Hey Jude

Nathan & Lisa (son & daughter-in-law) have just had a holiday at the snow in New Zealand. I instead will opt for visiting them in Brisbane next month, enough cold is enough.

Song of the week: Hey Jude, by the Beatles. I tried a facebook quiz, “Which Beatles Song Describes Your Life Right Now?” It was “Hey Jude”, apparently, according to this unconvincing quiz. Still, this is their best song, and is a popular favourite.

Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder

There is a High Noon Meet this Sunday. I cannot be bothered with the 3000m, although I might warm up for it just in case. The 1500m is the real target if I am feeling good. Though after watching the women's marathon that morning, I will probably feel inspired. Or exhausted.

The 1500m is scheduled for 12:40pm so it will probably have started by 1:00pm.

17 August HN program
12:00 3000m run/walk hand timed
12:02pm 200m/400m hurdles
12:10pm 60m
12:25pm 100m
12:40pm 1500m
12:55pm 1500m walk
1:05pm 200m
1:20pm 400m

And now the exciting news.
The two speedygeese who competed in Townsville both broke ACT records:
Tony Booth’s 5:53.14 is an ACT M70 1500m record, and
Kathy Sims’ 5:49.79 is an ACT W55 1500m record
Also Kathy’s husband Geoff set a new ACT M60 400m record with a time of 59.85.


Tony Booth.

Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #9


Croatian High Jump champion, Blanka Vlasic, is well worth watching. Especially for her antics when she wins the event. As in this video:



Let's hope she breaks the world record to win the gold medal. Then we might see something truly remarkable!

Long Tall Sally

My training progress
last week’s target: 110k
achieved: 64k
year 2008 total to date: 2662k in 32 weeks
this week's target: no target but running every day.
weight: 64kg ▲. Sadly this cold weather and Olympics on TV mean less running & more eating!
I have decided to focus on speed rather than distance for the next three weeks, and schedule only one very long day! After that the weather will improve & I can do more long running if I want to. (I know the weather will improve because I will be in Brisbane the next two weeks!)

Sydney City to Surf
Well, now we know that Canberra local Marty won the event, and Canberra local Emily was second woman. The only other info I have is from here where we learn how Tim, Al, David, & Bronwyn went.

Townsville update.
I missed Sue Bourke’s results so here they are:
Event 92 Women 60 Metre Sprint 45-49 years
4 Sue Bourke W48 AUS 8.97 -0.8

Event 302 Women 100 Metre Sprint 45-49 years
4 Sue Bourke W48 AUS 14.22 0.6

Event 482 Women 200 Metre Sprint 45-49 years
4 Sue Bourke W48 AUS 29.16 -0.1

Event 632 Women 400 Metre Sprint 45-49 years
4 Sue Bourke W48 AUS 1:07.07

Sue and others ran in relays as well but the published results don’t mention names. Sue brought back two relay gold medals. She says:
“I might have to convert to distance after 4x 4th place in the 60,100,200 & 400 in Townsville (Oceania Masters) last week! I was actually happy with this outcome all things considered. At least our two relay teams blazed around the track so we brought home 2 golds. … Hired a car and toured around the outskirts of the town and thoroughly enjoyed the tropical 26-27 degrees each day! Have hated being back in cold Canberra, don't know why your distance people want to spend so much out running in it … if ever you re-locate to the tropics you might consider renaming your team to "speedo-geese" !

Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #8
Did you know there's a "Yelena" in the pole vault? Not our Yelena.


p.s. Yelena Isinbayeva is the reigning Olympic champion, the reigning World Champion, two-time IAAF Female Athlete of the Year, and world record-holder in the women's pole vault. The only woman to ever break the five-meter barrier, her present mark of 5.01 meters is just one of the 21 world records she has held during her lifetime. Simply put, she is the greatest athlete her sport has ever seen. You will be able to watch her all day...

There is also rowing ...



