What Summer?

Despite my father’s representations I will not see him into a grave earlier than he because a well prepared organism will easily satisfy the requirements of the challenge at hand. This is what training is all about. The unprepared are the ones that fall over and have heart attacks by the side of the road at events like City to Surf. Getting to the starting line is 100% of the battle, once that gun goes off it’s the months of preparation that gets you through to the finish. Then it’s the deep vein thrombosis that gets you on the plane home. That reminds me I must invest in a pair of those very attractive compression socks. Ok I’ll get off the soapbox for now.

What summer? It was 11 degrees Celsius this morning in Melbourne and I can’t believe where Summer has gone, bloody terrible. The plan says do 6km easy but I think we ended up doing 8km. Just didn’t have the heart to make my training partner turn around after 15min. The pace was relaxed and the wind was blowing a gale. Ran from Port Melbourne where the ferry that goes to Tasmania docks and all the cars etc drive out of its nose. Couldn’t help noticing one rather large back packer, just off the boat from Tassie, sitting at a bench with a copy of the Lonely Planet guide to Australia not sure where or what to do. Poor bugger he probably packed a summer wardrobe into that backpack. The other interesting event in the area was the realisation that the Hobie Cat world sailing championships have just been held off Port Melbourne, what a cosmopolitan and interesting international city Melbourne is.

So, as Rod Stewart once said, tonight’s the night. I’m heading down to the Mornington Peninsular for the weekend and I’ll be announcing over dinner to my wife and other assorted participants that I have aspirations to compete in the Comrades Marathon in June in Sth Africa this year. Watch this space for the huge positive reaction and offers of support.

The knee seems to be holding up, I must say that I am very nervous about Sunday’s long run of 25km, also next week’s long run of 21km at race pace. I’m thinking of cutting the distance.
Finally, in the “I must have it” gadget department I was eyeing off the latest in fitness technology on the web yesterday. The Garmin ForeRunner 301 to be released in the USA sometime this month http://www.garmin.com/products/forerunner301/ One of the problems with the existing Garmins is the lack of the Heart rate function, which forces you to wear a Polar HRM as well. Anyhow, I’ll dream on that purchase can wait.