Not that skipping anything would be terribly easy for a man of my ... substance, these days. But more of that later. I received a missive from Down Under wondering if I might still be alive. I replied, and, as I recounted recent events, realised I'd been suckered into an update, so here it is.
Plenty happening, not too much running-wise though. CWD conference was fantastic - there's a report up here http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/acti...report.htm. I did buy a pair of the latest FiveFingers whilst in the US - tyre tread soul, neoprene liner, adjustable top plate for comfort. I've been out once (on Saturday) and they felt terrific. I'll post (more) about that when I've managed a few outings.
Back in Blighty, summer finally showed up, just in time to give Messrs Smith, Amla and Kallis some much-needed batting practice against a lettace-limp England bowling attack. We've rarely looked so toothless in the past three years. Only consolation was Jim Maxwell letting the Aussie mask slip by tweeting that should Saffa win 3-0 England drop to 3rd in the World behind Aus. Shame it's come to that for your lot*, relying on the Proteas for your world ranking ; )
How about Wiggo? It's not sunk in here yet, but it will. First Brit to win the TdF in 109 years of trying, and he cruised it. He'll get a big welcome at the Olympics - I hope we give him the flag for the ceremony, though that may be too close to the road race. Sad to see Adam Scott blow up at Royal Lytham yesterday. I had him nailed on for the Claret Jug from Saturday morning, but the enormity of the situation swallowed him up at the end. It was horrible. Els has that maw-like leer when he's in for the kill, like the Great Whites that cruise off the Cape. His eyes roll back in his head as he closes on the prize. There's a terrible inevitability about the ending when those monsters close in, and so it was last night when the Big Easy sank his birdie on the last, and his teeth into Adam Scott's hopes. You could almost hear the links sucking the Aussie's resolved out of his bones as the roar went up around 18.
Family's all good. Shayne, Phoebe and I lounged and lolled in Key West after Friends for Life, chilling, drinking rum (me), snorkeling and eating far too much of everything. And there's the rub. I'm expanding exponentially, rivalling El Gordo for the RC (supersized) yellow jersey. The rebuild starts here. It will be painful and sweaty, but I have an eye on the Jog Shop Jog, plus some Hashing in Hong Kong in early September, so I'd best get to it.
Lard Ass
*apologies for lame attempt at sledging. It's simply too hot** to try harder
**clearly not that hot, in the global sense
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(23-07-2012, 09:46 AM)Sweder Wrote: How about Wiggo? It's not sunk in here yet, but it will. First Brit to win the TdF in 109 years of trying, and he cruised it. He'll get a big welcome at the Olympics - I hope we give him the flag for the ceremony, though that may be too close to the road race.
It'll be Sir Chris Hoy, apparently. He won over half the votes (flag bearer voted for the by the Team GB participants, apparently). Vote was taken last week. Oh well.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(23-07-2012, 09:46 AM)Sweder Wrote: I did buy a pair of the latest FiveFingers whilst in the US - tyre tread soul, neoprene liner, adjustable top plate for comfort.
I take it that's a typo, but it's much more poetic that way.
(23-07-2012, 09:46 AM)Sweder Wrote: I did buy a pair of the latest FiveFingers whilst in the US - tyre tread soul, neoprene liner, adjustable top plate for comfort.
I take it that's a typo, but it's much more poetic that way.
Great name for a band, don't you think?
Better than "neoprene liner", anyway.
Damn right - out of the typos of lardy-arses comes pure poetry!
The other typo ("lettace limped") reminds me of my favourite Paul Keating quote. The then prime minister had withstood a torrent of abuse and torment from across the chamber by the erudite opposition-leader of the time, John Hewson. As Hewson sat down with a "There! Take that!" look of triumph on his face and the cheers and applause from the opposition benches, Keating merely stood up and dismissed him with "Well that was like being flogged with a warm lettuce".
And warm lettuce is, I'm afraid to say, about all it takes to beat the Aussie cricket team these days. A shameful performance by the boys it must be said, but well played England - constant pressure and class to keep them downtrodden from the get-go.
There's no doubt hosting the Olympics is good for the host nation's efforts in all sports, and Wiggins, Froome and Cavendish have proven that in Le Tour beyond any doubt. Amazing effort! And doubtless you can now look forward to years more winning ways across all British sports. Who knows, you might even go on to win the World cup - anything's possible now.
Crikey, we might even get Seafront Plodder running again.
Don't be silly.
And as for typos, I vow to stop uploading/ editing from smartphones. Besides, lettuce is a ridiculous word. Just look at it: ridiculous.
Great prog on London tonight hosted by Jools Holland featuring Paul Jones, Ray Davies, Danny Baker ... magical stuff. One for El Gordo I'll wager.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
England might win a World Cup this year ... the ODI World Cup.
If you mean football, I've eschewed the big time Charlies and nailed my colours to a very local mast. Owner, Commentweeter, Cheerleader for the Rookettes and now a player sponsor at Lewes CFC, my sporting heart lies in the Dripping Pan.
SP running?
You're on some good drugs there, buddy.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(24-07-2012, 12:10 AM)Sweder Wrote: I've eschewed the big time Charlies and nailed my colours to a very local mast. Owner, Commentweeter, Cheerleader for the Rookettes and now a player sponsor at Lewes CFC, my sporting heart lies in the Dripping Pan.
