Day at the Races

Last night at Vets was a great day at the races.

First up, the Pennington 3000m race. This event has runners starting at different times in groups, handicapped on age and sex, not on individual times. So for example the W50 group starts before the M60s, then the W45s, then the M55s, then the M50s and so on. An M80 led out. The gaps between groups varies and seems quite large.

I will publish full results when they appear in a coupla days, but we took seven of the first seven places. I know, because I was seventh. Ahead of me was Colin (first), followed by Kevin, Kathy Sims, Maria, Trevor, and Richard. And we had more runners not that far back. Well done Speedy Geese!!

More amazing efforts in the 10k; Southy broke Rosemary Longstaff's W50 record by 2 to 3 minutes; Amanda ran a PB (being a mum is doing her good), and Strewth established a track 10k PB. Despite it being a bit warm for 10k. Strewth and Southy met "off-line" for the first time!

In the 4 x 800m relay, an ACT and Australian record to the W40 team including Charlie (a photo of Charlie appears at the bottom of Wednesday 22nd's post below!), Gabe and Annette. (Team captain Katie did not run and was replaced by yet another fast W40, newcomer Bernice). Charlie’s 2:49 in the relay was a new PB.

And in the 4 x 100m relay, the W55 team, which included Kathy Sims and Maureen, broke their own ACT record.

Fly Goose Fly!

Strewth, Aki, Margaret and Barbara at Brindabella

Improving our club's website

To describe the agony of a marathon to someone who's never run it is like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind - Jerome Drayton

The ACTVAC website is poised to become the club's main communication vehicle. I wonder how many ACT Vets are in the habit of using it?

Having discovered that otherwise well informed club members are still not accessing the ACTVAC web site, I have decided to acquaint readers with some of the features.

The news at http://www.actvac.com.au/mainframe/news.html is updated weekly if not more frequently.

All race results are at http://www.actvac.com.au/mainframe/results.html, and you can drill down and get your ARCHIVED TRACK AND FIELD RESULTS, which have not been available until now. Thursday night results seem to be up by Sunday. (I am not sure why the delay).

The latest Vetrunner is at http://www.actvac.com.au/mainframe/vetrunner.html, as of this moment it is still the November issue but the December version should appear any day now.

The website should be used by more members very soon, because the future of Vetrunner magazine is in doubt, with no guarantee there will be a January issue. In fact there won’t be one unless an editor is found. We have been searching for 18 months. The best Masters running magazine in Australia may be no more.

Improvements to the website are coming. Suggestions can be sent to me! So if it does become our main communication vehicle, how can we improve it? What should it contain? Please inform me and I will implement all good suggestions!

Bye for now, I am off to watch the cricket (on TV with the sound off) and listen to it (on the radio). As one does. Then I may struggle around a 3k tonight, but I felt some worrying niggles running yesterday, so this may not be possible.

What we don't want to see half way through a road race.

[Edit. bloglines seems not to have noticed me lately so I am editing a post to see if that can activate it.... a long shot I am sure]

Do you find it... wisible... when I say the name... Biggus...

No one knows the fear in a front runner's mind more than me. When you set off at a cracking pace for four or five laps and find that your main rivals are still breathing down your neck, that's when you start to panic. - Ron Clarke

SpeedyJarod. Just a blur. Yes there are other runners in his race.

track program tomorrow night
6.00 3000m (P & GM), Hammer Throw
6.30 100m (B)
6.45 1500m Walk (PH), Long Jump
7.00 4x800m Relay, Javelin/Discus
7.30 200m (D)
7.45 Triple Jump, Javelin/Discus
7.50 10,000m Run
8.00 Sprint Hurdles followed by 4x100m Relay.

FOOTNOTES

1. No one has guessed this movie yet.
2. Loosy the Goosy will be at the track tomorrow. (Spelling corrected!)
3. I just heard the new Switchfoot song "Oh Gravity" on the radio. So I'm off to JB Hi Fi to see if it's in yet!

Charlie:

"Done it! I've finished!

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat.

By popular request. Our new mascot.

"Alternate Route Tuggeranong"

I don’t know what the fuss is about. The sign is clear and unambiguous. Every second time you want to travel from Belconnen to Tuggeranong, you take the Coppins Crossing Route.

These "alternate route" instructions springing up around Canberra are obviously designed to split the traffic fifty-fifty, ensuring cars are spread evenly around our roads..

quote of the day "Cross-country. Finally a good use for golf courses."