Guess who will be mentioned by our imaginative commentators every time the rowing is on? Dear oh dear, I think I will give the rowing coverage a miss and stick to athletics, cycling, triathlon, Stephanie, and Leisel.

She came In Through The Bathroom Window!

I had no idea what I would say for this title but have now found the purrfect video! ---->


Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #7


OK that's Sally Mclellan, in case you don't know.
Maybe you recognise her here then.


Or maybe not.
Anyway, go, aussie hurdler, go!

Got To Get You Into My Life

Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #6.
Leisel Jones, Breaststroker





What else can I say?


Sunday Morning Training
Christopher Lang, President, ACT Masters Athletics, invites everyone to join him for the Club's Inaugural Sunday Pack Run/Walk Stromlo Forest Park 9 am Sunday 10 August. See Vetrunner August 2008. Balloons, lucky door prizes!! Entrance to Stromlo Forest Park is on the Uriarra Road, just west of its intersection with Coppins Crossing Road. Ample parking, changing, toilet facilities in building adjacent to Hodge Criterium/grassed running circuit. 60-90 minute run/walk.

Road to the Top

Ain't She Sweet

Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #5
Emma Snowsill, Australian triathlete



"At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Snowsill will aim to become the first triathlete in history (either male or female) to become both World and Olympic champion." More at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Snowsill

Ouch Potato


You could sit on this ouch to watch the Olympics, and share the competitors' pain.

But your cat might have other priorities


Best put the cat out, get comfortable, and let the Olympians take the risks.



p.s. last night at Dickson in the freezing cold (I ran the whole session with five layers on top and my heaviest track suit pants) saw Bronwyn, Chris from Sutton, me, Jodie D, Maria, Miranda, Rod, Ruth and Steve from Scotland run 12 intervals, 45 seconds each, every two minutes. Brrrrr! And the triathletes who train after us still did their stretching routine, down on the cold cold ground!

I'm Only Sleeping

Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #4
Lopez Lomong - you will see him very soon, he will be carrying the US flag.

Team USA has chosen its flag bearer for Friday's Olympic opening ceremonies, and it's an athlete who's only been an American for 13 months.

Lopez Lomong, a 1,500-meter runner who was born in Sudan but became an American citizen last year, will carry the stars and stripes into the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing. He was chosen after a vote of American team captains.

"It's more than a dream," Lomong said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I keep saying, I'm not sure if this is true or not true. I'm making the team and now I'm the first guy coming to the stadium and the whole world will be watching me carry the flag. There are no words to describe it."

Lomong was separated from his family in Sudan at age 6, lived in a refugee camp in Kenya, and came to America in 2001. His selection as the flag bearer is a powerful statement that, no matter how hard China may try to cover up the atrocities in Darfur, the people of Sudan must not be forgotten.


In yesterday's BBQ Stakes I had yet another consistent run, 25:11. Helen ran 27:13 and won the handicap for the second time in 101 runs, and Roger who leaves for Beijing this morning to spectate (did I need to add that?), paced Helen and ran 27:16.

I'm Only Sleeping


Thanks Katie for alerting me to this video! It's my cat Riki, most mornings!


There will be some of this behaviour next week..


but most competitors know that just being there is success!

Chains

Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #3
Adam van Koeverden of Canada - Canoe/Kayak


In 2004 Adam won a gold and a bronze in Athens for "flatwater racing".

Our Roger is in Beijing and has started a blog!

Our speedy training in Canberra continues at Antill St Dickson this Thursday, with 30 minutes warm-up starting at 5:30pm. Everyone is welcome to join in, we always like visitors.

Chickens 'n chains:

Bad Boy

Bad blogger! Won't upload images today.

How we trained: There was a good turn-out last night at Parliament House for half an hour of 400m run/400m jog. I don't know why, but I was slowest of everyone, I couldn't get the legs to move at all, I dropped off to a distant last before I gave up. So much for the first session of harder track training! Present were Alan, Amanda, Emma, Ewen, me, Helen, Joel, Katie, Ken, Maria, Mick C, Mick H, Miranda, Ruth, Tim & Yelena.

