Halloween and “Dia de los Muertos”

Running:
No running - not even across the street - I can tell you it's very very frustrating!

Life
This evening I had a loud knock at my door when I opened it I realised today was Halloween! Ay!!!! Forgot to buy chocolates but I was a good fellow and gave these children at my door a huge Lindt chocolate block I had for later on.

I grew up celebrating the “Day of the dead”, but what it is…? Here is a bastardised explanation:

1. It is a celebration that goes a long, long, long way back. It was a celebration in Mesoamerica (pardon me … what is that?), i.e. the home of the Mayan and Aztecs, in what is today known as Mexico and Central America. The ritual is a celebration of the memory of those who have departed but also a celebration of the continuation of life.
2. Apparently it was celebrated in the northern Summer (around August) rather than at this time of the year heading.
3. When the Spanish "conquistadores" made it to the Americas, things got complicated and they brought the Gregorian calendar and their own traditions, so the Aztec/Mayan calendar was made redundant.
4. So a compromise was made in due course… (oh yeah!). The celebration was moved by Spanish priests (more intriguing to say the ‘Conquistadores’) to coincide with the Christian celebration of All Hallows Day. So it is now a blend of paganism and Christianism at work!

The first day of November is “All Saints Day” and the second day is the “All Souls Day”. Halloween is a different kettle of fish, really.

When I was growing up it did not make difference to us whether we were celebrating the Day of the Dead, All Saints Day or All Souls Day, because we were too busy flying our kites and having fun… It coincided with the beginning of the school holiday. In Guatemala, people gather at the cementery to honour their dead by flying big kites (barriletes). In preparation for these celebrations, we prepared our barriletes days in advance (alternatively, we bought kites-ready made). The kites made out of long and skinny pieces of wood and colourful paper.

The kites were made of different sizes. The bigger kites were obviously for bigger and older children. I remember learning to make a kite (a metre in diametre) with the old of one of my older brothers and feeling like a very grown up boy...!

After flying our kites, we used to go to the tomb of our dead and leave flowers for them. Celebrations used to follow after that. These were happy times.



http://www.batoco.org/photos/barriletes_gigantes_de_gu/gigantguatemala006.jpg

Running and things in life that matter

Running
Well, there has bee no running since the group run with Vicky, Em and Tony… I am taking time to recover from the shin splints, which were annoying me immensely. Time has been taken by other activities that required my attention.

There days when the pain in my lower leg disappears and, at times it is there again as a companion to remind me to let time go past and recover well.

I have received plenty of suggestions as to how occupy my time which otherwise would be occupied with running… To be frank the time has not been available since I have plenty of work, commitments and other interests to keep me occupied. However I am considering whether I should get a personal trainer to keep me focused. After my experience last year with a personal trainer (who insisted on a five times a week program, gym visits and coaching) I am considering whether this is a workable option if I wish to resume training before the end of the year.

Work stuff
Last week I ended up spending a good share of my time preparing for an important presentation of a topic of my professional interest. The presentation went very well and it reminded me of the importance to establish a good and sound credibility on a topic that can set one apart from other experts in the same field.

The point being here is that I believe in certain things and I am passionate about them – so pursuing them should be a matter of priority.

Stand up for freedom
I stand up in support of Amnesty International for freedom of expression on the internet. I wholeheartedly support AI’s point: “Freedom of expression online is a right, not a privilege”.
AI’s statement can be read here and it contains cases of people whose freedom have been taken away:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engpol300542006I
I would like to encourage those who are interested in preserving human rights and the right of expression to lend support to Amnesty International.
Click in the link below to access AI’s website:
http://www.amnesty.org/

Cooking and Wine
In coming days I will be posting some experimental recipes... A bit of flavour, passion and flair! Tasty stuff I have cooked since the Melbourne Marathon.

