Archive
16-Oct-2014 I Know Nuffink
This post was inspired by poetry of our fore-fathers listened to whilst I was out running:
The More I see, the more I know
The more I know, the less I understand
I think the reason I wanted to stop being manager of CoolRunning, and even doing less running, is that was really all I knew other my job :- running.
When I started doing yoga, it was like a new world – so many types and so much to learn – many people can do yoga every day for years and still not be an expert. (Like running), then there is surfing, gym and fitness, cooking, languages, music, books, travel – SO MUCH TO LEARN, and SO LITTLE TIME.
That’s why I can’t just do running, I need to move onto other things. I know some people might like just doing one thing, but it’s not me, I need to keep on moving on.
(Definition of nuffink is here).
17-May-2013 Going to the North Face …
Today I left home at 0730 as I had to be at work at 9am, and so I had the car packed as I had to leave work at 1430 so I could drive up to the Blue Mountains to do the rego for the North Face race in Leura at the Fairmont Resort.
I had booked a small cabin in Lawson as per usual I didn’t decide what to do until about the day before. The price was right – $60.
I said I would check in between 5pm and 6pm and made it just before 6pm, but then dashed out again for the race check-in. I was impressed with the fairmont – it was a cold night and they had a bunch of woodfires going so it had that very woody Blue Mountains smell. I saw Mikey from work, Sean, Mel, Ewen, Tall Geoff and a heap of other mates from CoolRunning. I developed a headache most probably from stress! After I got everything sorted I went past Wentworth Falls and got a pizza. I was back in Lawson and in bed by 9pm but kept waking up – a mix of a new bed, scared of the run and scared of oversleeping. It was very quiet and comfy.
Here is the review I left on AirBnb:
I only stayed briefly at Jan’s place overnight arriving in the dark and leaving early morning in the dark however I must say that I was very happy with my overall experience. Jan is very friendly. The room was like a country hut and was warm & cosy given the cold night outside. The furnishings were fine, all I needed or even more than I needed. It all looked very new like it had been re-furbished recently. I am definitely bookmarking this place for when I come past this way again. The garden is really great so even on warm summer days it would be good to sit on the steps and take it easy. In the dark they had lots of solar lanterns and lights, which was great. There were zillions of stars also!
AirBnB has a cool android app which I first started looking at when I was in India – I will probably use it more as you get a more “real person” experience rather than most normal online booking places.
9-Mar-2013 Six Foot Track!
Finished my 11th Six Foot Track Marathon today. Very happy with HOW I ran – Picked up from Pluviometer (26km) and screamed thru deviation and on to the finish (45km) overtaking all those people who went past me earlier. However my time was not great due to a slow section between the Cox’s River (15km) to Pluviometer (26km). 6:24.56 total. A good workout test for my Bangladesh run in a few weeks (distance & comfort if not much speed).
Saw lots of people from CoolRunning which was great, so many old friends. Stayed at Sean & Mel’s at Wentworth Falls the night before, with Colin as an extra guest.
Heaps more discussions & comments at the Coolrunning forums, only 2 went to hospital!
Below photo from my phone:
20-Aug-2011 Sutherland Half Marathon
We picked up Kody from a friend’s in Maianbar where she had a sleepover then we went to Audley for the Sutherland Half Marathon. I mentioned a couple of weeks back to the kids that it was on and they were all mad keen to run – Kody 1km and her friend, Chelsea the 2km, and Jaz the 5km with me doing the half (21.1km). The weather on Friday night was really bad, very stormy with a lot of rain. I figured it would be cancelled but Saturday was bright and shiny. The weir was flooded and I thought it would affect their numbers but it was still quite busy.
Kody and friend came 3rd and 4th in a dead heat, Chelsea came approx halfway down the field as did Jaz. I came 97th from 135 for 2hrs 3min 19s which sounds very slow but tis a tough little course and was very muddy. I ran well and beat Gary Keir (Loneranger on CoolRunning) and Bob Fickel which hasn’t happened for a while so have not lost much fitness. I really enjoyed it. Just rocked up and ran – I really hate setting expectations. In fact all the kids enjoyed it.
We popped back home then picked up a friend of Chelsea’s for a sleepover.