Good luck to Ewen, Ruth & Tim in the C2S this Sunday.

Summarising the speedygeese performances at the Oceania championships in Townsville:
W55 Kathy Sims 5:49.79 1500m gold, 2:52.72 800m gold; 39.51 8kCC silver
M70 Tony Booth 5:53.14 1500m bronze, 2:53.46 800m silver

Olympics
ATHLETICS COMPETITION TIMETABLE
All times AEST (Canberra Brisbane Sydney Melbourne)
Day 7 - Friday, August 15
11:00 Women 100m hurdles Heptathlon Kylie Wheeler
11:05 Men Shot put Qualification Justin Anlezark, Scott Martin
11:45 Men 100m Heats
12:30 Women High jump Heptathlon A/B Kylie Wheeler
12:40 Men Hammer throw Qualification A
13:10 Women 800m Heats Tamsyn Lewis, Madeleine Pape
13:10 Men Hammer throw Qualification B
21:00 Women Shot put Heptathlon A/B Kylie Wheeler
21:10 Men 1500m Heats Mitchell Kealey, Jeffrey Riseley
21:45 Men 100m Quarter Finals
21:55 Women Discus throw Qualification A Dani Samuels
22:25 Women 3000m s/chase Heats Donna MacFarlane, Victoria Mitchell
23:00 Men Shot put Final Justin Anlezark, Scott Martin
23:15 Women 200m Heptathlon Kylie Wheeler
23:20 Women Discus throw Qualification B Dani Samuels
23:40 Women Triple jump Qualification
23:55 Men 400m hurdles Heats
00:45 Women 10,000m Final
Day 8 - Saturday, August 16
11:00 Men 20km race walk Final Luke Adams, Jared Tallent, Chris Erickson
11:10 Women Shot put Qualification
11:20 Men 3000m s/chase Heats Youcef Abdi
11:50 Women Long jump Heptathlon A/B Kylie Wheeler
12:10 Women Pole vault Qualification Alana Boyd
12:40 Men Discus throw Qualification Benn Harradine
12:50 Women 100m Heats
14:05 Men Discus throw Qualification Benn Harradine
14:10 Women 400m Heats Tamsyn Lewis
21:00 Women Javelin throw Heptathlon A Kylie Wheeler
21:30 Women 800m Semi Finals Tamsyn Lewis, Madeleine Pape
22:00 Men Long jump Qualification Fabrice Lapierre
22:05 Men 100m Semi Finals
22:10 Women Javelin throw Heptathlon B Kylie Wheeler
22:35 Women 100m Quarter Finals B
23:15 Men 400m hurdles Semi Finals
23:20 Women Shot put Final
23:45 Women 800m Heptathlon Kylie Wheeler
00:30 Men 100m Final
Day 9 - Sunday, August 17
9:30 Women Marathon Final Benita Johnson, Kate Smyth, Lisa Weightman
21:00 Women 100m hurdles Heats Sally McLellan
21:10 Men Hammer throw Final
21:45 Women 100m Semi Finals
22:10 Women 400m hurdles Heats
22:20 Men High jump Qualification
23:00 Women 400m Semi Finals Tamsyn Lewis
23:30 Women 3000m s/chase Final Donna MacFarlane, Victoria Mitchell
23:35 Women Triple jump Final
23:55 Men 1500m Semi Finals Mitchell Kealey, Jeffrey Riseley
00:25 Women 100m Final
00:45 Men 10,000m Final
Day 10 - Monday, August 18
11:00 Men 400m Heats Joel Milburn, John Steffensen, Sean Wroe
11:10 Women Hammer throw Qualification A
12:00 Men Triple jump Qualification
12:05 Men 200m Heats
12:40 Women Hammer throw Qualification B
13:10 Men 110m hurdles Heats
21:00 Women Discus throw Final Dani Samuels
21:20 Women Pole vault Final Alana Boyd
21:40 Women 100m hurdles Semi Finals Sally McLellan
22:05 Men 200m Quarter Finals