Climate change
I just heard that the UK's PM has released the Stern report on climate change. I look forwardd to reading it and joining in in any action to make a difference.
The BBC also has a comprehensive section on climate change and it provides good coverage of the report.

Running with a Kiwi and two other Ausrunners

The Columns that are not the Pillar’s meeting point!

This morning, four Ausrunners ran around The Tan and then from Anderson St through Federation Square via the Yarra Trail – in what it is now known as “Em’s training track”. There are many ways the sequence of events of this sunny spring morning can be told. This is the story how I recollect this morning’s run.

I collected Vicky from her hotel just before 8am. Vicky is our Auckland’s Ausrunner friend, who happened to be visiting Melbourne this weekend. Agreement was that Ausrunners would meet at the Pillars and promptly I discovered that we had different interpretations to what the ‘pillar’ landmark was. Em’s landmark (and, to that effect, the majority of people) is that it is the point where The Tan faces the river. In other words, it is the 3.87km mark – the end or the finish, the section in Alexander Avenue that connects to Swan St. Unless you are like me - living in the clouds, you were led to believe the ‘pillar’ landmark was the Police Memorial (at the bottom of Government House Drive), the 2.75km mark. Wrong. The pillars are those twelve inconspicuous rocky pyramids used for stretching and other banalities on Alexander Avenue.

So just before 8AM I parked my car in what I thought the meeting point was. After a few minutes wait and not seeing Em or any one else, Vicky and I started to run, clockwise – we started gently and wondering if we would meet other Ausrunners. Undoubtedly Vicky was polite and refrained from expressing any disappointment, but about eight minutes later we crossed paths with another face I have seen regularly around The Tan. I simply called EM! There was she – with her usual gear and orderly running posture – inimitable. Tony (TB) was with Em. Both were running anti-clock wise and wondering what happened to us…

We chatted for a minute and then the four of us commenced our run together, in a fashion order at times the four of us along the path and other times in pairs… Amazingly Em and Vicky checked their watches and clicked lap start buttons. (Surely Em will release the technical data of today’s run – which was completed in under an hour).

The only other Ausrunner I had previously met was Em. So it was an absolute delight to meet Vicky and Tony today. Invariably meeting them today was like meeting old friends … I knew so much about them via email, blog and the forum. Today’s run comprised one lap of The Tan and when we reached the intersection of Anderson and Alexander Avenue instead of tackling the hill for the second time we took the Yarra Trail (as suggested by Em) and ran towards the Federation Square and then we connected again to The Tan and ran till the corner of Anderson and Alexander and returned to the Pillars… just before we completed the run we sprinted. The honours of the sprint go to Tony (who professes not to be a sprinter) and Vicky (whose running determination, strength and focus is outstanding).

During the course of our run today we spoke about so many things – ranging from running stories through life related stuff to future running plans. We even spoke about some of the usual discussions in the Ausrun forum. Vicky will be competing in the Auckland Half Marathon next Sunday and we reaffirmed our faith in that Vicky will have another awesome run as she had last week when she got a PB for the 10km. There is no doubt that Em’s running performance can only go from strength to strength and 2007 promises to be a stellar year for Em.

Our Kiwi visitor was not only on a superb form but sharp on her running effort, considering that she was in Hobart for four days last week and then shopping in Melbourne and having a ripper of a night in a thriller rugby match at the Dockland stadium last night. Dont forget the three current hours difference between Auck and Melb.

After we completed the run, we went to breakfast to 181 Domain. Should not be surprising that two runners had pancakes and the other two runners had Benedict eggs with salmon. We chatted further about our running experiences, other people's running races, but particularly we spoke about our Melbourne Marathon ups and downs.

Three and a half hours later, we parted ways. We said farewell to our Kiwi friend and wished Vicky the best of luck for next week’s Auckland half marathon and we said we expect a comprehensive race report.