Fruit Chutney Pork Chops

Article in the Canberra Times on 12 March 2003!

FOOTNOTES

1. Southy’s W50 record 1500m of 5:02 has certainly destroyed Maria's old and very good time of 5:28. Poor Maria! A little goosey tells me Southy is running the 10k this Thursday. Even if it reaches 40 degrees on the track, the existing W50 record, 41:04 held by Rosemary Longstaff, will be smashed!

2. We now have a team mascot, a soft toy named Loosey. (Yes, Loosey is a goosey)

3. It is hot out there now! Summer is here, for how long I do not know, but 100k weeks for me - who always sleeps in - will be a challenge.

Roger and Marion

Well, what are you doing creeping around a cow shed at two o'clock in the morning? That doesn't sound very wise to me.

quote of the week: "Those who say that I will lose and am finished will have to run over my body to beat me." - Said Aouita

My training progress
last week's target: 80k, actual 102k

this week’s target: 100k
weight: 64kg and holding

I am feeling 95% better. Now to get fit, again!

How Speedy Geese are going:

Long-Distance World Triathlon Championships
212 Bob Harlow 8:04.47
Way to go!

ACTA track Saturday
1500m
W50 Kathy Southgate 5:02.76 ACT W50 record
M55 Trevor Cobbold 5:04.84
Trevor, you took the lead and got swamped!

One Peak Challenge (15km)
Women
10 Charlie McCormack 1:24.44
19 Charmaine Knobel 1:34.31
The "Chars" have it.

ACTCCC Spring Series – Weston Park last Tuesday
Women 5k
24 Carolyn Campbell 26.15
Men 5k
36 Roger Pilkington 22:08
47 Geoff Moore 23.10
48 Mick Saunders 23:35
69 Mick Charlton 30:00
Surface Soft and "Springy" alright

Springing to Victory

FOOTNOTES

1. Temperatures of 30 and above are forecast all this week. Drink early drink often!

2. I went and watched the triathlon yesterday. After the freezing weather we had mid-week, so hot! The competitors were very inspiring. Well done to Bob Harlow for pushing through the pain and finishing. The Canberra Times has a one page coverage today, and all the final times.

3. song of the week: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – Eric Idle. Sung at a recent celebrity funeral.

Soar like an Eagle, Spit like a Llama

The perfect run - the wind at your back, the sun in front of you, and your friends by your side. - Aaron Douglas Trimble

Results from Thursday night for our training group
3000m
M45 Colin Farlow 10:29.68
M45 Richard Faulks 10:57.80
M45 Ewen Thompson 14:08.14
M50 Ken White 12:08.90
M55 Geoff Moore 11:44.95
M55 Mick Saunders 12:32.94
M55 Geoff Sims 13:20.86
M60 Kevin Chamberlain 11:32.77
M65 Tony Booth 13:15.87
W40 Gabrielle Brown 14:19.19
W55 Kathy Sims 12:54.12
W55 Barbara Tucker 15:09.19

1500m
M45 Mick Horan 4:47.62
M55 Neil Boden 6:19.13
M65 Tony Booth 6:17.75
W35 Amanda Walker 6:04.49
W40 Katie Forestier 5:48.69
W40 Gabrielle Brown 6:37.54
W40 Carolyne Kramar 8:24.87
W50 Charmaine Knobel 6:21.23

400m
M45 Gary Bowen 66.70
M50 Ken White 68.68
M55 Geoff Sims 62.29
W40 Katie Forestier 77.50
W40 Gabrielle Brown 83.54
W45 Vicki Matthews 73.80
W50 Charmaine Knobel 83.40
W55 Maureen Rossiter 73.88

There was a little incident the other day, which made me wonder if one of the golden rules of running should be "look before you spit"?

It would have helped if the cyclist in question had rung his bell as he came up silently behind me. Well, that's one up for the runners I guess.

You self conscious ones, learn how to spit and some of your runs will be so much more comfortable. Watch out for sudden wind gusts though. And be prepared to say "sorry" occasionally.

FOOTNOTES

1. Kevin is poised to take some M60 track records very soon. The M60 800m record is 2:21, and the 1500m 4:43. Hmmm. They are very fast times for an M60. Come to think of it, "poised" is not the correct word. "A remote outside possibility" might be more accurate.

