The power of a good story!

loyal readers..

I know you've been waiting for a "good story" and I know there's been a bit of a drought on this blog. Still, I promise something is on its way, but in the meantime I hope this will suffice!

I wish I was special

From my Ipod Touch 8th generation (with the new "reach around" technology).


Waiting in the clinic for an echo scan. Since coming back from Oz just haven't been able to run without pain. Actually that's not all together true, I have had a couple of near pain free runs but the fact that these almost make me cry with happiness points to how rare they are.

Anyway, put it this way I've had more comments on my blog recently then good runs ;(

While I'm confident I will be OK sooner rather than later the healing is taking its good time.I should make a confession, lest someone else follows my lead and gets injured themselves. I'm pretty sure this all stems from my 5K and 10K races so close to my last full marathon. As much as I'd like to believe, in this respect, I'm not special and couldn't get away with going against all common sense.

Anyway, after my next full I'm going to give myself a good long break before building up to racing again. Might even still be PBing in my fifties if I act with a little more prudence. "Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play."

One more piece of unsolicited advice. Basically don't believe what people say, just watch how they spend their time. As for running if they are injured more than they aren't, then take care cause bullshit is being spread without a licence!



Run run run Runnnnnnnnnn

COMMONWEALTH

"NEW DELHI: Tanzania's Samson Ramadhani, Kenya's Luke Kibet and Australia's Jeffrey Hunt could be the stars to watch in the Commonwealth Games marathon that will be held on the concluding day on Thursday.

The men's event is scheduled for a 6.30 a.m start and the women's will be flagged off 15 minutes later. Both will take a 10km loop, beginning in front of Free Church on Parliament Street and going through Red Cross Road, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road, Rajpath, Janpath and back.

Talking of the leading runners in the field for Thursday's run, Ramadhani, the Games defending champion, has one of the best times, 2:09.46s clocked in Hannover in May, in the 24-runner men's field here while Kibet is a former World champion. The Kenyans dominate the marathon. They occupy 11 of the top 20 positions in the world list this season, however, many of this season's best runners are not here in Delhi.

Hunt, who impressed with a 2:11 time in his debut marathon in Beppu (Japan), is also expected to come up with a strong showing. Kenya's Irene Kosgei heads the field in the women's section with the year's fastest time (2:29.06s) among the runners here. Lyngkhoi Bining and Ram Singh Yadav are the two host runners in the men's section while Preethi Rao is the lone Indian woman in the fray." — Stan Rayan "The Hindu"

let's hope for some drama, slighty less than below though.


Post race comment.

Things don't often work out the way we envision and even with all the hard work that goes into preparation we can't lose sight of the fact that it's what you do on the day that really counts.

Congralutions to everyone who ran.

Today my thoughts have been with Kerryn McCann and her family. Almost the perfect person, she must be missed by many!

Not a tall well

;)


Still battling the tight hamstrings and achillies problems but starting to string together some decent training. Have you ever had the pain that comes from directly behind your knee, in the cup where it bends? What's that about?

I'm not going to break any running records until I get over this but this post, or my blog in general, certainly would put me in the running for the record for "talking about nothing."

"The outdoor record for talking about nothing is held by Mrs. Vera Etherington (GB) and her neighbour Mrs. Dolly Booth (GB) of Ipswich, who between 11th November 1983 and 12th January 1984 chundered on over their fence in an unenlightening dialogue lasting 62 days until Mrs. Booth remembered she'd left the bath running."

Thanks to VIZ magazine for the above quote and cartoon. This is a very childish read that appeals to me. In one of their sections "Roger's Profanisaurus" they define the following term..

Dutch Marathon n. The hasty, yet seemingly never-ending walk home after purchasing a new selection of fleshmags from a specialist newsagent.

Hello, Hello Mr. Monkey

I've been having a lot of trouble with my running of late. First, missing sessions because of an unusual tightness in my hamstrings and recently while I have been able to complete a few good speed sessions I haven't been able to recover enough to do even the slow recovery runs the following day!

All this was happening while time was running out for a decent build up to my December marathon and I just couldn't see how I was going to get it together in time to be able to give myself a chance of a PB. It was getting complicated and there were just too many questions.

Dr Seuss once said “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” and in this spirit I decided to pull out of the Kakogawa marathon and just concentrate on getting myself fit and fast and in January 2011 start my Marius Bakken schedule for a run in the Nagano Marathon in Early April.

You may think I should wait and see and I'd agree but for two things. Applications have to be finalise by next week and I really feel that if I run one more marathon hard, under trained and lame it will jeopardise my sub 2:30 attempt and my career long term. I reckon I have one or two chances at breaking this and I don't want to leave it on a cold windy road in December of 2010.

While I am really pretty disappointed I have a renewed faith in my ability and can see the speed sessions on the MB schedules being the key to getting me PBs right up to my 50s. I'll have to go fast but not lose sight of the fact that......

"Slowly, slowly catches monkey!" ;)

TWITTER

I know a few of you are on Twitter and more aren't. But I'm here to tell you that if you think that it's a waste of time you are, in my humble opinion, wrong.

Well, I thought it was just a way to share information that really has no real significance and that is right but what is life if not a series of insignificant moments that all add up to something worth paying attention to.

Besides where else can you see so many one liners in the same place?

