Running 4 Happiness Project

Running 4 Happiness Project Local Canberra Running coach and personal trainer here for all things running! Always moving forward ❤️ Running is and always will be a passion of mine.

We love what we do and we are trying to bring happiness and create a running family that will last for years to come! This led me to becoming a qualified Personal trainer & Recreational Running Coach so that I could share what I have learned, my experiences and knowledge helping you along with your running journey and helping you get to where you want to be with your running. Whether you are a beginner runner, an experienced runner looking to add strength and Conditioning, someone looking for a training plan that is specifically for you, or a someone looking for that extra bit of running motivation and support... Then we can help. Please feel free to reach out and tell me a little of what you want to achieve, and let's get you to where you want to be with your fitness and running :)

Kind regards,

Sean

Massive shout out to Yvette Turner who today completed her second run whilst on her trip away on a cruise. Yvette is cur...
12/03/2026

Massive shout out to Yvette Turner who today completed her second run whilst on her trip away on a cruise. Yvette is currently in our Canberra Marathon Training Group, and it's great to see her still putting the work in even on holiday.

That's a wrap for the first term at Stromlo, we will resume on the 26th March. Great work by everyone this morning on a ...
12/03/2026

That's a wrap for the first term at Stromlo, we will resume on the 26th March. Great work by everyone this morning on a challenging little Fartlek trail loop. Let's go 💪🏻

11/03/2026

It may be dark. It may be cold. But these are just small hurdles on the road to self-improvement.
Show up. Stay consistent. Put in the work.
That’s how stronger, more resilient runners are built.

Canberra earthquake March 11 2026! We will rebuild..... Might have a few days off to recover 😔
11/03/2026

Canberra earthquake March 11 2026! We will rebuild..... Might have a few days off to recover 😔

🌟 Stromlo Improve Your Running – Starts March 26th 🌟Ready to build confidence, consistency and real progress in your run...
11/03/2026

🌟 Stromlo Improve Your Running – Starts March 26th 🌟
Ready to build confidence, consistency and real progress in your running?
The Stromlo Improve Your Running Training Group kicks off on March 26th, and it’s designed for runners of all levels — whether you're just getting started or looking to sharpen your fitness.

This group is about more than just kilometres.
It’s about support.
It’s about structure.
It’s about showing up — together.

🔥 What You Can Expect 🔥
• Welcoming, no-ego environment
• Structured sessions tailored to all abilities
• Gradual progression to build endurance and strength
• Accountability and encouragement every step of the way

At the iconic Stromlo Forest Park, we’ll help you build momentum heading into the cooler months — one session at a time.

👟 Community. Consistency. Confidence. 👟
March 26th is your starting point.
All levels and paces welcome. Always. ❤️💛💚

📸 Pacing Easy Runs Using RPEOne of the biggest reasons I use RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) in most of my training pla...
11/03/2026

📸 Pacing Easy Runs Using RPE

One of the biggest reasons I use RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) in most of my training plans is simple — it teaches you to listen to your body, not just your watch.

Pace and heart rate are useful tools, but they don’t always tell the full story. RPE reflects how the effort actually feels on the day.

It takes into account:
Fatigue
Sleep
Stress
Heat and conditions
Terrain
Training load
That’s why it’s powerful.

For easy runs, you should generally be sitting around RPE 2–3 out of 10.
That means:
You can comfortably hold a conversation
Breathing is controlled
You feel relaxed and in control
You could keep going if needed
It should feel sustainable, not strained.
If your easy run feels like:
RPE 4–5 → it’s probably drifting too hard
RPE 6+ → it’s no longer easy

A lot of runners accidentally sit in that middle zone. Not hard enough to build speed, not easy enough to recover properly. Over time, that builds fatigue and stalls progress.

This is why I coach effort first. Pace and heart rate become secondary checks, not targets to force. On tired days, your pace might be slower at the same RPE. That’s fine. On fresh days, it might be quicker. That’s also fine. The goal isn’t chasing numbers. The goal is hitting the right stimulus.

