4 out of 6
With six months more training since my last time out, a flatter course and a pair of $30 socks I felt pretty confident about the Melbourne Marathon.
Thinking about it in the lead up, I had set myself the following goals
- Start
Sounds a bit silly, but making the commitment to attempt a marathon is actually quite a mental hurdle. - Finish
Complete the course, even if injured or dehydrated, before they close the race- about 6 hours after the start. - Don’t stop
Run the whole way. I’ve learned the hard way that my body doesn’t like running in the heat or the wind but even if the weather’s nasty I don’t want to walk. - Improve on last time (3:30:31)
Conditions permitting this felt pretty doable (what with the new socks and everything). - 3:15:00
A stretch, but not outside the realms of possibility.
- 3:00:00
A dream.
There is a moment when a freakish combination of traffic snarls, toilet queues and a clothes drop-off point located in the bowels of the MCG conspire to make even goal 1 seem unlikely. We make it to the marshalling point just in time only to hear that the start’s been put off by 15 minutes as they haven’t fully closed St Kilda Rd yet.
The course starts just outside the MCG, goes down St Kilda Rd, around Albert Park Lake, along the beach to Sandringham and then back. We start at the back of the pack of something like 8,000 entrants in the full and half marathons. Simon takes off quickly; it’s very crowded for the first 10km and I find it difficult to settle into a rhythm as I run around slower runners while skirting tram tracks and using the occasional footpath.
Once we hit the bay the field has opened up a bit and I move past the 4hr; 3:45 and 3:30 pacing groups. The turnaround point at Sandringham comes up sooner than I’d expected but having seen the 3:15 group on their way back I know it’s going to be a struggle to catch them. It’s not overly hot but very bright and exposed and I think the loss of fluid is starting to take a toll.
Richard and Penny are waiting on St Kilda and give me a welcome cheer and pep talk. It’s also a relief to be running in the shade for the first time. Then a final burst gets me up William Barak Bridge, around the outside of the G (where Em and the girls, who’ve made it in after all thanks to delayed flight [a long story], are waiting to give me a wave and a cheer) and then onto the ground for a final lap finishing in front of the Members’ Stand.
The clock shows 3:28 as I cross the line. Will get the official time on Tuesday but I reckon there was about 5 minutes beteween the race starting and my actually going over the starting line so it’ll be around 3:23.
I have a blood blister on my left foot that is the size, shape, colour and texture of one of those chewy rasberry lollies.
Burma petition
Burma is ruled by one of the worst military dictatorships in the world. Last month Buddhist monks and nuns began marching and chanting prayers to call for democracy. The protests spread and hundreds of thousands of Burmese people joined in — but they’ve been brutally attacked by the military regime.
This petition calls on Burma’s powerful ally China and the UN security council to step in and pressure Burma’s rulers to stop the killing.
Missed opportunity
The other night at the pub I had a some hideously strong Belgian beers, which produced a few great ideas for Giant Chimney rants.
I have forgotten them now.
Fuck it!
Oh well, John Howard sucks! Like OMG LOLz!
Know your limits
I am not known to bake. But as the old people are off spending my inheritance on another overseas jaunt, I thought it only right that I should make a bit of a fuss of my brother on his birthday. We are a small family, after all.
I decided that patty cakes might be manageable on this, my first foray into baking since a childhood that was busy with the making of slices and cakes. Cupcakes are are social, as everyone can have one, and they are sort of quirky and homemade. And simple. Or so I thought.
I am not going to share recipes and methodlogies with you, but will cut to the chase and lament the overflowing wonders that I watched slide, merge and rise as a puffy mass in my oven. Those papers are useless and crap. But the outcome tastes great and when the icing went on you could tell what they were supposed to be. They weren’t presented to a gasping crowd of friends at the birthday celebrations as I chickened out and left them on the fridge. The birthday boy did get a surprise delivery, however, and super dog and I enjoyed a few for Sunday afternoon tea.
Now I can empathise with women who become mothers and are thrown into the who-can-make-the-most-speccy-cake competitions that are children’s birthday parties.
super discount ftw
ben thinks he’s found the funk in Finland. he’s wrong. here’s the funk… right here.
I can’t bare to watch yet I can’t look away
A few weeks back I was wondering what exactly is cool and what exactly is funky?
I consider this video to be a perfect representation of both. With a tiny bit of Gay for good measure.
Conversations in a bar
Recently I had this interesting conversation.
Guy from the USA - I have just moved here from Denver.
Guy from Sydney - You moved to Melbourne! Why? You could have moved to Sydney.
Guy from the USA - Well my girlfriend is from Melbourne and it has a better reputation for design.
Me - Yeah and Sydney is nice but Melbourne is much more relaxed.
Guy from Sydney - Hey I’m from Sydney! Watch what you are saying.
every cloud
Sure it’s a bit scary that an article published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that children prefer food served in McDonald’s packaging, over identical food in plain wrappers. (Preschoolers prefer tucker dished up McDonald’s style, The Age)
But maybe there’s a silver lining
- Parents, particularly those with multiple TVs in the home, will be able to get their kids to eat their vegies just by putting them in an old Maccas chip (sorry, fries) packet.
- Marketing directors all over the world cam now cite academic research conducted by Stanford University and published in the JAMA showing that marketing really works.
Kevin Andrews must resign
The Kevin Andrews must resign website has one purpose: To request the resignation of Kevin Andrews MP. Through the website people can send a resignation letter to Kevin Andrews MP by email and add their names to the public signatures list requesting the Minister’s resignation.
the poetry of Donald Rumsfeld
A Confession
Once in a while,
I’m standing here, doing something.
And I think,
“What in the world am I doing here?”
It’s a big surprise.
—May 16, 2001, interview with the New York Times
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