6-Aug-2011 Reboot
I had a quick read of coolrunning this evening, must have been the first time in ages, like a month or so.I feel like I have just dropped right out of the running scene since Six Foot back in March. But even before then. I don’t regularly run with any one, or even a group (although I pin the Bushies colours on when I do run a race). Being injured doesn’t help.
But overall, I feel like I need a reboot – take a year or 2 off, get out of the scene and re-find myself & re-charge my batteries. I am refining my diet and my training and feel a lot better for it. My injury is not totally healed but good enough to run enough without any issues. So much so that I am actually enjoying it.
Just need to ensure that I don’t go off and over-commit in my usual way and go and spoil it.
I am particularly enjoying just getting up and doing what strikes my fancy (running, swimming, yoga, paddling, stand-up paddling, surfing, cross fit) and depending on what the weather / conditions best suit – no expectations, no promises, just go with the flow.
Ultimately I have been running for 30 years, 27 since my first marathon, so the running habit runs very deep, and I will always come back and do more but I think that as an exercise routine running alone is not enough- you need to do other activites for all over fitness.
Today I did an 8km run, with fully-clothed and shod swim. 50 pushups, 50 kettlebell swings (16kg), 50 medicine ball wall throws (9kg) and 2 pull ups.
Last night I did 90mins advanced bikram yoga. I am still shite but at least my core is getting a bit stronger.
6-Aug-2010 Letting go
I had to be at work today at 7am, so I got up at 4.40am. Made it to my desk at 6.45. Unfortunately by the time I got home it was approx 8.45pm (had a couple of wines at a work function that finished late).
This is a big weekend coming up – 12 Foot, City to Surf, and there is a big Yoga clinic/seminar at Darling Harbour with Bikram’s wife. I also got invited to a fancy corporate smooze with the Sydney Swans, but have knocked it all back as I’d just prefer something quieter.
I feel a bit the same about CoolRunning, there are some threads that are really turning me off :
As I said to Diane (Paul Every’s partner) – it’s like the Pink Floyd song where the band I am in are playing different tunes and its just time to move on and let go.
5-Aug-2010 Drinks Night
Digger from CoolRunning (Brisbane) was in town and April Palmerlee had organised a “come and run comrades” night given that Digger is Chief Australian Fan (or similar). Of course I am interested in running Comrades but cost/time and getting fit are probably all beyond me at the moment. However I figured going along for the evening would be good fun, and its right next to Town Hall where I catch the train so its not out of my way. It was a good evening and had a good chat to Luke Palmerlee about summer runs in the RNP, Paul Every & Diane (I bump into them at every social occasion …)
Also there were Viv Kartsounis & Nick Drayton – we have been discussing their Shoes for Planet Earth program and possibly merging with CoolRunning’s own “Recycled Runners“.
It didn’t finish too late and was home by approx 9.30pm.
2-Jun-2010 CoolRunning Meeting
I met Sook54 after work tonight in a funky old pub in Glebe and we had ciders. Here are the 4 things we discussed for action:
- download photos and get rid of gallery links – put on thumb drive and give to chilliman
- find some service for moving static html pages to wiki format
- complete retirement of old ad system
- investigate invision hosted service for better integration with other social media, mobile phone version and keeping up to date with patches etc so we can concentrate on content side of things
also discussed:
- having a face-to-face CR brainstorm/working bee/future planning by getting interested staff together (putting some CR$ towards it) – getting Ellie to facilitate discussion
- paying someone to fix whatever is wrong with the forum/wiki integration (maybe superseded by 4)
- getting more forum people involved in gear update etc (NOT to be managed by us)
17-May-2010 Monday blues
Today I just feel kinda knackered and busy at work. Here are somethings I have read:
I was also quoted in the financial review – not for an financial wizardy (obviously ….) but for a very quick phone interview I gave about running.
1-May-2010 Not going to the gold coast marathon
I turned this great offer down – a shame as you don’t often get free stuff offered. I have a yoga injury I am sure – in my hamstring insertion area. But also I just am trying to be less committed to things.
