Castlemaine NAB 500

Castlemaine NAB 500
Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, Sunday 9 April 2017

The Victorian Race Walking Club and Castlemaine based Events in Nature are combining once again to put on the 2017 Castlemaine NAB 500 Walk which will be held in the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens on Sunday April 9, starting at 10.30 am. This meet will kick off our VRWC 2017 winter season. Castlemaine is only about 1 hour's drive North of Melbourne and is close to our Ballarat and Bendigo walking scenes and we invite walkers from all our walking clubs to this carnival. NAB Castlemaine branch is the major sponsor and that's why it's called the Castlemaine NAB 500.

Press Release: Castlemaine NAB 500 Press Release.pdf
Flyer: Castlemaine NAB 500 Flyer.pdf

The carnival will feature 4 races, all within the grounds of the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens which are at their picturesque best in Autumn. The VRWC will also give a short public demonstration on the basics of racewalking. First timers, members of the public and any interested watchers can then have a go in a short 1 km walk. All participants will go into a draw for a Be Good To Yourself health/weight management plan, donated by McKenzie Davey Amcal Pharmacy in Castlemaine. Value $350. The plan includes four consultations with a trained weight-management professional and 3 months supply of Be Good To Yourself low-calorie meal-replacement products.

Apart from the NAB and the Amcal Pharmacy, our other main sponsor is The Bike Vault who are agent for Switzerland's On CloudRacer and CloudRunner shoes, Garmin, Endura Wahoo Fitness, Bolle and other makers of sports gear and equipment.

9:45AM	Table open to check in and collect race number
10:30AM	U18 3 km Walk	$10 entry
10:30AM	50+ 3 km Walk	$10 entry
11:00AM	Racewalk technique presentation	Free
11:15AM	Introductory 1 km General Participation Walk	Free
11:15AM	U12 1 km walk	$5 entry
11:30AM	Castlemaine NAB Open 5 km Walk	$25 entry
12:10PM	Presentations
20% discount for family entries of 3 or more members

This year sees a significant change with the major 5km race to run under handicap conditions, men competing against women, with every entrant an equal chance of winning. The Open 5km winner will receive $1000, to be redeemed at Castlemaine's The Bike Vault sports store, supplier and retailer of top brands and products such as Bolle, Endura, and On Cloud shoes.

"It's the Melbourne Cup of racewalking, run under handicap conditions, boys against the girls. Every entrant has a chance of winning. It's going to be very exciting, a wave of top walkers hitting the finish line together."

Significant prizes will also be on offer for the winners of the Junior and Masters 3km and the Under 12 1km.

The first 50 entries across the U12, U18, 50+ and Open events will go into a draw for prizes from Bolle, Wahoo Fitness, Endura and other local sports companies.

Enter at:	https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/Register.aspx?E=24536
Current entry listing at:	https://www.registernow.com.au/secure/ParticipantList.aspx?E=24536

Entries open at 9AM on Monday 20 February. Entries close at 11:59PM on Wednesday 12 April.

The Start/Finish line is near the southern end of the Botanical Gardens and is accessed the first carpark in Downes Rd. There are toilets very near to the start/finish line. The 5km race will be held on a 1.67km walking loop which is shown in red and is a flat gravel path, similar to "The Tan" in Melbourne. The 3km and 1km walks will be held on a much shorter loop of 768m around the lake.

And why not finish your weekend off after the morning's races by staying for a BBQ or checking out the massive annual Castlemaine swap meet - see http://castlemaine.vic.lions.org.au/swapmeetinfo.

Accommodation is available at

The Big 4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park - http://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/vic/goldfields/castlemaine-gardens-holiday-park
The New Northern - http://www.newnorthern.com.au/

For further information, contact one of

Tim Erickson, Melbourne	terick@melbpc.org.au	0412 257 496
Michael Smith, Castlemaine	michaeljpsmith9965@gmail.com	0402 011 503

How to walk in the fat-burning zone:

Walk at your normal pace 10 mins, this burns off blood sugar and glycogen energy in the muscles and tells the brain "Ah, we're going for a long walk, better mobilise the fat cells for fuel".
Walk briskly, your breathing might be a bit heavier, you feel a bit of increased exertion, you may sweat a bit, but you're still able to carry on a conversation. This works out at about 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. In this zone, 85% of your calories burned are fats. High-intensity exercise does not burn as much fat as moderate-intensity exercise.
Go for 30-50 minutes.

Walking is great for the body and mind, especially when done in nature. Great for men 50+ to keep an expanding tummy in check. An expanding tummy in men can cause all sorts of health problems. I love walking in the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens under the big oak trees, their branches and leaves reaching out in expressions of love, giving and protection.