22:10 Men Long jump Final Fabrice Lapierre
22:45 Women 400m hurdles Semi Finals
23:10 Men 3000m s/chase Final Youcef Abdi
23:35 Women 800m Final Tamsyn Lewis, Madeline Pape
00:00 Men 400m hurdles Final
Day 11 - Tuesday, August 19
11:00 Women Javelin throw Qualification A
11:40 Women Long jump Qualification Bronwyn Thompson
12:00 Women 1500m Heats Lisa Corrigan, Sarah Jamieson
12:30 Women Javelin throw Qualification B
12:40 Women 200m Heats
21:00 Women 200m Quarter Finals
21:10 Men High jump Final
21:35 Women 5000m Heats
22:45 Men 110m hurdles Quarter Finals
23:00 Men Discus throw Final Benn Harradine
23:25 Men 200m Semi Finals
23:45 Men 400m Semi Finals Joel Milburn, John Steffensen, Sean Wroe
00:10 Women 400m Final Tamsyn Lewis
00:30 Women 100m hurdles Final Sally McLellan
00:50 Men 1500m Final Mitchell Kealey, Jeffrey Riseley
Day 12 - Wednesday, August 20
21:00 Men 800m Heats Lachlan Renshaw
21:20 Women Hammer throw Final
22:15 Men 5000m Heats Collis Birmingham, Craig Mottram
22:40 Men Pole vault Qualification Paul Burgess, Steven Hooker
23:30 Men 110m hurdles Semi Finals
23:55 Women 200m Semi Finals
24:20 Men 200m Final
24:35 Women 400m hurdles Final
Day 13 - Thursday, August 21
11:00 Women 20km race walk Final Jane Saville, Kellie Wapshott, Claire Woods
11:10 Men Javelin throw Qualification A Jarrod Bannister
11:20 Men 100m Decathlon
11:50 Women High jump Qualification
12:30 Men Long jump Decathlon
12:40 Men Javelin throw Qualification B Jarrod Bannister
14:20 Men Shot put Decathlon
21:00 Women 1500m Semi Finals Lisa Corrigan, Sarah Jamieson
21:10 Men High jump Decathlon
21:20 Women Javelin throw Final
21:30 Women 200m Final
21:50 Men 800m Semi Finals Lachlan Renshaw
22:20 Men Triple jump Final
22:20 Men 4 x 100m relay Heats
22.55 Women 4 x 100m relay Heats
23:20 Men 400m Final Joel Milburn, John Steffensen, Sean Wroe
23:45 Men 110m hurdles Final
00:00 Men 400m Decathlon
Day 14 - Friday, August 22
9:30 Men 50m race walk Final Luke Adams, Adam Rutter, Jared Tallent
11:00 Men 110m hurdles Decathlon
12:05 Men Discus throw Decathlon A
13:25 Men Discus throw Decathlon B
14:55 Men Pole vault Decathlon
21:00 Men Javelin throw Decathlon A
21:20 Women Long jump Final Bronwyn Thompson
21:40 Women 4 x 400m relay Heats
21:55 Men Pole vault Final Paul Burgess, Steven Hooker
22:10 Men 4 x 400m relay Heats Australia
22:15 Men Javelin throw Decathlon B
22:40 Women 5000m Final
23:15 Women 4 x 100m relay Final
23:40 Men 1500m Decathlon
00:10 Men 4 x 100m relay Final
Day 15 – Saturday, August 23
21:00 Men Javelin throw Final Jarrod Bannister
21:10 Women High jump Final
21:30 Men 800m Final Lachlan Renshaw
21:50 Women 1500m Final Lisa Corrigan, Sarah Jamieson
22:10 Men 5000m Final Collis Birmingham, Craig Mottram
22:40 Women 4 x 400m relay Final
23:05 Men 4 x400m relay Final Australia
Day 16 – Sunday, August 24
9:30 Men Marathon Final Lee Troop

Blackbird

Competitors worth watching in the Olympics #2
Women's 200m favourite Allyson Felix of the U.S.