As a dedicated runner, active blogger and founder of http://www.coolrunning.com we would like to extend to you an invitation to attend the Gold Coast Airport Marathon as our guest. The invite includes:
- Return airfares to the Gold Coast
- 2 nights accommodation at The Holiday Inn, Surfers Paradise
- Race Entry to any desired race at the event
- Inner Muscle training kit
- Top Impact Line racing kit
There will be further inclusions, all of which will be outline in a detailed itinerary for the weekend. This will be sent closer to the event date should you accept this invitation.
The dates for the event are Friday 2nd- Sunday 4th July 2010. As a pre-requisite for accepting this invitation ASICS would request the following:
- Road test the ASICS Inner Muscle apparel range for the 4 weeks leading up to the event and post a blog about your experience for each of the 4 weeks.
- 1 blog post each day of the event about your experience at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
- 1 blog post after the event about your experience competing in the Inner Muscle apparel range.
- The above totalling 8 blog posts. Should you have a Facebook and/or Twitter account we would also love you to replicate your blog posts into these accounts.
26-Oct-2009 Previous Blog Efforts
I used to have a blog here from Jun 2006 to Oct 2009.
But have sort of discontinued it.
I will try to import the posts over to here.
22-Oct-2009 Update
I have been running a storm – mainly at the weekends. really hard runs sat and sunday and a few midweek runs too. Usually 2hrs hard and I mean really hard. Beating the missus type hard – and if you know her then you’ll appreciate that’s hard. Obviously all runs are in the RNP. Also swimming more in both pool and sea. I am hoping that the manly to the bridge 11km swim is on again this year as I will do that. and the odd kayak. Also done 10 bikram yoga classes in 20 days (a class is 90mins). I love that. I think its making me stronger article1 and article2.
Obviously been too stuffed to do anything else much. But the six foot ball is rolling again for this year – handover to Colin going well. He is a good bloke. I am putting everything I can in a sub-5hr finish then I will see about some longer ones next year. I pretty much quit coolrunning, but still not sure how it will all pan out.
15-Sept-2009 Ups & Downs
Well it’s been a while since I posted. I have been doing lots of runs at night 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, midnight etc. Its a bit like when I first started running as a 15 year old – out every night in the dark running around in my soccer kit. Took me a year to buy proper running shoes, and another year before I read a running mag or did a race. So I’m keeping it old skool – lots of sweat and no fancy stuff.
Ups
Went running in the blue mtns a couple of weeks back. Went from Woodford to Glenbrook, not quite where the race goes as we ran back out thru the causeway and up to the top by the toll booth. I wrote it down as 30km. Started 10pm after catching the train from Glenbrook. Was a bit fazed by the fit looking bunch but I seemed to run ok, most of the way with Mister G. They chose the night as it was a full moon and mostly could run without a torch as it was firetrail and it had recently been graded. Also Mister G’s torch was bright enough for everyone ! Amazingly I even ran up from the causeway all the way to the top, finished approx 12.30am. Hung around for a drink and a chat etc then ran the last 1.2 km back to the car. Home by 3am, then I had a batch and went to be at 3.30am.
Also been doing a lot of running with the missus most weekends. I feel like I am getting fitter etc.
Downs
But clearly not fit enough. I went for a 32km run with a friend in the RNP last weekend but only made 27km. The weather was scheduled for an unseasonably hot day (29C). I started off strong, possibly too strong – a common failing of mine. I guess I started to sag approx 20km but to be honest I just ground to a halt almost completely. I’d been making jokes before about lying at the side of the track waiting to die but that was pretty much how I felt about an hour later. There was just literally nothing left. I wonder if its because I have done very few runs over 2-3hrs and so that’s exactly how long I can run for. I have just been taking a handheld and no good but I don’t really think that was the cause. Could have been though – 2 bottles in 4hrs ? I walked more or less from Marley almost to the trig point and then abandoned my mate (who had to run back to Audley) and I hitched a lift back to Bundeena (incidentally by a guy that used to run Six Foot who recognised me!) I felt pretty bad about not being able to finish a run (an excellent course I must admit), pretty bad for leaving a mate, and of course I was so buggered I could barely stand up straight. Still I managed to run 11km the next day in 28C with the missus. She caned me. Looks like I need to go out for longer and harder more frequently!
