Did I Tell You It Was Hot?

Monday 19th to Sunday 25th January 2009

Its been hot. I once had a rugby coach start a preseason session by sitting us all down and saying "Let's get one thing clear, you know it's hot, I know it's hot. Now that that's out of the way we all understand there is no need for you to tell me it's hot. So get off your backsides and start training"

Given his wisdom I still feel the need to state the obvious in mentioning it's hot.

Monday 19th January
Nothing, the mind can be weak some days.

Tuesday 20th January
Met at Sleep Trains round house for an 'easy' run. Being a Tuesday morning it would be the Sun Valley loop. I did once again suggest that a circle can be run in two directions, however as the holder of the run Sleep Train once again dismissed such flippant conversation.

GPB, Dr Phil, Sleep Train and myself for this one and I must say the discussion on the chances of getting lost running in the bush of the lower blue mountains verse the guarantee of getting lost if running round Glenmore Park kept all but GPB entertained for a goodly portion of the run.

Solid finish getting round run in a touch under 55 minutes (did I mention the heat)

Wednesday 21st January
AM: Swim at the brook. Sleep Train in attendance and Dr Phil a touch after the start time agreed. Plenty of conversation but limited swimming. Actually lost track of distance covered but seem to recall running in the depths for some disorganised reason. Round the 2.5km mark.

Even the water seemed hot

PM: GPB, Sleep train, Professor Physiology and Myself for the Wednesday afternoon ride. M7 cycle way from TOLL car park to southern end and back. You would think I could write about the heat here, however buckets of rain and lightening that Sleep Train insisted was at least 2 seconds away in counting, ment it was not so much a hot time as moist.

It was wet. Lost my money to Sleep Train in bet on whether GPB would fall off his bike or whether he would fall off his bike and bring the rest of us down. Strangely no one even considered the chance he might not fall at all.

Sleep Train apparently looking into cost of training wheels for next wed.

Thursday 22nd January
It must be getting hotter

It's my run so we will run which ever direction I want. Unless Sleep Train fails to tell Dr Phil and Kiwi Jeff that we are running from Mansion on Marshall not the Round House. I believe they had a good run anyway.

Sleep Train and myself hit the standard summer circuit along Borea, Railway Pde to Spurwood and back along firetrail to exit at the track that's not there and home. Tired legs to start the day but managed the respectable time of 52 minutes.

Friday 23rd January
Back to the Brook for an AM swim. Still not sure why I get to pool at 6am when on holidays, but it seems to work. A Sleep Train lead main set of 20 50's had me screaming under water to the octopus of the Brook (that animal closely related to the snow snake) on each lap. Joined by Dane who seems to have recovered from Time Dwards attempts to kill him in his first week of training last week. Amazingly he is no longer green and was able to complete his sentences again.

It should be noted that Time Dwards once again failed to appear today (cross check my notes if you wish but I believe this is four days in a row!).

Saturday 24th January
New Holland joined us from Lismore for a morning run. To aid GPB in his quest to woo New Holland we kindly (make that very kindly) agreed to run the low lands on this Saturday morning.

Sleep Train and Myself joined this recently joined pair on a jaunt from Beef and Barra round Leonay then back round bridges. New Holland impressed with her ability to not only run but too shut GPB down as effectively as any seasoned professional.

Really hot, well done to Mr Cricket and the Discipliner who went out for 3hrs starting at 3.45am to beat the heat. I don't think from my tossing and turning through the night this strategy would have payed off on this occasion.

Sunday 25th January
Praise thee, clouds and coolness.

Time Dwards made it out of hibernation to join his travel agent and apprentice, along with myself on a Mt Bike ride. National park to Euroka, up Bennets ridge to the gate and back down single track. Simple but still one of the best.

Some how managed to turn one ride with four people into four rides with one people. Having amalgamated again back at cars yet another coffee in the village for the week. Not too bad a week really. Seven days for seven sessions. The test is coming though with a need to pick it up with number of sessions and duration ahead. Along with the return to work and those Nepean Gnomes who seem to think I'm suppose to teach them something (or not as the case may be).

What to do when you are too lazy to enter on time?

Having once again missed the cut off for entries for the Kathmandu Adventure Race in Glenbrook, this year having been rejected (and rightly so) as pleading entrants to a full race based on last years results (I guess it worked last year and intelligent individuals would have entered on time the second time round). The question was raised "what are Sleep Train and Scam Bullant to do on race day instead?"

Sleep Train's plans of a 2.30 to 3.oo hr run with Shogun sounded like fun but too many uppish bits and a pace that limits discussion to grunts was rejected. Instead a much more enjoyable morning was spent charging around the Lower Blue Mt's photographing people I knew competing in today's event.

The course looked great, having modified the marathon course set in 2007 to more accurately reflect the advertised 3hr race times expected. Leaving all the good bits like Glenbrook Gorge and the Kayak leg from the Euroka track to Rocky Pt. Whilst taking out the horrible scramble carrying bikes up from Knapsack Bridge to Marges Lookout.

Jeff Price & Mark Howell, as team BigFish Expeditions, smoked the course to win (going 20 minutes faster than Saturday's winners) with faultless navigation round the check points and looking good right round.

Dean Heke (from here on in to be referred to as Mr Travel) and 1st time partner Time Dwards looked strong till some missinterpreted advice from someone lead them up the not so garden path and out of the way of one of the check points. I hear the view up their was nice though.

Altogether a much more enjoyable way to spend the morning than chasing Sleep Train and Shogun up the Oaks Fire Trail to Woodford.

The Return Of Scam

Scam Bullant: A Return From The Depths
To some it might seem strange to start a blog with no internet access other than that so kindly provided by the NSW department of education. So too it seemed to me upon reflection, the belief that an employer would have no problems with one of their valuable human assets spending tax payer funded time letting the world know of their training entertainments when they should be expanding the cognitive matter of the juvenile population of NSW, was some what misplaced and misguided.

So today, having joined the world of linked technologies, Scam Bullant revives the blog that is me myself and I for you to engage with. Scam Bullant verse 100kms again.