My training progress
last week’s target: 90k
achieved: 90k
year 2008 total to date: 2598k in 31 weeks
this week's target: 110k
weight: 63kg ▼
I was pretty tired this week after two races last weekend - I even stumbled and fell on Tuesday - and the days were cold at times and occasionally wet. I ended up with three days which were over 21k each, and two days off. This week I don't do the C2S (but best wishes to those who do) and plan to get a solid week's training in.

What's interesting about the Oceania results in Townsville is that my recent times would have placed me 3rd in the M60 1500m, while I might have managed first in the 5000m, 8k cross country, and half marathon. What's good about the results is Geoff and Kathy Sims peaking at the right time and winning gold medals. Their preparation was brilliant. My plans are to compete nationally next year in Geelong (January) then Adelaide (April), and internationally in Sydney (October). Medals might come in the first two, or at least I will be trying, but of course not in the third.

Final Set of Results from Townsville:
Weight Pentathlon Men 30-34 years
1 Brad Osborn M34 AUS

Event 618 Men Pole Vault 30-34 years
1 Brad Osborn M34 AUS 2.80m

Event 637 Women 400 Metre Sprint 70-74 years
1 Corinne Collins W72 AUS 1:30.96
3 Constance Larmour W73 AUS 1:50.58

Event 644 Men 400 Metre Sprint 50-54 years
2 John Morton M50 AUS 58.11

Event 645 Men 400 Metre Sprint 55-59 years
1 John Lamb M58 AUS 58.90

Event 646 Men 400 Metre Sprint 60-64 years
1 Geoff Sims M60 AUS 59.85

Event 653 W55 1500 Metre Run
1 Kathy Sims W57 AUS 5:49.79

Event 655 M50 1500 Metre Run
4 John Morton M50 AUS 4:53.79

Event 657 M70 1500 Metre Run
3 Tony Booth M70 AUS 5:53.14

Bright Beanie Boys (and girls)


You couldn't miss the MSSC at Mt Taylor a week ago! That's Rachelle, Phill, me and Ruth. Photo by John Kennedy.

Results last Saturday: Runners shop 10k
37. Kathy Southgate W50 39:46
47. Mick Horan M45 41:25
56. Ken White M50 44:06
65. Amanda Walker W40 45:50
72. Ewen Thompson M50 47:57
84. Caroline Campbell W65 53:59
85. Ruth Baussmann W55 55:39
86. Mick Charlton M55 56:27
95 finishers

Runners Shop 5k:
51. Ewen Thompson M50 25:42
60 finishers

Those darned eagles again!


Nah. Fly goose fly!

And I Love Her

Runners to look out for in the Olympics, #1
Belgian sprinter Kim Gevaert




She won't win gold but she will win hearts.

She's a woman

I ran a few these amusing exam answers past you last year and here's another; non-PC of course, but it happens to be a Beatles title which justifies me using it now.

On http://actmastersathletics.blogspot.com/ a resident of the PC world said she would not be joining a club called "Masters" and would "look for a club to join that is inclusive of all genders as reflected in their name". It's funny I hadn't notice how we the ACT Masters discriminate against women! Or possibly the comment was a joke. If not, I assure this person the "shesawoman" picture above is funny. In case she lacks a sense of humour.

They must have run out of papyrus as they never recorded Jesus' last beatitude: "Blessed are they who learn to laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused."

Today while the women played netball next door, I watched 8 year old grandson Josiah (middle of photo) play footy: when up forward as he was part of the time he scored 5 goals including 3 in 5 minutes. And was very happy.