2. Southy said it was going to by difficult for her to break Maureen's W50 800m record of 2:35. Yesterday she went through the 800m mark of the 1500m in 2:37. It is only a matter of time...

3. Friday's movie was "Run Lola Run". More movies next week?

Overcoming Injury

Life is short... running makes it seem longer. - Baron Hansen


Ease those sore muscles. (reprise)

COLD WATER. Animals stand in cold streams straight after a long hard chase. You could too. Standing in cold water or sitting in a cold bath (brrrr!) could help recovery after a hard run.

WALKING. Long walks are an option when it hurts to run, whether tired from an exhausting race, or suffering muscle damage, blisters etc.

MASSAGE. Massages might assist recovery after races, but they may also be beneficial the week before a major event.

REST. "Putting the feet up" is a good strategy!

WARM-UP. As you get older and start carrying a few old injuries, a proper warm-up is essential.


FOOTNOTES

1. Don't forget to go out and watch the World Triathlon long-course championships, on in Canberra all Sunday.

2. Next Thursday is not only a Pennington 3000m, and a 10k, there is also a 4x800 relay.

3. Katie has already organised a W40 team for the relay. How about it, 800m runners in other age groups? Get your team together in advance and have a crack at the ACT records. Or even the Australian records!

on your marks...

The ball is round, a game lasts 90 minutes, everything else is pure theory. Off we go!

A medal for the 19:26 I ran in April; a 5km time I am unlikely to see repeated this year but you never know. I only did 11:45 for 3km last night and it is nearly December already!

"Run hard, be strong, think big!" - Percy Cerutty

FOOTNOTES
1. Maureen Rossiter: on the right in a relay team last April; Maureen has run only a handful of 800m runs, all very fast, holds the ACT W50 record of 2:35.2, and recently set a new W55 record of 2:47.


2. Yesterday was a quote from "Cars", a speedy movie indeed.

3. Today's title is a quote from the start of a movie which is about running, NOT about football! The last line of the movie is "What's in the bag?"

I'm a precision instrument built for speed and aromatics!

Warm-up! More important than you thought!
How important is a warm up? Whatever your answer, a warm up is more important than that!

You should always allow time to perform some type of warm-up routine for all racing, tempo runs, and speed work sessions. A warmer muscle moves faster, has a better range of motion, and is less prone to injury. Blood flow is improved and the strain on the heart is reduced. Sweating is initiated so over-heating is less likely.

A good warm up starts with light jogging, then adds some flexibility exercises after the jog. Then after a bit more jogging, proceeds to getting the legs moving at racing or training tempo but with shorter strides at first, and finally ends up with a couple of run-throughs at race or training speed, striding out but keeping the distance short at first.

Then you will be ready to work at your best...

Michael Roche is running well again

Running quote of the day: Big occasions and races which have been eagerly anticipated almost to the point of dread, are where great deeds can be accomplished. - Jack Lovelock

FOOTNOTES1. Barbara Tucker: a very keen walker and runner who would like to race regularly under 5 minutes per km – at least before turning 60 in 2009! And a Kiwi to boot.

2. More quotes from today's movie, which I have just acquired on DVD.
"Speed. I am speed."
"She just likes me for my body"
Yesterday's movie was "Men In Black" - in the list of ten movies with "The best use of sunglasses".

3. I am planning a slow 3000m at a cooler night tonight at Vets. See you there?

clear advantage

Congratulations, Reg, it's a . . . squid

quote of the day: The start of a World Cross Country event is like riding a horse in the middle of a buffalo stampede. It's a thrill if you keep up, but one slip and you're nothing but hoof prints - Ed Eyestone

REST.
There is nothing quite like putting the feet up after a long hard run.

1. Naps are ideal, but even ten minutes with your feet up is beneficial - promotes circulation, relaxes heart rate.

2. A bit of a break, even a whole day off, is best after after your longest day. More so than after your fastest day, from which you can expect recovery to be quicker!

3. So when you have run long, elevate your legs for recovery every chance you get.

4. “Putting your feet up” is not just a synonym for inactivity!

Now that I am here I might as well take a break.

Vets track program for Thursday 16 November
6.00 3000m, weight, pole vault
6.15 60m
6.30 1000/3000m walk
7.00 high jump
7.00 1500m, shot/discus
7.30 400m
7.45 triple jump, 200m hurdles, shot/discus
8.00 4 x 100m relay
8.15 spiral 6

FOOTNOTES

1. Annette Sugden has been running in the ACT since at least 1990, and has bursts of consistency- for example her half marathons are always around the 1:40 mark. Rumour has it she might be seen on the track this summer, running in some record threatening relay teams.