Amazingly, Vicky not only knows now the landmarks of The Tan, but yesterday she sighted the wombat combat runner…! . In a city of more than 3 million people we let our visitors see some of our very own peculiar people. That’s spooky, folks! I wonder what the wombat's life story is.

Postscript One
What constitutes a pillar? Damm it! Who cares, really? Most critically, the main thing is that we had a nice run together and shared common stories.

Obviously... the pillars are those vertical cylindrical columns associated with wisdom, rather than those columns (or structure) supporting a monument…

Postscript Two
This was my last run for a few weeks, so I believe, if I want to get rid of the shin splints that have been bugging me for the past seven weeks. There’s no doubt that I have found so much enjoyment in those long runs … it has been terrific to build strength to run more than 20 kilometres at a time. So if I wish to return training for another marathon in the first quarter of 2007, I better take time to recover.

Postscript Three
One Ausrunner, who should remain nameless for the time being, has agreed to give a go at the bin cold bath (strange, isn’t it?)!
Details, such as size of the wheelie bin, duration and reward, needs to be sorted out.

Tut, tut - no stretches!

No running today and, probably for a while… This afternoon I visited the physio, unfortunately the one I have visited in recent weeks was away. The problem in my lower leg has persisted and definitely it is shin splints, which I knew – simply I wanted to ignore; otherwise I would not have been able to do the marathon. He examined my leg and felt the muscles and the bone and I can tell you that in some parts of my leg it hurt a lot.

I will monitor the situation in coming days and I will see how I pull up, otherwise I will go for a scan on my lower right leg.

As the physio was examining me today and telling me I was mad with the running (okay facing up now, happy?) – a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction crossed my mind because it was pure determination that got me through the finish lane at the Arts Centre on October 8. A normal person would have waited for things to improve and then run a marathon.

I was silly enough to tell him: imagine if my legs had been better, I would have done a better time than the 3h38m… “Masoquismo puro y sencillo” (masochism put simply). That’s a different story now.

The physio asked me if I had another event in mind, to which I responded yes. He then said, you need to do no running for six weeks, do cycle or swin; then return to training and you will be ready for another crack at a long event.

Prior to the Melbourne Marathon an English friend send me an email when I was telling her about my lower leg problems. One sentence speaks thousands: “Tut, tut - no stretches!”

Three hundred million people in the USA
The population of the United States of America reached 300 million people on October 17, 2006 - almost 39 years after the 200 million mark was reached on Nov. 20, 1967. According to the US Census Bureau the total population increases one person every 11 seconds. One third of the USA’s population is deemed as ‘minority’ (Goodness me!). Hispanics (sic) continue to be the largest minority group at 43 million. The second largest minority group was blacks (40 million), followed by Asians (15 million).

World population
By the year 2050, the world population is estimated to be 9.4billion. The world population increased from 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion by 1999. Population growth peaked in the 1960s.

Asia population
In 2002, there were 3.5b people in Asia. By year 2024 there will be 4,375 million and another 500 million people will be added by year 2050.

Meanwhile, Australia’s estimated population was 20.1 million in 2004. By year 2050 the projected population is estimated at 26.4 million. Australia ranks 52nd in population size (2004) and is projected its rank to fall to 64th by 2050.

Run rum blings

Running... (just)
I went to The Tan today for the first run since the Melbourne Marathon and guess what... I could not run! I only managed one lap (3.87km) and my legs were not responding. This means I am heading back to the physio/doctor asap.
This morning when I woke up somehow I knew something was wrong... there was a pain in my lower right leg which persisted for most of today.

Today's plan was to do two laps around the Tan; one starting slow and progressively build, so when approaching the hill for the second time it would have done at a good pace for a comfortable finish - but this was not meant to happen.

The Tan was quite busy today and there were lots of runners around. I did my run after 6.30pm, starting from near Government House. It was a warm and humid evening. Plenty of dusty, too.