Some girls were playing footy along with the boys. As is right and proper. (But I noticed the netball discriminated and didn't have boys playing.)

The 8 year olds seem to make friends on both sides whenever they play. Something older people might learn from, sometimes. How to be best and friendliest at the same time. And how one's dreams and expectations should be kept in perspective and not be a means of criticism and judgement, self-imposed or otherwise.



Back to reality - and on subject. Only women can get pregnant - congratulations to Andrea who trained with us only once recently - and is expecting! Gee it's dangerous to fly with the geese. Now you will have to put your running ambition - and "skinny ambition" too - on hold.

All power to the women!

stop the presses

Day four results of interest from Townsville:
Outdoor Pentathlon: Men 30-34 years
1 Brad Osborn M34 AUS

Event 464 Men Short Hurdles 99.1cm 30-34 years
1 Brad Osborn M34 AUS 16.95

Event 471 Men 200 Metre Sprint 50-54 years
1 Leo Kennedy M50 AUS 24.82

Event 472 Men 200 Metre Sprint 55-59 years
2 John Lamb M58 AUS 26.46

Event 473 Men 200 Metre Sprint 60-64 years final
2 Geoff Sims M60 AUS 26.93

Event 482 Women 200 Metre Sprint 45-49 years
4 Sue Bourke W48 AUS 29.16

Event 487 Women 200 Metre Sprint 70-74 years
2 Corinne Collins W72 AUS 36.50
4 Constance Larmour W73 AUS 41.50

Event 491 M50 3000 Metre Steeplechase
2 John Morton M50 AUS 12:55.57

Girl

At one end of the scale - Ewen trying to hang on in the 3000m at the last High Noon Meet to a girl smaller than half his size. She shook him off in the sprint home: (Photo by Strewth.) And there is Southy cheering one or other of them on.



At the other end of the scale - happy birthday to Caroline, 66 today and still winning!

Meanwhile, not only did I finish one second in front of Ken last Sunday, here is evidence that I was off the same handicap group and gave Katie, Ken, & "green shoes" Gary a second or two's start. (Beanie by Strewth, photo by John Kennedy)

we interrupt this blog...

... to give you some results of interest from Townsville (Oceania Games)

Event 92 Women 60 Metre Sprint 45-49 years
4 Sue Bourke W48 AUS 8.97

Event 97 Women 60 Metre Sprint 70-74 years
2 Corinne Collins W72 AUS 10.83
6 Constance Larmour W73 AUS 11.99

Event 104 Men 60 Metre Sprint 50-54 years
1 Leo Kennedy M50 AUS 7.87

Event 106 Men 60 Metre Sprint 60-64 years
2 Garry Maher M61 AUS 8.86

Event 116 Women 800 Metre Run 55-59 years
1 Kathy Sims W57 AUS 2:52.72

Event 119 Women 800 Metre Run 70-74 years
1 Corinne Collins W72 AUS 3:52.68
3 Anne Young W73 AUS 4:09.00

Event 126 Men 800 Metre Run 50-54 years
2 John Morton M50 AUS 2:10.27

Event 127 Men 800 Metre Run 55-59 years
1 John Lamb M58 AUS 2:24.03

Event 128 Men 800 Metre Run 60-64 years
2 Geoff Sims M60 AUS 2:26.65

Event 130 Men 800 Metre Run 70-74 years
2 Tony Booth M70 AUS 2:53.46

Event 214 Decathlon: Men 30-34 years
1 Brad Osborn M34 AUS

Event 219 W55 8000 Metre Run
2 Kathy Sims W57 AUS 39:51

Event 282 Men 200 Metre Sprint 60-64 years heats
1 Geoff Sims M60 AUS 27.57Q
7 Garry Maher M61 AUS 28.75q

Event 302 Women 100 Metre Sprint 45-49 years
4 Sue Bourke W48 AUS 14.22

... more to come!