2. Yesterday's movie was Bruce Almighty. Many of the Jim Carrey movies crack me up; he is good too in straight roles. A different sort of comedy today.

3. It is supposed to snow today (in November!). No sign of it yet though. I will tempt fate & run the Stakes today. Although the sky is starting to get black out there.

That's the way the cookie crumbles.

running quote of the day: Runners just do it - they run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first. (that just about sums it up for me)

hurdle champ

MASSAGE as an aid to recovery. I think everyone over 40 years old or 10,000kms, whichever comes first, could benefit by regular sports massage, as part of their serious training.

(a) Marathon preparation is a good example. After all those kms of training, it is good to loosen up the muscles as you start easing back for the big race.

(b) A good massage will help restore mobility in injured muscles.

(c) The question is whether massage is of most benefit after serious training or racing, or before.

Not many other runners can say they have been competing in athletics for 44 years; what keeps me going now is the massage.

I like to have a massage leading up to a big race; but muscles that are sore or overly relaxed from a massage do not perform as well, so the massage ought not be too soon before the race. I find a week before the race is optimal.

Likewise I think it helps to wait a few days after a big race before having a massage. I could be wrong, because I see masseurs busily working away at the finish line of marathons and fun runs. But I prefer to wait to see if I have sustained any injury, and if so, to give it time to start healing, before I let a masseur at it.

In summary I wait to have a massage leading up to a big race. Or when injuries have got the better of me and I am not doing much running.

FOOTNOTES
1. Amanda Walker: Coming up to her and Colin's second wedding anniversary next month. Their “baby’ Ben has turned one year old. By the time Ben is running in the under 6s in Little Athletics, breaking ACT records no doubt, Amanda will be in the W40s in big athletics, and still running fast 3ks. Good effort last Thursday Amanda to get under the 13 minutes!

2. OK, that movie title was too easy, "Fried Green Tomatos at the Whistle Stop Cafe". An oldie but a goodie. Sorry Ewen I haven't seen any Star Trek movies so I don't know any of those quotes, but I have watched the Star Trek satire, "Red Dwarf", many times over and will definitely be quoting them one day. But not today.

3. A great non-running blog I enjoy reading is crazymomcat. She has just taken up jogging! See finding-hidden-strengths for a motivating read. (If blogger is working!)

B-E-A-utiful. Now turn off your PC and go and help your wife with the photo album.

The secret of life? The secret's in the sauce.

My training progress
last week's target: 80k, actual 40k
this week’s target: 80k!
weight: 64kg and steady
comment: I am still not 100% so I have not been running too well or too often.

running quote: " Blink and you miss a sprint. The 10,000 meters is lap after lap of waiting. Theatrically, the mile is just the right length - beginning, middle, end: a story unfolding. ~Sebastian Coe

song of the week: U2 – With Or Without you. Some of my friends were at the U2 concert on Saturday night. They do a brilliant live version of the old song “With Or Without You”. I still remember using this as a warm-up track for aerobics classes I used to take, back in the 1980’s.

how myths start

recovery by walking
As you age, even after a short run your legs may refuse to recover for two or more days. Certainly they will not recover as well as they used to. So to speed up recovery without trying to keep on running, maybe a long walk is in order? One of my best marathon recoveries was walking around the streets of Perth after a national marathon. Though I do recall dropping into several pubs during the walk....

As long as you are doing some hard and intense training during the week, such recovery days are fine!

FOOTNOTES
1. Amalendu Edelsten has recently joined our training group, and has just entered the M45 age group, where he beat off Paul Considine and Colin Farlow to finish second to Elaine Cooper in the Pennington 3000. What other sport did Amalendu originally compete in, at the elite level?

2. Today’s movie is a classic "girls" movie which I also like! It has a longish name. And some great one liners.

"Face it, girls. I'm older and I have more insurance!"

"Oh, it don't make no kind of sense. A big old ox like Grady won't sit next to a coloured child, but he eats eggs which shoot right out of a chicken's ass."


3. Yesterday’s title is from the famous “aardvark” episode of Blackadder, where Dr Johnstone is writing his dictionary, and Blackadder & co try to write a replacement, producing definitions of “C” a wobbly thing that mermaids swim in, “Cat” Not a Dog, etc.

