is great.

But the real achievement is discovering just how strong, resilient and amazing you really are.

You didn’t just finish a marathon.

You proved something to yourself. ❤️🏃‍♂️

When you put yourself through something as brutal as a marathon, you uncover a part of yourself you may never otherwise see.

🏆🔥 WINNING WEDNESDAY – TCS SYDNEY MARATHON EDITION! 🔥🏆

This week we’re celebrating Irene, Lesley and Shannen! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

On Sunday they took on the TCS Sydney Marathon on a gorgeous Sydney day and all three produced fantastic results! ☀️🌉🏅

Months of hard training, plenty of kilometres, niggles and setbacks all came down to one day — and when race day arrived, they put it all together.

For Irene and Shannen, it was their marathon debut, taking on the unknown and discovering what 42.195km is really about. For Lesley, it was marathon number two, with a little more experience of the highs, lows and surprises that come with the territory.

All three can now call themselves marathoners — a pretty exclusive club, with less than 1% of the population ever completing one! 👏

As a coach, I couldn’t be prouder. ❤️

It’s not just the results, but the commitment, resilience and dedication to the training that got them there. I know the whole squad is incredibly proud of you all.

Congratulations legends! 🏅🔥

Now… what’s next? 👀

Wednesday Signature Session – “Fireworks”

We certainly lit things up on The Rooty Hill this morning! And what about that sunrise?

Today’s Long Hill Repeats – “Fireworks” session used every bit of The Rooty Hill, with the squad tackling a different combination of grade and length on every repeat. Short and sharp, longer climbs, steeper sections and everything in between — no two efforts were quite the same!

The constant changes challenged the legs, lungs and running form from start to finish. It was all about adapting to the hill in front of you, finding the right effort and getting the most out of every repeat.

But today wasn’t just about smashing the hills.

It was also a chance for our TCS Sydney Marathon crew to take things a little easier, enjoy a recovery-focused session and, most importantly, catch up and debrief on their marathon successes. After months of preparation, hard training and plenty of kilometres, there were certainly a few stories to share!

A great morning of running, recovering, reminiscing and plenty of laughs.

Big effort from the squad, big congratulations to our marathoners, and another fantastic Wednesday morning in the books!

Now… who’s keen to find out what we’ve got planned for the next one? 😏

Wednesday Signature Session – Long Intervals

This morning’s session was all about going back to basics — breaking down the fundamentals of running form into simple, bite-sized pieces and focusing on the little things that can make a big difference.

Our Long Intervals gave us the perfect opportunity to work on posture, cadence, foot placement, arm drive and overall body position, looking at how small improvements in technique can help us become more efficient, more economical and ultimately faster runners.

Rather than trying to change everything at once, we focused on one element at a time, putting it into practice through the intervals and gradually bringing all the pieces together.

And there was plenty of great running on display!

We were also lucky enough to share the track with a rather colourful group of feathered friends this morning. They certainly brought some colour, character and a little bit of style all of their own to the session!

A fantastic morning of quality running, quality technique and a few quality spectators.

Big effort from the squad this morning — keep working on those fundamentals, because when the little things start to click, the big improvements follow!

Wednesday Signature Session – Progressive Run

What a morning for the squad!

Beautiful conditions, great running and a very special supporting cast joining us along the way — a mob of local kangaroos making an appearance and reminding us that Wednesday mornings don’t get much better than this! 🦘

This morning’s Progressive Run was all about controlled running and gradually lifting the pace, finishing stronger than we started. And the squad absolutely nailed it.

There was some seriously good running on display, with everyone settling into the rhythm and building the effort as the session progressed.

It was also a particularly valuable session for a couple of the squad who are now entering the early stages of their taper for the TCS Sydney Marathon. The hard work has been done, the kilometres are in the legs and now it’s about maintaining that sharpness while allowing the body to absorb all the training.

A great session, a great morning and another step closer to race day! 👊

Huge effort from the whole squad this morning — strong running, great discipline and plenty of reasons to be confident heading into the next few weeks.

Bring on the taper!

🏃‍♂️🔥 Wednesday Signature Session – Combination Intervals 🔥🏃‍♀️

What a morning for this week’s Wednesday Signature Session!

We took the session to a new location this morning a fantastic, beautifully flat oval that gave us the perfect playground for some quality interval work. Plenty of room to stretch the legs, a great surface underfoot and a setting that made it very easy to get stuck into the session and chase some speed. Needless to say, this one is definitely going into the “we’ll be back here!” category!

This morning’s Combination Intervals session was all about changing gears — mixing strong efforts, faster running and recovery to keep the legs working and challenge everyone to maintain good form as the fatigue started to build.

