Game On

I've done it tough lately ..... been a little clogged.



But let me tell you .... GAME ON!!!!!

GAME ON Clairie.

Yesterday I was back and enjoyed a solid hit out with Geoff. Top bloke Geoff, but poor bugger suffered the heat, deydration and general fatigue often associated with a Gold Coast run. Then again I'm not sure his mind was on the job .......



.... that sort of thing isn't going to destract me!!!!!

I reckon I have to be the luckiest person alive .... my sweet, sexy, darling wife's birthday is on the 31st. Let me tell you, I love her as much as I did when I proposed that fateful day in San Diego over 4 years ago..... come to think of it ... even more so!

After the run, Geoff and I tucked in a feast of prawns.... Katy isn't much of a fan of ripping the head off on of these fellas and peeling off the legs.



Geoff and I are kicking of the season with a 6 hour run at Caboolture. Should be fun .....

..... but then it's down to serious business as I do my very very best to help Clairie prepare for her Canberra assault.

Game On Clairie!

Here's a little motivation/inspiration ... I'm ready ... are you?

We interupt this Blog for an important announcement

In Australia January 22 is the happiest day of the year ..... Why?

Here's your cake!

Frappe Five

Each year, on Australia Day (January 26) the nation counts down the Top 100 tunes of the last year. Not the mainstream ones, it is more of an alternative genre.

Last year my running buddy Tesso challenged me to see who could get the most in the Top 10 from 5 selections.

The rules:

Pick 5 Tunes from The List

The person who picks the most that make the Top 10 wins the prize "
A Fruit Frappe".

Tesso invited me to "Bring a Friend Day" at the Brisbane Road Runners. I will also partner Geoff at Caboolture on Feb 10 where he runs the first 3 hours and I do the next. Then there is the Group 3K Challenge Feb 17, Gold Coast Marathon training with Tara and all of a sudden, the years races are getting booked. Right now, I'm running with Clairie as she prepares for the Canberra Marathon. My head/chest cold is clearing up, so I am relieved that I should be able to resume when she gets back on track after her injury.



This one is on the list .... should I pick it?



I will be posting my selections in the next few days.

I did get some help by running my shortlist past Crouton Clare ...

Eskimo Joe Black Fingernails, Red Wine: good!
Gnarls Barkley Crazy: good!
Hilltop Hoods The Hard Road: ???
Killers When You Were Young: good
Youth Group Forever Young: good
Arctic Monkeys When The Sun Goes Down: ok
Augie March One Crowded Hour:???
Dan Kelly/The Alpha Males Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth:???
Grates 19-20-20:???
Jet Bring It On Back: ok
Muse Take A Bow: ???
Red Hot Chili Peppers: good no matter what
Scissor Sisters I Don't Feel Like Dancing: AWESOME
Snow Patrol Chasing Cars: VERY SUPER EXCELLENT AWESOME! (best song ever)

P.S.

Here they are

Eskimo Joe Black Fingernails, Red Wine
Gnarls Barkley Crazy
Killers When You Were Young
Red Hot Chili Peppers Dani California #34
Snow Patrol Chasing Cars

Oh dear

My calfs hurt!

I have a head cold!

My Physio is full time with the Reds .....



and the Lions and they say he will have to call me back to fit me in ....



to make me happy again!

Making a Splash

My week ended with a full day here (see picture above) along with the Croutons and Clairies Clan. Clairie and I had run 28K, mostly around 5:10 pace, in the morning before climbing up stairs and shooting down various slides. This was the last day of a very solid week of training which started with CJ, a 3K Time Trial, Race Pace 10 miler followed the next day with an easy hour session on Thursday.

Around 3 or 4 pm on Saturday I found keeping up with the Croutons a little too much and let them go on whilst dad collapsed on the beach and rested his eyelids.

"Hoppy" joined me this morning whilst I ran 8 x 1 minutre reps, she walked and did pool laps.

Rebel without a gauze

Here


..... and


Clairie borrowed my little warrior to see the Shaolin Dudes. Just in case he got any ideas ..... I thought it was time to post this picture of him when we was way to young to know about 21st photos .... reappearances of this will definitely be on the agenda for his teenage years.

75 Beer Diet

I have launched my own special diet. It doesn't, as one might think, mean drinking 75 beers ......



No .... the program is based on picking a desired weight ... for me 75 kg and then not drinking beer until I am under that weight, then I can drink as much beer as I like, UNTIL I go over the weight and then must stop. Unlike most diets, where you lose weight, only to put it on when you get tired of lettuce and rice-cakes, this one is perpetual.

In my book ... soon to be launched ... you will learn how 75 Beer can be adapted for your individual goals. Perhaps the "55 Chocolate Diet" or even the "200 French Fry" if pounds are your desired unit of measure.

In the book there are lots of recipes ... there is a chicken cooking technique that involves inserting a can of beer ...... anyway you'll have to get read the book if you want to know more about that one.



I also have a range of products branded with the "75 Beer Diet" logo. Check your grocery shelves for my Colon Cleansing Hot Sauce!!!!

Bounding into the New Year

When I'm lost and uncertain I just need to listen to the little voices inside my head .... I think I capture one in this picture taken from my first run of the year .... and what do you see (little voice in middle of picture, ha "did I say little voice")?

Well ..... follow close as this could get confusing .... 2007 comes along and I feel that I need Goals .... but I don't really have any. After running this morning, I was talking to 2 of my running buddies at Runnin Skool and listening to their marathon plans. It occurred to me, if I can be part of helping them get there in their training, that would please me most. We, Katy and I, also have some challenges ahead with work and recovering fitness. I really want to help Katy recover, but not sure how to be supportive and not pushing. This will be tough for me to do.

So there you have it folks .... my goals for the year. For a long time now, I have NEEDED to run. It has been therapy and a release, it gave me satisfaction and focus for achievement. But, that is not where I am at the moment and this is something I consider to be a very good thing.

Somewhere through reading your posts, sharing your thoughts and feelings, I had another moment of clarity. I channelled my inner buddha that was born from the seasonal indulgences. This second revelation is about work. What is most important now has become, Who I work with and that I want to be around them. How we treat each other in caring out our duties. What is most important in your work?

Is it the money? Loving what you do? How it makes you feel about yourself?

I am also lucky enough to have the Croutons staying with me. I enjoy coming home to play cards and share the complete series of Boston Legal that we got for Christmas with them. I really love coming home.

The New Year weekend was spent camping with another family (as we have done for 3 years now), at a place called "The Wrecks" (pictured below). I can not be sure of this, but I believe the name came from the the drunken, whooping, bonfire and flare lighting early twenty something revellers also camping besides us, that became "Wrecks" in the mornings.



Finally, Progress Report:

"Hoppy" aka Toasthater aka Katy, is recovering rapidly, although quite sore. She can walk about the house without crutches and I am less scared about her fragile state.