Kevin Tiller

Last Saturday I ran the Helensburgh loop starting from Garie Beach (28k all up). I knew I would the only one to front but I didn’t much care. started 7am very cold and looked like rain. I took my ipod along for its first run in about 3months – I had everything from the Osmonds, Bay City Rollers to Pearl Jam, Sham 69 etc. cool as.

I had planned to just run with water and buy some bananas but at the last moment I remembered I had a truckload of clip2. I think its about 3 years out of date but that stuff never goes off. I screwed up as I was taking 2 handhelds and put both packs in one bottle so emptied into a bowl, mixed and put in the right bottles.

During the run I had periods of drizzle and periods of no drizzle. Later in the morning the sun came thru, but 10mins after I got home it absolutely teemed it down. I took no food or gus at all, and refilled the bottle I’d emptied at a tap Helesnburgh, and bought 3 bananas for $2, ate 2 straightaway and carried the other which I had going past Helensburgh station and put the skin in a bin there. Route finding was easy about from a dodgy right hand turn near the freeway just after Helensburgh playing fields, Helensburgh dump (which I will revisit before RNP on 11-Jul to ensure I have it right). I have marked what I think is the best route now on the run map. There was also a sneaky left hand turn off the de burgh track which I have alway missed and so have always added on a few km.

Link to course here.

I finished approx 12:20 so 5h 20m. I’d say I could do it in about 4h 30m next time and won’t need a map, so could go even lighter. I knew I’d be in strife with the missus, and was big time. I told her that I had a fantastic run and she couldn’t say anything to take away from it – she admitted that there was no real problem me being out so long and that she felt she missed out and wanted to go too. She could but she doesn’t want to run for much longer than 2-3hrs these days.

Looking back now, I feel it was a SUPERB route to run – although I love the bush, I always prefer runs with a bit of everything, roads, single track, 4wd, sand, etc. This run has it all. Even Helensburgh dump is ok and is passed in the blink of an eye.

I was of course cactus for the rest of the day (Saturday).

On Sunday I ran with the missus from the Trig point to Big Marley and return (12km all up).

Link to course here.

I ran quite strongly given the day before’s exercise, but Dawn whacked me coming back uphill. It’s 6km downhill then 6km uphill. However I felt really pleased with my effort.

Monday I started to get the flu as per the rest of the family had over the weekend and Tuesday I was cactus. I received about 50 pairs of old running shoes int he post from Canberra and also a request to send 100+ pairs to the running group in Port Moresby PNG so that should work ok (I have about 60 pairs in the garage already).

Weds I went to the striders committee mtg in the evening and so didn’t get home till late. Its my last committee mtg as we have virtually wrapped up six foot for this year and ongoing the race director is Colin. However I opened my big mouth at the wrong time as usual and am now on a small subcommittee thing to look at the striders website, database and other IT bits.

TV-wise this week – I don’t watch much TV – shameless and office tigers. I saw shameless on Mon but missed office tigers due to being at the striders committee mtg – so saw it online from the sbs tv website.

On Friday I went out after work and had a couple of beers. maybe that’s why I feel a bit cactus today (mmm I like that word and it has a variety of meanings).

I saw this on a weblink this week and I like it:

I have always liked little quotes and have been collecting them on my website for years, in particular my jottings & other un-ordered notes, but I have just started collecting little ones on images (here)

I also get a lot of email (I get rss feeds converted to email and sent to me via this tool) one of them seems a bit off the planet for a feral trail runner, but I like Gala Darling a fashion-blog – the latest update is here

I also bought the latest uncut music mag as they had an article on madness. the cover cd was all about songs about London – it had one of squeeze, chris difford, playing a version of up the junction. I love that song and have done since the day it was released. I then spent about an hour listening to various versions on the internet – for example :

• Chris Difford – Up The Junction
• Squeeze – Up the Junction (original version from Top Of The Pops)
• Glenn Tilbrook – Up The Junction
• Travis – Up The Junctio
• Lily Allen – Up The Junction
• Ben Gibbard – Up The Junction
• Barker ‘n’ ‘Artley – Up The Junction
• The View – Up The Junction (Scots accent to die for!)
• Sul1961 – Up The Junction