12-Aug-2009 New Beginnings
I am going thru something of a metamorphosis at the moment – trying to work out the type of person I want to be when I grow up. Right now, there is only so much I can take – of work, of coolrunning, of all these other commitments.
So I am acting a bit like a monk at the moment – I have withdrawn off to my “wilderness” bolt hole of the RNP and am just doing lots of running, not much socialising and certainly no races. to be honest the main reason I rarely race is because I am not sure I really fit in to the main demographic of most fun runners anymore. Definitely not the city to surf or many of the other runs. I prefer the smaller runs, SMC, Sydney Striders, the M7 marathon is good etc. (also because I am skint).
I am thinking of running Willy to Billy though, that’s a good one.
Anyway, on the metamorphosis side. I have decided to cut the crap and just focus on the type of runner I want to be. So I am putting in some additional runs, and making it a higher priority, and a bit more sleep.
I am reading the more about the types of runners I want to be : Anton, Sleep Train and Shogun.
I have changed my diet a bit (more on that at another time). just shifting it up a gear. If I am going to run sub-5 at Six Foot next year I need to get hard core.
Books – I read this cool book by a total wally. or at least I always assumed that Deepak Chopra was a real wally, but his buddha book is just truly stunning & amazing and it really moved me. Now of course it was written like a novel so you never really know if Siddhartha/ Buddha said or thought that, or if it was that Deepak guy, but it was cool anyway. Well worth reading. anyway my reading is going off on a bit of a tangent for now. No dout I will write more about this later.
Music – the new wilco, and the old bright eyes.
Stop apologising for the things you’ve never done because time is short and life is cruel, its up to us to change (That’s the Jam, A Town Called Malice)
27-Jul-2009 Pah ! Pathetic!
This last month I have been busy at work. get up 6am-6.30am walk the dog and off to work with barely even a glance at CoolRunning or my emails. The wankers at work have barred gmail access so I can’t catch up on my emails and in fact don’t even look at them until after I get home approx 8pm+. Sometimes by the time I eat then sit down its 10pm. IF I CAN BE BOTHERED. Work just sucks it all out of you such that its hard to care.
I have a netbook with wireless 3g card so can catch up on the train or sneak it on during my lunch break but being in 24-hour electronic contact – it’s, like, so totally yesterday.
I had been looking forward to the Royal National Park Ultra for most of the year and although my training had been ok, in a sort-of underdone type of way, but on the day I was just flat:
Not a great day for me. I came into it with a reasonable fitness and visions of running well over the 77km. However, after a fair start, I slowed on the forest path and Wallamurra and asked Trailpuddin’ to lead. I then dropped like a stone and even on the road section I felt a bit flat, so decided to go short and just do the 48km. It was still a very long way back from Garie, didn’t see anyone else at all until Miuns15 caught me up halfway between wattamolla and Marley. We ran for a bit then he dropped me like a stone. I had heard a new track had been cut this week on the approach to Bundeena, but didn’t realise the extent of it and came off track myself for approx 20mins. I was totally pissed off about this but still did the sandy track, slowly.
I finished in 8h 30m approx (3.30pm). Knackerred but clearly aware I need to pick up my training. Am re-considering 12foot plans.
I also wanted to run the M7 Motorway Marathon or whatever the hell its called but I couldn’t be bothered to spend the money to run crap. Originally I couldn’t as my cousin from Hong Kong was here and due to fly back this morning, but his flight changed and he went yesterday. Luckily I went for a great run with the missus from Garie Beach for 2h 10m in the puring rain and mud, just how I like it.
There was a ding-dong on CoolRunning a couple of weeks back. Its quite depressing how people can feel sooo worked up and disappointed over a free website. what can I say other than it depresses the shit out of me. So much so that I now refuse to moderate and in any case I think the other mods have had enough of me sticking my oar in. There is a fascinating line of thought that it may not be the particular moderators or even the moderating policies but its just that people run riot on forums and think everyone should do as THEY SAY.
Case in point:
http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Message…=3&m=392035
Also an article in today’s paper about masterchef:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/mast…0-1225754680581
Online, the positive MasterChef vibe evaporates into rage and vitriol.
