Today I attended a swim meet and had the satisfaction of seeing one of my athletes achieve a career changing goal and another demonstrate he is on the way to achieving his season goal. That made it a good morning.
The day continued with a delicious breakfast (eggs florentine) with a friend and taking in an early movie.
Finally I attended to my janathon committent with a strong ride involving some power sprints on a hill which were tough but satisfying to do. So all in all… a good day.
Today I came across a 2009 RFYL article entitiled Anna Bligh: Just Like Everyone Else. Fortunately there are not many of us who would be called to respond to the consequences arising out of a flood ravaged State and Anna Bligh has done so with competence, dignity, caring and passion. What may make her like many of us is her love of running.
In the days pre-flood Anna was a regular runner with Brisbane’s Pat Carroll running group and no doubt she will return to it when something approaching normalcy (as much as that term can apply to a State Premier) returns to the State. A quote from the article shows that Anna can turn a good phrase or two when she says “For me, getting up and being out when the sun is coming up ….and you’re running around the river … no matter how ugly the day is going to be … how hard the decisons I have to confront are, it’s a good reminder that the world is beautiful.”
Today she visited Grantham, the town hit viciously by a torrential and violent flash flood which left many fatalities in its wake. Many are still missing and the town is grieving. However the fighting spirit Anna referred to in her press conference yesterday ‘I want us to remember who we are. We’re Queenslanders, we’re the people that they breed tough north of the border’ was reflected in this twitpic taken by her team as they visited the town.
Aussie Spirit alive in Grantham flood recovery
Anna says “I find if I do let my running slip, that’s when I’ll find the job getting on top of me” which just makes me think, she must be slipping out for the odd quiet run, wellies and all.
Anna Bligh is an inspiration.
I know it is not quite hump day but it feels like it. Jogging and blogging everyday seems just plain hard work but like the photo (credited to Runners World and found via Google) I am near the summit (or about to go over the hump) of janathon.
Today I did an easy ride for an hour which actually was quite relaxing which made me feel guilty because I am supposed to be putting some work in aren’t I? I think that is why it has been so difficult to actually do a blog.
One thing accomplished this week is that I have set a “signpost” goal by targeting the Australia Day 4km run/walk as a measure as to how I am going. Now I just to hang in there and prepare for an ideally smooth stress free run. I can hope.
On the way home from coaching last night I popped into the supermarket for milk and I also bought a largish tub of chocolate mousee which I later consumed after a double helping of shepherds pie. Why did I do it?
I know that I must lose a significant amount of weight if I am to maintain the pace I want to without injury and yet I sabotage myself. Grrrr. The excuse I gave myself was that I felt extremely tired and also extremely hungry. But it was really that I was tired so I turned to comfort food. Lesson learnt. I am now about to work out a host of strategies so I do not fall into the same trap. ummm
Last night and today Darwin experienced the continuous thunderstorms and persistent heavy showers which are a feature of the Wet Season. The rain turns everything luscious green, and creates nostalgia for the Dry and its continuous days of blue skies and sun. At the same time we feel our luck to be safe in our homes and neighbourhoods.
Today I woke early to thunder booms and lightning flashes and decided to get my run in while it seemed there was a break in the rain. However to many in the State of Queensland to go for a run would be a longed for luxury as more and more communities battle against floods, clean up after them, or prepare for their arrival. To give an idea of the sheer volume of water assailing the State is to note that just this year Brisbane’s Wyvenhoe Dam was at a low of 16%. Families had to learn to cope with severe restrictions on water usage. In contrast currently the dam is filled to 193% capacity, where 100% indicates storage of water needed for the city of Brisbane and surrounds, and the 93% indicates the dam’s capacity for flood water storage. With water levels set to peak on Thursday the CBD of the city of Brisbane is under threat.
Today the small town of Grantham was hit by a torrent of water seven metres in height. A torrent so powerful that the water ripped houses from their foundations and floated them away 100 to 300 hundred metres from where they were standing.
All Australians, not unfamiliar with natural disasters of fire, flood and cyclone, tonight have concern for those who have borne the brunt of this castastrophe and are struggling to accomodate the extent of the damage to lives and property which will continue for weeks to come as the water travels further into other waterways, other towns, and other States.
After my bike spill yesterday I woke up fairly achey and listening to the sound of thunder and rain. This the view from my bathroom. Very wet!
The last thing I felt like was a run or a ride but being true to Janathon I wanted to do something. My solution was water running.