If you’re unsure whether your easy runs are actually easy, or you constantly feel more tired than you should, feel free to reach out to me. Sometimes a small adjustment in effort makes a huge difference to progress.

Simple takeaway: easy should feel easy. When effort is right, adaptation follows.

Tuesday Night Session Recap – Controlled Chaos 🏃‍♂️🔥Tonight’s session looked simple on paper… but anyone who ran it know...
10/03/2026

Tuesday Night Session Recap – Controlled Chaos 🏃‍♂️🔥

Tonight’s session looked simple on paper… but anyone who ran it knows there was a lot more going on. We ran 200m downhill at a fast effort (faster than 5km pace) followed by a short active recovery walk before turning straight around and attacking 200m back uphill.

And the twist?
There were no set reps — it was all time based.
That meant the group was constantly moving between speed, control, strength and fatigue, without the comfort of knowing exactly how many were left. Just an ongoing cycle of downhill speed → uphill strength → short recovery → repeat.

The Method Behind the Madness
The downhill running wasn’t just about going fast. It teaches your body to handle high cadence and turnover, while building eccentric strength — the ability of your muscles (especially quads) to absorb impact and stay controlled.

Then after a brief recovery immediately turning and running hard uphill forces the body to switch gears and recruit the glutes, hamstrings and calves to drive power back up the hill.

Because the recovery was so short, the body was working around lactate threshold, while also developing speed endurance — the ability to keep producing strong efforts when fatigue is building.

In racing, this translates to:
Better ability to handle changes in terrain
Stronger hill running
Improved fatigue resistance
The confidence to keep pushing when the legs start burning

And Let’s Be Honest…It was hot. It was fast. And it was relentless.

Downhill speed tests your control.
Uphill running tests your strength.
Short recoveries test your mental toughness.

What impressed me most tonight was how everyone kept showing up for the next rep, even when the legs were heavy and the breathing was working overtime.
That’s the type of work that quietly builds serious fitness.

Sessions like this aren’t about looking pretty — they’re about building the engine, the legs, and the mindset that shows up when things get tough in a race.
And tonight… you all stepped up.
💛❤️💚

Huge effort Run Fam. Be proud of that one.

Well that's a wrap for the first block of training in Gungahlin. It's been a great 10 weeks seeing how everyone has step...
09/03/2026

Well that's a wrap for the first block of training in Gungahlin. It's been a great 10 weeks seeing how everyone has stepped up each week to the challenges we've set. Today we had a little Fartlek session and the group did amazing! They were moving so fast the pictures were slightly blurry ❤️💛💚

So whilst we were sleeping Sunday night one of our legends is on her trip visiting Europe and managed to squeeze into an...
09/03/2026

So whilst we were sleeping Sunday night one of our legends is on her trip visiting Europe and managed to squeeze into an event in Inverness, Scotland. Well done Kristine! Awesome work ❤️💛💚

🌟 Gungahlin Unlock Your Running – Starts March 24th 🌟Ready to build confidence, consistency and real progress in your ru...
09/03/2026

🌟 Gungahlin Unlock Your Running – Starts March 24th 🌟
Ready to build confidence, consistency and real progress in your running?
The Gungahlin Improve Your Running Training Group kicks off on March 24th, and it’s designed for runners of all levels — whether you're just getting started or looking to sharpen your fitness.
This group is about more than just kilometres.
It’s about support.
It’s about structure.
It’s about showing up — together.
🔥 What You Can Expect 🔥
• Welcoming, no-ego environment
• Structured sessions tailored to all abilities
• Gradual progression to build endurance and strength
• Accountability and encouragement every step of the way
Across some of the best running locations in Gungahlin, we’ll help you build momentum heading into the cooler months — one session at a time.
👟 Community. Consistency. Confidence. 👟
March 24th is your starting point.
All paces are welcome. Always. ❤️💛💚

Whilst I was working some of our legends run todays Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run. If you ran, how did you go? Please shar...
09/03/2026

Whilst I was working some of our legends run todays Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run. If you ran, how did you go? Please share your victories and pictures below 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻❤️💛💚👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

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