The contestants are ugly, or liars, or just fat. The judges are corrupt, inept, or fat. The producers are callous and cynical, definitely racist and probably fat, too.And when they’ve finished shredding these complete strangers, the chatters turn on one another. Each thread of conversation eventually twists itself into a skein of accusations and faux affronts and, most tedious of all, emoticons.There are some thoughtful, considered remarks _ usually published with the writer’s full name. No coincidence, I reckon.
But it proves that even when producers excise the nastiness from reality TV, plenty of viewers will rush to their keyboards to put it back in.
For myself, generally a positive person, I don’t want to get involved in any negative stuff, just stay focussed on the positives – CoolRunning has in the past, and continues, to change people’s lives for the better by either getting them started running or keeping them running, often better than by themselves, so all the nay-sayers can just go f**k themselves.
Some good stuff – and I would rather spend more time on this:
http://www.coolrunning.com.au/forums/index…mp;#entry483121
We are just about to send some recyled runners to an Aboriginal Women’s walking group in WA and to a bunch of runners in Port Moresby PNG
websites worth reporting on:
none, actually that’s not true – my recent delicious tags indicate:
– a new online tv guide – the ones that come out with the sunday papers are not up to scratch these days, often not even correct for the day the paper is issued let alone a week later.
– a cool online imaging site for people using a zillion different pcs to work on, like me.
– some cool text based photos/images
– clash snappers – many oblique arty references here. noice.
music worth reporting on:
none – just listening to old stuff
books read:
–Sid Vicious: No One is Innocent. good book. I know pretty much the whole story incl the ending. worth reading though.
– too safe for their own good – how risk & responsibility help teens thrive yeas ok, like most self help books. a good pamphlet could suffice.
– Aid and Other Dirty Business – great stuff. I really liked his interesting presentation and first hand knowledge of something that could be very dry indeed.
Comments on the original posting to my CoolRunning blog:
Re- the running – just keep running. I mean, an 8 hr 30 run is ferkin amazing, something I will never do. Fluff up those chest feathers a bit, OK?
*sigh* baby needs settling. Gotta go. Cheers.
14-May-2009 Moving On
This year I dropped my subscription to runners World mag (the Australian version). I was also going to drop my AURA subscription also as I am just not into it and $80 is a lot for 4 magazines per annum. However I saw they had a $30 mag subscription so they got saved at the last minute. I have also decided to not go to the striders awards night, the one with deek as the guest speaker. I love Striders and I love Deek but I feel I just need to move on. Its like when you go shopping you should only buy an item if you throw one out – you can’t just keep taking stuff on. I feel I just need to cut some stuff out and move on.
However I have taken out a subscription to Dumbo Feather as they do an email only subscription for $30 – they email you a pdf of the mag. interesting that each page has your email address on it, so if you forward or post to a webpage they can see who did it.
I am also putting a little bit more effort (just a little mind you) into the recycled runners program – drop offs now possible at a shop in Mosman and Sutherland. Softly Softly, however we have well and truly got well more than 1000 pairs donated now.
I am also working with mister g on the book on the history of the Six Foot Track Marathon, so still keeping busy, possibly still too busy.
On the CoolRunning front – we are travelling ok, haven’t gone bust yet. We got some new gear delivered this week, I dropped off at Ellie’s. We will be looking at an alternate (new) design for caps and visors as we have had some production issues with current ones.
We also had an operation brainstorm last night – I am ok with publicising what about:
17-Apr-2009 Back to the start
There is an ad on tv at the moment “I’m a do-er not a gunna”. I think it’s for Bergen Bread (!). Its like my attitude to CoolRunning these days – I am sooooo over all the talk and questions and this and that. Just bloody get on and try it out. Be a doer not a talker!
Running – done some great runs.
The last few days I have been fixing up some trails. been getting down and dirty. leeches everyday – arms, legs, shoes. This morning I was out for nearly 2 hours from 6.15-8am. Best part of the day for sure.
The previous weekend I ran lady carrington, 20.4km. I left an hour before it got dark and ran hard to the end, then on the return it got dark and I was still hammering along in the dark. There was moonlight coming thru the tress – really quite surreal. I finished and felt like I did in the old days – tired but a really nice tired. just had tap water with a squirt of lime juice at the finish.