Revolution

Round and round and round we go ... it's the last Dickson track session tonight where we do longer stuff; more "endurance" than "speed". Because it is the last day of July already! If the rain holds off we will do a similar session to last week, then in August at Dickson we will focus more on track specific training. Most of us are interested in improving our middle distance performances and that's what we will be working on. While not losing the endurance we have so patiently built up during winter.

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world

Facebook is stealing some of my time now. Several youngsters have expressed "shock" that someone my age is using facebook. I don't know why: it's the future, no doubt whatsoever. The world is changing. Let's keep up.



But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be all right

It is 8 days until 8/8/8, the start of the Olympics! Can we view it without advertisements and waffle this time, please?

Or if we are too busy to watch, we can record it all, and then forget about it later. Thus saving heaps of time.

If I Fell

I have been saving up this title for when one of the speedygeese had a fall. So that we could all have a good laugh at their expense. And for a long time everyone has managed to keep their feet. Until Tuesday, yesterday, when would you believe it, one of us finally did take a tumble on one of our runs.

It happened at the 11k mark of a 22k run. The person in question who fell did not feel tired, but stumbled four times during the run and fell once, unfortunately on a concrete footpath, getting feet caught up in some packing tape left lying on the path.

You may guess who it was if I say that the person had run a hard 25k three days earlier in the Bush Capital events, and followed this up with a short fast race the day after that!

The song title is more accurate than I anticipated it would be.

Disservice



Katy's take on the Bush Marathon 25k


Thanks to Katy for this wonderful work of art. See the original Garmin map at http://geoffmoore.blogspot.com/2008/07/rocky-racoon.html.

Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite!

A Fun Link
Want to fly over snow covered mountains? Just use your mouse. This is the best "kite" connection I can think of!

On Saturday the speedygeese flew over the mountains of North Canberra. Very good results all round!

Bush Capital Bush Marathon Festival
Campbell High School, Canberra
Saturday 26 July

speedygeese results:
Females:
10 km run
14 Miranda Rawlinson 58.03
16 km run
5 Helen Larmour 1.19.01
30 Rachelle Ellis-Brownlee 1.30.25
31 Maria O'Reilly 1.30.43
32 Amanda Walker 1.30.43
39 Charmaine Knobel 1.32.19
40 Caroline Campbell 1.32.25
50 Ruth Baussmann 1.36.45
60 Cathy Montalto 1.40.09
25 km run
5 Emma Adams 2.08.46
10 Cathy Newman 2.22.28
Marathon
2 Kelley Flood 3.42.04

Males:
16 km run
36 David Baussmann 1.25.04
49 Peter Hogan 1.36.28
25 km run
18 Geoff Moore 2.03.25
Marathon
17 Roger Pilkington 4.10.26

Meanwhile down in Melbourne Mick H ran the Olympic Dream 10k road race in ... 40.01!

Invitation to Emma's Farewell


Emma is moving to Vancouver! Click to enlarge.

Monday night training saw Alan, Christopher, Emma, Ewen, me, Helen, Joel, Mick C, Rachelle, Ruth & Yelena run 10 "zigzags" each of which involved two little uphill (90m) sprints. It was cold!

With the Olympics coming next week, Australian Athletes have been told it's OK to drop out if the Beijing smog is too bad:

Piggies

After a short stay in the US, Michelangelo's David is returning to Europe

My training progress
last week’s target: 100k
achieved: 111k
year 2008 total to date: 2508k in 30 weeks
this week's target: 90k
weight: 63.5kg ►◄

I plan to run the BBQ Stakes on Wednesday and I may enter the Runners Shop 10k on Saturday, although a long race on the road doesn't appeal at the moment. I did enjoy the trails on Saturday! Maybe I am a convert? This is quite a discovery to make at this stage of my running career.