Below is a quote taken from Twitter from the recently deceased American comic and roaster extraordinaire, Greg Giraldo.
;)

“Gary Busey’s here, kind of. Jesus, Gary, you horse-faced lunatic. You look like Nick Nolte f*cked a Clydesdale.”

I follow about 75 people at present, including Gary Busey, and find it on the most part informative and hilarious.

Still..."If you should ever leave me life would go on believe me..."
;)


And I've got to agree with "kimi" another person I follow..
:p

Kobayashi Kimiko.
"I'm exhausted but can't stop watching my timeline, you people are fascinating like dogs that can do math."

Return to Innocence

I know what you're thinking, a "return to innocence" is just code in my case for losing bowel control. But no.

It means I'm going back to basics and have started my training for a marathon to glory ;)

I'm two weeks into training and have, to be honest, not had a good start. I've been seriously stiff and tight,hamstrings and Achilles, making even the slow short runs, which are pretty much all I've been doing, hurt like, well like they shouldn't. But last Tuesday I went to a guy and after half an hour of twisting and rolling my legs in all sorts of directions I was able to run without early pain and now sit here happily only carrying the slight soreness that accompanies a good hard session.

I'm going to go back to this guy now every week as he really knows his stuff and, I think, will be the key to get me to the starting line on December 23!

Now just to string a few good weeks together and I'll be back on track.

I'll keep you a breast, so to speak.

Jeffery Hunt

In the Hunt



Got a reply from a message I left Jeffery Hunt the other day. Be sure to watch this guy, run at the coming Commonwealth Games in Delhi, cause I think it is the genuinely nice ones that make the champions. And Jeff seems to be both.

At the moment he's up in Cairns putting the finishing touches on his preparation.

Message

Hello Jeff

You made all us ex-pat Aussies, living in Japan, proud with your debut marathon over here and we will be following you with interest in New Delhi.

While you are in Cairns you should get yourself down to "Gordonvale" 20 minutes south, for a few easy miles among the empty cane field roads, just the moist/hot and peaceful place to set you up for the games.

All the best

REPLY


sorry for the delay. It was a dream run.
I hope you had the pleasure of being able to say "he's Aussie, just like me!"
I may be heading to Gordonvale on Monday for a trot around.
We have been running around Karunda and the Cairns Esplanade, and the track.
Not as good as centennial park or falls, but still a nice place.


regards,


Jeff

Teaching and Learning

While this, of course, is only part of the story it shows that part well!

English Teachers - Episode 1 "First Days Suck" from Nameless Media and Productions on Vimeo.

Is anyone actually reading/watching my blog? If not I'd probably be better off with one of these "works of art" ;)

Eyehole Paintings with Adam West from Adam West

Rally to Restore Sanity!

Go to India! Get a grip! Don't be afraid. You may like it.

Repeat after me...

"I'm not afraid of Muslims/Teapartiers/Socialists/Immigrants/Gun owners/or Gays!

But I am kind of scared of spiders"

Jon Stewart
The Daily Show
Rally to Restore Sanity

To New Delhi or not New Delhi

I've heard talk about athletes and teams talking about the possibility of not going to the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi because of fears for their safety. For mine, I reckon it is shameful to even think about the possibility of not going. I mean if you are selected to go to a games that is sanctioned by your own government and athletic association then you go! As an individual you can choose where you go for your holidays but as part of a team you go where the "work is" so to speak.

Some didn't go to the Olympic games in China and the World Cup in South Africa because of perceived "Risks" but the lucky ones that did go understood that it would have been foolish to let that affect their decision.

I can accept that people that never travel or only travel to "home like" places can't understand the value of going outweighs the risks, and I wouldn't waste my breath convincing them otherwise but it is strange to me that one person can think they are of greater importance than others and at a higher risk of harm then the millions of people living in Delhi everyday of their lives.

I don't think the Delhi residents take themselves so seriously!

OSAKA MARATHON 2011

Breaking News!



Just made official, the first running of "The Osaka marathon". It's the second mass participation marathon of its type in Japan (30,000 runners) after Tokyo, it will be held on the 30th of October 2011.

I'm definitely going to enter and love to see you guys here for this. Us locals are very excited, I'll keep you updated.

Ookini（おおきに）



I can't find a course map yet but the below is what were voted the top five areas that the marathon course should run through. Whatever the final course is, it will be flat, fast and scenic. I will be conducting running tours with "Samurai Running" to the marathon (see side-bar) that will be affordable and memorable. Don't think it's too early to make a decision on this as entries open in February next year and my tours will book out fast ;)

like a rocket

Will start my marathon training in earnest from this Sunday. I'm hungry like a lion, AUOOOW!!!!! Hope it goes off like a rocket, POOONNNG CCCHHHIWWW!!!!!

Love a good story

I love a good story and I'm fond of a bit of cussing too so thought I'd upload this clip. Thanks for the link "Discom-BOB-ulated"

There's no place like home

Arrived back in Japan last night, boy is it hot! Anyway going to settle in and catch up with some blog reading. Had a wonderful trip but as they say, there is no place like home. The photos are of me and the boys at my old Alma mater Sydney Uni and the city. Sydney must be one of the best cities in the world, I reckon ;)

Below is a small clip of me finishing my last race in Lake Macquarie.





Welcome home!!