On Good Friday I ran with Tim, Plu and Bethany. It was a good hit out and got me out for 2h 20m. I didn’t take a drink as trying to go hardcore, how I used to do it in the old days – queue the coldplay lyrics “going back to the staaaaarrrrt“. I am not really a cold play fan but I do like that bit and it suits my current mood. jettison everything and strip it right back to the basics. We had refreshments on the back deck afterwards.
The next day I was pretty sore and ran from bundeena trig to big marley – again going just before it got dark, so finished in the dark That was only 12km but oh boy I love that track. 6km downhill and 6km uphill.
The NEXT day (Sunday) I did the same run, this time leaving a bit more day light. Saw some deer on big Marley beach.
In other things, I have been feeling like a naughty school boy in delaying getting the six foot results package off to AURA for publishing as part of the magazine. Actually it wasn’t just AURA, I had a mental block about even looking at six foot emails for a week or so.
13-Apr-2009 A new start
Well, it’s been some time since I last posted.
Stop apologising for the things you’ve never done,
Cos time is short and life is cruel
But its up to us to change
I am not good at posting to blogs when I feel stressed and my running generally does a nose-dive also.
I am guessing the stress was six foot -induced and that’s over with for another year (no doubt I will post about that at some stage).
Actually my running went well over Xmas and Jan as per most years but then dropped off in Feb and March and picked up again in April (fairly obviously as Six foot is in March).
I would like to start posting more as it helps ME sort out the ideas buzzing around in my head to something that means something to ME.
Coolrunning is going great – I do less and less. Got some great people helping the site along. Although I should work out a formal way to handover to the one person that will run it. I am getting a buzz back into my running again and I like it.
Been reading heaps as always. The most memorable was Jude the obscure by Thomas Hardy. Probably one of the saddest things I have ever read, but familiar (criss-crossed Wessex many times) and also me and my missus often choose the most tortuous options also. I also read a lot of blogs and internet stuff.
Some of my current faves are:
Digital Nomads: http://www.digitalnomads.com
Free economy community: http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog.php
This is my heart it’s a good heart: http://finallyseeing.tumblr.com
Been listening to a lot of music also – some old, some new etc sometimes on my ipod, sometimes podcasts, some downloaded stuff. As usual it’s just an eclectic mix. Sometimes I will listen to youtubes, or random bands I have read about or other people’s mixtapes downloaded etc.
Maybe I’ll stop there, so I can keep some other things to say later.
As this was posted on my old blog I did get one comment from my friend moondust:
I spotted you yesterday walking very determinedly through Wynyard station on your way (I’m guessing) from the Martin Place building to the Kent St. Some of the stress probably coming from there also. Just control the things you can control and deal with the rest one thing at a time.
Thomas Hardy is way too depressing for me these days, although he writes female characters very well. There’s a really good BBC mini-series of Jude the Obscure, with Robert Powell playing Jude. May be out on DVD. Very intense – teenage girl stuff.
17-Nov-2008 SMC
On Saturday we all went out for dinner – the missus got a new job at Sutherland and it was our 17th wedding anniversary. we went to an indian restaurant in liverpool. it was great. Was most impressed that the kids all tucked into the food also. I love indian food and so my plan is working (ie get the rest of the tiller clan to love indian also).
On Sunday I ran at the sydney marathon clinic for the 1st time. I was keen to see how my training would stack up to a flat fast road run and a half marathon is about as standard as you can get. 1.47 was the answer. I had no real pre-conceived idea but figured whilst running that sub-1.50 would be good. clearly I am going in the right direction. the course was good, aid and markings good. I will probably try to go more regularly as its a good hit out. lots of people I knew there, so it made it worthwhile. I won’t list them for fear of missing anyone off. It was pretty much exactly one hour from home so a lot closer than striders.
This week the bushies are running at garie beach Garie Beach carpark (flat beach run – suitable for newcomers) – Bill Hicks really cracks me up (there are mountainous hills on 3 sides of garie and the 4th is the sea). I will probably go as I feel bad to have been such a rarity there. Suspect they will start approx 6.45am Saturday if anyone is feeling foolish.