I waited until the storm subsided and found my local pool to be empty of everyone but the manager and me. The temperature was perfect and I spent an hour doing a mixture of very easy swimming and pool running. A great recovery workout.
This morning I came off my bike and ended mashed up just a little. As a result I had a quiet day and completed a novel by one of my favourite authors Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin. A central motif in this story of redemption is that of Philippe Petitt walking a tight rope between the Twin Towers in 1974.
McCann wrote the novel as a means of working through his personal response to 9/11. It seems to me that 9/11 created a significant shift in terms of society’s general fearfulness in custom and practices. Ironically today also saw an irrational and fatal shooting incident in Arizona, obstensibly the target being a popular, balanced and people-oriented Democratic congressman, Gabrielle Giffords.
On-line news and opinion have analysed, explored, and probed the significance of the incident. One story I thought was wonderful was that of Ilene Thompson http://alturl.com/ebvv3 who drummed outside Gifford’s office in a steady rhythmic beat as a expression of support for the group protesting against the rhetoric of hate and violence permeating political discussion in the US.
This argument is discussed in the NY times article The End of an Era of Intolerance, or Just the Beginning http://alturl.com/kaify. It discusses politicians’ use of violent verbal and visual metaphors oblivious to the effect that such discourse can have on the cultural pysche of a society.
At the same time as following the discussion of the Arizona shooting I read an interview with Philippe Petitt who is communicated as an extraordinary person. Despite many offers he refused to profit from his theatre between the Twin Towers in any way and currently lives a simple life. He said he lives his life “to try to do what is beautiful and meaningful to do”. What a wonderful way of looking at life. He also says “I devour life with an impetuous joy, and I’m trying to be happy. But I am sometimes very unhappy, because many things don’t go the way I want, and I am very critical of my own work. It would be great to go through life always happy, but it’s probably better to have a shifting. That’s more life-like. So, I am not perpetually happy, but I am a joyful energy of living, and that is with me all the time.” http://newsblaze.com/story/20080728140319tsop.nb/topstory.html
So my gratitude to this day is as follows: I have learnt that the motif of a man on a tight rope can be more powerful that a plane colliding into a tower, and furthermore I can choose which one will resonate with me; I have reconfirmed my belief in the power of language, particularly metaphor to impact beliefs and behaviour; and I think Petitt’s philosophy, ‘a joyful energy of living’ applies to everyone who tries to be a better person in the plentitude of ways there are to be better.
The monsoon has set in making it a perfect morning for a coastal ride.
The destination is East Point, the site which has historical remains from WW11. Darwin was bombed by the Japanese and relics of the gun emplacements on the Point are a feature of the area.
The weather conditions created familiar casualties 
with fallen trees across the bike path and road. The ride is very scenic but has proved to have its dangers in the past which has led to the erection of a fence beside the path
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Further on the cliffs open out to a vista over the Arafura Sea. Note the effect of the wind on the vegetation. This made it challenging on the way home. 
Having travelled the loop of the Point I explored a side road but came to a dead end.
Retracing my path I returned to Lake Alexander, a man-made salt lake which offers a venue safe from the deadly box jelly fish prevalent in the sea at this time. There I stowed the bike and enjoyed a mid morning swim in the Lake.
Today has been a grey drizzly day perfect for a beach run. I ran with my running mates, Taz and Penny, both Staffy Xs, but 10 years apart in age. As a result our footprints looked something like this. Taz and I trudged away in a straight line, more or less, whereas Penny, only 6 months old, sprinted out and back, out and back, did a few pivots and yes, at times ran into me, which I could cope with as she is not very big yet, or ran right in front of me which is scary. More for me than her as there is a lot of me to fall over and she is nimble enough to get out of the way.
One week completed for Janathon and here are the stats: I feel good.
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Total Workouts Listed: 15 
Today was wet; all day, or most of it. Good for the dogs, 
who had a ball playing in the park, and great when I went swimming and enjoyed a lane to myself.
My doubts as to the wonderfulness of wetness came with the prospect of riding to coach my squads. For some reason the idea of riding in the rain, standing wet on a pool deck for two hours, then riding home again, tired, wet, and miserable, seemed very unappealing.
However … the program did say a 1 hour ride and, at least for this month, the program rules. It is also that I did sign up for Janathon which means commitment; not only to my goals but also because a public sign up means supporting others working towards their goals. On top of that I also have an eco-commitment to use the car as little as possible. Reluctantly I set off in the rain and it wasn’t so bad; in fact it stopped raining and the ride home was very pleasant.
Mental wrestling: 1 for commitment / 0 for excuses .. until next time.
rage against age 