...was of course a great song by Earth, Wind and Fire. Which has nothing to do with running. Hmm, so far this muse isn't really flowing that well.
I'll start again.
September! Spring time down here and bloody welcome it is too. Some warm weather again, a bit of sunshine and... sadly, no running
In fact, the end may well be nigh for MLC Man. I took my dodgy feet and knees to the trusty GP once more and he kind of sighed heavily and said that my feet were "not 18 anymore" (I pay good money for this kind of insight) and that I'm "not getting any younger" (good to know I've finally conformed to societal norms), and then he finally hit me with "whilst the osteo-arthritis isn't exactly badly advanced, it is irreversible, and high impact sports like running will only hasten the deterioration".
This wasn't exactly unexpected news - I've been walking lots lately because running is too painful, and even the walking is getting uncomfortable at times, so I figured something was amiss.
So the plan (such as it is) is to ramp up the walking and toss in the occasional jog and just test the water for a while. But that "irreversible" bit got to me somewhat. I hadn't realised it was quite that hopeless. I mean, I'm only 44 - planning to live to 120, so I'm not even half way yet, and already my feet are settling into early retirement. Not happy, Hortense, not happy.
I asked for a second opinion, but he just have me the same one... I probably should have gotten it from someone else
In fact the GP was the third opinion I'd got. The first two were even less encouraging :mad:
Maybe I'll just become fat and lazy and drink lots... oh, too late...
Nah... one way or another I'll return to some decent level of fitness. Even if I have to walk all the sodding way.
Yep, gotta agree with me Cape Town Comrade there.
What do these medics know, eh? You should tell 'em about Swederbrew - better yet, let 'em try some. Then you'll get a second opinion
Stick in there MLCMan. You're our beacon of antipodean sanity in a world going rapidly to the dogs. Alice Cooper told me something this morning (really, he did tell me this, albeit along with a few hundred thousand others on his [i]Planet Rock/I] breakfast DJ slot).
An optimist sees the glass half full.
A pessimist sees the glass half empty.
An opportunist sees a chance to quench his thirst.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but it made me smile and think of you.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
I've spent the last 2 days thinking of something inspirational to say MLCM. Alas, I fear that's not my forte.
So all I can manage is another 'Stick with it'. Which is easy to say. But alot harder to do.
An alternative strategy would be to take up rowing or canoeing. Thereby sticking-two-fingers-up in the general direction of you feet and knees.
The problem with rowing, of course, is that it does very little to satisfy the need to run; which only running manages effectively.
But it would have the added advantage of more-or-less forcing Andy to set-up a sister site called RowingCommentary, in which he'd keep us all informed about his attempt to train and complete the 2007 Devizes To Westminster race.
Thought I'd share this with you - my son brought round a few beers for a bit of a sesh, inlcuding a few I hadn't tried before. The only one in this pic I had previously drank is the ESB. The others were all new to me. My impressions:
1) Black Sheep Ale: a well made but rather ordinary beer. Would happily drink it but wouldn't go out of my way to buy it. 5/10.
2) Fullers ESB: Bloody brilliant. Still one of my favourites and an excellent session beer. 9/10.
3) Fullers 1845: Clearly a lovingly crafted and very well constructed beer. Just a tad too bitter for my taste. 7/10.
4) Red Oak Belgian Chocolate Stout: Actually an Aussie beer, the "Belgian" refers to the type of chocolate used. This is not luscious like a Young's choc stout, rather, this is quite an austere, dark, bitter type of stout. This would be an acquired taste. A difficult beer, but well-made. 6/10
5) Judas Blonde. This is a real ripper, somewhat like a Hoegaarden with guts. To be consumed with care, but a "you must try this before you die" beer, even if you don't ordinarily like blondes. Very alcoholic (8.5%) 9/10.