Last week I went out twice socially. Makes a change from being a pariah. Friday was at a pub at cockle bay. lots of coolrunners. some new some old and some in between. Couldn’t drink much as I had to drive home and late at night its 90mins or so. met miners and brewer and tfive for the 1st time. I am sure tim said he was going but he missed it, or maybe I dreamt it.
Weds was a coolrunning film night in cremorne. Saw the marathon de sables video for this year. Have never been keen on that run – sounds like a lot of money, but I was quite impressed. if time/money were unlimited then I could do this, but they are so I won’t. the spirit of the marathon was a strange film. I really liked the build up and quality and bit of history but in my mind it was spoilt by focussing too much on virgin marathon runners and their over-complicating the training, and carrying gear etc. jesus just go out and bloody run. ignore all the crap and run. it annoyed me and speaking to some others it annoyed them too. having said that it was great to see a fillum about running and great to see 200+ runners go along.
I enjoyed meeting the Simon boys who organised the evening. Having met them a couple of times, there is something I like about them. I bought the room to read book they were flogging. As you know I am a sucker for a book. Particularly about quitting your job to work for people in the 3rd world. I would have done that if I’d had the guts. there I said it.
As this was posted to my old blog on coolrunning, it had these comments attached :
Comment by “John Stevens” a pseudonym from a well-known fun runner in NSW, or his wife 😉 : Haven’t read the book, either. But is it a question of “guts”, as to whether to down tools here, and go physically to where people are struggling, for enormously complex reasons, to live? (Sorry, I’m not having a good afternoon with words, again). I think of the problems in the poor areas, in two loose categories – those of geography/climate – drought, poor soil, isolation – just a darned hard slog, on and on for generations. Then there are the cultural/political/social problems – health, exploitation of people and resources, fighting over tribal and racial issues, -> too many issues to list.
Anyway, what I’m saying is, seems to me you are in a good position to help, living in a well-resourced nation, with a good education, technology at your fingertips, and relatively speaking, the income to contribute to other people’s lives. Not to mention the political freedom to act as you choose. If you leave all that, plus your own children’s upbringing in the mix, to “go” to a poor area, so you can feel you are “there” making a difference, I wonder if that just serves to lessen the juxtaposition of your “wealth” against their poverty? Yeah, I would agree, there is a need for people with expertise and willingness to live under the hard conditions, to help communities work towards survival, safety and freedom. And it is satisfying to physically exert an effort towards something you want to see achieved. But whenever someone is added to the community, the local resources are stretched that bit further. That is, not all of us who are unhappy about the continuing poverty of 50% of the world’s children, can physically go to them. Supporting the NGOs with your $ is not as immediate or exciting, but on the ground, maybe it’s a pretty effective contribution after all? Book review of “Leaving Microsoft” when you are finished it?
ETA – Sorry, I know that is a simplistic view, and not battling out the issues of the World Bank, globalisation. I am too frustrated by the enormity of the big picture to think of where it begins and ends. But unless you can take down some of the world’s biggest corporations, and share the market more evenly, then I can’t think how else to make a difference as one person, than to share my own income and resources. In that, I am willing to stand alongside you, and say that it takes guts to do what you can, and how can I ever be satisfied with my efforts, if I know I could do more, if I tried harder?
My own comment back: john – arrrgh, jedi mind tricks! At a certain point in time I realised I could do anything I wanted in the whole world, and I wanted to travel and not get a job and DO SOMETHING. So I got a job and sat in the office -> that’s what I meant by I didn’t have the guts to do what I wanted. Which path was most effective in the long run wasn’t a question that I asked. But that decision taken 20-odd years ago sees me here sitting at a pc at bedtime – middle aged, middle class and middle of the road old fart living on past glories.
ps nice blog, and no not everyone uses facebook 😉
11-Nov-2008 Sinking Or Swimming
On the running front, it was a good news/bad news time. I took the day off on Friday as I was racing the Kembla Joggers 5km on Saturday and had a chance to run with Fats afterwards. Anyway I sat up till 1am reading and hopped into bed. My phone has a dodgy battery so had to to reboot with AC power whilst I was waiting for this, I fell asleep and so didn’t change the alarm time, so woke up too late to get there in time. I was pissed off to say the least. Then I had to count and bag some more recycled running shoes to drop off to AFAP. This took most of the day, and when I got back I took the kids to the wharf from jumping/diving. I did a fair swim afterwards.