And the squad absolutely brought it this morning!

There was some seriously impressive running on display, particularly considering we had a few runners still recovering from City2Surf, while others are deep into their marathon preparations and getting ready to enter that all-important extended taper period.

That makes the effort this morning even more impressive. Despite tired legs and plenty of training already in the bank, everyone got stuck in, pushed themselves and kept the quality of the running high right through to the finish.

Big effort. Big commitment. Big running!

A massive shout-out to the squad — you didn’t just turn up this morning, you put in the work. Plenty of tired legs heading home.

That’s another Wednesday Signature Session in the books.

Strong. Fast. Relentless.

What a fantastic way to kick off our very first Wednesday Signature Session! ⚡🏃

This morning was all about building speed, with a session designed to progressively challenge the body and reward good running form.

The longer intervals gradually built fatigue into the legs, forcing everyone to stay focused on maintaining efficient technique even as the effort increased. Then, just when the legs were starting to feel the load, it was time to switch gears with a series of short, sharp sprints that had everyone working double time right through to the finish.

Running fast isn’t just about speed—it’s one of the best ways to reinforce good running mechanics. Fast running encourages better posture, quicker cadence, stronger knee drive and more powerful leg turnover, all of which transfer across to every pace, from 5km racing through to the marathon.

The combination of longer intervals followed by explosive speed work made for a challenging but incredibly rewarding session, developing both endurance and the ability to produce speed when the legs are already tired.

A huge congratulations to everyone who came along this morning. The effort, determination and quality of the running was outstanding, and it was fantastic to see so much speed on display as we launched this exciting new chapter for UP Coaching.

If this morning is anything to go by, the Wednesday Signature Session is going to be something special. Bring on next week! 💙

📣 A New Era for UP Coaching Rooty Hill Begins This Week!

From this week, we’ll be saying goodbye to our Monday session as we introduce an exciting new format built around one standout session each week.

Welcome to the Wednesday Signature Session.

By combining the best elements of our Monday Performance Group and Wednesday Track Training, we’ll be delivering a carefully planned mix of sessions that develop strength, speed and endurance. From hills and tempos to track work, fartleks and everything in between, every week will offer a different challenge while keeping your training fresh, purposeful and enjoyable.

To get the most out of each workout, the location will change depending on the session. So, be sure to keep an eye on the weekly event, as that’s where you’ll find all the details on where we’ll be training each Wednesday.

This new format allows us to bring together our favourite sessions into one varied and engaging program, giving everyone the opportunity to experience the workouts that have become UP Coaching favourites over the years.

We’re looking forward to kicking off this exciting new chapter with you all. See you on Wednesday morning!

This morning’s UP Coaching Rooty Hill session delivered one of those winter mornings that remind you why we love running. It may have been the middle of winter, but the conditions were almost mild, and as a brilliant orange sunrise lit up the sky, the temperature climbed quickly to create near-perfect training weather.

Today’s Track Fartlek session focused on the shorter end of the spectrum, with no effort lasting longer than two minutes. That meant there was nowhere to hide—the pace stayed high, the recoveries felt shorter with every repetition, and the accumulated fatigue built quickly. Despite that, the squad kept turning up for each rep, showing great determination and consistency from start to finish.

Fartlek training is one of the most effective ways to improve both speed and endurance. By regularly changing pace, runners develop the ability to surge, recover while still moving, and handle the changes in rhythm that come naturally during races. The shorter intervals also allow athletes to spend more time running at faster speeds, improving running economy, cardiovascular fitness and confidence at higher intensities.

It wasn’t an easy session, but that’s exactly where the gains are made. Another quality morning of work banked, another step closer to everyone’s individual goals.

Great work, team! 👏🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

🏅 MEDAL MONDAY 🏅

Congratulations to Irene, who took on the spectacular Sydney Harbour 10K yesterday! 👏

With her sights firmly set on the TCS Sydney Marathon next month, this race was less about chasing a personal best and more about continuing to build the fitness and resilience that marathon success demands.

After months of training focused on much longer distances—and with plenty of fatigue already loaded into her legs from some big marathon sessions leading into race day—10 kilometres probably felt like a sprint! But that’s the beauty of marathon preparation: sometimes the biggest gains come from running well when your legs aren’t feeling fresh.

Set against one of the most breathtaking backdrops in the world, the Sydney Harbour 10K showcases everything that makes our city so special. From the iconic harbour to the stunning foreshore, it’s a race that rewards you with incredible views every step of the way.

Fantastic running, Irene! Every training run, every long run and every race is another brick in the wall as you prepare for the Sydney Marathon. We can’t wait to see what race day brings.

Help us congratulate Irene in the comments! 👇🏅