Kerry Packer! Shane Warne! David Campese! Malcolm Fraser! Bob Hawke! Sir Les Patterson! John Howard! MLC Man!- can you hear me, MLC Man! Your boys took one hell of a beating! Your boys took one hell of a beating!'
. . . wound as I have a large bucket of salt I'd like to rub in!
I think the English nation is as shocked as the Aussies this morning.
Last night's game was . . . I hate to use the word . . . awesome.
New Zealand threw the kitchen sink at France and they took it . . . and came back at them. It was gladatorial stuff, many of the clashes making us wince up in our seats in the Gods. I might post a fuller piece some time but right now I'm shattered . . . and an hour away from the Lewes Downland Ten, a rather hilly hack through the Sussex countryside. Ouch.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Much of recent living memory in this part of the kingdom has been taken up with work, work-related travel, illness, drinking beer and ... moving house, and largely in that order. Yup, I have forsaken the side of the mountain with magnificent water views for a waterfront property complete with its own private jetty, and just 6 minutes from the CBD! OK, the house is a largely unmodified 1940s weather-board flu-trap, and the jetty has an abandoned sunken fishing trawler at the end of it, but you can fish from it (although the water is too polluted to eat any fish you do catch), but it's peaceful and has a nice view of the cemetery and the fuel depots across the bay...
I also have a sensational view of the mountain I am supposed to be running up next month. I say supposed because I have to admit the chances of it actually happening are now fairly slim. My training has been shot to pieces, but the good news is that there is good running round these parts. The cemetery on the other side of the bay is enormous, and the round trip from home with a loop around the body plot is 5km. Likewise, the run along the river to work is 5km. The bad news is that all of it is flat, making it les than ideal training for the mountain climb. On the other hand, it doesn't require a whole lot of motivating to get out there. There's even a beach just a few minutes jog from home.
So I'm pretty happy with the new home, less than happy with my training, but feeling optimistic about some joyous running to come through the summer months. In the meantime, I am left to contemplate the mountain that could have been ... when the rainclouds lift long enough to see it that is...
No worries, MLCM. I said farewell to my own mountain -- the Dublin marathon -- without climbing it.
It happens.
I suppose the important thing is not to dwell on the runs that never were but get focused on what's to come, and that's what we seem to be doing. I'm having annoying injury setbacks, but am still looking forward to the winter months ahead. Over here, it's a great time to run.
Good luck in the new gaff. Running and water go very well together.
No idea what CBD means. I've done a Google search, and find thousands of references to it as in "We were lucky enough to stay near the CBD", but no one actually says what it bloody means.
Curry and Beer District?
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
CBD - Central Business District?
I'm guessing this was the same CBD that went up in flames like the . . . like the . . . oh, I can't say it.
You know what I mean; the apsirations of the Wallabies.
There, I've said it.
Sorry about your mountain race prospects. I'm sure you're just deferring a return for when some of us can drag ourselves over to join you (still on my agenda at some stage). I like the sound of the new digs - polluted fishing eh? A good chance of some quality entertainment then
By the way, what's happened to the Spanish contingent lately?
Not only Ana but BB and RB have been strangely silent since the move
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Sweder Wrote:Sorry about your mountain race prospects. I'm sure you're just deferring a return for when some of us can drag ourselves over to join you (still on my agenda at some stage).
Ashes Series 2010 is my plan...
Sweder Wrote:By the way, what's happened to the Spanish contingent lately?
Not only Ana but BB and RB have been strangely silent since the move
Ana's floating around but not posting. RB has been absent for a long time. I mailed BB when we changed over and think I got a reply.
If you build it, they will come...
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Sweder Wrote:Not only Ana but BB and RB have been strangely silent since the move
I'm still alive. Lurking mainly but I'll get around to posting again soon.
RB is a difficult man to pin down. He peddled me some running pumps in August ? but I haven't seen him since. He was talking about doing some ultra race next year along a canal from London to Birmingham but I don't know if this is information I should reveal publicly.
BTW Happy birthday Mid-life-crisis Man. Nice new place you've got there. Ideal for triathlon training If you haven't been able to train then why don't you enter the Mount Wellington event in the walking catagory? Seem to remember you power-walked it last year and finished well up the field. If you take your time you'll have no problem and you may even surprise yourself!
Yes, CBD = Central Business District. Sorry, thought this was a universal term. I'll be mortified if I find out it's actually American. Just in case, I'll stop using it. "Centre of town" does sound better anyhow.
Ta for the birthday wishes. Spent it drinking red, so a good one.
Thanks BB, you're right of course. Good idea!
Sweder, I think I'm beginning to see a pattern in your choice of entertainment. And fine French art flicks isn't it, is it?
Andy. Yes. There, I can't be more positive than that...
The attached pic was snapped by a colleague at a vinyl revival gig at a local music store. Just shows there's more to MLC Man than running and beer. I thought Sweder in particular might approve...
Bonza shirt Cobber!
I had a green version of the same (as you probably saw on that recent Avatar photo ) - I'd like to grab some retro Tees - must stay on more and get surfing . . .
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
OK well the training is going OK I guess. I mean, I'm actually getting out there and doing it, but it's all relatively gentle, and just as I'm feeling good about my running again, I try a tough little hill session or a bit of speed work and come up well short - bad enough to know the Point to Pinnacle (which I had dared to hope may be back on the agenda as a run) is so tough as to preclude serious consideration. However... I'm still keen.
I have proven one interesting thing: a fast run/walk is faster than a slow continuous run. I know this because I have started running to and from work (on the basis that I'm not going to be in anything like reasonable condition for the race unless I put in two runs per day for a while) and I found that I covered the 5km faster using a run/walk technique than if I did it as a steady jog. The trade off was that the run/walk left me feeling like dog doo doo, while the jog left me invigorated. Work that out!
As for that race... I did indeed start training for a race walk attempt as BB suggested, but in doing so I figured I still neeeded to set a target, and as I finished in 3h09 last year, thought I'd aim for sub 3. But to walk it sub-3 is actually harder than running it sub-3, because it requires incredible technique and strength to race walk at that speed (for me that is). To do it at a slow jog would be simpler and easier - still requiring plenty of strength and endurance of course, but bugger all technique. Anyway, the next couple of weeks will tell, but I'm thinking I need to run it, as I don't have enough time to get back to the level of race walking fitness I had last year.
I am taunted everyday by this mountain, as I can see it clearly from my living room. I have an especially good view of the toughest section, which is from the 14 km point to the 18 km point at a gradient of 9%. It is a very, very tough section, but I see it everyday and drool...
...but then I jump on the treadmill, set it at 9% incline and nearly die. And that's without a 14km hill climb preamble.
But still the sight of that mountain gets me excited.
Octobia.
![[Image: pikes_peak_runner2.jpg]](http://www.trailrunner.com/photos/pikes_peak_runner2.jpg)
If you haven't been able to train then why don't you enter the Mount Wellington event in the walking catagory? Seem to remember you power-walked it last year and finished well up the field. If you take your time you'll have no problem and you may even surprise yourself!
) - I'd like to grab some retro Tees - must stay on more and get surfing . . .
![[Image: all%20juice.jpg]](http://www.sandarac.com.au/misc/all%20juice.jpg)
![[Image: Wellington.jpg]](http://www.sandarac.com.au/misc/Wellington.jpg)