Let's get into the nitty gritty of other more interesting stuff, which is appealing to me:

Boat SIEV-X
Today's The Age carried out a story about the drowning of more than 300 asylum seekers in what is known as the Tampa case in Australia. The boat, known as SIEV-X, sank in the Java Sea on October 19, 2001. This was an action that in many ways has changed the political course in Australia in recent years. Needless to say that both that the Coalition and the ALP should be condenmned by their actions, which in my humble opinion, contravene basic human rights and the right to seek asylum.

Year 2030
Thinking about the future is perhaps something not in everyone's mind. I have recently wondered what the average rate of speed/completion time by then for a marathon will be. Most likely the marathon record may be brought down to around 1h58m , if one is to observe the relative improvoment over the past 30 years.
If the same observation is to be made about the political geography of the world, one has to wonder the many changes we have seen not just over the past 25 years, but 10 or even 5 years. Bearing that in mind, the balance of power is likely to continue to shift and populatious countries may exert greater influence if they manage to sustain intact what is their relative national identity.

Research development and innovation
Invariably emerging economies, not quite the ones booming right now but others who are growing strongly, will reach new heights in development and these may reach new benefits and opportunities to further enhance their capability, innovation and commercialisation of IP and emerging technologies.

Marathon records

I remember reading/hearing about
Alberto Salazar completing the Boston marathon in 1982 in 2:08:51.
Robert Castella completing the Chicago marathon in 1985 in 2:08:48.
Steve Moneghetti completing the London marathon in 1997 in 2:08:45.

In a more mundane topic:

Ah... what a feeling! Finally I download my Melbourne Marathon certificate! (after all this is all about me and my humble rumblings).

Recovering well after the MM

It's early hours of Friday... the week has gone so quickly, so much to tell so little time to tell. Recovery has happened.

Pictures of the Melbourne Marathon, of which several are online,show a relaxed and amicable facial image of this humble but proud runner. The brutality of it is not there as one would anticipate. The photos at kilometre 37, top of Fitzroy St, St Kilda, and that cheeky smile at the finish lane tell the story of the day. So, the tactical race plan worked very well for me.

I truly enjoyed the experience and am very pleased I took the risks associated with it in order to accomplish what was an unforgetable day of my life. As I went pass signposts of 37,38... 40 km marks the thoughts of joy and happiness was more than enough to overcome the pain and tyranny of the race. (I imagine you as you will only dream of it).

Those who would know the enormity of the challenge, unpreparedness was evident but it was the sheer determination that saw us reach our final point.

El Sindicato Completes Marathon!!

(Please note this is an unedited version. Written in a rush)

The following is a brief chronicle, which represents a view of Sunday’s experience.

Melbourne, October 9, 2006. Three members Australia’s private syndicate club, Gabriel Mena, Alexis Esposto and Angel Calderon made history yesterday by completing the Melbourne Marathon on a typical spring day when the runners faced four seasons in a few hours (indeed typical Melbourne’s weather) – there was rain at the start, strong coastal wind (at certain points of the course) and oppressing sunny conditions, which made reaching the finish point a rather harder experience for the three brave ‘Sindicalistas’. This was the first ever marathon attempt for those three runners (just don’t say the three amigos!).

The Start – Feeling Nervous

The race, which kicked off from Frankston, commenced fifteen minutes past the scheduled time and this created angst amongst all the runners. El Sindicato runners were not deprived from such angst and this was manifested by their frequent visits to the toilets (mercifully we were not far away from them). The delay was caused by a volunteer so we hear.

Running as a Team

We started the race together and we stuck as one for the first two kilometres when a toilet visit (yes, another one) forced Alexis and Angel off the course and strait into the beach toilets, but Gabriel kept going on. This was clearly an illustration of our state of nervousness. Alexis and Angel ran together for the first five kilometres (at this point in time we were behind the 4hour pacer), but then Angel caught up with Gabriel at around kilometre 6. Gabriel and Angel worked together until kilometre 15 (well past the Mordialloc roundabout), and then Angel, feeling warmer, picked pace. At around Rickets Point, Angel caught up with the 3h.45m. At the same location Gabriel stopped to do some stretching and then he continued.

