Auspicious August

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Winter seems to run about a month late these days, so August down here is really mid-winter. Certainly it is our snowiest month, but despite that there are camellias in bloom and even the first signs of bud burst on some of the trees about the place. But it is still darn cold. And dark. And wet. Winter colds and the flu virus are felling people like flies at the office. I've been gamely fighting it off for the last few days but am slowly succumbing. My hot curry trick isn't working this time.

I thought winter was bad enough down here, but then I discovered this quote from the venerable Lord Byron: The English winter - ending in July, to recommence in August.

And somehow that made me feel better.

Despite the lurgified start, I am confident this will be an excellent month of running for me. I reckon there might even be a PB or two in it somewhere.

But for the moment, it's back to the germ-ridden office for another day of virus-defying activity. Run-wise, well we shall see what this evening brings.

[Ana]

Dear MLCM, you must tell me what do you think your neigbours when you go plodding with your orange (jail-colour) hair It is anyway useful for no having accidents if you run in the night. I celebrate that you still keeps this wonderful style

[Sweder]

Hmm . . . methinks those hair pieces would go down a (desert) storm at Camp X-Ray.
Perfect colour co ordination with the jump-suits . . .

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A curious determination has come over me in recent days, and having lost the last two days' running to office bugs, I wasn't about to let a third put a serious delay to the start of my auspicious August.

Consequently, I was up early and on the treadmill for a cautious, flat 5km before my body had a chance to complain. For most of the run I was coughing up worryingly large gobs of thick, yellow phlegm (see photo below ..... j/k) and suffering somewhat, but by the last km all that had cleared and I finished the run accelerating and feeling quite reasonable. So hopefully that's now sweat out all the nasties picked up from the diseased cattle at work.

It was a slowish run - 33:03 for 5km is far from what I'm hoping at this stage, but OK I guess for a sick old man.

So that's my first run for the month out of the way. It should only get better from here.

Track du jour was an old favourite: Jimmy Eat World's The Middle.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Today's run was supposed to be a gentle 10km, but I was already in trouble after just 15 minutes, and yep, I ended up doing a Paula - I pulled the plug after 4km and called it a day.

I really wrestled with myself over this one. I'm aiming for 130 km+ this month, which means with just 9km covered after 4 days, I am way behind already. But the body just wasn't up to it today and I didn't want to crucify my current levels of motivation by pushing myself too much when something is clearly wrong.

Never mind, there's always tomorrow.

[Sweder]

Excellent decision MLCman.
There's nothing to be gained running against your instinct, but there's much to be lost. You're probably avoiding injury by 'laying up'. You can make up ground later when you're flying and wondering what this patch was all about.

If there's one thing that binds us, with our individual quirks and vey different training methods, it's that we all hit the skids from time to time, and we all recover our form.

[El Gordo]

If there's one thing that binds us, with our individual quirks and vey different training methods, it's that we all hit the skids from time to time, and we all recover our form.

I'm relying on those words, Sweder. This week is critical for me. I need to get out first thing tomorrow morning, or it will become too sticky, and I'll collapse into a heap again.

[Ana]

MLCM, where did you pick up this photo of me?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

MLCM, where did you pick up this photo of me?

I stole it from the online Spanish edition of Elite Runner's Monthly of course.

[Sweder]

Funny . . . I though that was Captain Tom.
That's exactly what he looked like last time I saw him

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A few days R&R in Adelaide have seen me get over the worst of the winter bugs that have afflicted me recently, but I'm still not sleeping well, which combined with early starts at work have caused a further cessation of perambulatory activity.

It looks like next week I'll be off to Brisbane for three or four weeks, so nice warm weather should see some run-like movements again.

For now it's medicinal brandy and a good book ... two good books actually, Primo Levi's "If This Is A Man" and Alan Bennett's "Writing Home". Of which I shall write more, later.

Adieu, fair reader.

[stillwaddler]

Have fun in Adelaide, hope it provides good convalescence [SIZE="1"](beer?)[/SIZE]