Now that the Games are over...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Wow, that was really something. I'm not sure that something done once every four years can be counted as a 'tradition', but I do like to make a point of watching the Olympic marathon(s) ... along with a whole lot of other Olympic events of course, but I've had a particular soft spot for the marathon ever since a sadistic teacher in high school forced us to run cross-country every week. That was the year ('76) Cierpinski denied Frank Shorter the marathon double, and then rubbed salt into the wound four years later by completing it himself.

At the LA games in '84 I had to watch because the great Aussie legend Rob de Castella was up against fellow legend Juma Ikaanga. Those two sparred for 40 kms before being blown out of the race by the amazing Spaniard Carlos Lopez who ran the fastest Olympic marathon ever. That was the year Spedding got bronze, while de Castella and Ikaanga had to be content with 5th and 6th.

Of course Seoul in '88 was Australia's greatest year in Olympic marathons, with the double medal hopefuls de Castella and Moneghetti looking the goods. Didn't work out that way though, Mona finishing 5th and Deek 8th.

Since then I've more or less been hooked on the sport, well, as a spectator anyway. So last night I stayed up until 3 a.m. local time being amazed once again. Despite the heat and the tough course, ten runners finished inside 2h15m! Baldini ran the 5km from 35 to 40km in 14:40 ... astonishing stuff.

Bit of a shame to see Tergat fall well short. And sad to see Jon Brown come in 4th again ... that must really hurt. But I guess that's what happens in the Olympic marathon.

But now it's all over and I am staring at my own training schedule and wondering how fast I might be able to run if I could shed 20 kilos and 10 years? The former is theoretically possible but the latter, sadly not of course. Still, if the only thing we sought from running was glory, then an awful lot of us would be very, very disappointed I'm sure.

Trying to think of something profound to say, but it ain't happening.

Oh well. Run on.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Spring has sprung! The apricot tree is in blossom, sparrows are busy building their nests and the parrots (rosellas and lorikeets) have moved down from the hills which always lifts the spirits.

We are now just 18 days away from the local big charity run - the 12 km City to Bay which attracts thousands of runners every year. Right on the back of the Olympics we should see a particularly huge crowd this year. The streets are already full of people in training, from serious runners down to family groups - no doubt the Olympics and the improved weather having helped considerably on the motivation front.

Personally, in terms of training I am behind schedule (what's new) but looking forward to race day even so, especially as I have just received my race number, and lo and behold got the very elite low number 106! With a number like that I should be able to line up near the front of the crowd. Of course my running style will very quickly betray me as an imposter, but it might make for an interesting photo or two.

It's not bad timing really, as my 18 week marathon training schedule starts next Monday, a deadline which looms ominously. Today's training was grimly set last night, when around dinner time I set my iron will to the task of scheduling an absolutely water-tight 5 km today whether I wanted to do it or not. Well it transpired that I had to work until 1 a.m., having started the day with a 7 a.m. meeting, so getting up early today to run was simply out of the question. The rest of the day was similarly written off, and by late this evening things were grim. I was simply too knackered to run at all, but I did get out for a walk with the dog, and covered 12km at a fair rate, enough at least to get some endorphins chugging through the system, so I feel pretty good right about now. Must have worked for the dog too, coz no sooner had we gotten home than she went mad, tearing up and down the yard with her football on some kind of manic high, crashing into the fences and growling ferociously at the ball ... being nearly 1 a.m. the neighbours must be mightily impressed, especially as I put the flood lights on to watch the fun. Endorphins do that to a person, don't they?

So anyway I have no good excuses now. Everything seems to be conducive to great running just at the moment, so I really am getting back into it.

Seriously.

No, really.

[Nigel]

Outstanding young Australian athlete MLC Man takes a rare moment out of training for the Hobart Marathon.

"It's a great honour to be named by Baldini as one of the main contenders to take over the Olympic title in Beijing," said the manic-grinned Aussie, "although my training is right back on track again following that recent embarrassing incident in the vineyard...." (more on page 97).

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Obviously Baldini got my cheque then