I'm always very heartened when I read things like this Sweder.
A brace of barefoot outings this week, the last not ten minutes ago.
I'm enjoying the FiveFingered freedom, especially running through the tall wisps of summer grass in the big field. There's something rather satisfying about pulling pale seed heads from between your toes. There again, perhaps I'm simply enjoying running. It's been a while. The new boots feel fine, toughened treads reducing the usual reaction to landing on a boulder of jagged flint from a scream and a tumbling somersault to a sharp intake of breath and rapidly-sharpened focus on the ground ahead.
Running-wise we're a long way from Brighton. A new friend, also new to running, is blogging almost daily about his adventures. He's also a disciple of the bare foot, and has signed up for a week-long course in Brighton where all manner of issues are covered and a good deal of running is completed. I'm keen to learn from him.
This acquaintance has given me a new goal: to get him out into Jog Shop Jog territory. In order to do so, and not be left to die under a blazing sun, with buzzards* circling my abandoned, emaciated** carcass, I will need to get fit. So, more of the same next week. I've stuck to nice, easy two mile circuits so far. I may trot along to ParkRun on Saturday. If I do that'll be my longest run (all 5k of it) in many weeks. After that it's on to Three Bridges where the locals host the Rooks in the latest in a series of pre-season friendlies.
*Seagulls
**that may take a while
Speaking of Seagulls, last week Lewes took on Brighton & Hove Albion (lost 3-0 after holding the Seagulls, a full strength first team, to 0-0 for 45 minutes) and Crystal Palace (again a full side who demonstrated the five league gap with gusto, running out 5-1 winners). The former saw the pan at capacity, 2400 bouncing, chirruping souls, enjoying the Harveys, Rook Pies and, at long last, some most clement weather. The latter game was on Friday night, having been hastily arranged following the Eagles aborted trip to Bath. Over 900 showed up for that one, completing a decent week for our pre-season coffers.
On Saturday afternoon our brave boys cleaned their boots, re-stretched their sore legs and took on Dover Athletic. Dover are just the one league above us, and favourites for promotion to the gifddy heights of the Blue Square South. They must have been licking their lips at the prospect of facing a Rooks side torn apart by a rampant Palace not eighteen hours ago. So it must have come as a bit of shock when the interval arrived with the home side two to the good and comfortably out-playing their opponents. As the Rooks tired, their discipline held. Despite a late consolation for the visitors, Lewes ended a terrific week with a well-earned win. During the match I noticed one of the linos (I can't call the assistant refs, it's not right) had combined a shiny bald pate with a swimming goggle strap to hold his glasses on. He looked just like one of the Minions out of Descpicable Me.
The Mighty Rookettes, with whom I have yet to complete the complimentary training session , thrown in with the signed photo I successfully bid on at the end of season auction (I'm going to wait a few weeks - I may well barf up a lung if I try to keep up with them now), hosted Nation League side Charlton Athletic. Manager Jacqui Agnew played four newbies, including a second Portuguese international, Jo, and a sprightly right back, yet to reach her seventeenth birthday. Lewes ladies went down 2-1, though were extremely unlucky not to level from the spot after the rather portly, centre-circle-centric official, failed to spot the CAFC keeper put a full body check on Kirsty Spice.
Interest in the women's game is likely to increase in the UK so long as Team GB stay in the Olympic competition. Though, what football of any description is doing in the Olympics, I have no idea.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
(23-07-2012, 11:11 PM)Sweder Wrote: Don't be silly.
And as for typos, I vow to stop uploading/ editing from smartphones. Besides, lettuce is a ridiculous word. Just look at it: ridiculous.
Great prog on London tonight hosted by Jools Holland featuring Paul Jones, Ray Davies, Danny Baker ... magical stuff. One for El Gordo I'll wager.
Oooh, was this the one I watched a few weeks ago?
If so, marvellous. Might have to watch it again....
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
I have to write something about last night.
So far I've narrowed it down to 8,000 words (in my head). For once I'm going to think about it first.
I'm still wired beyond measure, unable to sit down (just ran a very fast 5k in the hills).
Off to watch the Rookettes now, will ruminate some more then get it all down.
F*ck me.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
You mentioned some time ago, probably last year, that you had a ticket for the 10,000m final. At the time it sounded like that would be a nice night out for a distance runner like yourself. Now you can say that you were there on the most successful ever night of British Olympic athletics. Nice one!
I always sensed that @sweder was quietly seething that I was at Wembley in 1968 to see Man Utd win the European Cup. But it looks like 1-1 now.
I was actually out for a ricketty plod yesterday evening, and recorded it. When I got back I watched the football live (reassuringly, yet another quarter final lost on a penalty shoot-out), terrified the BBC were going to flash up the results from the Olympic Stadium. But then when they DIDN'T, I started to suspect it was all going wrong in Stratford. It made the reality, once I finally settled down to watch the recording, even more unbelievable.
Even by the normal standards of Sweder's technicolor prose, I fear he is on a hiding to nothing trying to describe that lot. Might be better to say nothing at all. Just pretend it didn't happen.
[There, that should do the trick...]
EDITED -- I spoke too soon. I see that something has indeed appeared on the August thread. Just popping over the fence now.....
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
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