6) Trippel Bornem. Another high-powered Belgian blonde (9%). This is one of those rare beers that forced an involuntary "wow!" from me when first tried. However this is such a potent, yeasty, fruity, demanding beer that I was quite ready for something different by the end of one small glass. Bloody nice though. 8/10
However, the actual surprise beer of the night (actually several nights) was a Czech beer - the Kozel Dark Beer (sorry not in pic). At just 3.8% we thought this would be a lightweight non-descript, but in fact it was simply delicious. Very easy-drinking. Those Czechs know how to make some damn fine brews, and this would be one of the best. And it's just a mid-strength! Changed my perception of low-alcohol beer, I can tell you.
All of which all just reinforced my belief that the Brits, Germans, Belgians and Czechs make some truly wonderful, startling and exceptionally yummy beers. And I would just like to thank all the brewers concerned for saving my life by making the stuff so bloody expensive...
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:2) Fullers ESB: Bloody brilliant. Still one of my favourites and an excellent session beer.
ESB a session beer? You're a better man than I, unless down your way a "session" refers to a session of unconciousness. Personally I would treat ESB with extreme care; a couple of pints at most before moving onto more middle-of-the-road fare.
marathondan Wrote: ESB a session beer? You're a better man than I, unless down your way a "session" refers to a session of unconciousness. Personnally I would treat ESB with extreme care; a couple of pints at most before moving onto more middle-of-the-road fare.
For heavens' sake man, it's only 5.9%! Training, training, training!
And I have it on good authority that Seafront Plodder could well be your man if you're looking for a personal coach in that regard.
"Judas Blonde. This is a real ripper, somewhat like a Hoegaarden with guts. To be consumed with care, but a "you must try this before you die" beer, even if you don't ordinarily like blondes. Very alcoholic (8.5%) 9/10."
Where can I buy this wonderful sounding brew? - sounds like just my type of beer - incidentally, do you like the Hoegaarden Grand Cru?
Hope the walk run plan is proceeding a pace, keep taking the Glucosamine and the ESB, though maybe not together.
Am off the St Petersburg next month for a few days, anybody have any ideas on Russian Brews? have been warned against running there though, apparently the natives might think we were weird - (surely not ;-))
stillwaddler Wrote:"Judas Blonde. This is a real ripper, somewhat like a Hoegaarden with guts. To be consumed with care, but a "you must try this before you die" beer, even if you don't ordinarily like blondes. Very alcoholic (8.5%) 9/10."
Where can I buy this wonderful sounding brew? - sounds like just my type of beer - incidentally, do you like the Hoegaarden Grand Cru?
Hope the walk run plan is proceeding a pace, keep taking the Glucosamine and the ESB, though maybe not together.
Am off the St Petersburg next month for a few days, anybody have any ideas on Russian Brews? have been warned against running there though, apparently the natives might think we were weird - (surely not ;-))
It's not too difficult to find here in Oz, so presumably any reasonable establishment with a selection of Belgian beers will have it or could get it in for you. Of course, you could just pop over to the country concerned... it astonishes me how close you are to everything over there. It's 3,000 kilometres from here to the other end of the country - that's a helluva taxi fare...
I am partial to Hoeggarden, but not in quantity. I hanker for bitterness after a glass or so... and I know nothing of Russian beers, so please give us a few tasting notes from your trip there!
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:Of course, you could just pop over to the country concerned... it astonishes me how close you are to everything over there. It's 3,000 kilometres from here to the other end of the country - that's a helluva taxi fare...
I'm amazed at the sheer vastness of your nation, MLCMan.
Your coastal cities are like SP's ears; a vast bowl of dust and tumbleweed in between.
Off to China and Moscow in the next two weeks. Sadly reports of a Guinness shortage in Shenzhen suggest a period of enforced beerlessness, although I have to transit via Hong Kong, where both full-bloodied hashing and black nectar abound.
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Sweder Wrote:Off to China and Moscow in the next two weeks. Sadly reports of a Guinness shortage in Shenzhen suggest a period of enforced beerlessness, although I have to transit via Hong Kong, where both full-bloodied hashing and black nectar abound.
Let me check with my mate James, who lives in that neck of the woods. He is China's leading beer monster.