Anything I can do to facilitate your velocitous extramuralisation!

If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise. ~P.Z. Pearce (not to mention “Brindabella Classics” and “triple-tri’s”!)

How the speedy geese ran last Thursday at Vets:
Steeple 2000m
M60 Kevin Chamberlain 7:56.23 ACT RECORD
M60 Geoff Barker 10:20.97

Steeple 3000m
M45 Gary Bowen 13:55.03

800m
M45 Colin Farlow 2:16.96 - good time first up.
M45 Amalendu Edelsten 2:20.85
M45 Rod Lynch 2:27.26 - faster than last season's best
M45 Roger Pilkington 2:40.73
M55 Trevor Cobbold 2:30.51 - recent pb
M55 Neil Boden 3:10.76
M60 Geoff Barker 3:30.79
M65 Tony Booth 3:04.33
W40 Katie Forestier 2:49.08
W45 Helen Larmour 3:00.92
W50 Maria O'Reilly 2:51.05
W55 Maureen Rossiter 3:08.54
W55 Ruth Baussmann 3:34.28 - new lifetime pb

3000m
M45 Amalendu Edelsten 10:39.05
M45 Rod Lynch 10:56.49
M45 Roger Pilkington 11:40.75
M45 Colin Farlow 12:51.53
M55 Trevor Cobbold 11:59.84
M55 Neil Boden 14:16.93
M60 Geoff Barker 14:38.88
M65 Tony Booth 14:01.47
W35 Amanda Walker 12:51.35 - pb
W40 Katie Forestier 12:27.45
W45 Helen Larmour 12:30.31
W50 Maria O'Reilly 12:20.11

5000m
M45 Richard Faulks 19:07.92
M45 Mick Horan 19:19.55
M45 Roger Pilkington 19:52.43
M55 Geoff Moore 20:30.16


"Not a cat." People name their small businesses “aardvark” to get to the front of the phone book. Of course, none of them stand out because there are so many of them.

FOOTNOTES






1. How many Brindabella Classics has Alan Duus run? (Hint – a lot!)
2. Today’s “movie” is actually an episode of a television series.
3. Yesterday's movie:

Amelie - best movie ever made.

It's better to help people than to be like a gnome in the garden

Special Olympics in France

There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be. ~George Sheehan


Another (series of?) movie quotes starts today. I am hoping this catches on, my earlier "guess the movie" posts has so far attracted suggestions from four people. I will try and make it fairly easy, as I have today, so that if you do not remember the quote, it might still remind you of the movie, and a guess might be correct.

Just to make it more interesting, starting today I will also include a devious clue somewhere else in each post. For example today I could have said hello to my grandchildren; or I could have mentioned in passing the movie's country of origin.


We don't always like photos taken of ourselves; this one is a shocker! I did not even recognise who it was when I first saw it. Despite the lovely pink cap.
And that's Cory standing beside me.

some farcical aquatic ceremony

cheater
"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." - Emil Zatopek

"I'm never going to run this again." - Grete Waitz after winning her first of nine New York City marathons

Hydrotherapy
My calves have been very sore lately and the advice is to stand in cold water, e.g. the lake, after a run. There is evidence that cold water aids in recovery or prevention of some lower leg conditions? The temperature of water may be important. Colder water may relieve pain and have some anti-inflammatory affect?

The concentration of salt may also help reduce inflammation.

Water pressure may also help, which points to deep water being better than shallow.

But I am not sure about standing in the murky water of Lake Burley Griffin. It doesn’t seem very healthy, there is a genuine risk of infection.

Ocean swimming seems more beneficial! Now if only there were an ocean here in poor old land locked Canberra.

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony." - IT'S ...
Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

cheatah

cheatahs sometimes win

Fetchez la vache

I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs. ~Jesse Owens


Ease those sore muscles.
How best to recover when sore from hard running? COLD WATER. Animals stand in cold streams straight after a long hard chase. You could too. WALK. Next day, instead of running take a long walk on undulating terrain, or even around shopping centres. MASSAGE. Once recovery is underway, a good massage therapist will assist further recovery. REST. After massage, walking, or cold water, let the body recover properly by putting the feet up! WARM-UP. When next running hard, make sure you warm-up properly first.


- The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land?
- Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

A møøse once bit my sister.

Suddenly it is working! Blogger had so far refused to let me on today. Nor could I even open my blog. Or anyone else's. Until now. Blogger, you are not reliable! There are other options you know!~ End of rant.