Progressing through the Flat Territory

The first 14 kilometres of the race were flat, runners travelling smoothly. Our approach was to tackle the first five kilometres really slowly, which paid off. We sustained similar pace until Mordialloc, when there was a slight ascent as we headed towards Warrigal Road. The atmosphere for the first hour was surreal, warming up and staying focused that we had a plan and had to stick to it. There were so many people that went past us but managed to stay on our schedule.

Water stops

We normally stopped at water stations and charged energies. There were no water stations past Fitzroy St, in St Kilda, which was a pity, because at that point in time the sun was very strong and having water would have greatly helped us in the final four kilometres. (Hope the organisors put a water station in St Kilda Road next year).

Stops, encounters and fun

Contrary to what Angel and Gabriel thought the race was far more enjoyable than what they expected. We are making this comparison based on our previous experience when we completed the half marathon at ‘The Run to the G’ event, back in June 2006. Alexis also enjoyed the event although he was forced to run at a slower pace due to soreness in his legs, having to stop a few times for stretching and he walked for more than five minutes.

The runners progressed feeling relatively optimistic from Rickets Point to Sandringham where they knew their friends and supporters were waiting to see them going past. Their first group of supporters were Jane and Marcel who were opposite the Sandringham railway station. They were cheering the runners were optimistically. Just before Dendy St, Brighton, Grace and Casey were waiting to greet us. They enthusiastically were waiving Guatemalan flags! Immediately past Dendy Street, Em and Dom were waiting for us; Em joined Angel and ran with him to just before North Road, giving him a huge morale boost to continue. Just before Martin Street, Brighton, the Calderons (Izzy, Seb and Felix) were waiting for the Latin boys, accompanied of other family members (Carolyn, David, Mim, Charlie and Sam) and friends (Michael, Irene and their two children Joel and Ruben). When Angel spotted them, he immediately moved to the left and stopped to greet them, receiving hugs. A well deserved two-minute stop. Joel and Ruben made the poster which is displayed below.

The boost Angel received around Brighton pushed him to continue with the run and enabled him to main the pace as drawn in the race strategy earlier in the week, which facilitated him to complete the run.

Unknown territory

As Angel progressed away from Brighton and entering into the unknown and untested territory (past the 32km mark), he made his way through Elwood feeling upbeat and somewhat weary that the biggest challenge was about to start – tackling St Kilda’s Esplanade and travelling through Fitzroy Street then making it to the finish lane. The presence of many spectators was a very welcome boost much needed at time the energy levels were beginning to drop. “The time went so quickly, too fast in any case, hard to absorb any enjoyment at that stage of the race” Angel described later on. As he approached St Kilda he knew other non-running members of El Sindicato would be waiting to cheer them. Just before Donovan’s Angel spotted Guillermo, Gonzalo and Victor and that cheered him up so much that he enthusiastically waved his arms attracting their attention. Victor and Guillermo joined Angel for a quick run for about two hundred meters. They talked to Angel enabling him to make his way past St Kilda Pier and progressively made inroads into Fitzroy St, which is known to be a huge test to the stamina of any runner. As Angel made his way to the top of the hill he wished a water station would appear but there was no one in sight – in fact there was no water station until the finish lane.

Once Angel was on St Kilda Road he wished there would be shade - the sun was bright. The boulevard was buzzing with lots of noise from the traffic and spectators cheering up the runners. It was a strange feeling when one enters St Kilda Road because the end is coming, one is close to the end but yet anything could happen, so the excitement of the finish cannot be manifest, conserve energies to push to the end. When one sees the 38kms mark one knows that the hard work has paid that far and the extra energy is needed to make it to the final (no more energy gels far too late). The last four kilometres required extra concentration and forced us to stay upbeat and think not of injuries but the joy of finishing. These four kilometres felt like an eternity, but for Angel, who maintained his relative pace for the past six kilometres but weakening at times, finally made it to the 41km mark when the cheer of the crowd become more intense and the finish lane appeared closer and yet so distant and had to stay working to avoid dropping pace. Angel felt like walking the last four kilometres but his determination to finish running made him to push right to the end.

