A useless Tip

Attempting to emulate Snagglepuss in speedy exit, I will try to be briefer than usual:

* a very enjoyable family break last week, out to Wellington, Dubbo and Mudgee. Saw the Wellington Caves, Dubbo Open Plains Zoo (perhaps the highlight for YD was the electric cart we hired to get around in) Old Dubbo Gaol, Dubbo Observatory, and Ye Olde Mudgee
* the new iPod nano with car adaptor worked a treat, eliminating the need for cumbersome CD's in-car. Special mention must go to Al Stewart and Jimmy Buffett, who helped us through the miles. Extra special mention and thanks go to Mrs BB who tolerated these artists until Jimmy Barnes came on, followed by George Michael. YD was quietly content in the back, glued to her portable DVD player with headset. And so travels the modern family, content in their isolated world and with the knowledge they will not hear the dreaded words "are we there yet???"
* three decent 10k runs in Dubbo/Mudgee, utilising the picturesque Tracker Riley Bikepath in Dubbo (traversing the riverbanks) and Lawson Park in Mudgee, perhaps the loveliest of parks seen on the trip
* for the statistically minded, since last post a total of 163k has been clocked up on the road, along with five weights sessions. Of these 15 runs - apart from the aforementioned holiday runs - most have been in a new running location, Beaumont Hills. With a mixture of easy flat sections and testing hills (but with great views) I have found this to be a welcome break from the Clean Streets of the past three years, and easily accessible via an easy five minute run, stopping for lights at Windsor Rd

Sub report: West Met Series
* 12/04/08 West Met #3 Rydalmere: 5k 24:02 min
Quite a decent time on a generally flat but stop/start course due to the construction mentioned last post. Two laps of a 2.5k course meant a total of six dead stops to turn around, making for rhythmless running. I later found out the course was slightly longer than 5k, so an even better result in retrospect
* 19/04/08 West Met #4 Smithfield 5k 23:38 min
Best run of the season so far, with a completely different course from the SMC; all cross country with concrete bike path, one lap only, so easier to maintain pace. Relative to others I pace against, I performed creditably time-wise, although finished 59th to break the three week 51st placing pattern. Mind you, there were more than 90 runners this week, up from 70-odd. It seems that the Smithfield run is great preparation for cross country championship events, which might explain the unfamiliar faces finishing ahead of me

I've found that doing an easy 10k run earlier in the morning before the West Met works well for me, along with no eating past Friday evening (but plenty of sports drink). Some might say this is a great way to build up to an eventual hypo collapse or at the very least faint from hunger, but I have been doing it for a few years now and it seems to work. As does consuming late lunch soon after the 2:25pm race...

Next Sunday SMC 5k beckons. The second last for the season, it will be a good test of speed. I'd like to think I can beat 23:32, my PB. We'll see. Once more, I'll head out there with Joe, who seeks to break the elusive 20 minute mark post-hamstring recovery. The last couple of months have seen a goodly turnout, with many familiar faces, many of whom are competing in the 10k.

Working through Laura Joh Rowland's "The Snow Empress", her latest installment in the Sano Ichiro late 17th Japan mystery series. I read it with a sense of urgency, as there are three further library books demanding attention, including Ben Elton's latest "Blind Faith".

Still filled with joie de vivre after the November 2007 Federal Election and the subsequent fall from grace of the Opposition Rabble, I have avoided posts on politics, in general, since then - at least without the same frequency or intensity leading up to said election.
Nevertheless, I feel it necessary to comment on two events arising from this week's activities, both involving Tip Costello.
1. Great excitement surrounds Tip's memoirs, due out 01/10/08. I'm sure they'll be a great read. Also pleasing to learn that Tip is writing them on taxpayers' time, so I'm sure he'll represent his constituents proudly until at least then. A shame Work Choices never applied to him, or even a simple Contact Of Employment that enforced the requirement to devote himself diligently to his primary employment role, as is the case for the rest of us. Apparently Brendan Nelson supports this definition of Serving Your Country
2. perhaps this is why Brendan has slipped to third as voter-preferred Opposition Leader, behind Malcolm and Tip! Bizarro World indeed.
Oh, and just a gentle reminder why that is really just shuffling the deck-chairs: the latest Newspoll has Labor's TPP lead at 61/39...

Perhaps Brendan would like Robin William's definition of Politics
“Politics: “Poli” a Latin word meaning “many”; and "tics" meaning “bloodsucking creatures"

"Exit, Stage Left"