Sunday I got in a decent run to Garie Beach from Curra Moors and had a quick dip in the water at Garie, all up approx 1h 45m running. In the afternoon I did a HUGE swim from Horderns to the middle of Bonnie Vale and back, about 2.5km in all but I was swimming against the tide on the way back and the waves were fairly big so it was a pretty mega swim all up. The missus came by kayak to make sure I didn’t drown or get creamed by a dick on a boat. Needless to say that come this morning (Monday) My legs, arms, chest etc were totally wrecked.
I had decided on about Thurs that I should stop posting/moderating on the CoolRunning forums. I guess I have not been enjoying it and want to do other things. Spending time arguing is not good for me (or anyone else). I think all the other mods agreed. They politely said I should have a break…. I have been reviewing some old items like the End of An Era posts from 2005 and I said there that I wouldn’t carry on forever – I had said I would gradually drop out of the picture. On Friday I told the moderators that I’d stop for just the weekend but I feel like I should leave it another week.
I am still working on other parts of the site and don’t plan to quit that yet. No one has really volunteered to be the “spokesperson” on the forums replacing me yet, we will see how it goes. There are a truck load of other people so it shouldn’t be too hard. Maybe we don’t need a front person. I like it down the back here anyway.
Had a conversation with someone about a lack of a clear moderating policy – we do have a policy but its not very specific. I don’t really want too many rules as most of the time you need to read in context and with perspective. I don’t know anymore. I like the phrase “the more I see – the more I know, The more I know – the less I understand“.
For newbies to CR, you should read the end of an era stuff, as it gives some idea of where we have been coming from. Yes its taken nearly 4 years to get this far !
I also found these that I thought were funny :
Thread on CR censorship from 2006
Thread on Lame Topics from 2006 (score: 27 lame, 24 not lame):
ps thanks for the neat comments on the blog – I do read them all.
ps Colsy/Plu – the forums allow you to upload mp3 files up to 2Mb as is.
I have just enabled mp3 uploads on the wiki – but not sure of the biggest size it takes (likely 2mb also but give it a go)
As this was posted to my old blog on coolrunning, it had these comments attached :
by Tim: oh dear. missing your alarm! Kev. I had a think about all the lame stuff on CR over the weekend. When at a race like the GNW and hanging with friends you only know cause of CR makes the value and beauty of CR so apparent and all the shit from a handful of knobs just melts away.
by Colsy: I read somewhere once that the best kind of leadership/governance is performed by those who are rarely seen. The opposite to micro-management I guess. I think it is possible for you to successfully run CR without ever being heard from again apart from on the threads that interest you personally.
There is this tendency for some people to always want to know who the manager/law maker/head honcho is so they can blame them for everything. The micro-manager chases after these people putting out the spot fires they create. The successful (invisible) manager sits back, confident in the knowledge that he has people and procedures in place to take care of these wankers. Good entry, good links.
By John Stevens: Aah, the old threads. I didn’t read these when they were “current” – must’ve been working or something. But they are so funny! I have an idea. How about you close the whole board to new posts, and just pop up some of these classics on the front page. You know, people could still post, but they’d just think their post had been moderated, when it didn’t ever appear. In the meantime, change your own and all the other mods e-mail addresses, so you can’t hear the bitching and whining. The short term benefits are enormous – 1. More time for running, for all the mods. 2. People posting will assume their non-published posts were outside the posting guidelines, so will actually take the time to consider their posts, and tighten up on what they write, in an effort to be published. 3. Everything’s already been said at least once, so recycling of posts makes sense, from an environmental viewpoint as well, don’t you think?
From the old threads, “CR Censorship”, this is my fav: (re- topics allowed on the front page, post by FPT)
“My suggestions would be:
– Beep test
– Lack of motivation
– Name that injury and how it can be fixed with orthotics” .
Aah, I’m a moron, I know. I run, therefore I am.
Keep running, keep thinking. It’s interesting to read. I have a nice Bob the Builder alarm clock, with those big bells on top, if you’d like a lend. It’s blue and yellow, too.
Kevin Tiller 
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