Finish

As Angel went past The National Gallery the desire for the finish lane to appear was so strong, the legs were beginning to start feeling completely bugged but the crowd and the pain made him get to the finish lane. There was a sound in the crowd that cheered “Go Angel” but it lost amidst the business of the euphoria - Angel completed the marathon in 3h39 minutes…! Later on Jane commented that Angel went quickly in the last hundred metres, but Angel does not have a clear recollection how fast or slow he was going at that moment.

Impresions after the run

Angel
Upon completion of the marathon, Angel commented that he did not feel the pain of the race as much as he was dreading, in any case his positive mental attitude that he wanted to enjoy the day contributed to him finishing well. Angel commented “the fact that I ran the first five kilometres at a slower pace greatly assisted me and, then I managed to stay on course for the first fifteen kilometres – in all of this time I let many runners go past me. Then Angel added, “Progressively I started to build up from Rickets Point as the race moved and progressed through Sandringham and Brighton.”

Angel managed to run at the pace and scheduled as drawn earlier in the week – he expected to complete in 3h45 as ‘best case’ scenario and at the end he did it in 3h39mins.

Gabriel
Gabriel commented that he enjoyed the event immnesively but “I struggled for the past four kilometres”. He said, “I have mixed feeling about today’s event, but I am filled with excitement, very happy about the outcome and the race was a huge mental struggle, but absolutely thrilled I finished”. Gabriel completed the marathon in 4h01m. “It is a great achievement considering we have to build up from a very low base”, he concluded.

Alexis
Alexis commented that it was a very enjoyable experience. However it was the hardest physically taxing event undertaking, he added. “It was a great feeling to finish and I had a great sense of accomplishment, even though I was feeling a lot of pain for the fist 15 kms and despite the wind and the rain the run was terribly enjoying. It was a thoroughly enjoying challenge to have completed. At no time I considered quitting”.
Alexis further commented, “It was great to know that my colleagues and friends also finished the race. It would have been great for all of us to finish all together but this was not possible it would have meant slowing my colleagues and for them not fulfilling their goals.”

Alexis noted that he met a lot of very nice who he helped and helped him to accomplish this marathon. “When I thin I run form Frankston to the city, I think it was a kind of fable, but having finished it made me realised it was real. Perhaps next year I would do it all over again”, he concluded.

The Morning After

Gabriel reports that he feels a bit of pain the in the upper legs. Angel reports pain in the lower legs – shin splints, forced to walk in a funny way. Alexis also reports walking like injured.

We are off to lunch to celebrate and we shall be opening a bottle of the Wynns Centenary Cabernet shiraz 1991 and a 1998 Gaetzer shiraz.

Salud!

Gracias to all of those who supported us in this journey for the past few montsh... more of that later.

Risen to the challenge....

Melbourne Marathon completed!!!

Race report to be published Monday noon AEST.

Thank you for all your support, encouragement and companionship over the past few months. It has been a marvellous and awesome experience.

The journey is completed but not the destination.

Transitions ... Over the Moon!

Running philosophy
Enjoy the race, the destination is vital but the experience matters the most.

Running approach
Hydrating in earnest from today. Eating pattern changed last Weds evening, no alcohol since Monday when I had a light glass of beer at a function.
Tomorrow is rest day, combined with a relaxed 3km run, one of my neighbours will accompany me - the running fever seems to be spreading.

Running pals
My running pals are staying at home, we shall have a nice past dinner together and watch some television. Early bed and we shall be driven to the start.