.Wi nøt trei a høliday in Sweden this yër?
.See the løveli lakes...
.The wonderful telephøne system... .
.And mäni interesting furry animals...
.Including the majestik møøse.
.A møøse once bit my sister.
.Nø realli! She was Karving her initials øn the møøse with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst Nordfink".

.We apologise for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible have been sacked.

.Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretti nasti.

.We apologise again for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, have been sacked.

.(Møøse Trained by Yutte Hermsgervørdenbrøtbørda)
.(Special møøse effect Olaf Prot)
.(Møøse Costumes Siggi Churchill)
.(Møøse choreographes by Horst Prot III)
.(Miss Taylor's Møøse by Hengst Douglas-Home)
.(Møøse trained to mix concrete and sign complicated insurance form by Jurgen Wigg)
.(Møøses noses wiped by Bjørn Irkestøm-SLater Walker)
.(Large møøse on the left hand side of the screen in the third scene from the end, given a thorough grounding in Latin, French and 'O' Level Geography by Bo Benn)
.(Suggestive poses for the møøse suggested by Vic Rotter)
.(Antler-care by Liv Thatcher)

results Molonglo Reach 5k
women
5. Annette Sugden W40 21:24
12. Kathy Sims W55 22:56
18. Caroline Campbell W60 24:16
29. Barbara Tucker W55 26:43
35. Carolyne Kramar W40 28:23

men
15. Richard Faulks M45 19:23
27. Roger Pilkington M45 21:06
46. Geoff Barker M60 25:33

This Thursday's track program
6.00 2000/3000M Steeplechase, Hammer Throw
6.15+ 100M
6.30+ 1200/2000M Walk
6.45 High Jump (QA)
7.00 800m, Javelin, Shot Put
7.30 200m (D)
7.45 Long Jump, Javelin, Shot Put, Long Hurdles
8.00 Medley Relay
8.15 3000/5000m

It's 106 miles to Chicago. We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's midnight and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it!

The ten best use of sunglasses in film according to Paste Magazine.
10. Men in Black
9. Midnight Run
8. Blade
7. Cool Hand Luke
6. Top Gun
5. Reservoir Dogs
4. The Matrix
3. Risky Business
2. The Terminator
1. Blues Brothers

how we trained: Last night it was "follow the leader" around the gardens steps and slopes of parliament house. A welcome break from more intense running.

After training I took speedyjenny to our favourite restaurant, the 2 sisters at Kippax, where we enjoyed beautiful food - yellow curry with chicken; and Wok flamed mixed seafood in chilli, garlic and basil. Yummo! As well as a McGuigan Merlot. And a very special desert. A nice way to relax at the end of the day.

Tonight at 6pm is the first of the ACTCCC Spring Series races, a 5k event at Molonglo Reach. It's a flat course, so I might go and run it!

Now it's off to try and make it rain. I will hang up the washing, then wash the car. Ah, retirement!

An Intellectual Tortoise

My training progress
last week's target: 85k, actual 34k

this week’s target: 80k?
weight: 64kg and rising rapidly!

song of the week: All Because of You – U2

“I was born a child of grace..”

A line from this U2 song is “An Intellectual Tortoise” What a great synonym for “slow learner”. I realise I am still learning after all these years; unlike much younger people who know everything and don’t hesitate to tell you so. In particular I am learning to postpone making important decisions until more facts are known, particularly if others are trying to rush you into it. It is OK to be an intellectual tortoise.

Posts in the last three days contain quotes from “Groundhog Day”.
Here’s a poem quoted in that movie.

ALL Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair—
The bees are stirring—birds are on the wing—
And WINTER, slumbering in the open air,
Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!
And I, the while, the sole unbusy thing,
Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.

Yet well I ken the banks where amaranths blow,
Have traced the fount whence streams of nectar flow.
Bloom, O ye amaranths! bloom for whom ye may,
For me ye bloom not! Glide, rich streams, away!
With lips unbrighten'd, wreathless brow, I stroll:
And would you learn the spells that drowse my soul?
WORK WITHOUT HOPE draws nectar in a sieve,
And HOPE without an OBJECT cannot live.
-Coleridge
Now THAT poem I can relate to.
This week will see me back in regular training, with a stressful time now behind me. I hope. I would not like a repeat of LAST week.


Well, I will try quoting from another popular movie tomorrow.