Pity the poor Icelanders. Until 1989, beer was illegal , and when it was finally allowed, a maximum alcohol level of 2% was imposed.
This seems to have been relaxed now, and the native Viking Beer is over 5%. However, you need to take out a second mortgage to finance a decent session, which made it an excellent time to rein back on the beer consumption. Aye, the Viking went untasted.
Back to the real stuff, ESB is indeed a great beer though not a brew I can manage any quantity of. From what I can recall of my beer-drinking days, the standard procedure in a Fuller's pub was a few pints of London Pride followed by an E-esh-B for the road. It's not so much the alcoholic strength of it as its richness. It's just too soupy for me to handle in any quantity. Grand beer though.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
After a couple of weeks stewing and festering, I've bitten the bullet and got back on the treadmill. However, before you raise a glass and cheer, it's been back on the treadmill not to run, but to walk. Whoopee doo you may say, but I have in fact uncovered something rather profound. I have discovered that by hitting the "mountain climb" program and setting off at a brisk pace, I get an amazing work-out with all the sweat and wheezing and cardiac arest business that I got from running, but without the shins, knees and arthritic toes flaying into me with knives and needles and other assorted general mayhem.
Even better, I found I get an incredible runners' high - the secret it seems is to let the treadmill program slowly ramp you up to a ridiculously steep ascent (which would be impossible if I was running), maintain the pace, and then revel in the apparent ease as the incline reduces in the second half of the program - a slope which hurt on the "way up" but which then seems virtually flat (but isn't) in the latter stages. The result is a glorious feeling of achievement, an absolute ripper dose of endorphins and no joint or muscle pain. And a brilliant work out that doesn't actually take that much longer than a decent mid week run.
I'm not a complete sell-out, I mean convert, but it gives me hope that this new found enthusiasm for hill climbing may give me the muscle tone needed to alleviate the pressure on the joints and which may enable some future running.
This is excellent news.
Should I be reduced to the Dreadmill on my travels I'll give this a whirl.
I presume you've seen the excellent treadmill music video posted by SW a while back? There's more to these gizmos than first meets the scornful eye . . .
The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph
Sweder Wrote:I presume you've seen the excellent treadmill music video posted by SW a while back? There's more to these gizmos than first meets the scornful eye . . .
Man I gotta get me another seven treadmills now! Yeah excellent vid, and I had missed it ... it's not like me to miss an SP post
OK yeah alright, I've bitten the bullet (where the heck did that expression originate anyway??) and I'm officially in training for the Point to Pinnacle 21.4 km race from sea level to the top of Mount Wellington (1270m) on Nov 27th.
As much as I'd love to run it, that really is beyond me, so I'm in race walk mode and training is well under way with the first three moderately gruelling sessions in the bag already.
Because I already know I could walk it (given enough time), the real test is to come up with a target time and train toward that. It's too early to know what a suitable target is just yet, but looking at last year's results, the median race walk time was around 3:18, so it'd be nice to think I could perhaps sneak in a little over that, but that's a way off yet. The elite walkers easily come in under 2:30, which is what a lot of people would run a half on the flat, let along race walk up a bloody mountain...!
Thus far the training is going excellently, so motivation won't be a problem. For the moment, anyhow
I'll keep you posted...
And apart from the treadmill training, I've even made some adjustments to my diet, with a total alcoholic abstinence yesterday and only one beer today, so far with no ill affects, apart from an unusual craving for dessert. Hmm. Might have to work on tha a bit. Mind you, with my treadmill sessions all happening on 7%+ slopes, I should be able to eat any bloody thing I like... yeah right. Dream on MLC Man.
Thanks, but you ought to know that expression has a completely different meaning in Australia to the rest of the world.
Had you uttered those words over here you would have received puzzled looks from most and a look of shock from the uh, more conservative people within earshot
September...
ESB a session beer? You're a better man than I, unless down your way a "session" refers to a session of unconciousness. Personally I would treat ESB with extreme care; a couple of pints at most before moving onto more middle-of-the-road fare.