Running strategy
Start slow, enjoy the scenary, feel the love handles (yes, those little hills that will make us sweat and hate the bloody race), energy gel, a big of laughter and get into the "zone". Build strength as we approach the unknown (post 32kms).
Run kilometre by kilometre, not the whole race in one go.

Running gear
For Christ sake... do all caps have to have an imprint of the brand? Forced to buy one but I am considering ironing off the bloody label ... All set and ready to go, including a skin waist pouch.

Mental preparation
Awesome. Sharp and focused.

Mental game
None; I am not into that sort of game.

Injury
Still there. SS if it must be known. A worry but determined to push to the limit. Make it to Brighton to feel the joy of my 'tres gringo lindos' .

Sunday setting
As the runners progress through Melbourne's bayside suburbs and make way to the city listen to:
Alice Russell's "Under the Munka Moon" album (UK). Hardtimes.
Vaya Con Dios's Remember, Dont Cry for Loui, Nah ne nah (Belgium).
St Germain - any of their albums. Too Deep and Yellow Daffodil.
Adassa's "Kamasutra" album. Kamasutra.

Sunday's MM is just there...

This week has been hectic on the work front combined with functions, lunch meetings and early starts. (One work project is about to finish giving me time to focus on other more critical work stuff.)

This morning, my Thursday's running partner and I went to The Tan for a 5km run, followed by brekky at my favourite cafe. The Thursday's morning run has become a good session because it has become an easy one filled with work and pleasant conversation. Apart from the usual letany of the pain (which is a completely separate story not to bore anyone else here) this morning's workout was a nice and joyful experience. It gets the mind going for a good day. There were not many people around...

Adding excitment to Sunday's race, I am taking Monday off so friends and I can enjoy a nice lunch accompanied with vintaged wines - originally we planned to go to a trendy restaurant but someone has offered to bring some top wines so we can either celebrate or conmiserate.

This week I have only had time to unwrap The Age and look at page one... have I missed anything exciting...? This is unusual for me not to know what's going on the world but it happens at times.

Post MM new projects... running shall continue after a break.


Stay focused for Sunday...

Living with pain whilst running

I ran two laps around The Tan this evening accompanied with pain. Today's session comprised of stretches, a warm up, followed by one lap running at a comfortable pace, then another lap at a more faster pace. I started running opposite the Barracks and headed towards the hill. I could not tackle the hill at my usual pace because the pain in my lower legs was there again. I am resigned to have the pain on Sunday. During the second lap the pain was more manageable. Finished the session lots of stretching. I return to the physio tomorrow.

A busy day at work today. In fact this week is rather hectic.

TTFN.

Running Illusions - One week to go!

In anticipation of the MM, Gabi and I ran from Elwood, not far away from Glenhuntly Road, to the Arts Centre, City. We covered the last 7kms of the MM in about 35 mins and assimilating what will be the most challenging stage of the entire race. This morning was very sunny and, at 7 am, we felt was mid morning already. We wondered how the weather will be on the actual day.

Along the course, we met other runners who like us are doing same events. We ended up talking to a girl who is doing the HM but then she is going on to the NY marathon in a forthnight. She was there with her coach, who has run more than 30 marathons. This coach gave us some useful tips and encouragement for a successful first marathon. Main tip: run the first 5 kms slowly... this is vital for the last stage.

Gabi and I started running with an additional t-shirt and we left them hidden in trees along the course, but when we returned they were gone... that's life; that's St Kilda. Gone and forgotten.

It was a very bright and sunny morning and we completed our run at 08.45 am. After that we walked to his home and we stretched along the way. We gained familiriaty with the hill in Fitzroy St, St Kilda... and imagined what will happen on the day. Felt excited and enthused.


I finished the month of September with another 100+ kms... Happy about performance. I return tomorrow to the physio and hope my lower legs do not play up much this week.

What a week-end... plenty of activity and good weather!