It's been a few days and I'm well overdue for a post. I'm off to do a long run this morning. The plan was to venture out and test part of the Commonwealth Games 2006 marathon course. I thought I'd better do something a bit more demanding like runnning with a group. So I'm off to the mountains this morning.

Interms of Comrades preparation. I have been asking two ex Sth Africans lots of questions about P,Maritzburg and Durban. It looks like it might be best to travel by road or rail from my arrival destination Joburg to the race start at Pmaritzburg. I'll be in Sth Africa for a short time and flying on domestic flights seems like such a waste of an opportunity to admire the country.

I've eliminated rail because the trains travel overnight and I'd prefer to do it during the day so I can admire the scenery. I'll investigate buses (Greyhound?). Otherwise I'll just rent a car from our friends at Hertz.

Here is what happened last week. Back to the training diary...

Wednesday January 12 11km

Steady Day. Two laps of Albert Park lake. Felling good, conditions perfect. Nothing to report but lots of Swans. (Did you know that the Sydney Swans AFL team got their name from the swans on Albert Park Lake when they were based in South Melbourne?). The New fourth pool at the Melbourne Aquatic Centre which is being built for the 2006 Commonwealth Games is making great progress.

Thursday January 13 8km

Easy Day, Met up with the training partner and ran easy along the foreshore down to Brighton. Absolutely perfect conditions.

Friday January 14 9km Steady

The trusty Comrades plan says do 6km but I faffed around at home for too long and the only opportunity to get a morning run was to run to work. Felt flat because I haven't been eating properly lately and working too late.

Saturday January 15 8km Steady

Arthur Lydiard the famous coach who recently died promoted lots of Long Slow Distance as a key component of his program. That's what I'm doing. But the thing that I didn't realise is that it is BORING. Ran along the yarra river this morning with the trusty training partner. Lots of rowing going on and plenty of drunks still out after big nights out at the various night clubs in the Crown Casino complex. The drunks were cheering us along and generally encourging us to greater effort. Comments like...

"You're All Winners"

" Go Forest!"