This is just a short preliminary post in a quiet moment to let everyone know I'm alive and not far from being back. Or something like that.
Thanks to all for the emails during what has been and continues to be a tricky time. They have meant a lot to me, and I sincerely thank you.
Just at the moment my return to normality has been stalled by the Beaconsfield mine disaster. As I write, we are waiting for the final couple of metres of the rescue tunnel to be completed so the trapped miners can be freed - they've now been trapped for 11 days so it's been one hell of an ordeal for them. Working in the media, this event has kept me busy as we try to cover all contingencies in getting international coverage out of what is a very small town.
But more on that later.
Am looking forward to catching up on everyone's exploits (I still haven't read the Zurich/Paris or FLM reports yet), and posting something of my own asap.
Good to see the two miners were rescued. The incident has been well reported here, and I particularly like John Howard's remark that the rescue has been "a triumph of Australian mateship".
I liked the reported quote from one of them as he went to the trouble of clocking off, that he was looking forward to putting in his overtime claim....
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
This is my third attempt at posting something deep and meaningful, but regrettably, I have given up. So this is just something by way of an update.
A combination of factors, including the death of my Dad, the Beaconsfield mining disaster (which caused me some work-related upheaval) and my own illness have caused a complete cessation of running for a few weeks.
Over the last month I have managed just two short runs. As previously mentioned, I am now using custom orthotics, which have taken some getting used to. And while two short runs isn't much to judge them on, I have to say it was very encouraging. I felt free and relaxed and moved easily, and am much looking forward to a decent run. For the moment however I am still recovering from a chest infection and have to take it easy. My running goals for this year have been put on hold until some sort of "normality" returns. But it could be a little while yet.
Meanwhile, I see others here have their own battles, so it seems inappropriate to get too philosophical about the value of running in the midst of torment. Suffice to say, I think running is incredibly therapeutic. Even when you are denied that outlet, the prospect of it is helpful in itself.
Running is the answer, even when it doesn't seem like it.
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:Running is the answer, even when it doesn't seem like it.
Thanks for the reminder. I'm sure you're right mate.
Just at the moment, running seems like an activity very remote from me. I'm still not well enough to run, but it won't be too long now. A week at the most I would hope.
You've been through a lot recently, so you need to ease your way back slowly. Nearly all of us are in a state of inertia or semi-inertia, forced or not. But that's OK. Nothing wrong with a long break a couple of times a year. In a month or so I bet we'll all be back out there, flying through that peaceful, secret universe.
Can't wait.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Good health has been returning slowly, and I am now largely over the aggravatingly annoying niggles that have prevented MLC Man's triumphant return to the running world. I have also returned from a 10 day jaunt to Adelaide which yielded even more non-running than usual, thanks mostly to a surfeit of beer, wine and very good, very edible things.
With that in mind, the training schedule simply must return ... tomorrow.
Ah but then, tomorrow is Monday. And as we know, Monday is always a rest day
Still, that gives me a chance to catch up on some forum entries. Look out world, MLC Man is back in town. I feel a strange, inexplicable urge to foist sarcasm and cynicism upon the forum in a largely futile attempt to overlook the fact that I haven't actually done any running for a rather long time. However that shall all be remedied very soon, or my name is not MLC Man. Er, which technically, it isn't.
I'm in a similar position, MLCM. I've been suffering an attack of shingles, and sitting round doing little beyond sampling some of the world's great wines and telling myself I should be making better use of my time. Then struggling to think of something that might represent a better use of my time than sitting round, sampling some of the world's great wines.
I've added at least another 10 pounds as a result. The lanes of Berkshire are calling out to me, but I can't quite bear the thought of a sweaty shirt rubbing against my skin just at the moment, so the great day will have to wait a little longer.
It shouldn't, but it does have an effect on my use of the site. For some reason it's only when I run that I want to write. Silly really.
I hope your own struggles are being won. I'm assured that my health glitch will vanish within a week or so. I know that yours are potentially longer-term.
Good to hear from you again.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Well, to make you feel even better Andy, I still haven't been for a run yet, although I plead illness m'lud as the mitigating factor.
And no, my slow recovery has nothing to do with my alcohol intake, I deny that completely, that is just a vicious rumour completely without foundation. Though it did disturb me vaguely when someone gave me the following poster the other day... what are they trying to tell me?
Drunkenness has narrowly voted to secede from its union with Alcohol, results from yesterday's global referendum on substance-abuse say.
The head of Drunkenness's electoral commission, Guido Buchwald, said 55.4% of voters had voted for Drunkeness to renounce its long held alliance with Alcohol, just above the 55% required for victory.
Drunkenness will now become an independent mental state free of Alcoholic rule. The ruling states that a condition of Drunkenness can now be reached whenever a person wishes and without recourse to liquid intoxicants provided that persons under the the age of 18 have sought permission from a parent or guardian.
Barry Souzeman, head of the Free-Drunkenness Campaign explained, "This is wonderful news. It means if a person wants to be drunk, all they have to do now is ask their brain, "hey brain can you make me drunk" and automatically they will be drunk. It will save the average Joe Sixpack thousands of dollars in wasted expenditure on sixpacks".
Souzeman added, "This is a victory mainly for poor, impoverished, alcoholics who will no longer need to spend a large proportion of their social welfare payments on alcoholic beverages. Now they can just sit inebriated on the pavements shouting abuse at passers-by all day long and still have enough cash to buy a decent sandwich for themselves from a supermarket Deli".
The question of Drunkenness's independence from Alcohol has deeply divided people across the globe. Publicans in particular have argued that the separation of Alcohol and Drunkenness could be disastrous and may threaten to tear the very fabric of society.
"What use is Drunkenness if your just sitting at home idly. The primary reason a person sets out to attain Drunkenness is because their peers are also doing so with the ultimate goal being a shared sense of mindless camaraderie. Drinking Alcohol in a pub was an ideal way of attaining this".
Souseman however disagrees with this viewpoint saying, "this new ruling means people can get drunk together pretty much anywhere - in a church - wherever. If anything the shared sense of drunken camaraderie that publicans say we will lose will in fact increase".
EU Substance-Abuse policy chief Javier Sultana commended the conduct of the poll and said he would respect the result.
He said, "Tonight, with the majority decision by the citizens of the world's democracies, the independence of Drunkenness has been confirmed."
Across alcohol drinking nations, the tooting of car horns filled city streets. Joyous youths were seen smashing beer bottles and pint glasses against walls and houses as news filtered through of Drunkenness's newly granted independence.
The news marks the final chapter of an intense civil war that began back in the early 1990s. The bloody conflict gave rise to other mental states such as Depression, Increased Sex Drive, and Heightened Creativity all gaining independence from Alcohol. Experts on the region say Alcohol continues to exert an influence over these states on some level though.
Whatever the extent of Alcohol's continued psychological influence is, or how long that influence will likely endure, many viewed it ties with Drunkenness as the last vestige of the former unified Alcoholic state.
Souseman said, "Alcohol must accept the fact it is now just a regular beverage like coke or water. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to get drunk with friends for free. Yippppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!".
May..be, maybe not...