Speedygeese on Sunday
Mt Taylor 3.5k
20 Jodie Sims W30 17:16 61.0%
24 Geoff Moore M60 14:33 83.5
25 Ken White M50 14:34 78.9
30 Cathy Montalto W55 18:09 75.7
35 Neil Boden M55 16:44 70.5
37 Gary Bowen M50 15:05 75.0
38 Katie Forestier W40 15:06 77.6
54 finishers

Mt Taylor 7.0k
8 Bronwyn Calver W35 33:18 69.7%
14 Charmaine Knobel W55 35:50 76.9
15 Alan Duus M60 35:18 71.0
25 Christopher Lang M55 38:20 63.1
27 Margaret McSpadden W60 43:02 68.3
32 Rod Lynch M45 27:41 80.8
41 Steve Johnstone M40 28.11 78.5
54 Peter McDonald M55 37:27 63.4
55 Miranda Rawlinson W55 40:46 66.8
58 Caroline Campbell W65 40:24 77.5
59 Rachelle Ellis-Brownlee W35 35:58 63.8
61 Maria O'Reilly W50 35:12 76.0
62 Peter Hogan M60 39:49 62.7
63 Mick Charlton M55 41:07 58.3
72 Colin Farlow M45 31:28 70.2
79 Adam Robinson M35 41:25 48.2
80 finishers

High Noon Meet
100m
Joel Pearson 12.70

200m
Joel Pearson 25.86

800m
Thea Zimpel 2:54.41

3000m
Ewen Thompson 12:19.93
Yelena Pearson 16:20.81
Thea Zimpel 16:27.11

This modern life


I may be spending too much time on the computer. Nevertheless, I shall return tomorrow with a report on Monday night's training at Parliament House and, I expect, the Bush Capital results.

Strawberry Fields Forever

A man finds an old-fashioned oil lamp on the beach. He takes it home and starts cleaning it up. A genie pops out. Genie: Ive been in there so long my powers are weak. I can only grant you one wish, and its a choice of two. I can either make you super-rich or super-smart. Whatll it be? Man, after a moments though: Yknow, Ive always been bothered about being kinda slow. Always felt people were laughing at me behind my back. Well, no more of that! Make me super-smart! Genie: Done! The genie vanishes. The man smacks himself on the forehead: Jeez, I shoulda taken the money!



Today aki ran 2:54.41 for the 800m at the High Noon Meet.



Yelena ran her first ever 3000m, it was 16.22



And Joel ran a very fast 100m/200m double, possibly slightly miffed that younger brother Toby pipped him in both.

Meanwhile earlier in the day, the highlight of the Mt Taylor Masters Handicap runs was the 200 run T-shirt given to Doug Fry.

Rocky Racoon

The countdown to the Bush Capital Bush Marathon Festival has served its purpose and got me to the 25k today. It was very rocky only at its first high point and the rest of it was runnable. And no racoons, but plenty of kangaroos. I will add the speedygeese results as soon as I have them, but I was pleased with my own run, being an old guy of 60 whose physio said on Monday not to run hills for two weeks because of tight and sore hamstrings, possibly strained, and who is in the third week of an unshakeoffable cold, still ran 2 hours 3 minutes for this course, i.e. sub 5s, and felt very good right through to the end, something to do with backing off up hills, backing off down hills, and no flat bits to worry about.

Here's the contour map. Love the switchbacks towards the end!



And here's the 25k course itself



I don't know if 2:03 is a good time, I have nothing to compare it with. Nevertheless I seem to have got through it unscathed, which is the important thing.

I met up with interstate running bloggers Jen_runs, Horrie, and Eagle, as well as locals Strewth, Aki and CJ. Maybe some of these will write up the day, see the right hand column for the latest.

Tomorrow I hope to get to the Mt Taylor handicap, and I hope to get to the track to watch Aki run an 800, and Southy, Ewen and Yelena run a 3000m.

Then it's back into the routine. Things look bright today!